The 'legend of the fashion industry,' Millanonna, stated, "A true rich person is someone who shares," confessing her completely changed outlook on life since the collapse of the Sampoong Department Store.
On the broadcast of 'Neighbor Millionaire with Seo Jang-hoon' produced by EBS and E Channel on the 21st, Millanonna Jang Myung-sook, known as 'the hippest grandmother in Korea,' made an appearance. She reminisced about the meaning of 'true wealth' and 'true success' through her life as a fashion designer and consultant who was active in Korea's top fashion scene in the 1980s and 1990s, and now lives as a lifestyle influencer with 1 million subscribers in her 70s.
Millanonna, the first international design student from Korea, was inspired by renowned designer Valentino Garavani and went abroad for study after her wedding in 1978. The year she gave birth to her second son, her classmate Domenico Dolce held the debut fashion show for 'Dolce & Gabbana.' Although she never owned the boutique she dreamed of, she stated, "I have no regrets at all" about the struggles she faced as a designer and mother. Her two sons, exchanged for her dreams, both went to 'S University School of Art,' making her proud. Seo Jang-hoon said, "Your two sons both went to the second-best university in Korea," showing off his 'Y University pride,' which brought laughter.
After studying abroad, Millanonna returned to Korea, thriving in roles such as a university lecturer, stage costume advisor for the National Theater and the National Gugak Center, and consultant for major fashion companies. During a time when 'national hitter' Lee Seung-yeop was earning 20 million won, Millanonna was making an 'eight-figure salary' and achieving success. In 1986, she was appointed to oversee the costume design for the Asian Games opening and closing ceremonies, but the budget for the costumes did not include design fees. Millanonna confidently demanded for the design fees by saying, "I’ll tear these clothes up myself if necessary." As a result of this incident, she became the 'first designer' to receive design fees from the Korean government's reserve fund. Additionally, leveraging her experience studying in Milan and her expertise in fashion, she was the first to introduce Italian luxury brands to Korea in the early 1990s, setting the stage for the 'creation of the Italian luxury goods section in department stores.'
Millanonna expressed her belief that "a person who shares is a true rich person." In fact, she spends the money she earns from YouTube revenue, modeling fees, and book royalties on children in need. Her life, which had enjoyed a glamorous peak, had a turning point in 1995 with the 'collapse of the Sampoong Department Store.' At the time, Millanonna was a consultant for that department store and confessed, "I always feel a sense of liability because the accident happened on a Thursday when I didn’t go to work." After spending 100 days praying for the victims, she noted that she decided to live an altruistic life. As part of this commitment, she is trying to maintain a 'clean body' by avoiding chemicals and harmful foods for posthumous organ donation. Finally, Millanonna said, "Making the world a little better and leaving it, and if your life leads to even one person's happiness, that is true success."
Next week, a special episode featuring 'the CEO of a hair salon earning 300 billion won annually from a no-spoon background,' Jun○Hair's Kang Yoon-seon, will be broadcast.
[Photo] EBS, E Channel 'Neighbor Millionaire with Seo Jang-hoon'
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