Cover Fashion designer and entrepreneur Jimin Lee
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Jimin Lee
1 / 1
Fashion designer and entrepreneur Jimin Lee liberates the standards of womenswear through her conceptual wardrobe series J Cricket
Built on the philosophy of comfort, individuality, and femininity, the bespoke clothing line J Cricket liberates the experience of dressing from convention. Based in Milan and manned by the Korean-born Jimin Lee, each piece in the label’s style artillery is created with the intention for a person to feel free with both movement and self, priding itself on designs that deign to question sartorial standards of womenswear.
The maiden voyage of Wardrobe 24, J Cricket’s latest collection, made a temporary home in Manila last March 15 to 17, setting up space at Homme et Femme in Makati. The wardrobe is now making its way to other stops on a worldwide tour from Manila to New York.
Every new iteration in J Cricket’s wardrobe series is a direct follow-up to its predecessor. Each piece of clothing begins with the material, sourced from deadstock fabric from Italy and France, and ends up in the hands of the wearer. It’s a slow-burn process, taking 12 to 15 weeks to receive after ordering.
More from Tatler: Ladies Who Lead: Farfetch's Elizabeth von der Goltz on leading a legacy, and bringing together digital and physical in fashion
Above A model shows off an ensemble from Wardrobe 24
Above Fashion designer and entrepreneur Jimin Lee
A model shows off an ensemble from Wardrobe 24
1 / 2
Lee recounts her creative process, “Every moment, I’m reviewing, re-editing, and adding more pieces... there’s always a moment where inspiration comes, and later we think about how that affects our designs.”
The results speak for themselves, prefaced with the assertion that there is no such thing as a signature piece when it comes to the J. Cricket ethos. Garments are designed with every woman in mind, composed with a wash of colours while lightweight and versatile at the same time. A pop of highlighter orange on a camel carpenter’s jacket may catch the eye, along with an interruption of camouflage fabric on a sea of green silk. For Lee, a wearer should be given the freedom to combine her clothes “in an artful way”.
“The concept is activated by the person,” she says. “[The wearer] should not be dictated or conditioned by the way she should look, but rather by how she sees inspiration in other women and in her community... The key is that every woman should find her piece.”
In case you missed it: 5 Paris Couture Week 2024 highlights from Schiaparelli, Maison Margiela, Rahul Mishra and more you might have missed
Above Wardrobe 24 on display at Homme et Femme in Makati
Above Wardrobe 24 on display at Homme et Femme in Makati
Wardrobe 24 on display at Homme et Femme in Makati
1 / 2
In 1988, Lee commenced her fashion odyssey on a retail merchandising programme at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. She recalls, “Back then, it wasn’t very clear how someone could get into fashion, but I was already determined that I wanted to be in that ambience.”
Eventually, she’s working as a fashion executive at Joyce, a Hong Kong luxury retailer, creating private label collections and putting down roots for a project that would soon manifest into J Cricket. “I decided that it was very important for me to put my personal values at the core of what I do, not just my creativity or my know-how but my boundaries as well,” she states.
“I’ve been in this field covering pretty much all 360 degrees. Everything I’ve done in the industry, even retail merchandising, has been nourished by designing.” Given how the fashion business has grown over the years, it became imperative for Lee to have a strategy.
Above A look from J Cricket's Wardrobe 24 collection
Above A look from J Cricket's Wardrobe 24 collection
A look from J Cricket's Wardrobe 24 collection
1 / 2
J Cricket does not follow the seasonal calendar followed by many major fashion houses. Lee prioritises sustainability in her clothing line, focusing on high-quality materials and customisation for clients. Her approach to her label, her aesthetics and principles can be traced back to an atlas of childhood memories, having spent her formative years in the Philippines.
“I think it’s a very creative place. I don’t think you realise it when you’re always here. From the minute we arrived, we were flooded with so much green. I remember Boracay in the Seventies, where there was nothing but blue.” She recalls the look of frangipani flowers in the dark and the verdure of the Philippine landscape. Travelling to places drenched in living colour, from Hong Kong and New York to Milan and the Philippines, was vital in forming her design perspective.
“[While travelling], my influence became more about nature and colours, although I’ve been an urban citizen for so long. Part of my challenge here is understanding colours in a deeper perspective.”
NOW READ
Oscars 2024: The best-dressed celebrities on the red carpet
The Paper Bunny co-founder Jaime Lee on turning the brand into a staple of Singapore lifestyle
Credits
Images: Courtesy of Homme et Femme
Interview: Jimin Lee
About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
