Few objects are as reliable as a fresh bar of soap. When we stand in our showers and lather our bodies we are doing something that our ancestors have done for more than 4, 000 years—though unlike them, we tend to do it alone. The history of public bathing is important to Karen Kim, founder of soapmaker Binu Binu. Kim makes natural soap in the tradition of the jjimjilbang—Korean bathhouses that promote intergenerational bonding and simple good health. Unlike the This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-Five Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 19 Going Incognito We all secretly wonder what mischief we’d make if invisible: When our identity is hidden, everything seems possible. Arts & Culture Issue 19 The Best Policy Sometimes we talk to each other without feeling heard. Honesty—a most intimate interaction—can be just as thrilling as its more devious inverse. Arts & Culture Issue 19 A Sense of Suspense With unhinged imaginations and mountains of cliff-hangers, the filmmakers behind the sci-fi podcast Limetown have all the makings of a scary story. Arts & Culture Issue 19 Like Clockwork In this new column about time, we learn how slipping off our watches makes us feel like deadline-damning renegades. Fashion Issue 19 Nick Wakeman Creating a menswear-inspired line for women, Nick Wakeman welcomes the challenges arising from forging new aesthetic territories. Fashion Issue 19 Camille Tanoh Camille Tanoh found his niche working for Pierre Hardy and Paul Smith. Now he’s blazing a path for the next generation of French designers.
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