If we can commercialize the outstanding capabilities of individuals, it may be possible to make Seoul 'the hub of Asian fashion.' We will strive to become the number one department store that supports K fashion.
Jung Jun-ho, CEO of Lotte Department Store, said this during a lecture at the 'Seoul Fashion Forum' held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul on the afternoon of the 5th. As a speaker at the event, which was the opening event of '2025 Fall/Winter Seoul Fashion Week,' he gave a lecture on 'the current status and future of K fashion.'
Previously, as a fashion expert who introduced 35 overseas brands, including Armani, to Korea and currently leads Lotte Department Store, he noted, "The K-wave (Korean Wave), which began with the boom in K-pop and drama, has expanded into retail content such as food, beauty, and fashion," adding, "With the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z, born 1980-2004) at the forefront, areas like Seongsu-dong and Bukchon are gaining attention as they introduce various content from Seoul."
He pointed out that while K-beauty led by CJ Olive Young achieved $10 billion in exports last year, and many K-foods are playing a major role in promoting Korea abroad, K-content such as food and beauty is growing without government support, whereas fashion is struggling to keep pace with this trend.
In his view, Korea has many creative fashion talents, including the first-generation designer Woo Young-mi, who participated in Paris Fashion Week, as well as Gentle Monster and Mardi Mercredi. However, he stated that the industry's infrastructure is still not well-established.
Jung emphasized, "Currently, K fashion is surviving largely due to the efforts of individual brands, and we need to create an environment where we can showcase a variety of Korean designers and brands to overseas customers interested in Korea."
Regarding Seoul Fashion Week, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, he said, "Just because we hold fashion shows well, Seoul cannot become a fashion city. We need to establish an ecosystem where clothes can be sold and diverse cultures can be exchanged." He added, "We should not only introduce Korean designers abroad but also serve as a hub to introduce foreign designers looking to enter the Asian market."
Jung introduced that Lotte Department Store is making significant contributions to the growth of K fashion. Lotte Department Store's Seoul Jamshil World Tower branch was the first to introduce stores of online brands favored by the MZ generation, such as Matin Kim, Mardi Mercredi, and Ader Error, and has emerged as a 'K designer shrine.' Thanks to these efforts, the department store surpassed 3 trillion won in transaction volume last year.
Jung pointed out the reasons for growth, stating, "Four of the top 10 department stores in the world are in Korea," and noted, "Korean department stores offer premium content in addition to fashion, including food and sports, and the service level is comparable to that of five-star hotels. They also periodically introduce various pop-up content."
Lotte Department Store's main branch in Sogong-dong, Seoul, is also in the midst of preparing a space for K fashion. In July, a showroom for emerging K fashion designers called 'Kinetic Ground' (tentative name) will be established on the 9th floor, and there are plans to renovate the entire Lotte Young Plaza to a K-content specialty hall by the end of next year.
Jung said, "I believe the capabilities of creators in their 20s and 30s in Korea are outstanding," and added, "Just as corporations like LVMH and Kering support the long-term growth of small brands, if we consistently support the exceptional capabilities of individuals, we can make Seoul the hub of Asian fashion."