Which designer has had her hats worn by J. Lo, Cameron Diaz, and “Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City?”  That would be hat designer to the stars Eugenia Kim.  Apparently her style has been picked up for distribution by Target, as she’s created a collection that you and I can wear just like those Hollywood stars.  Target is pretty bullish on Eugenia’s hats that they’ve started an online campaign promoting hats by Eugenia Kim.  So how did Eugenia arrive at creating hats?  Fast Company recently published an article about her style and approach to fashion.

Big idea: To make fashionable hats the “it” accessory, like handbags, and accessible to all. “Everyone can wear a hat — you just have to find the right one,” says Kim, 35. Her high-end Eugenia Kim hats average $200; pieces in her Eugenia Kim for Target collection, which debuts next month, will go for less than a tenth of that price. The line will be Target’s first-ever limited-edition hats — and give Kim her broadest audience yet.

Credentials: Kim won the 2004 Council of Fashion Designers of America award for accessories design. Her hats and accessories are sold at Barneys and Neiman Marcus, as well as in her own New York showroom. Last year, she did a line called Eek! for Urban Outfitters.

“I’ve made it” moment: When Jennifer Lopez wore Kim’s floppy white concoction to the 2001 American Music Awards.

Her audience: The Eugenia Kim brand “is for a quirky, left-of-center girl in her twenties or thirties with a sense of humor.” Designing for Target, she imagined a hybrid of that shopper and the Midwestern soccer mom. The shared DNA? If you wear her hats, “you’re having a little more fun and standing out.”

Art versus commerce: Kim used to think of herself as an artist. “I was making hats with mohawks 10 feet high for David LaChapelle shoots. I didn’t think about the business.” Once she saw it as a brand, her business took off.

Computer or hand-drawn design? Neither. “I can’t draw, and I don’t know how to use anything like Photoshop.” In fact, Kim may be the only fashion designer who creates mainly in Microsoft Excel: “I like everything in chart format.”

Inspirations for the Target line: Old Cuba. “I was obsessed with the old-school Latin resort thing,” she says.

For the full article, go to Fast Company.

Some of the best inventions are often very practical and developed by a Korean.  In 2010, Min-Kyu Choi, show both theories true as the winner of the 2010 Brit Insurance Design Award.  According to the competition’s website, “The Brit Insurance Designs of the Year is the Design Museum’s annual exploration of the most innovative, interesting and forward-looking new work in design of all kinds, from around the world.”

Min-Kyu’s design, which he did as a student art project, is a folding plug for UK electrical outlets.   He says the reason for developing this plug was because his UK laptop plug was very bulky in his pocket and he wanted to figure out a more compact and safe way to travel with his laptop plug.  The UK folding plug has also been developed into several different versions including a multi-plug as well as a usb plug.  Congrats to Min-kyu and definitely a nice boost for Korean designers!  Read more at www.designsoftheyear.com

Janice Min is the former US Weekly editor-in-chief who reportedly made $2M a year and at one point in time, her monthly paycheck was more than her husband’s annual salary.  Ka-ching!  In the New York Post this week, Janice Min who is Korean-American, shares her secrets to having a successful marriage while being the female breadwinner.  She notes that nearly a quarter of American wives serve as the family breadwinner but to her estimation, 60% of them are annoyed by that status.

To me, marriage wasn’t a goal, but something that happens to some and not others. I probably filled my mind with thoughts about being a journalist and working in media more than anything else.

Now I look back at that decision and realize what I was really resisting was the idea of turning over my independence — financial and otherwise — to someone else. It wasn’t my style. But it has never shaped my worldview. I dare you to find another editor in New York who has assigned more stories and photo shoots involving rings, wedding dresses and romance than I. I am a staunch believer in love, marriage and family, but not that a woman can’t out-earn a man or that a man shouldn’t change the diapers.

Are you an Alpha Woman?  Read more at the New York Post.

Big news on the morning news shows as Juju Chang will be replacing Chris Cuomo on ABC’s “Good Morning America” as the newsreader. Juju Chang would become the first Korean-American to be in a prominent role in the morning news shows. She will be joining George Stephanapolous, Robin Roberts and weatherman Sam Champion as the new “GMA” team. That’s diversity people! Love it! So who is Juju Chang? Check out her bio from the ABC News website.

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Juju Chang is a New York-based, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News’ “20/20,” “Good Morning America” and “Nightline.” She also posts a weekly Web log called “JUJUJUGGLE” about work, motherhood and the madness of everyday living.

Chang recently won another Emmy for her breaking news coverage of California wildfires. She has previously won a prestigious Gracie award for a “20/20″ story on “Women and Science,” a profile of transgender neurobiologist Ben Barres. Her other stories include an hourlong look at the long-term impact of foreign adoptions through the eyes of one American family and an inspirational advocate who champions their cause.

Chang has also recently reported on the case of Hannah Overton, a mother who is spending life in prison for the salt-poisoning death of her foster son, Andrew Burd.

She has reported for Nightline about lead poisoning in toys and trinkets, the Heparin tainting scandal and the in vitro fertilization industry.

Chang has also won a Gracie for a story about judicial activism on PBS’ “Now,” and a Freddie for a series she hosted — also for PBS — called “The Art of Women’s Health.”

From 1999 to 2000, she anchored the early morning newscasts of ABC News’ “World News Now” and “World News This Morning.” From 1998 to 1999, Chang reported primarily for “World News Tonight,” covering such stories as the U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya, Hurricane George and the anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Chang was based in Washington, D.C., from 1996-97, where she covered the White House, Capitol Hill, and the 1996 presidential election for NewsOne, ABC’s affiliate news service.

Prior to her assignment in Washington, she was a reporter for KGO-TV in San Francisco from 1995-96, where she covered a variety of state and local issues.

Between 1991 and 1995, Chang served as a producer and off-air reporter for “World News Tonight.”

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a BA in political science and communication. At Stanford, she was awarded the Edwin Cotrell Political Science Prize. She is married to Neal Shapiro and has three sons. She’s a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding board member of the Korean American Community Foundation.

If you don’t know about the Kogi truck, then you’ve been living under a rock. Roy Choi and buds started humbly with a truck and an idea to cook and sell kogi tacos on the streets of LA. It’s taken the country by storm and it seems like everyone is trying to start-up a truck. Who would’ve thought that truck food could be so popular. It caused such a craze that now food trucks are covered for the first time by the new Zagat guide for 2010. We covered these guys back in January and who would’ve thought they would explode onto the food scene like they have. Walk down memory lane with a video from the Kogi guys on how it all started.

It has finally come, the week that “Ninja Assassin” opens up around the world.  The movie will be opening out in the U.S. on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  So should you go or should you stay at home?  If you like RAIN and great fighting sequences, then buy that movie ticket.  If you want to support a Korean man in the lead role of a Hollywood action movie, then definitely go because this movie has a lot of ramifications. If you’ve watched the Matrix franchise, then you’ll see distinct plot elements that originated from the Wachowski brothers who produced Ninja Assassin and directed the Matrix movies.  And you’ll also see unique action direction from James McTeigue who is a student of the Wachowski brothers. The fighting is amazing! But what are the implications I mentioned earlier?

This movie does have implications and Hollywood is closely watching because there are certain realities that have Hollywood rethinking their business model.  Big movie stars used to almost guarantee big box office returns, but there have been enough clunkers from Will Ferrell, Tom Cruise and other big name actors that have caused pause.  DVD sales which used to be a cash cow and help counter clunkers is quickly eroding in the new digital world.  So what does Hollywood need to do to refine or change its model?  It looks overseas because there is a growing global box office.  This is why Ninja Assassin is important because it can demonstrate to Hollywood that you can cast an unknown in a lead role, especially Asian and have success because of the global market.  RAIN is one of Asia’s biggest pop stars and his ability to bring in international box office receipts will pave the way for other Asian stars to enter Hollywood and play critical roles.  If you didn’t know, Ninja Assassin is the big movie that’s kicking off the holiday movie season and it only cost $30M to make. The world is changing and Hollywood knows it and it’s realizing that the traditional model of casting and movie distribution has to change. Whether you like Ninja movies or not, let’s hope that the movie is a success and it paves the way for other Koreans and Asians in Hollywood.

For our interview with RAIN, check out the video below.

Check out the movie clips from Ninja Assassin. The fighting is real good!

It’s fashion week in New York. We met up with fashion trailblazer Shin Choi, who is one of the most intrepid first generation Korean-Americans you’ll ever meet, but you would never know that from her gracious and delicate demeanor.  Known for her novelty fabrics, exceptional knits, modern and clean look, Choi is a world class celebrated fashion designer who has been designing since the late 80s. She was an immigrant like many of our parents but she pursued a risky course and through hard work, Choi achieved great fame and accolades within the fashion industry. In 1999 she received the AWIB 1999 Entrepreneurial Achievement Award. She started with a family loan and soon after, major department stores including Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue started selling her clothing line.  Today, the Shin Choi line is in many retailers and has been featured in numerous magazines including Glamour, Marie Claire, and WWD. Her clothing has been seen on celebs including Julia Roberts, Oprah, Katie Couric, and Helen Hunt.  She truly achieved the American dream and she did it her way.  We spoke with Choi and she shared a little bit about her fashion career and interests outside of work.  She also shared her enthusiasm for the second generation Korean-Americans who are entering into other areas of work that our parents may not have considered for us.

I remember taking Korean Air back in the 80s to Korea and the entire service staff of the plane wore the Korean traditional outfit, called Hanbok. Nowadays, the staff wears what most other airlines wear, a blouse or dress shirt with a knee high skirt or slacks. However, more impressive than the change of fashion on the planes is the evolution in the management of the company. As one of the top airlines in Asia, Korean Air has adapted and improved in all areas of its business to feed a growing passenger population. What’s more interesting is the Chairman of the company, Cho Yang-Ho, got his MBA from University of Southern California and spent time observing U.S. airlines best practices. To me, it says that being Korean-American yields a lot more opportunities than we might think. It tells me that Korea-based companies are looking to the education and professional experience of U.S. students and companies to improve their own business models. As a result, our generation could very well be the bridge that joins U.S. and Korean companies to learn as much as we can from each other.

Read More from the USA Today article

Korea Trade Show 2009 announces, KOREANNOVATION, a showcase of South Korean products, many shown in the U.S. for the first time, from May 12-13 at Penn Plaza Pavilion, NYC.  See why, in this troubled economy, more and more U.S. manufacturers and distributors are turning to Korea as a reliable source for quality new commercial, beauty, electronics, and industrial products.  Because of government support given these manufacturers by the South Korea Free Trade Agreement, buying directly from these companies offers the opportunity for retailers, distributors, and middlemen to maintain recession-friendlier margins.  These Korean manufacturers offer reduced sourcing and production costs while maintaining the highest levels of quality, excellence in design, and innovation.  For more info>

Wall Street has contracted and many of those jobs will not be coming back anytime soon.  New York is a different place now, maybe a little bit more depressing with people changing careers or leaving New York completely to continue their careers in finance elsewhere.  The Chosun Ilbo illustrates this change in a quick article about how some ex-Wall Streeters are migrating to South Korea, but at a discount.  

A growing number of Wall Street financial experts who fell victim to the credit crunch are eyeing jobs in Korea. Kim Jae-ho, a partner in the Korean branch of global headhunting firm Heidrick & Struggles, said, “We get about one or two resumes per week of top-notch financial experts who worked in investment banks after graduating from the Ivy League. We can now recruit them for a salary 30 to 50 percent lower than what it used to be in the first half of last year.”  Read more>