North Korean first lady’s fashion evolution: is Kate Middleton her model?
Ri Sol-ju, wife of Kim Jong-un, has replaced her frumpy wardrobe with voguish and colourful dresses that have started a trend among the hermit nation’s tiny elite and whose refinement echoes that of first ladies and royalty worldwide
When Kim Jong-un, the totalitarian leader of North Korea, visited a cosmetics factory recently, observers noted that it was perhaps an attempt to show his softer side, shifting the conversation “from missiles to moisturisers”.
That he toured the facility with his demure wife, Ri Sol-ju, certainly helped, and also drew attention to an elusive figure in one of the most secretive countries in the world.
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un promotes younger sister, bolstering ‘sacred bloodline’
Although the first lady of North Korea is often in the limelight, she is enigmatic. Ri was reportedly born to an elite family in 1989, married Kim Jong-un in 2009, and is now the mother of three children. Her first media appearance as Comrade Ri was in 2012 at a musical performance. Since then, she has occasionally showed up at special events next to Kim, and her fashion choices have often been a point of discussion.
Ri’s appearance attracted a lot of attention in and out of the country. Her fresh look and previous career as a singer were unusual enough to arouse interest. North Korea’s previous first ladies were something of a closed book, so the introduction of Ri to the public was an unconventional move.
Some say that announcing her presence was a strategy to show Kim as a mature father figure. If that is the case, her style seems in accord with the plan, as she has been acting mainly as an adornment to Kim.