'Milanonna' Jang Myung-sook Advises "Become a Luxury Brand Yourself"

Designer Jang Myeong-suk appeared on the tvN variety show 'You Quiz on the Block' aired on the 22nd. Photo by tvN

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] Designer Jang Myung-sook drew attention with advice that resonated with many.

On the 22nd, Jang Myung-sook, known as 'Milanonna,' appeared on the tvN variety show 'You Quiz on the Block' in the 'Upgrade Human' special and shared her story.

Jo Se-ho asked, "You mentioned that you became interested in clothes because you lacked confidence in your appearance."

Jang Myung-sook said, "In the past, I thought I wasn't pretty. I thought I was an ugly duckling," adding, "That's why I still tell people to wear what they want. You only live once, so you should do what you want."

She then talked about the reason she started the YouTube channel 'Milanonna.' The name combines Milan and the Italian word for grandmother, 'Nonna.'

She said, "A junior told me it’s a shame to live like this," and continued, "I was living too busily and wanted a more relaxed life. I wrote a book 10 years ago and noticed young people buying a lot of luxury goods. I thought instead of buying luxury items, you should become a luxury item yourself. I felt that doing this through YouTube would be more effective than just writing a book."

She added, "These days, people buy a lot of luxury bags, but if you don’t buy those bags, you can travel instead. Honestly, I don’t have any luxury bags. As a designer, I felt there was no need to carry bags designed by others," drawing attention.

Regarding marriage, Jang Myung-sook said, "Marriage wasn’t in my plans, but I got married following the elders’ advice. My husband wanted to have two kids, so we did. After that, I felt like I disappeared. I wanted to be born as Jang Myung-sook the person and live as myself."

She continued, "After raising the kids, I asked my husband to let me work in Itaewon. Honestly, the word 'permission' is ridiculous. My life is mine," which resonated with those around her.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.