French brand Vetements' garage sale spark criticism

Korean customers queue at French brand Vetements' one-day garage sale in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday.
/ Courtesy of Vetements

By Kim Jae-heun

One of the hottest fashion brands currently, France's Vetements held a surprise garage sale in Korea, introducing its limited editions only to Korean customers at Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province, Monday.

The global brand's sudden decision to open its capsule collection not in New York, not in London, not in Paris and not in Milan, but at a far-off warehouse located on the outskirts of Korea's capital city Seoul, was welcoming but dubious news for the brand's local customers. Korea is Vetements' biggest online buyer in Asia and third-largest global customer.

But then, it all came clear, when the notorious brand revealed its concept and location of the event just a day before the opening. It wanted to prove that it can sell anything, anywhere in Korea and people will still flock to sweep the items disguised as limited edition.

Vetements' garage sale, in collaboration with British online luxury brand retailer Matchesfashion.com, announced its collection concept as "Official Fake."

This captured Instagram image from British online luxury brand retailer Matchesfashion.com shows its notification of Vetements' capsule collection in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday.

The brand reportedly explained that "Korea is one of the countries that have many ‘fake' products ― especially that of the designer brands,' and Vetements found many products here, which have reinterpreted its original products freshly and applied its inspiration on their new collection."

However, fashion insiders criticized the brand's original intention to mock Koreans.

"I felt like I was at Costco with a bunch of clothes hung in a long line at a huge warehouse," said Lee Sun-woo, CEO of Seoul Showroom, a managing company for fashion designers. "My impression was that the event looked like a collaboration between Vetements and a fake product company. Vetements say they got the inspiration from reinterpreted products here, but it was only a scene of mockery to me.

"It was as if they were saying ‘you are still going to buy our products even if you have copy designs in your country selling at much lower prices. We will reinterpret them and sell them again at higher prices. See, so many people came,'" said Lee.

Some 800 to 1,000 people came to the garage sale and all items there were sold out except black T-shirts and white hoodies.

Matchesfashion.com held a two-day pop-up event following the garage sale, Monday, introducing 26 brands, including Vetements. The company's CEO Tom Chapman participated in the event at the SongEun ArtSpace in Cheongdam, Seoul. An online retail giant official explained that their visit aimed to meet Korean customers, who enjoy their fastest international delivery system, offline. Korean customers reportedly take up some 50 percent of Vetements sales.

Fashion industry insiders agree that people no longer shop at department stores or offline shops these days and these events have replaced this.

However, Lee also questioned their intention to hold the garage sale right before the country's biggest fashion festival, Seoul Fashion Week.

"I am just curious why they had to open a garage sale just a day before the runway shows and trade shows were scheduled at Seoul Fashion Week. It could have been seen as a unique event for Vetements to display a collection of kitsch concepts, if it was held on another day. But that particular day makes fashion insiders question the French brand's original intention of the garage sale," said Lee.

The fashion management CEO's criticism continued on Vetements' exclusive event for the lack of item variety and the extravagant prices for their quality.

The brand introduced seven newly designed items, which Lee argued were neither new nor high quality.

A red cap displayed on the hanger had only the word "CAP" written on it and it was sold for 235,000 won ($208.96). The most expensive item there was Vetements' signature product Light Hell Sock Boot, which sold for 1.49 million won ($1,320), followed by jeans that cost 1.37 million won ($1,213).

"If you look at the collaboration between H&M and Isabel Marant, the collection shows the unique design of Isabel Marant but at a much cheaper price. But Vetements' capsule collection presented at the garage sale was not the level they originally offered," said Lee.

"The kitsch concept of its clothes may have scarcity for its collaboration with Matchesfashion.com, but I would rather buy Vetements' original label with the same price."

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