Storied New York bridal house Morilee is entering a new era with the appointment of Jiyup Kim as chief design officer. Kim succeeds longtime chief design and creative officer Madeline Gardner, who resigned from her role at the end of March after a 39-year tenure. In a statement on Instagram, Gardner explained that she was “stepping back from the day-to-day business” and is “excited to take on new challenges and opportunities.
” She remains on the Morilee board of directors. During her time at Morilee, in November that she feels she helped the company grow from a “small New York brand” to one with a decades-spanning reach across the categories of bridal, couture, quinceañera and special occasion. In her new role Kim, who served as senior design director at Vera Wang for more than 10 years and directed the creative vision of its luxury bridal, ready-to-wear, red carpet and special occasion collections, will “chart the course of design innovation” across these categories, the brand said, and report to president and chief executive officer Terri Eagle.
“The enthusiasm and vision of Morilee’s CEO, Terri Eagle, were profoundly inspiring. Her unwavering commitment to continuously reimagine the modern bride resonated deeply with me. I feel truly honored to lead design and believe that my experience will significantly contribute to the brand’s captivating future in a meaningful way,” Kim told WWD of the inspiration to join Morilee.
“My tenure at Vera Wang ha.
