South Korea news and archive

Sephora exits South Korea after yielding to stiff competition

LVMH-owned cosmetics giant Sephora has closed up shop in South Korea after struggling to capture a solid foothold in the market. The closure comes four years on from when the brand first stepped into the region, with the opening of a flagship store in Seoul’s Gangnam district which was followed by five more store openings. The move had initially...

Business

Allbirds secures distribution deal in Canada and South Korea

Sportswear and footwear brand Allbirds has announced two new agreements with distributor partners in Canada and South Korea as it looks to move towards a third-party model. The company, which had initially adopted a direct go-to-market strategy, made the shift as part of its ongoing Strategic Transformation Plan which it announced earlier this...

Fashion

Gucci merges South Korean heritage with its own design codes for Cruise 2024 collection

Italian luxury house Gucci took to Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, this week to present its Cruise 2024 collection, where it attempted to merge its own historic design codes with those of the East Asian region. In what the luxury label said was a “shared style language”, the collection looked to reflect Gucci’s own community brought...

Fashion

Louis Vuitton showed its Pre-Fall 2023 collection from Seoul's iconic Jamsugyo Bridge

If there was a sense of unease at Louis Vuitton’s first catwalk presentation in Seoul, South Korea, it was the chill that came from the Han River, which flows through the heart of the city. But more likely it was the immersive set on the iconic Jamsugyo Bridge, designed by Hwang Dong-Hyuk, director of Squid Game, that reflected the incredible...

FashionFeatured

Is South Korea luxury's next bet?

South Korea has established itself as a promising market for luxury brands, and is quickly catching up with China and Japan. With its increasing affluence, South Korea has attracted significant investment, which has been boosted by free trade agreements with the European Union. The growth in spending power of its citizens is also a driving force...

FashionFeatured

Stuffed animals, three stripes and live performances: Highlights and trends from Seoul Fashion Week

The designers at Seoul Fashion Week create very bold designs and experiment with different silhouettes, asymmetry and patterns. Although black plays an important role in many of the collections, colours and bright creations can also be seen. On the other hand, there are dark looks like Iryuk's, which are reminiscent of the gothic scene, and...

BusinessFeatured

How the Korean Wave took over the Western fashion world

Unless you have been living under a rock, you may have noticed the surge of a not entirely new form of influential figure that has been taking over the world of luxury fashion in the West. While the stars of ‘Hallyu’ or the ‘Korean Wave’ – terms referring to the rise in popularity of South Korean popular culture – have already become regulars at...

Podcast

Podcast: How the Korean wave is sweeping global culture

Korean culture is appealing to more and more people worldwide. The ever-increasing focus on K-pop and K-beauty and much more of Korean culture has also had its impact on the fashion world. The Victoria & Albert Museum in London has even devoted an entire exhibition to the phenomenon. Chief curator Rosalie Kim talks on The Business of Fashion...

Fashion

Fashion courts K-Pop and its fans at Milan catwalk shows

Milan - Milan's catwalks may be the epicentre of global fashion this week, but it's Seoul and K-Pop fans who are front and centre in the battle for new luxury customers. Outside Prada's fashion show on Thursday, the biggest squeals of excitement came from fans of Jeon Somi, South Korea's blonde singer with 16.6 million Instagram followers. The...

Fashion|Interview Featured

Korean Wave sweeps digital realm with KOCCA's Metaverse Fashion Festival

A handful of Asian countries are already set on establishing themselves as frontrunners of the virtual realm, in keeping with the interests of their digitally-advanced consumers that have swiftly taken to various progressive online shopping methods, like livestreaming and virtual stores, in comparison to those of other countries. This rings...

Business

Thom Browne to take over Korean business via new company

American luxury brand Thom Browne has announced that it will be taking over its South Korean subsidiary, which is set to be directly operated through a newly created and fully owned company, Thom Browne Korea. It comes as the label ended its partnership with Samsung C&T Corporation, which had operated the business in Korea for 12-years. Through...

People

BTS members appointed brand ambassadors for Dior and Valentino

Two members of popular K-Pop group BTS have been named as the new faces of luxury brands Dior and Valentino. Jimin, one of the group’s singers, dancers and songwriters, was first revealed to be Dior’s new global ambassador, in what the French brand said sealed “his friendship with the house” and its creative director Kim Jones. The label...