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81 Groove Korea: How did varyd get started? Rydia Kim: In the very beginning, I was going to Dongdaemun and online shops and couldn’t find clothes that were simple and unique, the way I wanted. I felt like the fashion lines in Korea all copied each other and were a bit too feminine for me. I was thinking I could make clothes that are slightly better, and that maybe I could start printing some shirts. Last year, I ran into Vanessa Burke, a talented artist. I like fashion, she likes art, so I thought, how about we combine the two? And that’s how we started. Up until the launch, it was a lot of hard work, a lot of hiccups. Al- though Varyd has launched and is doing well, it’s still an experiment and an adventure every day. I’m always looking for new artists, new models and new looks that are unique. What inspires you to make varyd stand out among other brands? The biggest thing is that Varyd has to stand for something. There are so many clothing lines out there, so competition is already ex- tremely steep. If I didn’t go for a longer-term business plan or target of trying to stand for values, it wouldn’t last long. For example, our slogan is “Much more than clothing.” I know that if I employed more “Gangnam Style” typical runway models in our shoots, we would sell more. That’s just the way the fashion industry runs. And if I had just copied the trends, led the trends and followed them, then of course I would be generating more profit now. However, I didn’t want something that was just trendy at the mo- ment, that can be hot for now and can disappear. I wanted something that was original and I’ve always looked up to and aspired to be a respected artist because there’s so much different art out there. One of the things that Varyd stands for is to support creativity and artists and their art. I want to give them a platform through fashion where they can get their name out there, get their designs worn and to make money. Second of all, I’m really against plastic surgery, especially because when I was young, I was really ugly and people would tell me that. It took me a really long time (to be comfortable with myself), but the type of people I want in my life are people who love me for who I am. And that’s the type of brand that I want to stand for too. Also, I’m especially concerned for young people who get surgery. I feel like their faces haven’t even fully grown yet, they haven’t fully developed and blossomed into an adult, so they’ll never really know what they’re supposed to look like, and what they should look like. So, at Varyd, we only use models that are 100 percent natural. That’s one of the weird, awkward questions I have to ask when peo- ple say they want to model for Varyd. If they did do surgery, I actually do turn them down. I know that’s not the most popular thing now, but that’s not what I want to stand for. I want to be proud of the brand that I’m representing that I’ve created. So, no plastic surgery, no more “Gangnam Style.” Our models can be short and bald, big thighs, short legs, I don’t care. As long as you love who you are, you have a unique look, and respect other people, you can definitely model for us. I wanted to stand for the community as well. I love giving back. I’ve been doing volunteer work for a long time, and I always think about giving back to the community not just because you want to have a better brand reputation like some big companies do, but because you actually care about stuff. That’s how Disruptive Voices came along. What inspires me is different artwork, different fabrics, different people. Sometimes when talking with people, I feel and start seeing things that will inspire my clothes. So, I want Varyd to be a brand that you can come visit and feel like you can relate to, and that you can also model for and that gives you confidence and comfort when you wear our clothes. What is the shield? The Shield is a soon-to-be-launched nationwide campaign, part- nered with Varyd Designs and Disruptive Voices. The Shield is all about raising awareness of women’s rights in Korea, but in a fun way. Usually, if you hear “rights” (human rights, women’s rights, feminism), the stereotypical view and perception about the topic itself is really serious, boring and stiff, but we are all trying to break that by creating a commu- nicative gathering that’s open to ev- eryone. The Shield is going to have several programs under its campaign. The one I’m most excited about is The Shield Enforcers. What it means is you can volunteer and get a week- long training which is hardcore, and enforcing the law making sure people get home safe, to lessen physical and sexual violence against both women and men in areas such as Hongdae, Gangnam, Itaewon and the Sillim area — major drinking places for uni- versity students and adults. There’s a lot of danger in those areas, so The Shield people are going to be hitting these places during the weekend so that nothing bad happens to them. It’s a night patrol and I’m excited to see how it pans out. What makes a great entrepreneur? I’m going to preface the question by saying that I’m not a great entrepreneur; I just have the entrepreneur blood in me. I still would love to meet people who can give me guidance and mentor me, help me expand, distribute and market better. One of the big things that you definitely need if you are even think- ing of opening your own business is to love risks, the instability, the unknown. You need to be one of those people who can thrive on uncertainty. You definitely also need self-discipline, consistency, persistence, to be very dedicated and have a huge amount of conviction for what you’re doing. Of course, don’t be stupid and think that something is amazing when it really isn’t. And be flexible, go with the market changes and demands. You also need to have faith. You need networking skills (and to be) able to speak about your brand or company or services, in a profi- cient, professional yet fun manner. You gotta love what you’re doing, you gotta love people, you gotta love listening. MORE iNfO j Visit Varyd Designs at facebook.com/Varyddesigns or varyd.com. ‘One of the big things that you defnitely need if you are even thinking of opening your own business is to love risks, the instability, the unknown. You need to be one of those people who can thrive on uncertainty.’ — Rydia Kim