On a break from posting poetry, I am sidelining, for a moment, into my ‘studied’ trade of pattern maker and avid admirer of all things fashion orientated.

The Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, France, located along the rue du Rivoli wing of the Louvre, recently unveiled its latest exhibition entitled KoreaNow, bringing to the attention of Europe the often overlooked delights and brilliance of Korean artisans from Craft, Design, Graphics and Fashion.

The largest selection of the 700 pieces of work, by over 150 artists, features a visually breathtaking collection of Korean clothing, showcasing how ancient traditions have evolved into modern day trends. Serenely laid out in darkened rooms where each piece steps out of the shadows to instantly mesmerise the viewer, the collection is divided into bolts of colour, ending in the purest tones of white. Intricately folded, pressed and twisted papers are turned instantly into the most ornate head decoration which accentuate without distracting the viewer from each piece. Aside from the fashion on display in the upper rooms and the graphics section, where videos explain how the Korean alphabet Hangul came into being under the reign of King Sejong in the 15th century to distinguish Korean from Chinese, the exhibition also showcases Korean excellence in jewellery, ceramics, lighting and furniture of sublime form and timeless simplicity.

Here are just a few of the pieces that began to stir my inspiration:

So, after a lunch in the unexpected but much appreciated October sunshine, I flew home, on a high, literally, excited, inspired and itching to get creative and this transpired:

I grabbed bolts of fabric, the sharpest scissors, chalks and the threads, flamed up the sewing machine and let the moment take me, Korean style, on a journey to make my own Hanbok (Korean Kimono).

Resulting in this…

Get Inspired today…

All words, photos and homemade Hanbok by Damien B. Donnelly