OL-Q&A: A sit down with our favourite chair man, Young Lah
As mentioned previously on here, the initial idea for Outdoor Licence was first dreamt up whilst we were all sitting on our Helinox chairs, during a wild camp on Kinder Scout one warm Summer evening. So it seems only fitting now we’re doing more interviews that we should sit down (on a Chair One) with Helinox hero Young Lah for a chat about this incredible Korean brand. So stop what you’re doing and read what the CEO of one of our favourite outdoor brands had to say about the Helinox story so far.
Having started in 2008, you’re still a relatively young brand, yet you’ve already become arguably the best outdoor furniture brand on the planet. How did you do it?
Actually, Helinox started in 2009 — though our real foundation goes back to 1988, when our parent company DAC began making tent poles for the world’s leading outdoor brands. So while the name is young, the engineering behind it isn’t. If we’ve earned that kind of reputation, I’d say the product did the work, not the marketing. We’ve stayed obsessed with one thing — making structures that are lighter and stronger than people think is possible — and trusted that people would find us on their own. They did.
Helinox has done a lot of great collaborations. What’s been your favourite so far, and is there a dream partner that you’d still love to work with?
The one that stands out is Cinéma Paradiso Louvre back in 2019 — we supplied a thousand custom Chair Ones for the open-air screenings in the Cour Carrée, and it was something special. The most fun is always when my team and I get to build with brands we’ve admired as fans ourselves — fragment, Nike ACG, and this year Osprey and Snow Peak have all been a joy. Working with Genesis, the first Korean team to enter the WEC — the endurance championship best known for Le Mans — has been a real highlight too. We’re back at the Louvre again this July, and looking ahead, what I really want is more work with fine artists and cultural institutions — collaborations that give something back, rather than just sell something.
More and more people are using Helinox products indoors. Do you have plans for an indoor line — and how does it feel to see a Chair One in someone’s living room?
Honestly, our current pieces already work indoors as they are — almost like design objects in their own right. Our products are versatile enough that they settle into a home far more naturally than you’d expect. And yes, we absolutely plan to make more — pieces designed with the indoors in mind, not just adapted to it. Seeing a Chair One in someone’s living room is one of the best feelings; it tells me the design earned its place there.
We’re big fans of the PLAY line at Outdoor Licence. How did that collection come about, and are there new pieces on the way?
PLAY came from a simple idea — that being outdoors doesn’t always have to be serious. We wanted to keep the same engineering our products are known for, but bring more colour, playfulness, and joy to the form. There’s always more in the works, and as usual, I’d rather keep the details under wraps until we’re ready to show them.
Your TERG bags name is an acronym of ‘Trial & Error Research Group’. What’s the biggest error that’s taught you the most in life?
The biggest lesson is that there is no finish line. Whether it’s a product or a company, the more you do, the more you see what could be better — and that never really ends. Perfection isn’t a place you arrive at; it’s more like a North Star — you’ll never reach it, but it keeps you pointed in the right direction. The name Trial & Error captures exactly that spirit.
Korea is fast becoming a hub for cool outdoor brands. Are there any new names we should know about?
Honestly, it’s hard to single out just one — and that’s exactly what makes the Korean scene so exciting right now. What stands out to me is the experimental spirit of the younger brands, and how freely they blend outdoor with fashion and other genres. Rather than name names, I’d say keep an eye on where Korean outdoor as a whole is heading — that’s where the real energy is.
Outside of Korea, which outdoor brands or designers inspire you?
I don’t look for inspiration only within the outdoor world. People like Tom Sachs, Marc Newson, and Luke Donckerwolke have long since perfected their own style, yet they keep pushing — and that, to me, is what makes them great. Mai Ikuzawa is someone still sharpening her craft and building something remarkable as she goes, which I find just as inspiring. In the end, good design doesn’t care what category it’s in.
In the spirit of ‘Trial & Error’, what’s the next big adventure or experiment you’d like to try?
The biggest new adventure for us is apparel. We launched Helinox Wear last autumn, taking the exact same engineering and material thinking behind our furniture and applying it to what you put on your body. We call it “Wearable Gear” — it’s less about fashion and more about doing for clothing what we did for the chair. It stretches who we are as an outdoor brand without ever stepping away from it, and that’s the kind of experiment I find genuinely exciting.
For someone who is heading out on their first ever camping trip, which one Helinox product would you recommend?
If I had to pick just one, it’d be the Chair One. It’s the product that started us, and it’s also the most versatile thing we make — one chair that works at a campsite, on the beach, at a festival, or in your own back garden. It’s light and packs down small, so keep a pair in the back of your boot. In the moment that really matters, wherever you happen to be, you’ll feel exactly what we mean by being ‘at home anywhere’.
Finally, any last words to inspire our UK readers on their next adventure?
Don’t wait for the perfect conditions or some grand expedition. The best adventures usually start the moment you simply decide to go. Grab a chair, get outside, and give yourself room to enjoy it — the rest tends to take care of itself.
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