Nora Noh

Noh Myeong-ja (Korean: 노명자; born March 21, 1928), known professionally as Nora Noh (노라 노), is a South Korean fashion designer. After studying and working in the fashion industry in the United States, she returned to Seoul to establish her own company, House of Nora Noh (later known as Nora Nou), in 1952. Her style blends American and French fashion trends with traditional Korean materials and history. Noh was among the first South Korean fashion designers to establish a presence in the United States. By the mid-1960's, her collections were sold at prominent American department stores, including Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Sak's Fifth Avenue. Her notable contributions to South Korean fashion history include staging the country's first fashion show in Seoul in 1956, and designing the "Arirang Dress". Styled as a Western-style evening gown incorporating traditional hanbok elements, the garment was worn at the 1959 Miss Universe pageant and designated a National Registered Cultural Heritage in 2014. Noh also introduced progressive fashion trends to South Korea by styling singer Yoon Bok-hee in miniskirts and the pop duo The Pearl Sisters in pantaloons.