Everyone has their own closet, full of diverse clothing depicting one’s unique style. Yet, most closets would agree that the most cherished and up-to-date clothing occupies the front. At the same time, the shabby and crude outfits are craving for the owner’s warm touch and an around-the-clock hug in the outside world. However, in the closets of the eco-fashion designer and CEO of the upcycling brand Zennycloset, Lee Zenny, these obsolete fabrics are rising in revolt.
The fashion world is tough. In the midst of thousands of designers targeting a niche market, it is more than difficult to excite picky and capricious customers. Taking a step back from this whirlpool could mean a tragic fall behind. Nevertheless, Lee Zenny is one of the exceptions. Surprisingly, she chose frayed cloths instead of refined materials to approach her customers.
In fact, becoming an eco-fashion designer was not an idea that came in a flash, but rather a portrait of Lee’s lifelong philosophy. Believing that nature and human life are the essence of everything, her fashion philosophy fuses the naturalness of daily life. Rather than stiff leather, her products derive from leftover cotton. Instead of relying on machines, which take up energy and emit contaminants, her works are outputs of tenacious handwork and ardor.
After such processes, the tenuous materials are “upcycled” into brand-new products with better value and quality. A step further from recycling, upcycling is the rebirth of useless goods. As a matter of fact, this notion is already more than a decade old abroad, and there are prominent precedents in various fields. Fortunately, upcycling has gradually been enlightening Korean designers as well, with Lee as one of the pioneers.
Yet, Lee denies the high-sounding modifier that follows her. “People often have this strong prejudice that I am some sort of a great environmental activist. I am simply more attached to bygone things and their rustic nostalgia.” In this manner, Lee always strives to maintain her original intention and to apply it into her works. This is the cornerstone of her identity and her brand, Zennycloset.
A small enterprise with 14 employers, Zennycloset unravels the infinite possibilities of clothes, especially jeans. “Denim is the one and only fabric that becomes more chic over time. The more you rip and stain it, the more beloved,” Lee explained. Anyone visiting the online and offline stores of Zennycloset will instantly be captivated, first by the charming and sophisticated products, and again by the fact that they are all upcycled from denim.
All this closet’s collections—laptop bags, pouches, hats, and accessories—are made from jeans. Reactions from customers are positive so far, particularly for the products’ practicality and original intention. Some frequent customers have even contacted them personally, confessing their satisfaction in coming to know upcycling products. These trifling moments return as a bigger contentment to Lee and her staff, and this becomes a new momentum to keep going forward.
However, this firm designer still believes denim holds its own limitations in the fickle and swift fashion industry. This long-loved fabric already occupies 18 percent of the whole clothing market and half of the cotton production. Overcoming such intense competition, keeping up with unstable trends, and at the same time retaining their eco-friendly purpose are the tasks they should strive to achieve.
In accordance with the high percentage of jeans in the fashion world, we always encounter them in clothing stores. Unfortunately, this means an excess of production and waste of resources. “This is why we never produce more denim clothes, but upcycle abandoned ones,” said Lee. “Despite some challenges, our green technology and the products’ effectiveness are our weapons. I am sure customers will discover our sincerity,” Lee added, sober and convinced.
Compared with foreign firms, domestic companies do not respect the philosophy and history of designers as much. As a result, the promising abilities of designers are overshadowed by the profits and success of the overall enterprise. Thus, Lee has strong ambitions, both as a CEO and a designer. After stabilizing her enterprise by raising sales, her ultimate goal is to foster young and bright designers.
“Novel ideas are massive assets, and I want to induce, support, and train these talents,” she asserted. “A company of great merit that all designers admire and a place where I can fulfill my dreams and uprising stars can attain their goals concurrently is an image of my desirable future.” Indeed, Lee is an ideal designer with aspirations for future generations and striving to solidify substructures for them.
“The unemployment crisis is not aggravated by our society. It is individuals confined within their own fences that worsen the job crunch,” Lee asserted, highlighting the importance of curiosity and experience. Lee herself worked part time in fast food restaurants and factories as an undergraduate student. Looking back, those reckless challenges are the foundation of her insight into human life, which made her a more robust, environmentally friendly designer.
Her plans may seem grandiose and achieving them may be accompanied by trials; however, ever since she decided to leave her hometown to devote herself to becoming a designer, Lee has overcome those ordeals without any complaints. “I never planned to become an ‘eco fashion’ designer, but it is rather the outcome of my attributes. What I want to advise all youngsters is to never lose their natural and intrinsic characteristics,” she affirmed. A person with clear self-esteem and ego will never waver, no matter how painful the adversity may be.