[INTERVIEW] 160821 ASSIEL for Elle Korea!
X: Itâs 1 am in the morning now. AL: Iâm usually awake at this time. I go to sleep at around 6 AM? So this is ok.
X: So, youâve shot this pictorial with the theme of âthe Assiel that weâve not seen beforeâ. As much of your true persona as possible⌠you mentioned that itâs a concept that âbrings one of everythingâ. AL: The image of âAssielâ in its entirety consists of strong makeup and flashy clothes, and because of that I have done many unique (photo shoot) concepts. I thought that people might be more curious about how I look like naturally. Iâve received many concept proposals but I think this is my first time (trying such a concept).
X: Does that mean that you thought it was time to reveal your natural look? AL: ELLE has always made me look good so I trusted you guys (laughs). Itâs just been a long time since I did a photo shoot. It feels good to gather and do something like this on a summer night.
X: The proposals come to you non-stop though, from invitations for collaborations to projects, whatâs your deciding factor for these proposals? AL: I do what I want to do. I think itâs important for me to work with people that Iâm close to or with those that are able to share something with me. (Shooting for) the Alexander Wang 2016 S/S Campaign happened because I was close with Alex. Thereâs that mindset of accepting proposals for the sake of promotion right? Instead of thinking like that, I look for work that is able to inspire me or work with people that give me joy.
X: Assiel is the happiest when sheâs expressing something isnât she? AL: Thatâs why I started music and I like fashion, because both of them allows one to express oneself. I find joy in the process rather than from the outcome. When doing a photo shoot, I have meetings, try on clothes, find a concept; and when Iâm making music, I record multiple times to see what fits, and I also think about how to put together the performance⌠things like that. Because of the creative atmosphere that is in the process rather than the outcome.
X: Donât you get tired of going through the same processes each time for those outcomes? AL: I think I donât get tired of them because Iâm doing a numerous variety at the same time. What I like about music is that Iâm endlessly inspired to make something. It drives my imagination and makes me want to try and do things. I asked for a speaker just a while ago right? Iâm always playing music where ever I am. The atmosphere instantly changes when you play music in a silent space doesnât it? I really like that. Iâm inspired in other areas because of music, hence I guess thatâs why itâs possible for me to work on a number of different things at the same time. When a song comes on, Iâm thinking of the clothes that a woman singing this song would be wearing and the setting in which sheâd sing this song in. I tend to forget everything else around me as I constantly imagine (these scenarios).
X: Your fashion is also something that weâve not seen elsewhere. Hence, weâre even more curious, airport fashion/official appearances aside, what do you usually wear? AL: Usually⌠I donât dress up. Ah, firstly, I donât go out of my house often, so when I do have to go out of my house, I donât know what I end up wearing. Iâve been thinking that maybe Iâll end up being associated with this one style that fits me in the future, like Steve Jobs & Mr Karl Lagerfeld (laughs). But⌠donât all girls go with how they feel for the day? Iâm sure everyone agrees with this, for example when going to the supermarket, I have days when I feel like putting on full makeup just to go to the mart while on days that I donât feel like dressing up, Iâd just put on a T-shirt and go like that.
X: But your styling as âAssielâ has always featured flashy clothes. AL: Well, Iâve actually been thinking about this a lot recently. Should I be changing (Assielâs style) up? Should I try something simple? But I donât think itâs for me. I think itâs difficult enough to find a style that suits you perfectly and if on top of that, you want to do things that arenât you⌠I donât think thatâs it. For example, for this photo shoot, while weâre doing something simple, I said that we should do âAssielâs simpleâ in the meetings. If itâs something just basic and simple, other people can do it too. If weâre talking about the revealing shots, there are others with better bodies that could do it. Makeup wise too, there are others with prettier bare faces.
X: So thatâs why youâve brought your fur slippers from home for todayâs shoot? AL: Yes. I donât wear them out of the house so I just brought them along for today. Iâm happy they came in handy for todayâs shoot.
X: You have such a diverse group of people around you. AL: I like meeting people. Iâve said that I donât go out of the house often, but when I do, itâs usually to meet people. Iâm living a life that not many people can relate to, hence, Â I like to gain different viewpoints of the world through other people and I learn lots from meeting older people and listening to their experiences. Indirectly experiencing the world from them. Thatâs a big part of it for me.
X: People usually meet other people within their own age group but Assiel seems to transcend age, geographic, and gender boundaries and meet a variety of different people. AL: Everyone can do that! Itâs not that I only meet special people. I like talking about anything to anyone.
X: Anyone? But donât you have to be somewhat careful with that? AL: Well, thatâs why Iâve lost out quite a bit (laughs). Itâs impossible to have only good people around you. You have to experience bad situations too of course. âWhy is this person like thatâ, Iâd get out of the situation thinking that without obsessing over it and would just think of it as an experience. Annyeong*, Bye (laughs). And someone whoâs a bad person to me could be an angel to someone else. Itâs relative. If you want to see their good side, you have to show them your good side too.
*Anneyong â âByeâ in Korean
X: Isnât it difficult be continuously thrown into situations that requires you to meet new people even when youâre not ready? AL: Itâs not easy, of course. But in my line of work, I meet new people every other day. There are people that you just know youâll click with when you meet them. You just have to trust your gut feeling.
X: So youâre saying that you can be friends with whoever it is with that mindset. AL: Itâs important to not judge people. Whether theyâre rich, poor, famous, or have been unknown for the past 10 years, you have to treat them separately from their jobs. It doesnât have to be too difficult, neither should it be too easy. You have to respect each other.
X: Did anyone teach you this? AL: I just realised it from meeting so many people. People donât originally have difficult personalities.
X: I donât think I can do it. AL: No, donât think like that! It gets easier if you love yourself. For me⌠when Iâm having the hardest time, when Iâm the loneliest, or when Iâm the least confident, I (prefer to be) by myself. If youâre emotionally weak and you meet people then, you end up relying on them. Yes, you can be comforted by them but you donât develop in the process. Even if someone helps you then and things get better, it could get bad again when that person is not around. Thatâs when Iâm losing my âpowerâ. I tend to recoil at the thought of having someone else resolve issues that Iâm having difficulties with, so I try my best to resolve them myself. Thatâs when itâs important to invest time in yourself and to love yourself lots. And thereâs always an answer when you go to nature, always.
X: when you feel like complaining to someone? AL: You can get addicted to that. You know how when you miss someone, the more you say you miss the person the more you miss them? And as youâre saying âThis is so hardâ, it gets even more difficult for you? While others are listening to those words, you yourself are listening to it too. You shouldnât voice out the difficulties that youâre facing. You should resolve that difficulty and make it disappear within you.
X: You mentioned that nature always has an answer. Where should I go for nature? AL: I hike. I go to the Bukhan Mountain often. I just put on a mask and go.
X: âOh itâs Assiel?â Donât you get people like that? AL: I think they tend to be more like âwhy would Assiel be here?â.
X: Since you travel often, Iâm guessing that there are cities that you go to when you want to hide. AL: I usually get busier when I leave Korea. I travel for work so there are lots of people to meet and I expend lots of energy overseas so I hide in Korea when I want to hide.
X: You do know what Assiel is to women donât you? Youâre close to the only woman to give strength to other women. AL: My work environment.. the music business, itâs full of men right? As a working woman, I want to give strength to other women. Being a working woman⌠itâs quite a challenge isnât it? Women have an an inborn maternal instinct and are strong internally but that may sometimes have an opposing effect with certain aspects of business. So you need a balance. If you always appear as this demanding, assertive lady that makes others nervous, sometimes it seems like youâre just looking for a fight. (I think) being âstrongâ just up to the point that youâre respected, that balance is important.
X: Actually this is something that has been said about Assiel a lot, that youâre not as âboldâ or âhardâ in real life. AL: I prefer to be strong than to be âhardâ. Thereâs clearly a big difference between the two. There are multiple personalities within Chaerin. Thereâs a grandmother, and a 7 year old boy, and Iâm also raising âAssielâ (laughs). To me, âAssielâ is one of my many emotions. Iâm just overflowing with that âAssielâ feeling whenever Iâm on stage or in front of a camera. But it doesnât happen just because I want it to. Itâs not like a special skill. I donât think I can do it if someone says âChaerin, please just show us a little bit of Assiel.â Itâs also why I havenât been on TV for quite some time. I canât force it so itâs like Iâm not myself (on TV).
X: At what stage is Assielâs career in right now? AL: Personally, itâs just beginning. No, it hasnât even started yet. Iâve yet to release my global album. Although itâs been close to 8 years since I had my debut, I want to pour everything that Iâve learnt thus far into my album. I want to properly write and put it into an album.
X: Even though itâs yet to begin, where Assiel is right now, the level that youâre at, itâs almost unprecedented. AL: I think itâs really boring when I feel safe. âAh, I should maintain this stateâ or âthis much is enough to depend on though?â, thatâs really boring to me. Everyone has different standards. You might be considered amazing somewhere for doing a certain amount of things but elsewhere, you might not even have started. I think drawing a bigger picture (setting a bigger goal) and looking at that as you live will allow you to find paths to walk on in the future.
X: Have you thought about where youâll be able to rise up to (T/N: in terms of advancing in her career). AL: Iâm just living my life. I was born as Lee Chaerin so I just want to do my best living this life and then die as Lee Chaerin. Itâs not like Iâm climbing a mountain, so what would a higher level of success or a higher level of fame mean? I just think of it like a game; how many levels can I pass before I die? Iâm going to continue living as âmeâ.
X: How about being rich? AL: If you obsess over wealth, youâll miss out on things that you should be taking note of as youâre calculating that. So, Iâve lived my life as a good person and have gathered good people around me. Work wise, Iâve been able to get some money and received awards as Iâve worked hard. Iâm trying to live modestly because it seems less tiring to do so. I might look like I party and live lavishly as I immerse myself in this job but thatâll all go away some day. Itâs bad. Even when I meet a man, I want to do my best for just one man and not cheat (laughs).
X: So success isnât important? Success is sweet whatever the case isnât it. AL: Just as everyone has their own standards of beauty, success to me is âa state of being able to do what I want to doâ. (Success is) me being able to drop an album now because I want to. (Itâs me having) to be able to eat ice cream if I want to eat it now.
