Walk through the streets of downtown Seoul with Kan Hosup and heads turn and hands waive. Kan is a celebrity in the Asian fashion industry. He has been a designer and creative director for numerous Korean businesses, including Louis Quartorze, a go-to fashion source for K-Pop stars and mentor for Project Runway Korea seasons 1, 2, 3, and 4.

His contributions to the fashion industry have won him numerous awards: “2002 World Cup” Certificate of Honor from the Mayor of Seoul, Metropolitan (2002), the Thai Cultural Exchange Award (2005), the Hong Kong Polytechnic University 70th Anniversary award, the Institue of Textile & Clothing 50th Anniversary Achievement Award (2007), The Friends of Thailand Award (2010) and the Korean Society of Costume Achievement Award (2015).

Kan is a tireless advocate for emerging designers, seen below with Gucci designer Frida Giannini creating a scholarship fund for Korean fashion design students.

His serves the fashion industry as Vice president of the Korean Society of Fashion Business and Vice president of the Korean Fashion & Culture Association and remains a friend to the Drexel fashion design program, inviting our students to participate in the Hongik Biennale fashion show with his Hongik University fashion students (see beow with Drexel fashion design faculty Jaeyoon Jeong) and welcoming Drexel students to Korea during their study abroad in Korea.