Upon graduating from the Soubi Institute of Fashion and Design, Han Ahn Soon launched the iconic and soon-to-be venerated HAN AHN SOON label in Osaka, Japan in 1998.
Debuted with her 1998 HAN AHN SOON's Pop Couture, which saw elements of her heritage suffused with a contemporary take on female elegance and splendor in her inaugural collection.
Han quickly became a notable entity on Osaka's irrefutably stylish independent fashion circuit, with the rising star designing the official costume for the World Flower Expo 2000 and garnering a great deal of media attention, including an hour-long, nationally-televised documentary showcasing her indigenous designs.
In 2000 she became a designer for Le Ciel Bleu.
From 2002 she participated in the Osaka and Tokyo Collection followed by numerous collaborations including the Japanese pro baseball team Hanshin Tigers and major animation company Tatsunoko Productions, using characters from G-Force, Speed Racer, and Akubi-chan. Her Japanese anime and pop-culture references became well known.
Han's unique ethnic and cultural background mingled with Tokyo's kawaii spices gave birth to her legendary "Hello Kitty Dress" — currently a centerpiece at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum in New York. In addition, her G-Force character-emblazoned denim masterpiece was reportedly auctioning for ten times the original retail price.
In 2006, Han established HAN AHN SOON Co., Ltd. and inked a deal with brand management behemoth Mark Styler Inc. Along with seasonal presentations for Styler, Han pushed her conceptual parameters with an experimental line in collaboration with Uniqlo, and a Toyota-backed "Passo-Sette Collection" initiative. The strategic departure of HAN AHN SOON from the bi-annual Tokyo Collections, saw Han hone-in on her ever-growing base of aficionados by way of the "Touch Me" show events.
2009 saw Han invited to participate in the Pusan Collection in South Korea, and following an overwhelming response, saw her brand feature among other fashion greats in "The front line of fashion" as one of the "100 Japanese Fashion Designers," published by BNN.
After a 3-year hiatus, Han returned with aplomb, showcasing her "POP Manish" collection to rapturous acclaim both at home and abroad.
The HAN AHN SOON brand continued to command fashion's media spotlight, with covers for Condé Nast's Women's Wear Daily in the U.S. and the ubiquitous FASHION NEWS — a veritable bible for Japan's fashionistas.
Han's 2013 collaboration with world-revered anime and cultural legend Osamu Tezuka (Tezuka Productions Animation Studio) on "Princess Knight" (Ribbon no Kishi), saw her inimitably harness the quintessence of Tezuka's beloved dichotomous young heroine, in an insightful collection that saw pop ensembles in rich hues, cut to offer masculine silhouettes.
In 2014 Han launched 8. Design Co. Ltd. as a platform not only for the HAN AHN SOON collections, but also as an articulate expansion into more diversified creative businesses, focusing on an ever-widening range of collaborative projects.
Most recently, her contribution to the EN project, which unites Japanese artisans with prominent contemporary innovators, saw Han delve into the world of Edo Kiriko, a uniquely Japanese glass craft tradition, born in Tokyo in the early 19th century.
In 2015, she took part in New York Fashion Week’s official project "Tokyo Runway meets New York." Collaboration with Funnassyi, a character that’s becoming famous around the world.
Han opened its first pop-up store overseas at New York Seaport Studio in 2015 as a tie-up between Han Ahn Soon and WWD USD.