Son Tae-young's daughter Ri-ho showcases Gen Alpha fashion sense

Ri-ho, the second daughter of actress Son Tae-young and actor Kwon Sang-woo, is drawing attention by revealing her grown-up appearance and distinct fashion philosophy. Moving away from the image of a child protected by parents, she displays the typical traits of Generation Alpha—actively choosing her own tastes. This serves as an example of shifting generational culture beyond the simple daily life of a celebrity family.

On the YouTube channel 'Mrs. New Jersey Son Tae-young,' which released a video on the 19th, a family vlog set in New York and New Jersey was showcased. In the video, Son Tae-young visited a DreamWorks water park with her daughter Ri-ho, who is on summer vacation, and acquaintance families, before heading to SoHo in Manhattan, New York, to enjoy some shopping.

SoHo is considered a space that symbolizes fashion and lifestyle trends for the young generation in the United States. Son Tae-young, noting that it was "a style Ri-ho would really love," toured brands popular among her peers and personally introduced designs and styles currently trending among Gen Z and Generation Alpha in the U.S.

Upon returning home after shopping, Ri-ho could not hide her joy, dancing to the music as soon as she put on her new clothes. With her long limbs, balanced body proportions, and a natural ease in front of the camera, she exuded a model-like aura despite her young age. Combining the proportions of Son Tae-young, a former Miss Korea, with the sharp features of actor Kwon Sang-woo, online reactions included comments such as, "She inherited her mother's DNA perfectly," "She has the vibe of an idol trainee," and "She already has the aura of a model."

More than anything, it was Ri-ho's clear personal taste, rather than her looks, that caught the viewers' attention.

"Ri-ho is very different from me," Son Tae-young said. "She asked me if she could wear hot pants to school. So, I told her to layer a hoodie over it." She continued with a laugh, "My daughter doesn't like feminine styles. I told her to wear a white dress for a school performance, but she firmly refused."

She added, "She wears the smallest XXS size from the brands I shop at. We just need to shorten the length a little bit. Since her taste is so firm, there might be clashes in the future, but I am trying not to force changes on her anymore."

The video also naturally revealed a generational gap.

Looking at recent trending fashion items, Son Tae-young explained, "Wings were trendy in our generation too. Back then, Von Dutch was a symbolic brand," but Ri-ho was unfamiliar, asking, "What is Von Dutch?" She then elicited laughter by asking, "Monchhichi?" The short conversation surrounding a single brand symbolically demonstrated the cultural gap between the Gen Y culture of the 2000s and Generation Alpha, which grew up in a digital environment.

In cultural studies, fashion is interpreted not merely as consumption, but as a social language through which generations construct their identities. French philosopher Roland Barthes defined clothing as a 'silent language,' explaining that individuals express themselves through their clothes. In particular, Generation Alpha, which grew up amidst SNS and short-form content, tends to go beyond merely consuming trends and actively designs their own tastes and images from a young age.

Educational sociology also analyzes that, unlike the past when parent-centered values were unilaterally passed down to children, modern parenting methods that respect a child's choices and individuality are expanding. Son Tae-young's remark, "I am trying not to touch (interfere) anymore," symbolically represents this changed parental role. The attitude of choosing respect over control aligns with the flow of modern family culture, which emphasizes a child's autonomy and right to self-determination.

Son Tae-young and Kwon Sang-woo married in 2008, had their first son Ruk-hui in the following year, and their second daughter Ri-ho in 2015. Currently living in the United States, they steadily share their children's growth process and family daily life through YouTube.

The child who once looked at the camera held in her parents' arms is now entering adolescence, where she chooses her own tastes, interprets trends, and expresses her individuality without hesitation. Ri-ho's growth is being read as a cultural landscape that shows the direction of changing generational culture and family education, beyond the simple meaning that 'a star's daughter has grown up a lot.'