Her Story
About Yena
Yena Kwon serves as a Brand Specialist at Fowels, a Japanese menswear designer brand based in New York City. With about three years of experience in the fashion industry, her career path centers on branding strategy and fashion marketing. She previously interned with Christian Dior Couture on their menswear team and with The Row in operations and omnichannel, where she assisted with communications for the brand's first Seoul store launch in Korea. Kwon earned an Associate's degree in Fashion Business Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology's global campus in Incheon, Korea, and later completed a Bachelor's degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications at the New York campus in 2024. She was previously a member of KANA, the Korean association of New York Artists Association. Kwon attributes her success to her family and emphasizes treating workplace colleagues as fellow humans while remaining candid. She advises taking work seriously despite potential challenges, as it leads to meaningful professional growth.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Yena
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say family. Family has been the driving force behind my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One thing that I've heard a lot throughout my career was that since it's not your brand, you don't have to worry about it too much. Like, don't burn your body to this work. It's just work is just work. But I don't totally agree with them because when you take your work seriously, you learn a lot and take another step forward professionally.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Just do your own thing. When you take your work seriously, you might burn down your body a bit or get mental breakdowns and burnouts, but it is such a meaningful experience. You do learn a lot and take another step forward to your professional experience.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Consumers have become smarter and pickier in purchases. Marketing is even more important due to AI changes and innovation, but it's tricky to apply. It's difficult to find the right balance between pushing for sales and avoiding pushy strategies that tire people out. Understanding consumer behavior changes has gotten harder.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
To remember that your workplace and the people you work with are the same people you would see outside of work. Treat them as just another human like you. Be candid and straightforward but remember they are humans you would meet anywhere else.
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