Delphine Arnault, Chair and CEO of Christian Dior, was honored with an honorary doctorate at Ewha Womans University, where prominent business leaders gathered to celebrate. The event featured attendees such as Shin Dong-bin, Chairman of Lotte Group, Shin Yoo-yeol, Co-CEO of Lotte Biologics, Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, Hyun Jeong-eun, Chairman of Hyundai Group, and Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla.
The ceremony took place on November 12 at the university's Kim Young Hall. As Arnault entered wearing her doctoral gown, attendees in the front row stood to applaud her, with Shin and his son donning Dior ties and Lee wearing a Dior jacket.
Lee, who has maintained a friendship with Arnault for about 30 years, took a moment after the group photo to pose with Arnault, making a heart gesture with her fingers. After the event, she remained on-site to take photos with students.
Hotel Shilla was the first location in Korea to host a Louis Vuitton store and has collaborated with LVMH brands, including Dior, through its duty-free business. Lee also met with the Arnault family at the Leeum Museum during Bernard Arnault's visit to Korea in 2023.
Shin and his son reunited with Arnault after about six months, having previously welcomed her and her father, Bernard Arnault, Chairman of LVMH, at Lotte Department Store in May.
Chung and Hyun have strong ties to Ewha Womans University. Hyundai Motor Group has supported the university by donating the Hyundai Motor Building in 2013, while Hyun is an alumnus of the sociology department.
Also present was Jisoo from BLACKPINK, Dior's global ambassador, whom Arnault acknowledged during her speech. Some attendees reportedly had lunch with Arnault after the ceremony.
Ewha Womans University awarded Arnault the honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree in recognition of her leadership and contributions to nurturing creative talent and women leaders. In her acceptance speech, Arnault stated, "Korea has long been a very important market for Dior and remains so today. I am proud to support the talents, creativity, and leadership of young women."
She added, "Ewha, celebrating its 140th anniversary, and Dior, marking its 80th anniversary this year, share common values of creativity, expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit that transcends boundaries. I hope each of you finds your passion and walks your unique path, not just adapting to change but creating it yourself."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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