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There’s an art to the way Yumi Shin, Bergdorf Goodman’s chief merchandising officer, dresses. She plays with form like a painter at the easel—each layer deliberate, each accent exacting, and always with a personal flourish. Her signature strokes? A swoop of fabric curled over her shoulder, wind-swept hair tucked into an upturned collar, a jaunty brooch pinned to a jacket lapel, a bold cuff worn over a sleeve.
Yumi, who has close to three decades of experience to her name—prior to joining Bergdorf Goodman seven years ago, she worked at Barney’s, Prada, and Saks Fifth Avenue—credits this alchemical approach to a handful of formative experiences. Her imagination was initially stirred during college as an art history student. Then came her first Comme Des Garçons show, which awakened “a new way of thinking and seeing fashion, as a form of creative expression rather than just clothing.” During her Barney’s days, early access and exposure to designers in their prime (Dries Van Noten, Prada, CDG, to name a few) gave her the freedom to experiment with shape and proportion. “Barney’s was my most creative time,” Yumi says of her six years there, then, “when I joined Prada, I learned how to build a wardrobe and incorporate investment pieces.” A soft spot for outerwear bloomed, and she became hooked on collecting coats and jackets (a passion that’s yet to be sated). When she moved on to Saks, where the dress code skewed more corporate, she found self-assurance in pieces from Sacai, mixed downtown edge with uptown polish. Towards the end of her tenure, she discovered Phoebe Philo, whose collections helped solidify her sense of style. Her clothes are “the definition of timeless,” she says of the quiet confidence Philo’s designs instill in her.
New York City might be home base for Yumi, but the always-on-the-go nature of her job means that when she’s not in a boardroom meeting, she’s at market appointments, nurturing relationships with new designers, or attending events, mingling with old and new friends. During Fashion Month, long days previewing collections stretch into weeks of international travel. To ensure her wardrobe works as hard as she does, Yumi says she prioritizes “comfort just as much as style”—and her go-to pieces thread the delicate balance of being creative and office-appropriate. She relies on staples from Phoebe Philo, The Row, and Prada to dress for a schedule that is objectively more 9-to-9 than it is 9-to-5, injecting a burst of joy into her looks with playful, personality-driven accessories. Yumi shows us how she does it, below.
Wear and Repeat
A proud outfit repeater, Yumi tells me she’s worn this pale yellow skirt from The Row all summer. The lace trim adds a feminine touch, and when she’s not dressing it up with heels (pictured are her current favorites, a suede, caramel-hued pair from Phoebe Philo), she says she likes to style it with an oversized T-shirt and flats. To contrast the femininity, here, she opted for a lightweight chore coat that adds rugged cool. “The barn jacket is thin enough that you can wear it as a blazer in the office.” For a cheeky wink, encouraged by her friend and photographer of this shoot, Tommy Ton, she strung a bounty of Loewe berries to her new Phoebe belt.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Yumi’s love of layering—and penchant for tailoring—comes to life in this look, which is anchored by one of her most treasured pieces: an old Céline vest (a hard-earned buy from her Saks era) seen underneath a structured grey blazer. She cherishes its versatility, explaining how it can be worn loose and boxy, fastened with the button, or belted for definition. She paired it with another trusty favorite—a Prada skirt she’s had for a few years—and the same pair of Phoebe Philo pumps seen above, which she vouches for being exceptionally comfortable. “I’ll always wear the same shoe to death,” she jokes, sticking to sensible heel heights for day-to-night practicality. “I wear a lot of neutrals, so this [blouse] is my pop of color,” she adds. A cluster of delicate pearls, gifted to her by Tommy from a mysterious online source, invites the eye in.
Details, Details, Details!
Yumi’s admiration for Miuccia Prada runs deep. One of her biggest style influences, she says, was Mrs. Prada, who taught her how to embrace more color. “I don’t wear a lot of [it], but I love how she puts it together; not just [shade pairings] but the mixing of prints and texture.” Here, she illustrates that inventiveness by layering a painterly Prada dress underneath a preppy polo knit. With the addition of a blazer or jacket, “this is the perfect look to take me from day to night,” she says. She loves the dress so much she admits to owning it in multiple versions, including a mint green number with a floral print, and a chartreuse cami style. Her Sherman Fields pin—a finishing touch she’s never without—glints from the edge of her collar. A trio of Loewe olives adorns her suede Alaïa bag. A braided belt and heeled sandals from Christen complete the look.
Phoebe All Day, Every Day
Autumn is easily Yumi’s favorite season for getting dressed, and two pieces you’ll find on regular rotation this fall are this beige blouson and these acid-wash jeans from Phoebe Philo. Juxtaposing streetwear sensibilities with everyday elegance, the jacket features a stand collar and an elasticated waist that can be cinched for added volume. Attached to her Gig bag (another Phoebe design) is a porcini mushroom, plucked fresh from Loewe’s magical garden.
Shorts—for the Office!
It’s been seven years and counting for these pleated Dries Van Noten Bermuda shorts, which Yumi likes to elevate for the office with a heel. A creature of habit, she paired them with her strappy Christen sandals. “I like to wear a bomber jacket as a shirt on warmer days; this one I love because you can play with the collar.” In lieu of a belt, she fastened her Alaïa Le Click bag around her waist.
Tailoring With a Sporty Twist
Sporty codes meet C-suite polish in this look, comprised of a pinstripe zip-up Miu Miu atop a coordinating polo dress that does the layering work for you. “It’s quite boxy,” Yumi says of the style, which is why she has it nipped at the waist with not one, but two belts. She added a sheer skirt for a feminine touch that captures her affinity for relaxed tailoring.
Outerwear Stories
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What makes Yumi’s style so uniquely hers is that she’s built a wardrobe around silhouettes and brands that work for her, which she can then mix and match with easy confidence. Case in point: this knee-length Prada coat, made of a tech-y nylon fabric, which she owns in a short grey version as well. “It has the perfect proportion,” she says of the one pictured, “it’s slightly more oversized than I tend to wear, but I love the built-in creases.” She styled it with an older Prada onesie in an effort to wear more of what she already owns. “I used to buy on impulse, but now I really do gravitate towards investment pieces; in a way, this makes it more fun because you’re looking for those emotional pieces,” she says. Accessories are what she gravitates to most these days—“they’re a great way to refresh [your wardrobe] and make it feel new again.” Far from your garden variety assortment, a cornucopia of ripe charms dangles temptingly from the side of her Loewe Flamenco clutch.
