THE DEFTHANDS ATELIER: CAMO
2025PORTLAND, ORSOCIAL + ART DIRECTIONDefthands Atelier approached me to help tell the story of their Kyo-Ryun Korean camo beanies, a pattern that may feel unfamiliar to much of Defthands’ audience, yet holds deep cultural significance and nostalgia for Koreans. Widely seen throughout the 1970s and 1980s during military training in schools, the print appears in yearbooks, family photo albums, history books, and films, capturing a collective memory of youth, intensity, and discipline.
The creative intent of the campaign was to bridge that era’s raw, spirited energy with the ethos of today’s youth. By drawing a connection between the wild enthusiasm of military training in the ’70s and ’80s and the expressive, self-defined spirit of the present, the project reframed the camo as a living symbol rather than a historical artifact.
The campaign unfolded through a three-phase narrative: honoring the brand’s past, exploring how that past lives in the present, and presenting the beanies through a contemporary visual lens. To achieve this, I focused on grounding the visuals in cultural memory while translating the print into a modern context.
I led the creative direction, storytelling, photography, and content creation, shaping a campaign that positioned the camo as both archival and forward-looking.
Phase One: Heritage & Origin
Phase one is led by the brand’s designer, who narrates the historical context of the Kyo-Ryun camo and the personal motivations behind choosing the print. The video archival snapshots of how the camo was traditionally used throughout history, juxtaposed with his contemporary application of the patter within his own designs. This phase establishes the foundation of the campaign, highlighting heritage, roots, and the cultural inspiration that informed the collection.
Phase Two : Past in the Present
This phase was filmed using a vintage camcorder to amplify the campaign’s sense of nostalgia. The reel features three recognizable Korean American business owners in Portland, OR (where The Defthands Atelier is based, wearing the camo beanie as they move through their daily work within their own establishments. By placing the print in lived, contemporary spaces, this phase position the Kyo-Ryun not as an archival reference, but as an active part of everyday life.
Phase Three: In the Present
The final phase pauses the narrative to focus on the product through studio photography. Intimate close ups highlight a contemporary interpretation of the Kyo-Ryun camo, emphasizing texture, pattern, and detail. Styled alongside other Defthands Atelier pieces, the beanie is positioned within a streetwear context, demonstrating how the print continues to live on today. In contrast to the earlier, archival phases, these images affirm the camo not as a reference to the past, but as an active part of the present.
