Young Hee Kwon

Young Hee Kwon (née Chang) was born in South Korea in 1950, the oldest of five children.

She arrived in Los Angeles in 1980 with her husband and three children, aged 4, 5, and 7. Her first jobs were cleaning offices at night and working in retail during the day.

She and her husband eventually founded a clothing company in Downtown Los Angeles that supplied retailers across the country. Over the years, their businesses employed hundreds of people, many of whom were new immigrants like they once were.

She was a talented designer—hundreds of thousands of women would go on to wear her clothes—and her goal was always to make clothes for people that wanted to look their best but were on a budget.

Although none of her children went to Harvard, as was her wish, all three went on to grad school, and one even earned a PhD. All stayed (mostly) out of trouble, and they continue to remain close, and still (mostly) love each other.

She loved golf, traveling, being active, and doting on her grandsons. She was a member of the women’s golf clubs of Los Verdes and Alondra. For many years after her Parkinson's diagnosis, she continued to hit the links.

After a long battle with Parkinson's, she passed away peacefully at home on July 2, 2025.

She is survived by her mother, her children, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, two sisters, and two brothers.