Inside the prolific rise of Oscar de la Renta’s Laura Kim: the Korea-born Slaysian interned at Donna Karan before heading ODLR and co-founding Monse – a brand loved by Sarah Jessica Parker
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For almost two decades, fashion designer Laura Kim has carved her name in elite circles as one of the most creative and forward-thinking innovators in the industry. According to Coveteur, she began sewing when she was just three years old, and that passion led her to eventually become the co-creative director at fashion giant, Oscar de la Renta.
![Laura Kim found her passion for fashion when she was just three years old. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/74e718c3-eb0f-4cf4-8bd2-7354c7d16b8f_ff98ba96.jpg)
![Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim and Ezra J. William have called themselves the “Slaysians”. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/0a4e8a25-6815-42ef-94e8-c781c8b7641c_77e70e99.jpg)
The Slaysians, the original group at least, include designer Prabal Gurung, influencer Tina Leung, designer Phillip Lim and socialite Ezra J. William. As a group, they have spoken out about their experiences as Asians in a white-dominated industry and the racial bias they have had to face over the years.
Kim’s meteoric rise to fashion stardom is the stuff fairy tales are made of. Here is her story, hardships and all.
The seeds Laura Kim’s sewing genius
![Laura Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/15f7be0f-1622-4a7a-9c31-1db5ae379ff1_2bff7d8b.jpg)
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim started experimenting with sewing when she was only a toddler, per Coveteur. Masterclass reports that it was in Seoul where she learned the basics of pattern-making, sketching and sewing. She used to visit textile markets with her grandmother who was in the industry, and was invested in the basics of fashion design from an early age, per the same source.
![Laura Kim at the St Regis Hotel in Atlanta wearing Oscar de la Renta in November 2022. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/2b171bfd-346e-4989-91d8-d92a0fa5a956_7390c88c.jpg)
In an interview with Coveteur, she said she was inspired by the people of Seoul, which she describes as a fashionable community filled with on-trend streetwear. She added that, during that period of her life, she was regularly surrounded by designer backpacks and personalised touches on garments.
![Laura Kim wearing a stunning number from Oscar de la Renta, and posing with fellow creative director Fernando J Garcia. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/7d52499f-b6a9-4b41-a7c7-88f7699e5318_466e7104.jpg)
She left much of that creative side behind when her family moved to Calgary, Canada. Suddenly, she was living in a cowboy town, she told the publication. But she still liked to dress up and had an eye for what looked good, so her family promoted the idea of a creative career for her, she added.
Taking a chance
![Laura Kim posing with House of Slay posters in November 2021. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/ac07c1ad-b585-4be2-84b3-3fcd3d2fa060_982b573e.jpg)
![Laura Kim wearing an Oscar de la Renta kaftan at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha, in October 2022. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/bfdfa3f1-e8ae-4854-919f-2443dd0d26c3_7390c88c.jpg)
A number of internship hours are required of CFDA students and Kim did her stints at Jeremy Scott, Tse Cashmere and Donna Karan, reports CFDA. At the time, Donna Karan’s office was located in the same building at Oscar de la Renta. So Kim tried her luck, dropping off her CV with the iconic designer, reports Coveteur. She got the job and it was at De la Renta that she carved her mark on the fashion world. From intern to co-creative director, she spent two decades of her life at the fashion giant.
Branching out and becoming an icon
![Laura Kim has carved a name for herself in fashion. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/15db254c-3d11-4d87-8601-6c52df71d593_7390c88c.jpg)
Kim told Coveteur she thinks De la Renta found her age “complementary” to his. She was no-nonsense and De la Renta poked fun at her demeanour. He used his office to play video games and he didn’t seem to take life seriously, she told the publication.
Kim added that he was all about “having fun and not being perfect”. It was that attitude that made his designs so whimsical and appealing to his legions of loyal fans.
De la Renta died in 2014 from complications related to cancer. By the time Kim left the fashion house in 2015, she had worked there for 12 years, reports The New York Times.
![Laura Kim with Fernando J. Garcia as they launched Monse in September 2015. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/7672a653-ca9e-48be-bf15-2df783a389dd_d250cd73.jpg)
In 2015, she and Fernando Garcia, her design partner at De la Renta, launched their own brand, Monse.
![Laura Kim described this Oscar de la Renta dress as her favourite piece in April 2022. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/4f6588b9-9057-489c-ad7d-2b6d6bee5d73_8a66ae79.jpg)
Together they focus on ready-to-wear, accessories, bridal and children’s collections, per Business of Fashion. They use the same office De la Renta used to play video games in. Located in Bryant Park, New York City, much of how De la Renta had left his space remains the same, reports W Magazine.
![A stunning floral dress from Oscar de la Renta’s pre-autumn 2022 season, in December 2021. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/92b8c6ac-d7f8-462d-8a97-84652abc05fd_8a66ae79.jpg)
The design duo took time to come up with their own touches to De la Renta’s style. They decided on a conservative approach, sticking to what De la Renta is known for: bold prints, rich fabrics and full silhouettes, per Coveteur.
The enviable Fernando Garcia partnership
![Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia at the 2021 Met Gala. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/113f8b2e-f43b-4a19-8a1a-bbe80c558b2c_fe017e37.jpg)
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in architecture, Garcia moved to New York City and started interning at Oscar de la Renta in 2009. He reported to Kim and, although she was “annoyed” to have him on her team at first, he eventually impressed her, per W Magazine.
![Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia attend Monse’s “Sip, Shop and Adopt” event in August 2019, in New York City. Photo: Getty Images](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/bc05a82e-7ce2-4cb8-83b5-8a57b2e456ec_4c3bc3f2.jpg)
His partnership with Kim has been the subject of many articles and masterclasses, as the two speak about how their relationship evolved and how they manage to balance their friendship and business.
![Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia celebrating Monse with fashion icon Sarah Jessica Parker. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/fe535ff7-3213-4dee-b010-41b7660062f9_8a66ae79.jpg)
Kim told The Fashionography that it is through Monse that her Korean heritage is most obvious. The deconstruction and oversized look is prominent and very Asian, she told the publication.
A new Laura Kim
![Laura Kim is one of the original “Slaysians”. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/3bcd7633-0a12-4d74-b436-d2fe64308129_7390c88c.jpg)
Kim is one of the most recognised Asians in the fashion game. For most of her life, she focused on work, according to Coveteur. She told the publication that when people asked her where to eat in NYC she couldn’t answer because she simply didn’t know. But that’s changed. Now Kim goes out, has a string of good recommendations and hangs out more with her boyfriend Linus Adolfsson, according to the same source.
![The Slaysians are making waves in New York’s fashion scene. Photo: @ezrajwilliam/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/f41feec2-37e0-46c7-acf4-a8144df7a01f_a26c17fe.jpg)
She’s also cemented her love for food. Throughout 2020, she spent many hours trying new and innovative recipes in her kitchen, per Elle Decor. A quick scroll through her Instagram page shows some of the dishes made with her cooking skills.
![Laura Kim has gone through style transformations over the years. Photo: @tokibunbun/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/263969b9-6b52-4ef9-bcc6-57be62ff9633_89f270db.jpg)
She told Elle Decor that her evolution has spilled over into her personal style. Previously she would dress very “masculine” to work, thinking she had a big job and she was obliged to dress the part. Now she’s embracing being a woman and her personal style is more feminine and “pretty”.
![The Slaysians launched web comic series House of Slay. Photo: @houseofslay/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/5cc4274f-4bc1-4ece-ac2b-9219eb5ee5fd_8a66ae79.jpg)
She’s also become more outspoken. Along with her fellow Slaysians, she lent her name and face to the House of Slay comic series. Launched in 2021, the digital comic series aims to offer an inclusive voice for the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community who are rarely portrayed in the media.
![Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim and Ezra J. William are collectively known as the Slaysians. Photo: @troublewithprabal/Instagram](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/02/14/6da5e233-bfc1-4c1c-b995-e58c66c8d625_6e70a617.jpg)
Through her extraordinary talent, ability to transform herself and her designs, Kim influences aspiring designers, particularly of Asian descent, to acknowledge that they can achieve their dreams too.
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- Kim has become one of New York’s biggest names in fashion and in vocal Asian representation with her proud Slaysians gang that includes Prabal Gurung, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim and Ezra J. William
- She studied at Pratt Institute and interned at Jeremy Scott and Tse Cashmere – then Oscar de la Renta, where she later became co-creative director with Monse co-founder Fernando Garcia