SONG HO JUN (@jejucarrot) caught my eye last year after strutting down the runway a dozen times in one season at Seoul Fashion Week. Born in 2000, he dreamt of one day walking for Margiela. In July of 2019 he fulfilled this dream, so what could he possibly be aiming for next?

Interview Gissella Ramirez-Valle, Interpreted By Hyun KIM
Photography Sheila Madai ,
@ AFTER JERK OFF, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. NOVEMBER 6, 2019.

Hello, please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is SONG HO JUN (@jejucarrot) and I'm 20-years-old Korean age. I’m from Jeju Island and I currently work as a model.

When did you come to Seoul?I have visited back and forth between since I was 17 years old, basically since being a freshman in high-school.

How did your modeling career begin?I went to Seoul Fashion Week to watch a show back in 2017 and then SF Models contacted me. Actually, ESteem called me first but SF came all the way down to Jeju to meet me a few times to discuss contract terms. That was the decisive factor that led me to sign with SF Models. I originally wanted to be a fashion designer, but I started out as a model by chance. Now I’m signed to LSAC Models in Korea.

Han Hyun Min is a well-known member of SF Models. Who entered the agency first?
He joined the agency one year earlier than me.

How did you make your debut?I first did a lookbook shoot with Heich Blade for their FW17 collection. My first runway shows were later in October 2017 at Seoul Fashion Week, walking for Super Comma B, Youser, Han Chul Lee, Blindness and The Studio K.

You started off very strong and the following seasons you have walked even more shows! What do you think is the secret to your growing popularity?
Well... my hair color used to be blonde and then pink, which people seemed to really like. But I dyed my hair back to black recently and it seems my popularity has declined a little. I even lost some Instagram followers. (laughs)

I saw you playing League of Legends on a TV show here. What was that about?There was an “Idol” League of Legends competition show that my company signed me up for. I just did it for fun. 

Did your appearance on the show affect your popularity?I think so, yes. Back then my hair color was pink... so maybe that’s why I attracted attention.

Do you want to dye your hair pink again?
No, because I've had too much damage to scalp and hair from bleaching so much.

If you weren't a model now, what would you be doing?If I wasn’t modeling, I’d probably be attending fashion school.  And actually, I don't think I would have moved to Seoul. Maybe I would be playing computer games on Jeju Island right now.

What is your fashion style?
I like mix and match. And I also like 90’s styling a little bit.

Has your style changed since you became a model?It's changed a lot. I used to wear minimal and cute clothes, but after I became a model, I looked for something different. That’s how I started to get my own style.

Where do you shop usually?I like luxury brands, so I usually visit the websites for Matches Fashion or Ssense. When I buy a domestic brand, I shop only on the homepage of the domestic brand rather than going to a select shop. I think that helps the designer a little bit more. 

Do you have any favorite brands in Korea?I think I wear the brands The Greatest and STU a lot these days.

Do you want to live abroad?
Yes, I do, maybe only for 1~2 years before I get old.

Have you ever worked abroad?
Yes, I’ve worked in London, Paris, Milan, and Shanghai.

Oh! For who?
After my debut season in Korea, I went overseas and walked for Dolce and Gabbana, Palm Angels, Kenzo, and Kiko Kostadinov.

What’s your dream show?
My original dream show was Maison Margiela, but I was able to walk for them in July of this year. So my next goals are Raf Simons and Louis Vuitton.

I know it’s very competitive to be an Asian model abroad. How did you prepare for the castings?
Since I'm not too tall, I've been dieting a lot. I’m 184 cm, but I've been able to go down to 51kg.

You said you wanted to be a fashion designer. Do you want to go to college as a fashion design major?
I used to want to go to college, but I want to focus on my job now.

Who is your role model?
G-Dragon. G-Dragon is a man who has become a brand in itself and has a unique style.

Where do you usually hang out?
Hongdae and Itaewon. My house is near Hongdae, and it’s easy to go to Itaewon if I take the subway from there.

What book did you read recently?
I don't read much these days, but I recently enjoyed reading Black Comedy written by Yoo Byung Jae.

Is there a place you would you recommend to a foreign friend visiting Korea?
I want to recommend Hongdae. There are always a lot of people, and when I went abroad, there seemed to be a Korean element in Hongdae that I didn't feel anywhere else.