The Eugenia Kim universe just got a little bit bigger, and it’s all because of love.
The CFDA member launched Eugenia Kim Love, a space for her to reinvent tennis wear by marrying fashion techniques with practical, functional athletic wear. The idea was born on the tennis courts where the designer would start her days before going into the office. It’s also where the love story with her husband Christopher Lee—who eventually became design director of the new line—began.
Kim designs for game-to office, infusing her chic milliners signature aesthetic of femininity and minimalism with the house colors of pale pink, optic white and black.
Eugenia Kim Love is available for purchase now at www.EugeniaKim.com.
Share with us how tennis played in role in finding love with your husband.
I was always looking for new tennis partners, and we met on a tennis partner matching website. We played tennis together for months and finally went on our first date. A few years later, we started working together—and the rest is history.
What are some of your favorite pieces from the collection and why?
Part of my inspiration comes from my aesthetic, which is feminine minimalism à la original Carrie Bradshaw meets Suzanne Lenglen. Lenglen was a balletic tennis player from the 1920s who wore fur coats and sipped brandy in between points. The Serena bubble skirt perfectly encapsulates that vibe. The Steffi warm-up jacket and Martina matching pants together form a super modern silhouette stylish enough to be worn both on and off the courts, as are all of the pieces in the collection.
I designed everything in Eugenia Kim LOVE to be highly functional for tennis, but also on a more universal level, to look chic while working out or hanging out. Also everything has discreet pockets. It’s funny because years ago my psychic told me that I would design clothing with a lot of pockets, which made no sense at the time.
How does your love and expertise in hat making translate to this collection?
Hat making is a form of couture that involves a lot of handcraft and bias-cutting. I apply many of these techniques to Eugenia Kim LOVE. For example, the Venus tank top and Caroline dress are cut on bias to achieve Grecian-inspired draping, which is unusual in activewear. Even though it seems like a jump for me, I approach this line the same way as I do my hats. This line is a natural extension, as our hat customer is a resort customer, and tennis is part of the resort lifestyle.
If you could relive one moment in your career, which would it be and why?
I don’t know if I would like to relive any moment in my career as I am always moving forward after each milestone. However, if I could do it over again, I would have prepared an acceptance speech for winning the Swarovski Award for Accessories Design at the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards. I didn’t write one because I didn’t think I would win.
What other exciting things can we expect from Eugenia Kim, both personally and professionally?
A really exciting project I am working on right now is a two-year collaboration with the movie “Wicked,” which comes out this Thanksgiving. The second movie will drop Thanksgiving 2025.
On a personal level, I am currently a 3.5 USTA-ranked tennis player, and I strive to improve continually and look cute while winning.
