Daul Kim had a very strong presence. Her striking eyes glared down a runway as she walked effortlessly with sophistication and the perfect amount of allure.

She knew how to do her job. And she did it well.

The School of Fashion was sad to hear of Daul’s death. Next agency confirmed that the 20-year old model was found dead in her Paris apartment this morning. The agency said in a statement “She was a top model and a great friend to all of us at Next. Please respect her family’s privacy at this time of sadness. We will all miss her very much.”

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Daul modeled at esteemed shows such as Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Margiela, and Lacoste. We were more than happy to have her model in a handful of School of Fashion shows including the San Francisco graduation fashion show in April 2007 and our New York Fashion Week shows in September 2007 and February 2008.

“She was a true creative spirit who was equally an artist and a model”, said Director of Fashion Simon Ungless. “She always asked how our young designers were doing and was genuinely interested in their conceptual process and how a design was created.”

View a slideshow of Daul from our runways shows. (All photos by Randy Brooke).

Photos by Randy Brooke

Andrea Vence, Textile and Fashion Design - Andrea’s research on structure of Japanese bamboo basketry led her to find similarities in boat construction and Japanese kites, which influenced her silhouettes. Her textile designs are blown up images of basket and bamboo weaving. She was born in Menlo Park, CA and raised in San Carlos, CA.

Photos by Randy Brooke

Tara Shannahan, Fashion Design - Tara was inspired by the contrast of two eras. San Francisco fractured and shattered by the 1906 earthquake versus today, an era of fading influence contrasted with a modern polished façade. Tara was born in Stanford, CA and raised in Belmont, CA.

Photos by Randy Brooke

Kathryn Scully, Knitwear Design - Kathryn created a beachwear collection of bikinis, cover-ups and sweaters based on her family vacations to Cape May. Kathryn was born and raised in Muster, Indiana.

Photos by Randy Brooke

JiYoon ‘Lydia’ Yeom, Knitwear Design - Nature’s spirit is the theme of JiYoon’s collection. We are intertwined with nature but don’t take the time from our busy lives to soul search and return to nature. She is from Dae-Gu, South Korea.

Photos by Randy Brooke

James Yoest, Fashion Design and Sharon Chia-yu Yeh, Textile Design - James and Sharon have collaborated on a sustainable collection using organic, conventional and reused fabrics, including parachute, and natural dyes. James imagined a woman on a journey when developing his silhouettes and Sharon was inspired by the rhythm of San Francisco for her textiles. James is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sharon is from Taipei, Taiwan and lives in San Mateo, CA.