Ambush founder Yoon Ahn on content, collabs and Web3: hired by Dior Men and compared to Pharrell Williams and Virgil Abloh, the Korean-American designer calls Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Kanye West fans
- The entrepreneur started Ambush in 2008 with a single Tokyo studio – now she deals in NFTs and breakfast cereal, boasts boutiques around the world, and collabs with NBA, Nike, Bulgari and Rolls-Royce
- In 2018, she became creative director for Dior Men jewellery alongside Kim Jones, while Ambush was nominated for a LVMH prize and received investment from the owners of Abloh’s Off-White label
The word multi-hyphenate is used indiscriminately these days, but in the case of Yoon Ahn, the term couldn’t be more apt. When the Korean-American entrepreneur launched Ambush in 2008, it made its name at first for cool streetwear-inspired jewellery, but under her direction it soon evolved into a multidisciplinary platform that goes well beyond fashion.
Today the Ambush universe includes ready-to-wear for men and women, footwear, collaborations with high-profile brands including fashion label Sacai and sportswear behemoth Nike, cereal (yes, the breakfast food), NFTs, its own metaverse and physical boutiques around the world.
“I look at everything we have as content – whether it’s apparel, jewellery or even the store. Ambush is not just a brand, it is a platform to exercise our ideas. Everything we do is inspired by something we are personally interested in, whether it’s culture, music or Web3,” says the 46-year-old, during a visit to the brand’s Hong Kong boutique, which opened in December 2022.
“All the DNA we have created is not a blueprint of someone else’s work. We organically got to where we are because we are curious people.”
Ahn started a design studio in the early noughties in Tokyo, along with Verbal, now her husband, then a rising star in the local rap scene.
She became his stylist and the two went on to design a jewellery line that combined elements of American hip-hop culture and Japanese streetwear. It wasn’t long before they had legions of celebrity fans, including Nigo, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Kanye West.
Doing something unexpected is good, but it shouldn’t be for the sake of it. We can’t lose focus
While Ambush set off on its trajectory to becoming one of fashion’s coolest labels, Ahn made a name for herself by flexing her creative muscles beyond its universe. She started collaborating with companies including jeweller Bulgari and the NBA, where she became the first woman to design a female-focused collection. More recently she partnered with carmaker Rolls-Royce for their Spirit of Ecstasy programme.
In 2018 she took on the role of creative director for Dior Men jewellery alongside friend, mentor and fellow designer Kim Jones.