"Is This Price Correct?"... Lee Boo-jin's 'Old Money Look' [Must-Have Items of the Famous]

The fashion of the Samsung family has always been a hot topic. Lee Boo-jin, President of Shilla Hotel, is no exception. In particular, Lee Boo-jin is known as a leading figure of the 'Old Money Look,' one of the 'Chugumi' (the beauty one pursues) trends among the MZ generation. The Old Money Look is a fashion style that pairs clothes and bags that convey an elegant and understated image rather than outfits with prominently displayed luxury logos.

Lee Boo-jin's fashion sense is well-known in the industry, and every time she appears at official events, the clothes and bags she wears become a topic of public interest and set trends.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Lee Boo-jin’s fashion item at this price?"... Netizens surprised by the 'Affordable Old Money Look'

Earlier on the 4th, Lee Boo-jin attended the 2024 Scholarship Certificate Award Ceremony hosted by the Dueul Scholarship Foundation to meet the newly selected scholarship recipients. On that day, she wore a gray collarless jacket and an H-line skirt, accessorized with a belt made from the same fabric, creating a sophisticated atmosphere that attracted attention. What surprised netizens even more was that this outfit was not an expensive luxury brand but a two-piece Nento slim jacket and skirt set (belt included) from the domestic designer brand 'Dint.' According to the website, the price was 119,700 KRW.

After the media coverage revealed the brand and product name of Lee Boo-jin’s outfit, sales of the two-piece reportedly surged up to 300 times. The rate of new visitors to Dint’s usual online store, which was about half of the total visitors, also increased to 91% on the day of the report.

Lee Boo-jin, Chairperson of the Dueul Scholarship Foundation, is taking a commemorative photo with scholarship students at the 2024 Academic Year Scholarship Certificate Award Ceremony held on the 4th at the Leeum Museum of Art Auditorium in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Dueul Scholarship Foundation]

Additionally, Lee Boo-jin attracted attention last year when she carried a black bag with tree ring-shaped details at the wedding of Jung Joon-sun, a professor at KAIST and eldest son of Jung Mong-gyu, chairman of the HDC Group from the Hyundai family. This bag was from the French brand 'Destry.' At the time, the price was 550 euros (about 750,000 KRW), which was considered affordable, surprising everyone.

Breaking prejudices and choosing without bias toward emerging brands... also actively involved in direct store entries

Lee Boo-jin has a wide range of brand choices. At a meeting held to celebrate the '2023-2024 Visit Korea Year,' she chose the Crescent shoulder bag from 'Patou,' a French haute couture luxury designer brand acquired by the Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy (LVMH) group. Patou was founded in 1914 by designer Jean Patou, who created fashion revolutions by designing corset-free dresses and short skirts, breaking the societal constraints on women’s clothing. LVMH acquired Jean Patou in 2018 and revived the brand as 'Patou' in 2019.

Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, met with Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, at Bukchon Sulwhasoo House last November to celebrate the '2023-2024 Visit Korea Year.'
[Photo by Yonhap News · LF]

After Lee Boo-jin wore the 'Le Patou Bag Black' shoulder bag, sales increased by about 1000% over the previous two weeks. Including similar products with logos, glossy finishes, and mini sizes, sales rose by 1600% during the same period. The popularity did not fade, and last month, the 'Le Patou Bag Black' sold out both online and offline, accepting pre-orders. The 2024 Spring/Summer (SS) collection also sold out immediately upon arrival for the black model, and additional orders are currently underway.

In February last year, Lee Boo-jin attended her son Im’s middle school graduation ceremony. The leather bag she matched was from 'THE ROW,' an American fashion brand launched in 2006 by Hollywood high-teen stars Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen. Three years ago, Lee Boo-jin also wore a coat from THE ROW at Im’s elementary school graduation ceremony.

As previously mentioned, 'Destry' is also a new brand that started in Paris in 2016, reportedly invested in by model Giselle Bundchen, singers Beyonc?, and Rihanna. One of Destry’s co-founders, G?raldine Guiot, is the wife of Alexandre Arnault, Executive Vice President of Tiffany. It is said that Lee Boo-jin played a significant role in Destry’s entry into the Korean market.

2030 Busan Expo keyring and simple smartphone... 'From head to toe, a hot topic'

The Samsung Electronics Galaxy Z Flip3 Thom Browne Edition, known to have been carried by Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla, at her son's graduation ceremony.
[Image source=Samsung Electronics]

Items added to Lee Boo-jin’s fashion also attracted attention. During the campaign for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid at the '2023-2024 Visit Korea Year' meeting, she attached a 'BUSAN IS READY' keyring to her bag to support the Busan Expo. This tasteful match-up drew attention to her accessories as well.

Also, the smartphone spotted at her son Im’s graduation ceremony caught eyes. Her phone was the 'Galaxy Z Flip3 Thom Browne Edition,' a product Samsung Electronics released in collaboration with the American luxury brand Thom Browne in 2021. It was a limited edition of 5,000 units, launched at 2,695,000 KRW, and attracted 460,000 applicants for the product lottery due to its popularity. When captured by reporters’ cameras, it had been three years since the product’s release. The fact that a member of the Samsung family was using a model other than the latest one, and that it matched well with Lee Boo-jin’s fashion that day, drew netizens’ interest.

Attracting attention not only for fashion but also as a 'global leader' with warm charisma

Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla. [Photo by Yonhap News]

It is also well-known in the industry that Lee Boo-jin personally persuaded Bernard Arnault, chairman of the notoriously demanding LVMH group, to successfully open the luxury brand Louis Vuitton at Shilla Duty Free at Incheon International Airport. In 2013, she also secured the operation rights for a watch store at Singapore Changi International Airport’s duty-free shop, beating DFS, the world’s number one duty-free operator.

On the 23rd, it was revealed that Shilla Stay Jeju provided free accommodation to travelers stranded by strong winds and heavy snow. This 'unexpected luck' is a special promotion unique to Shilla Stay Jeju, offering a free one-night stay and breakfast for two to guests who stayed the previous day when flights are canceled due to sudden weather deterioration or natural disasters. A Shilla Stay official explained that this special service, which shows consideration for travelers, has received positive reviews and has the effect of increasing customer satisfaction and securing long-term loyal customers. It is also known that this was created in 2015 when Lee Boo-jin personally proposed the idea to the Shilla Stay CEO to accommodate customers stranded by flight cancellations, and so far, about 200 rooms have benefited from this.

Lee Boo-jin also draws attention domestically and internationally as a global leader. In 2015, during the duty-free shop acquisition process, she encouraged nervous employees by saying, "If it goes well, it’s thanks to you all; if it fails, it’s my fault, so don’t worry," which is a representative anecdote showing her warm charisma.

With such meticulous management, she ranked 82nd among Forbes’ '100 Most Influential Women of 2023.' Forbes ranks based on four main indicators: wealth, media presence, influence, and scope of activities. For business executives, sales, market capitalization, and number of employees are also evaluation criteria. Notably, Lee Boo-jin has consistently appeared on Forbes and Forbes Asia lists since 2012, solidifying her position as an outstanding female representative and global leader from Korea.