The son of rural farmers, Kim attended Hanyeong High School and graduated from the Kukje Fashion Design Institute.

At the age of 27, he opened Salon Andre in Sogong-dong, Central Seoul, becoming Korea's first male fashion designer.

Governor Linda Lingle and Mayor Mufi Hannemann attended and stayed until the wedding finale, which featured seven unique gowns and a groom.

At the second show, hosted at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom, Kim's fashions were the centerpiece of a major fundraiser for the University of Hawaii at Manoa of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources apparel product design and merchandising program.

[4] In November 2006, Kim showcased his costumes at the Angkor Wat temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

This fashion show was part of the Angkor-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2006 that kicked off in November 2006 and ran through January 9, 2007.

The 50-day event was titled "Ancient Future: The Myths of the Orient" and featured exhibitions on the Khmer civilization and the Silla culture "to provide an insight into the culture of Korea and Cambodia"; special guest models were actress Kim Hee-sun, who starred in the 2005 Hong Kong movie The Myth with Jackie Chan, and actor Kim Rae-won (Love Story in Harvard, Rooftop Room Cat).

On May 7, 2007, Kim held a fashion show at the Big Pallet Convention Center in Koriyama, Japan to mark the year of Korea-Japan friendship.

On July 12, Kim held a fashion show in Wuxi, China at the invitation of the Wuhsi municipal government and the large shopping mall ITFM (International Textile & Fashion Megamall) to celebrate both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 15th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Korea and China.

[9] In August, Kim staged a show celebrating the opening of a large art hall at Seoul National University.

On November 27, Kim held another fashion show featuring Korean actress, Choi Ji-woo of Stairway to Heaven and Aircity fame.

He died in Seoul, South Korea, in August 2010 due to pneumonia and colorectal cancer, twelve days before his 75th birthday.