"I want to grow beyond a brand that simply sells products and become one that naturally stays with customers in their daily lives."
From an early age, she rejected choices that were the same as everyone else's. Even after majoring in fashion design in college, she did not follow the standard path of graduation and employment. Instead, she launched an apparel shopping mall business, driven by her long-held passion for building a business of her own. She modeled the clothes herself and actively used social media to communicate with customers. She did it all because she genuinely wanted to.
That work, done simply because she loved it, created a miracle. Customers began paying more attention to the model's glowing skin and makeup than to the clothes themselves. That was the decisive reason Lee Yoo-bin founded TIRTIR, a leading K-beauty brand, in 2017. Instinctively reading what consumers really wanted, she shut down her apparel shopping mall and poured all her energy into launching and growing the beauty brand TIRTIR.
That passion paid off dramatically six years later. In 2023, Lee sold a 63.6% stake to a private equity fund for about 89 billion won, marking a successful exit. She fully transferred the remaining stake, about 36%, in 2024 and firmly joined the ranks of young wealthy entrepreneurs. It was the moment when a typical first-generation beauty influencer was fully recognized as a successful business leader shaping the times.
After proving her business capabilities through the success story of TIRTIR, Lee Yoo-bin once again chose a path different from everyone else's.
Instead of enjoying the carefree life of a young wealthy entrepreneur, she jumped back into the business jungle by acquiring a new company. This time, it was innerwear. Lee acquired the nine-year-old innerwear brand Mareun Five last year and began taking charge of management in earnest earlier this year. Interest is high in whether she can create a second TIRTIR-style success story.
We asked Lee Yoo-bin, CEO of Mareun Five, who says she connects with customers every day through live broadcasts after coming to work, about why she chose innerwear as her new battleground and what strategy she has for making the new business succeed.
- After TIRTIR's success, what led you to acquire Mareun Five and enter the innerwear business?
▶While running TIRTIR, the biggest lesson I learned was that honestly sharing my daily life and building a sense of connection with customers ultimately leads to trust, and that trust naturally leads to purchases. So when I thought about my next move, I wanted to create a brand that could naturally blend into everyday life and that I could also experience closely in my own daily routine.
I also believe the beauty and innerwear markets are not fundamentally that different. In both categories, the products are in the closest contact with the skin, so trust is the most important value. With that in mind, I looked for a company with strong fundamentals and product competitiveness, but also significant room for future expansion. That is how I came to acquire Mareun Five.
In fact, its high repurchase rate already proved that point, and it had also built a loyal customer base and membership network. The brand also has strong scalability. Mareun Five is not limited to underwear; it is a brand that can expand into a wide range of lifestyle categories connected to customers' everyday lives.
- In sports, there is a term called the sophomore jinx. After achieving major success in your first business, weren't you afraid of failure when starting again?
▶Of course I was afraid. Starting a new challenge after success brings as much pressure as it does excitement. Like the so-called sophomore jinx many people talk about, I also worried that my first success might be dismissed as a coincidence.
So I see this challenge not simply as a new business, but as a process of proving to myself that my first success was not a fluke. Beyond results, I am focusing on building a brand and a relationship with customers that can last much longer.
- What was the first task or change you implemented after acquiring Mareun Five?
▶The first thing I focused on was creating the conditions for Mareun Five's global expansion. Until now, almost all of its sales came from the domestic market, so we are prioritizing preparations to grow it into a brand that can compete overseas as well.
At the same time, we are working to strengthen Mareun Five's distinctive strengths. In particular, we are putting a lot of effort into material development. I believe it is important to create a wearing experience that feels more comfortable in everyday life and keeps customers coming back. The goal is to evolve beyond simply being a good innerwear brand and become one that can influence customers' broader lifestyles.
- Looking back on your first business, was there a failure or mistake that stands out? What lesson did you learn from it?
▶In the early days of running the business, there was a time when I believed speed itself was growth. Because the market responded quickly, I thought that making more products and expanding more aggressively would naturally make the brand bigger. But at some point, I realized I had become focused more on sales figures and growth speed than on the brand's direction.
That was when I understood that growing a brand quickly and building one that is loved for a long time are completely different things. So this time, rather than simply creating a brand that sells well, I am focusing more on making one that can remain in customers' daily lives for years to come. Even if it takes a little longer, I think it is far more important to build the brand's essence and foundation solidly.
Another major lesson I learned is that when a CEO tries to carry everything alone, neither the organization nor the brand can endure for long. These days, I am making a much greater effort to trust my team's sense and expertise.
- What advice would you give to younger founders who are starting startups with the goal of becoming the next Lee Yoo-bin?
▶I would say that if you start a business by looking only at someone's results, you can be shaken much faster than you expect. I believe business is less about the visible moment of success and more about how long you can endure the time when no one is watching.
I was not confident from the beginning either. I kept doubting myself, failed at times, and faced one choice after another. But through all of that, what I tried not to lose was the reason why I was doing this work. In the end, I think a brand reflects the founder's direction and attitude even before it reflects the product.
These days, people seem too focused on finding a formula for success as quickly as possible. But I believe lasting brands are ultimately built on details and persistence that others easily overlook. The people who keep thinking through every small customer review, every packaging detail, and every emotion a customer feels are the ones who truly build a brand.
Above all, in business, I think it is most important to create your own standards rather than trying to become someone else. I believe the brands that survive the longest are not the ones that follow others, but the ones that have their own direction.
- Finally, what would you like to say to customers who love Mareun Five?
I sincerely thank all the customers who have loved Mareun Five and continued to support us. Going forward, Mareun Five will keep the solid product quality and reasonable prices that many people have appreciated, while also introducing a wider range of lifestyle wear with a more trendy sensibility and fresh designs.
We want to grow into a brand that does not simply sell products, but one that can stay with customers in their daily lives in a more comfortable and natural way. To do that, we will continue to communicate actively with customers and reflect their real needs and opinions more sincerely in our products and brand management. We hope you will look forward to and support the new changes and challenges ahead.
Won-man Lee, The Sportschosun
