Ewha and Christian Dior promises to accompany the path towards a sustainable society. Photo provided by Morgan O'Donovan.
Ewha and Christian Dior promises to accompany the path towards a sustainable society. Photo provided by Morgan O'Donovan.

 

Ewha has become the first university in Korea to partner with Christian Dior, a French luxury fashion brand, proving itself as one of the most prestigious universities in Korea. Sharing visions in women’s empowerment, creativity, and innovation, Ewha and Dior had made continuous efforts to work together, such as providing the opportunity for students to participate in the Women@Dior program before forming their exclusive partnership. As part of the partnership, Dior is planning to provide scholarships, internships, and diverse training programs where students can acquire firsthand knowledge and experiences from field experts. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is anticipated to become a steppingstone for Ewha students to grow as future leaders of the world.

 

“Inheriting savoir-faire and supporting the female community is Dior’s underlying value,” said Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Christian Dior Couture, in an interview with Ewha Womans University.

 

Beccari stressed the importance of encouraging young women to develop their talents. In that respect, he believes Ewha is the best partner to work towards their goal as it started off as Korea’s first female educational institution and has eventually risen to become a globally prestigious university.

 

In response to Dior’s willingness to join hands with Ewha, President Kim Eun-mee expressed pleasure at cooperating with Dior toward a sustainable society on behalf of Korean universities.

 

According to Ewha Office of Public Affairs, Women@Dior, an international mentoring and educational program that has helped many young women worldwide, will be taking place exclusively with Ewha this year. Created in 2017, it covers topics such as gender equality and women’s leadership for a sustainable future, which are in line with Dior’s core beliefs. Selected students will be given opportunities to participate in the Women Leadership & Sustainability program and the Dream for Change project under the guidance of dedicated mentors, starting with a kick-off meeting in March.

 

Regarding students’ reaction to the news, the office said they are aware that the partnership with Dior has received an enthusiastic response from students through social media and that they have great expectations about future plans.

 

Most Ewha students thought positively of Dior and had the image of assertive, resolute women who prove their abilities through fashion design. They expressed admiration for the brand’s historical value, how it created the iconic look of the mid-20th century. Three students shared their initial reaction when the school announced the news of entering partnership with the globally renowned luxury fashion house.

 

Kim Juyeon, a sophomore majoring in International Studies, explained that she was proud of Ewha for partnering with a prestigious brand. She hopes the school, together with Dior, would focus on female empowerment through lectures by Dior’s female leaders and tournaments where students can design collaboration products.

 

Daulet Adelya and Kuznetsova Lolita, sophomore and junior from the Division of Communication and Media, were surprised about witnessing new changes and excited about opened opportunities at the same time.

 

“I personally want the school and Dior to work on designing clothes that are not based on beauty standards,” Adelya said. “Especially in Korea, there is an ideal beauty which makes women who do not meet the standard feel inferior and pressured. However, our shared goal is to empower them by promoting women’s sense of self-worth, so I would like them to work on fashion design that acknowledges cultural and physical differences.”

 

Agreeing with Adelya, Lolita added that she hopes this would be an opportunity for Ewha students to be representatives of the image of empowered women and raise awareness of problems women face today.

저작권자 © Ewha Voice 무단전재 및 재배포 금지