There’s an artwork to the way in which Yumi Shin, Bergdorf Goodman’s chief merchandising officer, clothes. She performs with type like a painter on the easel—every layer deliberate, every accent exacting, and all the time with a private flourish. Her signature strokes? A swoop of material curled over her shoulder, wind-swept hair tucked right into a collar, a jaunty brooch pinned to a jacket lapel, a daring cuff worn over a sleeve.
Yumi, who has shut to 3 many years of expertise to her title—previous to becoming a member of Bergdorf Goodman seven years in the past, she labored at Barney’s, Prada, and Saks Fifth Avenue—credit this alchemical strategy to a handful of formative experiences. Her creativeness was initially stirred throughout school as an artwork historical past scholar. Then got here her first Comme Des Garçons present, which woke up “a brand new mind-set and seeing style, as a type of artistic expression fairly than simply clothes.” Throughout her Barney’s days, early entry and publicity to designers of their prime (Dries Van Noten, Prada, CDG, to call a couple of) gave her the liberty to experiment with form and proportion. “Barney’s was my most artistic time,” Yumi says of her six years there, then, “after I joined Prada, I discovered find out how to construct a wardrobe and incorporate funding items.” A tender spot for outerwear bloomed, and he or she grew to become hooked on accumulating coats and jackets (a ardour that’s but to be sated). When she moved on to Saks, the place the gown code skewed extra company, she discovered self-assurance in items from Sacai, combined downtown edge with uptown polish. In direction of the top of her tenure, she found Phoebe Philo, whose collections helped solidify her sense of favor. Her garments are “the definition of timeless,” she says of the quiet confidence Philo’s designs instill in her.
New York Metropolis may be dwelling base for Yumi, however the always-on-the-go nature of her job implies that when she’s not in a boardroom assembly, she’s at market appointments, nurturing relationships with new designers, or attending occasions, mingling with previous and new mates. Throughout Style Month, lengthy days previewing collections stretch into weeks of worldwide journey. To make sure her wardrobe works as arduous as she does, Yumi says she prioritizes “consolation simply as a lot as fashion”—and her go-to items thread the fragile steadiness of being artistic and office-appropriate. She depends on staples from Phoebe Philo, The Row, and Prada to decorate for a schedule that’s objectively extra 9-to-9 than it’s 9-to-5, injecting a burst of pleasure into her seems to be with playful, personality-driven equipment. Yumi reveals us how she does it, beneath.
Put on and Repeat
Photograph: Courtesy of Tommy Ton
Photograph: Courtesy of Tommy Ton
A proud outfit repeater, Yumi tells me she’s worn this pale yellow skirt from The Row all summer time. The lace trim provides a female contact, and when she’s not dressing it up with heels (pictured are her present favorites, a suede, caramel-hued pair from Phoebe Philo), she says she likes to fashion it with an outsized T-shirt and flats. To distinction the femininity, right here, she opted for a light-weight chore coat that provides rugged cool. “The barn jacket is skinny sufficient that you would be able to put on it as a blazer within the workplace.” For a cheeky wink, inspired by her good friend and photographer of this shoot, Tommy Ton, she strung a bounty of Loewe berries to her new Phoebe belt.
One thing Previous, One thing New, One thing Borrowed, One thing Blue
Photograph: Courtesy of Tommy Ton
