Interest in K-fashion from overseas retailers is growing. While major Japanese department stores and shopping malls have been successively introducing domestic emerging fashion brands locally, cases are also emerging in the United States and Europe where Korean brands are featured under dedicated categories. Domestic fashion platforms are also expanding their overseas touchpoints for K-fashion by holding a large-scale pop-up in Paris, considered the birthplace of fashion, following New York.
According to the fashion industry on the 1st, fashion platform W Concept will operate a 350-square-meter pop-up store near the Marais district in Paris, France, until the 12th. Held in line with Paris Fashion Week, the event features 75 brands, including domestic fashion brands such as Front Row, Gimhae Kim, Minju Kim, Ink, Monorow, and Ivana Helsinki, as well as beauty brands like Amuse.
In particular, 10 brands selected for the emerging brand cultivation program "W Stage," including How to Love Me, Apoise, Love Dew, Demeriel, and This Is Fine, are also participating. It is an opportunity to directly showcase emerging brands that have been recognized for their growth potential in Korea at Paris, a fashion hub.
Previously, W Concept also held a pop-up during New York Fashion Week. The New York pop-up, which operated from the 10th to the 23rd of last month, featured over 90 fashion and beauty brands, including domestic designer brands. During the pop-up period, the number of visitors to the Global Mall app increased by 453% compared to the same period last year, and the number of new registrations rose by 51%. The number of orders on the Global Mall and total transaction value also increased by 27% and 16%, respectively. Transaction value in the apparel category in the U.S. market increased by 30% compared to the previous month.
Movements by overseas retailers to directly seek out Korean brands and introduce them locally are also continuing. Isetan Shinjuku Department Store in Japan successively hosted pop-ups for domestic designer brand "Gimhae Kim," domestic sock brand "I Hate Monday," and eyewear brand "String Strings" this year. JR East-affiliated fashion mall "Lumine Shinjuku" also held a pop-up for domestic women's clothing brand "Shiyaju." At the time, Shiyaju was introduced as a brand that ranked in the top sales on Korean fashion platforms W Concept and 29CM.
A similar trend is seen in the United States and Europe. U.S. fashion retailer "Urban Outfitters" sells domestic brands such as "Yes I See" and "Angle Run," introducing Yes I See as a "brand from the streets of Seoul." Global fashion platform "SSENSE" also operates a special page separately featuring 28 domestic designer brands.
Cases of overseas buyers directly discovering new brands in Korea have also increased. At the 2027 S/S Seoul Fashion Week held this month, 98 overseas buyers from 20 countries participated. The scale of order consultations was $7.57 million, setting a record high by surpassing both the previous season and the event held in September last year. Major retailers such as French department stores Printemps and Samaritaine, Japan's United Arrows, and Singapore's Club 21 also visited the venue to examine domestic brands.
The industry assesses that interest in Korean culture, formed on the back of K-pop, is extending to fashion, changing how overseas retailers approach domestic brands. It is a movement to directly discover emerging brands and products that have grown in Korea, rather than simply importing established overseas brands.
A fashion industry official said, "As the popularity of K-pop and Korean content grows, interest in Korean brands themselves is also increasing," adding, "In particular, cases are increasing where overseas retailers refer to domestic platform sales rankings or actual consumer reactions to find new brands."
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