Growing up, I was called “the ugly girl.” Other kids called me “the skeleton” or asked why I had such plump lips or small eyes. They commented on my freckles and how lanky I was. I looked so different from the average Korean girl. But when I’d look in the mirror, all I saw was a face—one that wasn’t particularly beautiful or ugly.
All of that changed when I went to an open casting with a friend and ended up getting my first modeling job. It brought out all of these different sides of my personality. To me, beauty is when a person is living and embodying their truth, no matter what that is. One of my morning rituals is drinking green tea with a little bit of sugar. I think it allows for better blood circulation and helps bring down puffiness in the morning. I meditate twice a day. I don’t close my eyes; I stare at my reflection. I always look at myself in the mirror, spending that time alone, enjoying the solitude. I look into my eyes, work my way down to my feet, and write a visual journal entry with my mind. I’ll talk to myself and repeat what happened throughout the day.
I wear a perfume that I will love until I die. It’s a French fragrance: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Cashmere Mood. I found out during Covid that they were no longer selling this particular fragrance, so I bought as many as I could on eBay. I don’t think I’ll ever find anything else that I love more than this scent.
I do love the smell of my husband’s skin. I love the sound of my husband and even his snoring. When I’m abroad, I ask him to send a recording of him snoring and I’ll listen to it.
I’ve been modeling for more than a decade now, and up until this past season I’ve always felt like a “new face.” This season felt different, though. Yes, I saw the same hairstylists, makeup artists, and casting agents, but when it came to the models, I’d never seen them before! For the first time, I felt like such a veteran, and a lot of the models didn’t know who I was! They’d ask how long I’d been modeling for. When I told them more than 10 years, they were shocked.
Since I started modeling, my priorities in life have changed, where it’s not only about my career. It’s about me as a friend, wife, and daughter. I’ve matured more, and I’ve become more of a person than a model.
Still, I have a fire inside of me to keep going in this business. I have this competitiveness with myself where I want to be my best. Other models also drive me to be better, like Hyunji Shin, Yoon Young Bae, and Sohyun Jung. I just shot a Mugler campaign in Los Angeles. At the shoot, I saw Bella Hadid. I was so amazed by how good she was: her posing, her energy, the way her photographs looked. I thought, “I can make this my best photo shoot.” It made me realize that I am always becoming the best version of myself.
Hair: Esther Langham; Makeup: Mark Carrasquillo for Chanel; Manicure: Michina Koide for Dior Vernis; Set Design: Peter Klein.
