Pyeongchang Bid Turns Kim Yu-na into Fashion Icon

After making headlines with her impressive presentation at the International Olympic Committee session to support Pyeongchang's bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, figure skating champion Kim Yu-na remains the talk of the town, this time with the fashion she sported during her trip.

Commentators have been eagerly discussing what she wore at Gimpo Airport on June 27, in the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa in Lome, Togo, and in the final presentation in Durban, South Africa on Wednesday.

"Kim Yu-na's Pyeongchang fashion" became a popular search term on the Internet on Thursday and netizens have posted messages praising her look. Some were quick to discover the brands, which has boosted sales. In the past, Kim has favored casual clothes, but now she plumbs for a mature black-and-white look.

Kim's new style was in fact a painstakingly assembled patriotic look. "Kim wanted to wear Korean brands as she was representing the country," Kim's stylist Regina Suh said. A black cape jacket and sleeveless dress she wore during the final presentation in Durban were designed by Jung Kuho, the creative director at Cheil Industries.

The company says the jacket was not intended for the shops, but since there have been so many inquiries, it could mass-produce it after all. Kim completed her look with low-to-medium-price Korean brands. The white blouse with a big ribbon she wore in Togo was made by Compagnia, and the white T-shirt she wore at Gimpo by Plastic Island.