Sungermone

November 29, 2024

From Fashion Designer to Selling AI Keyrings

Kotone, the master cat caretaker always has treats at the ready. Yoshihiro, a 35-year-old journalist navigating each work day while secretly holding a resignation letter in his pocket. Larry the mysterious 56-year-old undercover chef who loves to whip up French fries; and Milk the domestic shorthair cat with an unusual passion for climbing high places.

This is a glimpse into the world crafted by Sun Jeom-won, the designer behind Soft Thumbnail, where these plush characters come to life. We had the chance to sit down with the director and designer to discuss the obscure yet endearing, familiar yet uncanny valley-evoking nature of these stuffed creations.

Q. Hello! Could you introduce yourself to the readers of jente Store?

I’m Sun Jeom-won, I create sculptures using stuffed dolls.

Q. What is the purpose of using dolls, including those from Soft Thumbnail? I'm curious why you chose dolls among many categories.

I'm not sure if they have a specific purpose, but I do believe there’s meaning in the culture that emerges from them. I chose dolls because I think they are the best medium for conveying concrete stories.

Doll Keyrings Sold at Soft Thumbnail

Q. I’ve heard that it’s been almost a year since you started Soft Thumbnail. I’m curious about the process of creating dolls with designs as unique as these.

We discuss a lot among ourselves as a team. Honestly we just joke around a lot, but it’s through these conversations that we gradually solidify our ideas. This process leads us to create a story, defining the character’s personality, appearance, and preferences that fit into that world. We then use artificial intelligence to generate the images. All the doll faces are virtual images created by AI. We print those images onto fabric, and sew them into the finished dolls.

Q. Now I want to create a doll myself. What AI programs do you use for this?

We use a variety of programs, including Stable Diffusion, MidJourney, Firefly, and ChatGPT, among others.

AI-Generated Virtual Faces

Q. Thank you for sharing the trade secrets. What projects are you currently planning?

To introduce a new product launching at the end of July, we’re expanding our animal series. We’re adding two new designs and renewing two others. The response to the animal series has been incredibly positive—it sells about five times better than our character series.

Dog Master series consisting of one person and four dogs

Q. Hold on, I’m curious about the brand name Soft Thumbnail. What does it mean exactly?

It reflects our desire to convey stories in an impactful way. Specifically, we included the word "soft" because we’re committed to creating plush dolls. The term "thumbnail" refers to an image that summarizes content at a glance. It’s our hope that even a single doll from Soft Thumbnail will allow people to grasp the brand’s colors and worldview.

Q. What was the first doll that Soft Thumbnail launched? I’m curious about the beginning of this grand journey.

Before officially starting the Soft Thumbnail brand, I collaborated with a vintage shop called Cemetery Park. You could consider that my first work. I wanted to share my creations, which I had been doing solo, with a wider audience. This led to the more commercially oriented Soft Thumbnail.

Soft Thumbnail x Cemetary Park

Collaboration product with Cemetary Park. Wearing vintage clothing sold at Cemetery Park

personal work

Q. In your personal work, I see you often use masks and dolls. Do you have a particular fondness for stuffed dolls? If you don’t mind me asking, do you have a cherished stuffed animal?

Surprisingly, despite working with and selling stuffed dolls, I don’t have any myself. However, my affection for them is certainly strong; I used to insist they were alive when I was a child.

Q. How do you like to spend your leisure time? What are your hobbies?

I’ve taken up juggling. I didn’t have a specific hobby, so I decided to start learning through YouTube videos. After practicing for about two days, I could juggle three balls. Unfortunately, my arms have always been weak, and juggling intensely has worsened my condition, so I’m taking a break now. My skills have regressed a bit.

Q. You’re just as unique as the Soft Thumbnail dolls. What’s your usual clothing style? Can you share your most frequently worn outfit?

The most frequently worn piece is something I made myself four years ago. When I was younger I wanted to be a fashion designer because I thought it was so cool when designers would come out to greet everyone at the end of a show. With that dream in mind I studied fashion design and ended up making my own clothes. This particular piece is close to a sweatshirt. In fall and winter, I layer a short-sleeve shirt underneath it, and in summer, I just wear the shirt on its own, almost like a uniform. My home is quite dry, so when I wash and hang it up it dries overnight and I can wear it again without any problems.

juggling balls, self-made clothes

Q. It seems like you really live a life of minimalism. What goals do you hope to achieve through Soft Thumbnail?

I’m currently focused on growing Soft Thumbnail, and while it has expanded compared to before, I still feel a lingering bit of anxiety about it. I want to showcase Soft Thumbnail to diverse people worldwide.

Q. If you could collaborate with any brand without any constraints, which one would you choose?

COMME des GARÇONS. I often imagine creating a collection entirely made of dolls.

Comme des Garçons SS11, FW21, SS24

Q. Did you have a fondness for COMME des GARÇONS during your fashion student days?

Yes, there was a time when I collected their pieces. However, around 2018, I decided to clear out my collection. There wasn’t a particular reason; I just got rid of most of what I had. I recently went shopping again for the first time in a while and bought the COMME des GARÇONS shirt I’m wearing right now.

Q. I see your office is filled with dolls. Do you often spot people wearing Soft Thumbnail products on the street?

I once saw someone with one attached to their bag when I was transferring on the subway. I remember them being quite unique and trendy.

Q. The stuffed dolls from Soft Thumbnail are both quirky and endearing. Why do you think people are drawn to Soft Thumbnail?

I believe it’s the novelty that comes from them.

Q. What are your plans moving forward? I noticed you launched a T-shirt line after your recent I HATE WORK, I HATE LOVE campaign.

We’re starting with stuffed dolls and gradually expanding our spectrum. I’m considering venturing into clothing and bags, too.

Q. What emotions do you hope others feel when they see Soft Thumbnail’s stuffed dolls?

I hope they find them strange yet fun.