At age 8, Elaine Kim left behind her native Seoul, Korea for a better life in California, leading to her success as one of the top fashion trendsetters. Her collections of little black dresses, neon stockings, and delicate earth-hued jackets have been featured in Vogue, W, and Harper’s Bazaar. Even taking a 10-year break to start a family in Los Angeles didn’t stop curious shoppers from wanting to know more about Kim, who still travels the world for inspiration. From faux fur dresses emulating crushed velvet, to a majestic black wool coat that le petit prince would adore, Kim never fails to take everyday images and transform them into wearable works of art. Kim shares some of her insights from past collections, as well as what people should expect today–and yes, leggings are still in!

Describe your Resort 2008 collection.
For Resort, I looked at the contours and forms of modern architecture and abstract sculpture, like randomly intersecting lines, asymmetric proportions, and accidental shapes created by bold, yet simple manipulations of material. I love the idea that clothes can actually be a shelter or a structure. To pull these ideas off, I’m working with a cotton pucker shirting fabric with bumps that’s oversized and exaggerated. I contrasted that with lightweight denim that has a liquid sheen from a foil process. I did two silk chiffon T-shirts to wear over skinny jeans with sandals: one you could wear with every high-waisted item in your wardrobe and another oversized one that you could throw on by itself as a little dress or with leggings. The leggings are an important key item, a must-have for Resort.

After taking a 10-year sabbatical, why return to fashion?
I pretty much dropped off the face of the earth to raise an awesome family, then realized that I still have so much to say about fashion. Clothing, now more than ever, needs to be emotional. What we wear is one thing, but to purchase something is another. People are sick of commodities. I want to go beyond ‘cute.’ You can find that at H&M, Target, and every department store.

How did you define a new niche in women’s sportswear?
When I created the label Product in 1992, there didn’t exist a significant market in the ‘contemporary’ niche, something that was well priced and well constructed, but with lots of fashion. I introduced precision fit to the category. Every fashion icon of the ’90s wore Product, such as Cameron Diaz, Claudia Schiffer, and Sharon Stone. Cindy Sherman was the first customer at my SoHo store. Kate Moss wore my matte jersey slip dress on a Mario Sorrenti shoot for Harper’s Bazaar and that put me on the map. No one had yet thought to redo the ‘disco’ slip dress of the ’70s. I introduced the must-have items like a satin lycra jean and a faux Mongolian fur coat that Madonna took on a world tour and wore out ragged.

How did Ecru introduce Los Angeles to avant-garde designers?
I started combing New York, London, Paris, and then Milan for exciting stuff to bring to Ecru, my boutique in LA. It really opened my eyes to a whole world of designers who were really pushing the limits. They were challenging the mind, like Costume National, Ann Demeulemeester, Sybilla, and John Galliano. These were the labels that were little known in LA at the time. There were lots of young, restless people who wanted to be fabulous. Remember the ’80s? It was all about being fabulous.

What were the roots behind your passion for making clothes?
I would show up in high school wearing wild little get-ups, like a little jumpsuit constructed out of a paper surgical robe-I wore it with strappy heels! I spent most of my time after school going through thrift shops on Hollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevard. In college during my third year abroad in Paris, I spent most of my time not studying, but exploring the boutiques on Avenue Montaigne and trolling along the giant Parisian flea markets.

What’s your philosophy?
I’ll just quote Balzac, ‘One’s wardrobe reveals one’s politics; it is the story one lives by; it is one’s symbolic self.’

Interview by Serena Kim. Additional reporting by Stephanie Nolasco. Image courtesy of Elainekim.com