Talent: Yunsu Kang. Photographer: Tom Marvel.
Yunsu Kang is still discovering who she is when no one else is defining her. Depending on the day, the room or the person in front of her, she can be loud and rambunctious, quiet and awkward, silly, serious, assertive or insecure. Some days, she feels unstoppable. On others, she feels small and uncertain. “I used to think those contradictions meant I hadn’t figured out who the ‘real’ me was,” she says. “Now I understand that all of those versions are me.”
Dress: Advsry. Earrings: Izabo. Ring: Ashaha. Hat: Heather Huey.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam (HBZVN): Has your definition of authenticity changed as you’ve gotten older?
YUNSU KANG: Completely. I used to leave interactions replaying everything in my head: I’m usually much funnier than that, or I hope they didn’t think I was unfriendly. I was just anxious.
There was this pressure to make sure people always saw the “real” me, as if there were one perfect version of myself that I needed to present. I don’t believe that anymore.
Authenticity, for me, is less about behaving the same way in every environment and more about whether my actions reflect my values. Was I kind? Was I patient? Did I lead with empathy? Did I act with integrity? If I can answer yes to those questions, then I can feel good about how I showed up.
Dress: Advsry. Earrings: Izabo. Ring: Ashaha. Hat: Heather Huey.
HBZVN: Do you think people have to earn the opportunity to know the deeper parts of you?
YUNSU KANG: Absolutely. Being authentic doesn’t mean everyone is entitled to immediate access to every part of you.
The people who know me most deeply have earned that closeness over time. Trust and safety allow us to slowly reveal the things that can’t possibly be understood in one interaction – our insecurities, fears, contradictions, values, beliefs, and all the strange little things that make us who we are.
There’s something beautiful about allowing yourself to be layered.
Coat, dress and shoes: Dolce & Gabbana. Earrings: Hanying. Necklace: Saidian Vintage Jewels.
HBZVN: How has modeling influenced the way you think about identity?
YUNSU KANG: Modeling has actually helped me understand it in a completely different way. My job constantly asks me to inhabit different versions of myself. Every photographer, designer, client, and creative team has a different vision.
One day I may be asked to be powerful and commanding, and another day the character might be vulnerable, romantic, or restrained. But no single photograph or campaign defines me as a model.
My career is the accumulation of all of those experiences – the relationships I’ve built, what I’ve learned, how I’ve grown, and what I personally bring to a set.
Coat, dress and shoes: Dolce & Gabbana. Earrings: Hanying. Necklace: Saidian Vintage Jewels.
HBZVN: Was there ever a point when being a model conflicted with how you saw yourself?
YUNSU KANG: For much of my career, actually.
There was something uncomfortable about presenting such a polished, seemingly flawless version of myself to the world when I knew that image represented such a small fragment of who I was.
I worried that people would see my career, my appearance, or my social media and assume they understood me based solely on those things. Over time, that made me feel disconnected from the version of myself I was presenting publicly. It also made me deeply uncomfortable with being perceived, and I think that fueled a lot of my insecurities.
Corset, skirt, gloves and shoes: Victor de Souza.
HBZVN: How did you begin to move beyond that discomfort?
YUNSU KANG: By realizing I don’t have to control everyone’s perception of me.
There’s been something incredibly liberating about letting that go. A photograph is a moment. A campaign is a moment. Social media is a collection of moments. None of them can tell the entire story of a person.
I can appreciate the beautiful, polished images that are part of my career without needing them to explain who I am.
Dress: Le Thanh Hoa. Earrings: Izabo. Necklace: Santa Brands. Rings: Pianegonda. Coat: Aknvas. Shoes: Claudio Merazzi.
HBZVN: Has that realization changed the way you approach modeling today?
YUNSU KANG: Yes. I think there’s more freedom in it now.
Instead of looking at each image as something that needs to represent “me,” I can allow myself to explore. Modeling becomes less about proving who I am and more about discovering what I’m capable of expressing.
That shift has allowed me to enjoy the transformation instead of feeling threatened by it.
Dress: Le Thanh Hoa. Earrings: Izabo. Necklace: Santa Brands. Rings: Pianegonda. Shoes: Claudio Merazzi.
HBZVN: What has modeling taught you about confidence?
YUNSU KANG: That confidence isn’t necessarily a permanent state.
I can feel incredibly powerful one day and uncertain the next, and neither feeling cancels out the other. I’m learning that confidence can also mean trusting yourself through the moments when you don’t feel completely certain.
For me, there’s strength in knowing that I don’t have to be fearless or perfectly self-assured all the time.
Dress: Anna Kiki. Coat: Prabal Gurung.
HBZVN: What do you hope people understand about you beyond the images they see?
YUNSU KANG: I don’t necessarily need everyone to understand everything about me anymore.
I hope the people I encounter experience someone who is kind, thoughtful, curious, and committed to treating people well. Beyond that, I’m becoming more comfortable allowing people to discover the rest of me over time.
There is freedom in knowing that I don’t have to explain every layer of myself in order for those layers to be real.
Dress: Anna Kiki. Coat: Prabal Gurung.
A LITTLE MORE PERSONALHBZVN: How would you describe your personal style when you’re not working?YUNSU KANG: My personal style really depends on my mood. Some days I want to feel polished and put together, and other days comfort wins completely. I think clothes can be another extension of all those different sides of ourselves. I don’t feel like I need to fit into one aesthetic all the time. HBZVN: What does life look like when you’re not in front of the camera?YUNSU KANG: The quieter moments are important to me. Modeling can involve constantly being surrounded by people, traveling, changing environments, and adapting to whatever is happening around you. When I’m not working, I appreciate having the space to come back to myself and the people who really know me.  Corset and gloves: Victor de Souza. HBZVN: What is something about you that people might never guess from looking at your photographs?YUNSU KANG: Probably how awkward or silly I can be. A photograph can make someone seem incredibly serious, confident, or even intimidating, but that’s one second of a much bigger personality. There are definitely sides of me that would never be obvious from looking at my portfolio. HBZVN: What makes you happiest right now?YUNSU KANG: Feeling more comfortable with myself. Not because I suddenly have everything figured out, but because I don’t feel the same pressure to figure everything out. I’m learning to appreciate where I am while still being excited about who I’m becoming. HBZVN: And finally, who are you becoming?YUNSU KANG: Someone who is much more comfortable with contradiction. I’m learning that I can be powerful and insecure, outgoing and awkward, serious and silly, polished and imperfect. None of those things have to compete with one another. Maybe becoming yourself isn’t about arriving at one definitive version of who you are. Maybe it’s about giving yourself permission to keep evolving while making sure that, no matter which version of you walks into the room, your values remain the same.  Dress: Le Thanh Hoa. Earrings: Izabo. Necklace: Santa Brands. |
Photographer/Producer: Tom Marvel @tommarvelphotography.
Talent: Yunsu Kang @yunsukang_ from Elite NYC @elitenyc.
Stylist/Creative Director: Lisa Smith Craig @lscstyling.
Lighting Director: Pierre Bonnet @jpierrebonnet.
Makeup: Brian Duprey @brianduprey.
Hair: Louis Angelo @louisangelo.
Nails: Casey Herman @caseynails.
Digital Tech: David Gannon @davidgannonphotography.
Casting: Bobby Gutierrez @nycbobbyg.
Lighting Assistant: Sarah Schneider @sarahbschneider.
Photo Assistant: George Santos @gspepe.
Photo Assistant: Michele Swain @michelewilhelminaphotography.
Photo Assistant: Helen Chi @misshelenchic.
Styling Assistant: Essence Carson @essencecarson.
Styling Assistant: Tiwa Lee @_tiwa.
Studio: Untitled NYC @un_nyc, New York, NY.
Retoucher: Anna G. @retoucher.anna_g.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
