Hankook Kim

Hankook Kim is the founder and chief executive of Gentle Monster, a South Korean eyewear brand known for its avant-garde designs and immersive retail experiences, and its parent company Iicombined, which also owns fragrance brand Tamburins. Under his leadership, the company has disrupted the eyewear industry with its Asia-focused product lines and unique blend of art and commerce. By 2024, the brand had opened more than 80 mono-brand stores across 32 countries and partnered with major luxury fashion houses. Securing deals with Maison Margiela, Marine Serre, Ambush, Mugler and others, Kim produced cult favourites and trend-setting models for brands looking for an edgy eyewear partner. Gentle Monster's campaigns have been fronted by FKA Twigs, Hunter Schafer and Tilda Swinton. In 2025, Google acquired a 4 percent stake in Iicombined for $100 million to position Gentle Monster as the lead design partner for Google's Gemini-powered XR glasses, slated for a 2026 launch.

From its inception, Gentle Monster has been known for its innovative approach to retail. The brand’s stores are sometimes more akin to art galleries than traditional retail spaces, featuring colossal robots and zen gardens. Kim’s commitment to experiential retail has set new standards in the industry, emphasising unpredictability and otherworldliness. "I wanted the products to look as if they were being exhibited," Kim told BoF in 2016, adding that when he founded Gentle Monster in 2011, “there were no competitors for oversize glasses [and] eyewear was all about the Western facial structure.”

Kim remains the company's second-largest shareholder, continuing to lead its expansion into the Middle East and North America.