"The King Loves" Reveals Story Behind Beautiful Costumes

The production team of “The King Loves” revealed the efforts that went into making the drama’s intricate costumes!

MBC’s “The King Loves” has been receiving praise for its beautiful cinematography and sophisticated visuals from outfits to background settings.

In response to the compliments, “The King Loves” staff shared, “For the first time in MBC drama history, eight prominent Korean traditional costume designers participated in the drama’s costume design.” They added, “All eight designers put in great effort to produce outfits that helped emphasize each character’s personality and look good on each individual actor.”

The costume of Wang Won, played by Im Siwan, depicts the crown prince’s boyish side and a soon-to-be king’s dignity simultaneously. His outfit is in dark navy adorned with a fancy gold dragon pattern on one shoulder. The contrasting effect was deliberately made to show Wang Won’s double-sidedness.

Moreover, a second designer worked on the light blue costume that Wang Won wore on his traditional marriage day. The color of the outfit was made from a natural dying process, which was repeated multiple times to achieve the costume’s classy blue hue.

For YoonA’s charismatic yet feminine character Eun San, several designers took part in creating her outfits. For YoonA’s navy disguise outfit worn while Eun San secretly chased her father, a digital printing process was used to achieve a spread dye effect on each sleeve, and a chiffon waist skirt was added to generate a vintage yet womanly look.

Other costumes include a white silk dress that portrays Eun San’s pure and elegant charm. The red wedding dress that Eun San sported in episode 14 also captured viewers’ attention. The fancy red flower embellishments symbolized marriage, yet the grayish skirt reflected Eun San’s emotions in going through a marriage of convenience.

The costumes worn by Wang Lin, played by Hong Jong Hyun, are also as exquisite as the rest of the cast’s wardrobes. As a royal family member of the Goryeo dynasty, Wang Lin shows off his charm as a fashionista through his outfits. In episode 10, Wang Lin is dressed in gray clothing that is decorated with Korean paintings. The same outfit is matched with striped gray fabric, which represents Wang Lin’s modest personality.

Another character that stands out with her extravagant clothing is Empress Won Sung, played by Jang Young Nam. The black dress worn by Won Sung depicts her dark persona from being an unloved queen. The ornate gold adornments on Won Sung’s dark costumes reflect her charisma and dignity as the daughter of Yuan Dynasty’s emperor.

“The King Loves” airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m. KST.

Watch “The King Loves” at Rakuten Viki!

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