Kyopo is a fictional lifestyle brand that blends traditional Korean motifs with contemporary Western design aesthetics. “Kyopo” is a term used by native Koreans to describe people like me - Koreans raised abroad - with an undertone of exclusion. I’ve reimagined it as a brand that embraces hybrid identity and reframes cultural value. Through product, branding, and packaging design, the project critically engages with how cultural identity is marketed and softened for mass appeal.
Every Kyopo object was created through the lens of what might feel elevated or palatable to a privileged, trend-aware Western audience. The visual cues, such as the organic forms, and minimal language, mirror the luxury branding language we see in New York lifestyle brands. But underneath each surface is a reference to Korean materiality, symbolism, and consumables.
Rather than calling attention to itself, Kyopo is designed to blend in and to be admired without explanation. In doing so, it critiques the ways cultural narratives are consumed without context, and how “aesthetic” often overrides authenticity. Through this work, I explore themes of identity, perception, and cultural repackaging. Kyopo doesn’t offer answers - it invites viewers to question what’s being sold, to whom, and at what cost.
