Model-actor Kim Won-joong makes a slick hosting debut on Netflix’s "Closet Battle" Season 2 ― and viewers are already on board.
Since the new season dropped, Kim has matched veteran co-host Kim Na-young beat for beat, pairing runway-grade taste with easy, quick-witted banter that plays big on screen.
"Closet Battle" pits two fashion pros with wildly different sensibilities against each other as they raid celebrity closets and stage personalized, head-to-toe styling face-offs. Following composer Jung Jae-hyung’s stint last season, top model-turned-actor Kim steps in as the new co-host for Season 2.
The series doubles as a peek into stars’ private wardrobes and a trove of practical styling tips. Kim and Kim are so committed they even pull “secret weapon” pieces from their own closets for the showdown ― earning them the nickname “the Fashion Kim Siblings.” Their chemistry is one of the show’s biggest hooks.
Kim goes all-in, deep-diving clients’ Instagram feeds and even building full slide decks to pitch looks. As a fashion model, brand designer and entrepreneur, he treats each brief like a mission ― riding the highs and lows of the competition (and the clients’ reactions) with a docu-meets-variety charm that keeps the laughs coming.
Framing himself as an introverted “newbie host” boldly going toe-to-toe with seasoned pro Kim Na-young, he still fires off sharp one-liners and brings a locomotive level of competitive drive ― the makings of a bona fide variety breakout.
A bona fide style icon, Kim was the first Asian model to walk Prada’s runway, and last year he turned heads as the magnetic, slightly dangerous “Habibi” in a drama’s finale ― a performance that hinted at serious acting potential.
Now a multi-hyphenate across modeling, design, acting and hosting, he’s closing the gap with the public one project at a time. Expect more reinventions to come.
"Closet Battle" Season 2, starring Kim Won-joong, streams Mondays at 5 p.m. KST on Netflix.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)