The Green Generation is an eco-friendly fashion Start - Up that makes and sells sportswear using materials that mix waste plastic and natural plant-based extracts. Chief Executive Lim Chae-hoon, who worked for 27 years at major Korean apparel companies including MLB, Shinsegae International, Kappa, and Lotte GFR, founded the company.
Lim said, "While planning products in the apparel industry, I shouted 'eco-friendly,' but in reality, I did not make products of meaning," and added, "After much thought about inventory and disposal issues, I started an eco-friendly fashion business myself."
The Green Generation runs the lifestyle sportswear brand "The Green Lab." Rather than being a performance-focused sports brand like Nike, it aims for daily wear with a sporty sensibility.
Key products include hoodies, sweatshirts, and training pants. The brand name "The Green Lab" means "sustainable laboratory." Lim explained, "We are a brand that, like a laboratory, constantly finds, tries, and improves eco-friendly materials." The products use recyclable materials such as waste-plastic yarn, corn and cactus extract fabrics, and dead stock (leftover fabric scraps).
In the early days of the business, it targeted both men and women in their 20s and 30s, but an analysis of sales data showed the strongest response from a female customer base centered on female college students. Lim said, "We had many deliveries to women's dormitories at universities, so we planned and designed with a focus on young female customers," adding, "Many styles are inspired by female idol fashion."
In the early phase, The Green Generation struggled with sluggish sales, but a shearling coat made from dead stock fabric became a breakthrough. Released in Nov. 2023, the product recorded 600 million won in sales for a single item on Musinsa in a year and a half, and as of Sep. 2025 it ranked No. 1 in monthly sales in the shearling coat category on Musinsa.
Currently, The Green Generation has registered a patent for its own fabric made from waste plastic and cactus extract. This fabric is set to be applied to the company's flagship shearling coat. Lim emphasized, "The fashion industry, singled out as a main culprit of environmental pollution, must now move toward eco-friendly practices," adding, "This is not a simple trend but a must-do task for survival."
The company's 2024 revenue came to 1.84 billion won. That is about 44% growth from the previous year (1.28 billion won). Lim said, "We are aiming for 5 billion won in revenue by 2027."
The Green Generation has also entered overseas markets such as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and the United States through Musinsa. The response is particularly strong in Japan, where K-fashion and K-pop are popular. Lim said, "We will strengthen the Japanese market going forward and expand global sales channels," adding, "Small habits are the start of eco-friendliness. We are directly practicing eco-friendly packaging by not using package tape and by using sugarcane-based brand tags and biodegradable poly bags."