'North Korea or South Korea'.. Ignored K-Fashion, Status Completely Changed [Scene]

[Financial News] "Recently, the response to the pop-up store opened in Hong Kong has been good, so we are continuously maintaining relationships with buyers."(Lee Hye-yeon, CEO of Epingle)
On the 20th, at The Platz on the 2nd floor of COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. In front of the Epingle booth, where fur boots and clothes with unique patterns were hung, Japanese buyers were lined up listening to explanations. They nodded at the interpreter's words translating the brand introduction and listened with an interested look. Epingle, participating in the Trend Fair, a major event in the fashion industry, for the first time, is a brand established in 2019. Domestically, it is available in its own mall, as well as in multi-brand shops operated by Samsung C&T Fashion Division, such as Beaker, Handsome Mall, W Concept, and 29CM. Beyond Korea, it is also gaining responses in Japan, Hong Kong, China, as well as in the European and North American markets. CEO Lee Hye-yeon said, "Overseas consumers positively evaluate the unique color and sensibility of Korean brands," and "I will take advantage of this opportunity to continue global expansion."
The '2025 Trend Fair', hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and organized by the Korea Fashion Association, opened on this day. It is a B2B (business-to-business) exhibition supporting the overseas expansion of domestic fashion brands, with over 80 emerging brands participating this year, including women's wear, men's wear, unisex, and accessories.
Recently, along with K-Beauty, the status of K-Fashion, which is attracting attention in the global market, could be observed. This event saw a large number of global buyers visiting Korea, including Japan's leading select shops like BEAMS, SHIPS, UNITED ARROWS, India's largest online platform Myntra, and Chinese fashion distribution officials, conducting collaboration and order consultations with domestic brands. Last year, it achieved an order performance of about 4.3 billion won.
During the event period, various programs were operated to practically help emerging brands, such as joint fashion shows, one-on-one buyer matching consultations, and trend seminars. In the seminar held in the afternoon, a diagnosis of the status change of K-Fashion and advice for emerging brands continued. Oh In-chan, CEO of Eight Division, who operates a select shop centered on global brands in Myeong-dong, Seoul, said, "In the past, when Korean brands went abroad, they were often ignored with questions like 'North Korea or South Korea?' or 'Isn't it a copy brand?', but nowadays, when you go to Paris, France, you can feel the atmosphere has changed," and "'Made in Korea' has become a strong title in the global market, and now is a good time to actively utilize it."
Lee Dong-gi, CEO of Freight, who operates Eastlogue, which entered the US and UK markets early in 2013, also said, "I have always worried about survival while running the brand for over 15 years," and "Now, even with a small SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) and colorway, there are many opportunities to sharply showcase what you want to show through platforms like Musinsa and 29CM." He added, "Rather than being greedy, it is important to consider the best choices within the area you have set."
Seong Rae-eun, President of the Korea Fashion Association (Vice Chairman of Youngone Trading Group), who toured the event hall on this day, said, "The Trend Fair is a representative exhibition directly connecting emerging K-Fashion brands with global buyers," and "Through this, we will expand opportunities for K-Fashion's overseas expansion and strengthen export capabilities." Choi Byung-oh, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (Chairman of Fashion Group Hyungji), who attended the 'Preview in Seoul (PIS) 2025' event held at the same place on the same day, also toured the Trend Fair. Chairman Choi told reporters, "The creative sense that our people have is highly competitive worldwide," and "I am confident that K-Fashion will achieve more results on the world stage in the future."

clean@fnnews.com Lee Jeong-hwa Reporter