K-fashion on the rise
A model walks a runway during 2014 Seoul Fashion Week. / Korea Times file
F/W season acquires 6.6 mil. in overseas orders
By Olivia Han
As the status of Korean fashion in the world market has been rising partly thanks to the global success of some K-pop groups, companies have been increasingly expanding overseas.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) announced on June 4 that they have amassed 7.9 billion won ($6.6 million) in overseas sales in the first half of this year through various domestic support projects for fashion designers for the 2019 Fall/Winter season.
Korea's leading fashion designers kickstarted the new season with a runway show named Concept Korea which was showcased at both New York Fashion Week and Shanghai Fashion Week. Concept Korea is a fashion show that has been conducted by KOCCA since 2010 in an effort to introduce domestic designer brands to major oversees fashion markets.
Brands LIE and IISE took the concept of “urban sensibility in Seoul” to New York in February, while brands KYE and D-ANTIDOTE presented casual street fashion with Korean aesthetics in Shanghai in April. D-ANTIDOTE alone raked in 1.80 billion won ($1.4 million) in overseas sales this season.
To coincide with Fashion Week, brands J.Won and Tee Library participated in pop-up showrooms that opened in London and Paris in January and February. More than 500 buyers visited the showroom and 32 contracts were made.
Additionally with the support from Ji-won Kon, 15 domestic designer brands such as UI:kin and Used Future received orders totaling 1.4 billion won ($1.2 million).
Domestic designer brands are expected to increase their profits by launching distributors and sales overseas through the K-fashion specialist showroom The Selects which will take place in New York this September.
The Selects is significant because it helps Korean fashion brands establish distribution at the heart of the world's pop-up showrooms for a limited time. It is expected to introduce various Korean cultural components that are linked to fashion by spearheading and spreading “K-style” in the global world of fashion.
Olivia Han is a Korea Times intern.