4 decades on, Maestro charts new course in Italian elegance
Act Two Ventures President and YouTuber Mickey Kim emcees for LF's 40th anniversary of the market launch of Maestro with the brand's VIP customers at Raum East in Seoul's Gangnam District, Oct. 22. Courtesy of LF
LF brand to strengthen Albero lineup, diversify MTM service
Introduced in 1986, LF's premium menswear brand Maestro is one of Korea's longest-running menswear labels, having spent four decades adapting its styles and sizing to better suit Korean men's physiques.
Marking its 40th anniversary this year, LF said the brand will be more faithful to “Italian elegance” and seek broader global markets beyond Vietnam.
LF announced last month that it will further strengthen Albero, Maestro's high-end line featuring Italian-made products, by expanding partnerships with leading Italian textile manufacturers, including Zegna, Loro Piana, Colombo and Piacenza. The company will also expand its made-to-measure (MTM) tailoring services, which account for 30 percent of the brand's sales, by dividing them into three categories: Su Misura, Alta Sartoria and Sartoria Italia.
To cater to growing demand from couples preparing for their weddings and consumers in their 20s and 30s who increasingly reserve suits for special occasions, the brand will also expand its formalwear lineup.
The Rome Suit, launched in September to celebrate the brand's 40th anniversary, is designed for grooms, featuring a refined shoulder line and 8.5-centimeter-wide lapels that create a more masculine silhouette.
The brand also expects its ongoing transformation to support further global expansion.
Starting with Ho Chi Minh in 2022, it has so far opened three locations across Vietnam, including the latest one at Hanoi Center, a major shopping complex in the city, in April this year. Overall sales across the stores jumped nearly 20 percent in 2025 from the previous year.
Maestro store at Hanoi Center in Hanoi, Vietnam, in April / Courtesy of LF
“The 40th anniversary of Maestro marks a critical turning point as the brand prepares for a new leap forward, built on the trust and dignity it has established in the Korean menswear market,” said Yoon Jung-hee, head of the Maestro Business Division at LF.
“Leveraging our finely honed tailoring expertise and uncompromising quality accumulated over the years, we will continue to grow into a luxury menswear brand recognized far beyond Korea in the global market. We plan to explore further international expansion based on our operational capabilities in Vietnam, solidifying our status as Korea's representative luxury menswear brand.”
Maestro on Oct. 22 invited 20 VIPs to LF’s selective lifestyle brands shop in Seoul’s Gangnam District to commemorate the brand’s history, introducing this year’s F/W and next year’s S/S collections, along with an anniversary-special five-piece collection comprising a suit, jacket and coat. The same day, the brand opened its official Korean and English homepages, flaunting its history and philosophy.
Maestro was introduced in 1986, when Korea's growing economy and expanding white-collar workforce fueled demand for business suits. In the 1990s, the influx of foreign luxury brands brought a wider range of designs and materials to the Korean market, with oversized jackets and double-breasted suits gaining popularity. During this period, Maestro began incorporating Italian tailoring techniques while adapting its designs to Korean body types.
A concept image and drawing for Maestro's Forward Pitch System that began implementing in its lineups in 2004 / Courtesy of LF
In the 2000s, consumer preferences shifted toward more comfortable fitting and sharper silhouettes, and Maestro spearheaded such trends when in 2004 it introduced the Forward Pitch System and 763 Pattern. That year, actor Park Shin-yang wore the brand's suits in the hugely popular SBS drama “Lovers in Paris,” while a television commercial featuring fencing also drew public attention to the brand.
When “business casual” shifted the traditional image of the suit to cater to rising demands for easier-wearing menswear in the 2010s and post-COVID increased popularity for premium ceremonial suits in the 2020s, Maestro further cemented its partnerships with designers and merchandise directors from Armani, Loro Piana, Canali and Takizawa Shigeru, forming strong lineups across different periods.
“The 40-year history of Maestro is both a journey of advancing the craftsmanship of Korean menswear and a valuable asset built together with our customers who have trusted and chosen us for so long,” Yoon said.
“We will combine the elegant aesthetics of Italian menswear with Korea’s delicate sensibility and technical expertise to grow into Korea’s leading luxury menswear brand, recognized by new generations and in the global market.”