California swimwear brand Frankies Bikinis debuts in Seoul with Musinsa pop-up

Promotional Musinsa Empty lookbook images, featuring BLACKPINK member Jennie, for California swimwear label Frankies Bikinis / Courtesy of Musinsa

Musinsa Empty, a multibrand retail store operated by the fashion platform Musinsa, will host the first offline pop-up in Korea for the California swimwear label Frankies Bikinis, from April 8 to 21 at its Seongsu location in Seoul.

The pop-up marks the brand's debut in any Korean brick-and-mortar retail store. Founded in Malibu in 2012 by Francesca Aiello and her mother Mimi Aiello, Frankies Bikinis has built a following among global Gen Z consumers and celebrities through its California beach-inspired prints, embroidery and strap detailing across inclusive sizing. The brand has since expanded into knitwear, activewear and accessories.

The centerpiece of the pop-up is a limited-edition collection developed in collaboration with BLACKPINK member Jennie, making its exclusive domestic debut at the event.

Built around a “swim-to-street” concept — designed to transition easily from beachwear to everyday outfits — the collection features vintage-washed colors and relaxed silhouettes.

Jennie was involved throughout the design and production process. Select limited-edition items carry a "JENNIE x Frankies Bikinis" co-branded logo. Key pieces include a white string bikini, crochet knitwear and casual T-shirts, alongside sleeveless tops, shorts and skirts from the spring-summer 2026 lineup.

To mark the opening, Francesca Aiello — who has 470,000 Instagram followers — is scheduled to visit the Seongsu store on the first day for an event with attendees.

Alongside the pop-up, the Musinsa Empty online store and sister platform 29CM will run an exclusive domestic launch promotion featuring the new arrivals and the Jennie capsule collection, with the dual online-offline campaign intended to drive cross-channel traffic.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.