After a successful career designing clothing for big brands around the world, Hanna Yoo turned inward to create something all her own: Hannayoo Works. Working in clay, resin, glass, pearls, and metal, she makes jewelry pieces that feel like tiny sculptures, each one irregular and subtly playful with a story to tell.
Her designs are as distinctive and transporting as the memories they carry for her — textures of the unfinished church her father built in Korea, daydreams of clouds, small creatures, and an extra moon in the sky. When you see, and especially when you wear, her pieces, you can feel the winsome magic of these memories while weaving them into stories of your own with each wear.
We are so happy to welcome Hannayoo Works to Over Yonder and share a bit of her story, in her own words, with all of you.
——
Tell us about how you got into jewelry design. Was it something you knew you wanted to do from a young age, or did you discover it later in life?
I didn’t begin my creative journey with jewelry. My background is in fashion design, and I spent more than 25 years working in fashion across Seoul, Paris, and New York.
I have always been interested in creating shapes and exploring materials, especially how something two-dimensional can become a three-dimensional form around the body.
After many years of designing clothing, I felt a desire to explore something more personal, something I could create directly with my own hands, without the boundaries of a traditional fashion collection. Jewelry became another way of expressing my imagination. I began experimenting with clay and different materials, almost like making small sculptures. There was a sense of freedom in the process, and it brought me back to the simple joy of making things as a child.
I founded HANNAYOO WORKS in Brooklyn in 2021. Jewelry was the beginning of a new creative journey, but Ifeel it is also a continuation of everything I have experienced throughout my life.
Your jewelry is quite distinctive. In what ways does it reflect you, your personality, or your culture?
I think my jewelry reflects the way I see and feel the world.
I was born and raised in Korea, and my childhood has had a strong influence on my creative language. My father was a pastor, and the church he built became a very important place in my memories. I remember the unfinished architecture, the red bricks, concrete, metal, stone, and the light entering through the space. These materials and imperfect structures have stayed with me.
Perhaps this is why I am naturally drawn to sculptural forms, irregular shapes, and the beauty of imperfection. I am also quite a daydreamer. I often find myself imagining stories through ordinary things. Sometimes a shape reminds me of a cloud, a little creature, or something I remember from childhood.
My jewelry is not necessarily about expressing Korean culture in a traditional or literal way. It is more about how my memories, my upbringing, and the different places I have lived have shaped my sensibility. I like the contrast between something playful and something emotional, something imperfect yet beautiful, something strong but also vulnerable.
I think those contradictions are very much a part of who I am.
Do you have a favorite piece you’ve created? What was it, and what made it so special for you?
It is difficult to choose one favorite because each piece carries a different memory or feeling. But one of the most personal pieces I’ve created is Full Moon 716–317, inspired by my father, who has been the greatest inspiration throughout my artistic journey. So many of my childhood memories are connected to him.
When I was little, my father always told me that the brightest full moon appeared on his birthday, July 16. As a child, I believed that there were more moons in the sky on his special day. It was a beautiful little world I imagined through his words.
This memory became Full Moon 716, an earring designed with two moons balancing each other, as though they are quietly connected. Later, I added one more moon and created Full Moon 317, named after my own birthday, March 17. It became a continuation of the story—a connection between my father and me, across time and memory.
For me, these pieces are more than jewelry. They are a way of keeping someone I love close, and preserving the imagination and memories he gave me.
I believe that objects can carry memories, even when the moments themselves have passed. And perhaps, when someone wears my jewelry, it can become part of their own story, holding a memory that is uniquely theirs.
When people wear your jewelry, how do you hope it makes them feel? What statement do you think they’re making by wearing one of your creations?
I hope my jewelry makes people feel connected to themselves.I don’t necessarily want my jewelry to make a strong statement about status or fashion. I would rather it create a small emotional moment, something that makes someone smile, feel curious, or remember something personal.
I often think of my work as little sculptures that travel with people through their everyday lives.Each piece begins with my own imagination and memories, but once someone wears it, it becomes part of their story.I love that transformation.
Perhaps wearing my jewelry is a way of expressing individuality without needing to explain it. A little playfulness, a little courage to be different, and the freedom to be yourself.
More than anything, I hope people feel a sense of joy and companionship with the pieces they choose.
——
Explore the full Hannayoo Works collection at Over Yonder here (more pieces coming soon).
Lead photo credit: Daniel Paik