Millanonna
장명숙
Milanonna, whose real name is Jang Myungsook, was born in 1952 in a shelter made of straw during the Korean War. Dreaming of a life a la mode, she entered the fashion industry and became the first Korean to study fashion design in Milan. After graduating from Ewha Womans University with a major in Decorative Arts and Milan’s Marangoni Fashion Institute in Italy, she taught at institutions such as Duksung Women’s University, Dongduk Women’s University, Hanyang University, and the Korea National University of Arts. She also worked as a design consultant and purchasing director for Esquire, Samhwa Department Store, Samsung Foundation of Culture, and more. In 1986, she designed costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Seoul Asian Games, as well as for numerous theatrical productions, operas, and dance performances such as Aida, Chunhyangjeon, Don Juan, The Dawn of That Day, and Hwan. She also introduced some of Italy’s symbolic brands, such as Ferragamo and Max Mara, to South Korea and worked as a coordinator for various cultural and industrial exchange programs between South Korea and Italy. After facing personal challenges, including her eldest son’s major surgery in 1994 and the tragic collapse of the Sampoong Department Store in 1995, which took the lives of her colleagues, she shifted her focus to entirely different areas beyond the glamorous field she was known for. Recognizing her contributions to fostering friendship between South Korea and Italy, the Italian government awarded her the title of Honorary Knight in 2001. In her late seventies, she unexpectedly became a YouTube creator, embarking on exciting new ventures.
