Yunjo Lee

Wearing Emotion: Yunjo Lee’s Inside-Out Approach to Design

As the Chief Creative Officer at Hearts on Fire (part of Chow Tai Fook group), Lee is redefining the brand’s creative vision, bringing a fresh, modern sensibility to its heritage of precision-cut diamonds. 

As the Chief Creative Officer at Hearts on Fire (part of Chow Tai Fook group), Lee is redefining the brand’s creative vision, bringing a fresh, modern sensibility to its heritage of precision-cut diamonds. 

An acclaimed designer with over two decades of experience, Yunjo Lee’s body of work includes developing iconic collections with legendary artists Paloma Picasso and Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co. After her time at Tiffany, she developed Michael Kors first jewelry collection expanding her experience to include costume/accessible jewelry.  

Prior to joining Hearts on Fire, she was the Director of Jewelry Design at Canadian direct-to-consumer brand Mejuri, where she oversaw both women’s and men’s collections and led high-profile collaborations with style icons such as Jenna Lyons and Raul Lopez of LUAR. Her experience and ability to thrive between heritage jewelry houses to accessible consumer / DTC brands makes her a rare and unique creative talent.

Just over a year into her role as CCO at Hearts on Fire where Burō Talent placed her at, she took time to answer a few quick questions for us.

Q&A

Burō Talent (BT): Do you have a Mantra to how you approach work?

Yunjo Lee (YL): Be open and stay curious

BT: Can you share a moment or experience that sparked one of your most innovative designs? 

YL: My most innovative work is my latest: the Inside/Out collection designed for Hearts on Fire. I believe in evolving through constant creation, and this recent design reflects that philosophy. 

BT: What do you do to get new inspirations?

YL: My creative journey starts with looking inward, paying attention to a specific feeling or mood I want to bring to life as a tangible wearable art.

BT: Having worked/consulted for iconic brands like Tiffany & Co., Bucherer to direct-to-consumer Mejuri and now Hearts on Fire – can you share the differences in working with these different brands from approach, style, pace? What is a unifying trait of them?

YL: Working with different brands reveals the variety of approaches to jewelry—each shaped by its unique audience. Yet, at the core, there’s a shared desire for distinctive design and enduring quality.

BT: In your previous roles you collaborated with greats like Frank Gehry, Paloma Picasso at Tiffany & Co. and then also with contemporary designers/brands like LUAR, Ganni at Mejuri – what is that process like and is it different?

YL: Collaborating with great minds expanded the perspective and introduced new visual languages for me. My role as a jewelry design expert, was to bridge the two worlds—bringing them together to create something that feels fresh and unexpected, but also pushed the boundaries.

BT: Any future dream collaborators and why? 

YL: I aspire to expand my sensibility into spatial design—creating living environments that are deeply intimate and personal. Spaces that embody identity, nurture emotion, and feel like true extensions of the self.

BT: Aside from your role as the CCO at Hearts on Fire you also have a personal project Henry & Hodu. Can you share what your aspirations are for Henry & Hodu and what does it represent to you?

YL: Henry & Hodu is a personal space where curiosity runs wild and creativity plays freely. It’s my happy place to dream, make, and share whatever I love—no rules, no rush, just pure expression.

BT: We know the UFO ring (your engagement ring) has great sentimental meaning, can you share how you conceived it?

YL: The UFO ring was the first piece of jewelry I ever designed for myself. It took time for me to discover and embrace my personal style, and this ring perfectly embodies my love for a bold minimal aesthetic. Beyond its design, it carries a deep symbolic meaning, representing the start of a new chapter in my life.

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