[ZOOM KOREA] Korea’s Martha Stewart wraps up Korean tradition with perfect knot

She is nicknamed Korea’s Martha Stewart thanks to her talent of turning anything into an upscale piece of clothing with her brilliant ideas. Lee Hyo-jae, 65, is a hanbok (traditional Korean dress) designer and a bojagi (traditional wrapping cloth)...

Lee Hyo-jae, hanbok (traditional Korean dress) designer and bojagi (traditional wrapping cloth) artist, is demonstrating how to wrap bojagi during a class at Chojeong Haenggung in Cheongju, North Chungcheong. [PARK SANG-MOON]

She is nicknamed Korea’s Martha Stewart thanks to her talent of turning anything into an upscale piece of clothing with her brilliant ideas. Lee Hyo-jae, 65, is a hanbok (traditional Korean dress) designer and a bojagi (traditional wrapping cloth) artist.

Lee is admired by many for her eco-friendly ways to do housework and is an avid promoter of bojagi culture.

Ever since Lee was little, she was skillful with her hands. She enjoyed playing with hanbok cloth since she was four years old and frequently knitted and used a sewing machine to transform old clothing into completely new styles. She says that even now, most of her outfits excluding her shoes consist of pieces that she has made.

Lee showcases how to giftwrap using her bojagi. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Lee’s abilities have been largely influenced by her mother, who owned a hanbok shop. She lived in an environment that naturally saw her in close contact with hanbok, and she is also the eldest daughter in the family. Now, she is continuing the hanbok legacy by taking on her mother's business and becoming one of Korea’s best-known hanbok designers.

Her designs became famous thanks to celebrities who wore them on television. Legendary trot singer Na Hoon-a, renowned actor Kim Hye-ja and Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon have all previously worn Lee’s garments.

In recent years hanbok is regarded to bear significance not only for how it is supposed to be worn, but for how it looks. That can explain why it’s frequently donned in fashion shows both locally and internationally.

Last October, in a fashion show that celebrated 60 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Paraguay, Lee brought out arguably her most unique sense of style through hanbok.

She had the models on the runway carry presents wrapped in bojagi. The audience cheered on the performance as the meaning of presents transcended language. It was a show that helped directly correlate bojagi with gifts.

Lee neatly folds hanbok in Cheongju, North Chungcheong. [PARK SANG-MOON]

The act of wrapping something with cloth is a Korean tradition. Lee further developed that tradition into “bojagi art” and is considered to be unrivaled in this genre.

“Bojagi is generous enough to envelop hurt and bruised wounds and cover up pain,” Lee said. “If paper-wrapped gifts are meant to be ‘ripped apart,’ bojagi should be slowly ‘untied,’ which gives a sense of relaxation and style.”

Lee has four different ways to tie knots when wrapping gifts in bojagi. The first is the binyeo knot, which gets its name from the traditional hairpin, and is said to look prettiest when the gift is rectangular. The second is the dumpling knot, and fits well with any shape of present. The third is the hydrangea knot, named after the flower, which is recommended for rectangular boxes, such as the gift sets sold in department stores. The last is the hair bun knot, most suitable for square boxes.

Presents wrapped in bojagi using numerous knotting methods. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Bottles of wine wrapped in bojagi [PARK SANG-MOON]

Not only does Lee have special methods to tie knots, but she has 60 ways to wrap bojagi that have been recognized not only domestically but also internationally. For example, American cosmetics brand Clinique had commissioned Lee to pack thousands of their items with bojagi.

In 2014, when Pope Francis visited Korea, he was given a gift specially wrapped in Lee’s bojagi, and former U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping have received such presents.

It is said that a bojagi’s destiny depends on who it meets as its owner. A bojagi can become a floor mat, it can be a small blanket to use when sitting down while wearing a short skirt, or it can even act as an umbrella for when the rain suddenly pours. It can be a small bag for those who have skilled hands.

The beauty of being comprised of obangsaek, or the traditional Korean color spectrum of red, blue, yellow, white and black, is what makes it purely Korean. Its role of being able to be wrapped around any item represents the tight affection in Korean culture.

Lee is involved in various works to promote the beauty of bojagi. Over the years she has published around 20 books and curated cultural performances like covering a Volkswagen car in bojagi or using an Hermes scarf to wrap a gift.

Models walk the runway holding gifts wrapped in bojagi during Lee's hanbok fashion show in Paraguay. [LEE HYO-JAE]

She’s taught classes on how to wrap bojagi at Chojeong Haenggung and she has been the ambassador for the Cheongju Craft Biennale. Chojeong Haenggung is a temporary palace where King Sejong stayed for over a 100 days in 1444 while his eye disorder was being treated. Her pieces can be viewed at her store Hyojae Life, in Samcheong-dong in Jongno District, central Seoul.

Lee has a dream to wrap the barbed-wire fence in Korea’s demilitarized zone, or DMZ, in bojagi. She wants to hold an event in which people from all sorts of backgrounds would participate in covering the wires in the colorful cloths, symbolizing the wish to unify the two Koreas back together again.

Despite her sore wrists and chapped skin due to working with bojagi ever since inheriting her mother’s hanbok store, Lee regards her hands as badges of honor. Nowadays she serves her customers a warm bowl of rice when they visit — even if it is just briefly. Her attitude toward life is warm and maternal, and can light up anyone’s day.

BY PARK SANG-MOON [park.sangmun@joongang.co.kr]