Pucca — From Cartoon Character to Fashion Icon
By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
In fashion capital France, even in a small, rural Provencal village, it is not unusual to spot Pucca grinning back at you from a chic young woman's backpack.
Since launching in South Korea in 2001, the red-and-black character has become a familiar face through stationary items. But Pucca's big breakthrough came in the form of couture on the European stage in 2003, and the little Asian girl now appears on licensed fashion items by such international brands as the United Colors of Benetton.
Vooz has over 500 licensing contracts in Asia, Europe and the Americas, and some 1,700 stores featuring Pucca wear dot the globe, from France to Brazil. Overseas sales make up for about 95 percent of the company's annual profits, according to Vooz executive director Charlie Shin. ``We expect profits to go up about 30 percent this year from 2008's 470 billion won,'' he told The Korea Times.
Why does the rather homely girl appeal to trend-sensitive teenage girls and 20-somethings? The Korea Times sat down with Pucca's creator, Kim Boo-kyoung, to learn about t
Jul 27, 2009