When Ahn Jae Hyeon began modeling in South Korea in 2009, he developed a distinctive move: Let’s call it “the look back.”
As he turned at the end of the catwalk, he would look back at the cameras over one shoulder, giving photographers a few extra seconds to capture his image: a lean 6-foot, 1-inch frame topped with a face that since then has been featured in many South Korean movies and TV shows, including the 2023 series “The Real Has Come!”
Mr. Ahn, now 37, knew all along that his fame could be fleeting. “I started as a model, but the career has a short life span,” he said in Korean during an interview late last year at his management company’s office in Seoul’s fashionable Gangnam neighborhood. “I wanted to remain in the fashion industry, which led me to start my jewelry business.”
The unisex brand, founded in 2013, is called AA.Gban: “The Korean name for ring, ‘banji,’ rearranged becomes ‘jiban,’ which is pronounced the same as ‘jib-an.’ ‘Jib’ means house or home and ‘an’ means inside. So the name can mean the various things that come out of my house.” (He chose the letter “G” rather than “J” because he knew he would work with gold.)
As for the double “A,” the letters stand for his family name, and more. Mr. Ahn spread the fingers of his right hand and then turned it upside down. Suddenly, it was easy to see the connection: “The V-shaped fingers, where the rings go, become A’s,” he said.
Thanks to his years in modeling, Mr. Ahn was able to seek the advice of designers he had met, noting that Song Hye Myung, the designer of the edgy Dominic’s Way fashion brand, was particularly helpful.
Why jewelry? “I appreciate the symbolism of jewelry, it represents a promise of eternal love,” Mr. Ahn said. “And it connects people across generations, as a grandmother would pass down a ring to her daughter.”
His first collection was based on flowers. “One of the reasons I chose to design with flowers is that they energize me, but I was saddened by the fact that they wilt quickly. I wanted to create flowers that don’t wither, which led to my designs. Another reason is that I once saw a man carrying a bouquet on his way to a date and looking very happy.”
So, to Mr. Ahn’s way of thinking, he has created blooms that never die: “Layering two or three flower-themed rings creates the effect of a bouquet.”
Koh Kyong Suk, the owner of a fashion production company in Seoul, could create a bouquet on her finger as she has a few AA.Gban floral rings. “There are many talented young Korean designers, but when Jae Hyeon launched the brand, the appeal of his designs was quite unique and special, and his jewelry design still stands out.”
Mr. Ahn said he wanted his pieces to endure, so his first designs were made in silver and onyx. Using a black stone to represent a blossom might seem like an unexpected choice, but he explained that “flowers have inherent beauty, so I believe the material is not important.”
Over the years, Mr. Ahn has adapted the brand’s designs. “Trends change, and currently bold and intricate designs are trending and I am incorporating that into my work,” he said. At the interview, he was wearing a wide, ribbed silver ring that is expandable, so it could fit any finger, male or female, young or old. Then he slipped it off his finger and attached it to his ear, turning it into an ear cuff.
Another ring that he wore was intertwined strands of silver: “They are the stems of flowers.”
His line includes blossoms in sterling silver or 14-karat rose gold that sometimes are accented with diamonds; sculptural bangles in 14-karat yellow gold or silver; and a pearl necklace with a bold silver clasp. Prices start at 50,000 won ($34) for simple silver pieces while those in gold and diamonds start at 500,000 won.
For years the business functioned on a small scale — “When I started there was a staff of one — me — and I worked with one workshop in Seoul,” he said. “Now I continue to design, but also work with two designers and two workshops.” The jewelry is already sold on the online platform Taobao; sales sites in South Korea and Japan are being finalized.
Mr. Ahn has given pieces of his jewelry to friends in the entertainment industry, including the actor-singers Lee Sung Kyung and Seo In Guk (who has been interviewed while wearing his AA.Gban pearl necklace and silver bracelet).
And it seems appropriate, in a way, that Mr. Ahn’s jewelry was responsible for the growth of his acting career. “I appeared in various commercials while modeling,” he said. “As my face became known on TV, the director and writer of ‘My Love from the Star’ offered me a role.”
Mr. Ahn said he was not really interested in acting, but he did want “to see if the lead actress, Gianna Jun, would wear my brand’s jewelry.” On a visit to the set, the director “was persistent and persuasive,” he said, “and he gave me confidence to take on the role” — as the lead actress’s younger brother — “and start acting.”
Did the actress ever wear his jewelry? “Once I started filming, I was so busy and overwhelmed that I didn’t have the chance to make the request.”
Since then Mr. Ahn has appeared in numerous Korean movies and TV shows, YouTube series and music videos; a year ago, he started a YouTube channel and a video blog featuring his thoughts on food, health and lifestyle topics. He also wrote a book, “A List of Things to Remember,” during the pandemic: “I wanted to inspire people that with courage they can do anything.”
He has also appeared on several episodes of the Korean TV reality show “I Live Alone,” with his Scottish fold cat, Anzoo, whom he adopted 10 years ago. Viewers saw Mr. Ahn putting Anzoo on a diet and dressing the cat in a little hanbok, a traditional Korean ensemble, to celebrate the harvest holiday Chuseok, or in cat-size pajamas. Mr. Ahn has even worked with an artist who has drawn a fantasy day in Anzoo’s life: the cat enjoying a glass of wine, doing Pilates, listening to music on his headphones.
What does he love most about Anzoo? Mr. Ahn didn’t hesitate: “everything.” He has yet, though, to design any jewelry for the cat.
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