PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: (voiceover): It's late night in Munich, Germany and the luxury brand, Mode Creation Munich, known as MCM is shooting its latest advertising campaign.
Popular in the 1980s, the company is making a resurgence as customers embrace its European feel, style, and elegance. While it may be European in name, its owner is not.
South Korean businesswoman, Sung-Joo Kim, bought the floundering company in 2005 and turned its $100 million sales into $400 million in just six years.
It's not her only success story. She also helped introduce high-end Western brands to Asia by licensing Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Marks & Spencer. But it hasn't been an easy ride for the determined 54-year-old who was born into one of South Korea's most privileged families.
As a female, she was expected to keep with tradition and marry into a family of similar standing. Instead, she embarked on a career. It was a move that would see her temporarily cut off from her parents and without any financial support.
This week on "Talk Asia", we're at MCM headquarters in Seoul with Sung-Joo Kim, who tells us how she broke all the rules to carve out a successful 20-year career in the fashion industry.