[INTERVIEW] Model Kang Seung-hyun

Interview with the first Asian to win the Ford Supermodel of the Year contest in 2008

My name is Kang Seung-hyun. My English name is Hyoni. It was my nickname during my school days but my agency in the United States said they wanted to go with it too. I became ashamed thinking I would be called that even when I was 40 but I've gotten used to it.
I was born on September 22, 1987. I'm still 22 in the U.S. But I'm not young because there are so many models who debut at a very young age.
When I come to Korea with some time on my hands there are three gatherings I have to go to. One with my middle school friends, another with my high school friends and another with my college friends. All my friends from elementary school went to the same middle school as me so they're included in my middle school gathering.
I have one older brother. He is a year older than I am and a student.
My mom is also tall. About 168 centimeters. I'd been big since the moment I was born and I was like a giant because I was taller than all of my friends. Between the several months of vacation after I graduated from middle school, I grew 20 centimeters and I think I kept growing till my senior year of high school.
Since my teens, I have particularly been interested in fashion magazines. So much that I was a subscriber. I think that's why I wasn't hostile to people who recommended that I become a model since I'm tall. I applied to the modeling department for college too because I had the vague notion that I would able to work in that industry if I major in it.
I was class representative in my freshman year of college. And up till the second year, I was the average college student at an all girls school. I wore comfortable, seemingly effortless clothes that I had actually put in a lot of effort to create and I would go out and drink with my friends.
Right ahead of the Ford supermodel contest, I wanted to lose about three kilograms so I worked out an outrageous amount. It was summertime but I ran along the Han river in lots of layers of clothes -- from the underclothing to a padded jacket. It was really tough but I actually didn't lose much weight. Hahaha. I worked out in the same way again before going to the U.S. Someone recognized me and asked why I worked out in such a way.
I often hear that my face is rounder than that of typical Asian models so it makes me look young. I thought it was my weakness because I sometimes don't look mature enough but I think it's better now after hearing from a lot of people that I'll be able to work for a long time. I'm also relieved that I have an image of my own and am not just 'one of the Asian models'.
Thanks to looking young for my age I do a lot of work for magazines with younger readers like "Teen Vogue". That's why I get letters from fans overseas and they ask for my autograph. I'm fascinated and enjoy their interest. Recently, a Canadian kid who recognized me in the streets of New York gave me honey as a gift. Hahaha.
The show I had dreamed of walking the runway of before my debut was Marc Jacob's. That's why when I went for the casting, I was just fascinated and looked around here and there like a tourist. Haha. I even met Ai Tominaga on a show once -- I had really liked her when I was in high school. Everything has become work now but how it all was so fascinating in the beginning!
I was the first Asian model to open Phillip Lim's show. Since then, he's been my favorite designer! Haha. I didn't think it was a big deal in the beginning but my agency got so excited when they heard about it. To be honest, at the time I didn't know he was such a big designer.
I've been a very outgoing person since I was young. I had as many guy friends as I had girl friends. And it was like that at the Ford supermodel contest too but whenever I'm working, I always make friends easily, wherever I go. I think it's an important quality for a model since we're always working with new people. I say hello and start talking to people even though my English isn't good. Of course, I do think I should work on my English so I can speak the language better. Up till now... I've been busy... so I didn't have time to go and learn at an academy. Let's put it like that for now.
I opened a vintage shop with a close friend last month. We started with the thought of doing some sewing but things got bigger than we expected. We buy vintage clothes and reform them for easier modern-day wearing. I have pride in our clothes in the fact that these clothes are one of a kind. They're quite expensive because it's hard to buy mass amounts of the articles of clothing to the supplementary material. But Japanese vintage manias or the fashion industry are showing a lot of interest. I think they think it's cute seeing a young foreign model attempting to do something in New York. We made both the clothes I'm wearing today and the one I wore on MBC's variety show "Infinite Challenge"!
When I was young, my dream was to become a scientist. I also once said I want to become Korea's first female president. But I don't have any other dream right now. I'm happy with what I'm doing. Doing a better job with the next gig or work regarding fashion that comes along, that's my dream.

Reporter : Yoon Hee-Seong nine@10asia.co.kr
Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr