A Korean-American based in Tokyo, YOON studied graphic design at Boston University. Moving to Tokyo, she worked as a stylist and designed album artwork for a number of artists. Prior to establishing her own brand, YOON took on roles as press & PR and womenswear designer at BBC Icecream and BAPE, under NIGO.
In 2008, she co-founded AMBUSH® with VERBAL as an experimental line of jewelry – innovative pop art-inspired designs capturing a distinct Tokyo aesthetic. The iconic trademarked POW!® motif received media coverage around the world.
With apparel as a canvas to complete the aesthetic YOON envisioned, AMBUSH® evolved into designing unisex ready-to-wear collections. The brand made its Paris debut in 2015 with YOON being listed as one of Business of Fashion’s Top 500 people influencing the global fashion industry for 9 consecutive years, and HYPEBEAST 100 list for 10 consecutive years. In 2017, AMBUSH® was selected as one of the top 8 finalists for the LVMH PRIZE.
AMBUSH®’s uniquely crafted parts form an idiosyncratic style that led to commissions and collaborations with an illustrious list that includes Louis Vuitton (Kim Jones), Sacai, Undercover, Moët & Chandon, Bvlgari, Converse, Rimowa, and Gentle Monster.
In 2018, AMBUSH® debuted at Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo and began its long-standing collaboration with Nike. In the same year, Kim Jones named YOON as jewelry designer for Dior Men with the first creations for the house appearing in the S/S 2019 collection.
AMBUSH® opened its first flagship store in September 2016, then the second store in 2019, both in Tokyo. The new AMBUSH® stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong opened in 2022 and 2023, extending the AMBUSH® Universe. These spaces encapsulate the brand’s ethos.
YOON’s creative consultancy work has extended into the technology and beauty industries, among others.
In 2022, AMBUSH® presented the brand’s first runway at Milan Fashion Week and launched its proprietary metaverse SILVER FCTRY. Its first POW!® NFT collection sold out in minutes, ranking it among the top 10 projects on Opensea, and the second most transacted NFT in Japan at the time of its debut.
In 2023, YOON became Nike Global Women’s Curator.