At 11 a.m. on the 5th at the Musinsa Store in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. It had not been long since the doors opened, but dozens of shoppers were already moving through the store. Many were foreigners who slowly looked over everything from clothes to shoes and hats. In front of a mirror, one person held a skirt up to their body and asked a staff member where the fitting room was. A group of Japanese tourists gathered on one side compared prices of items sold in the store with local online prices in Japan on their smartphones.
On this day, foreign visitors generally outnumbered Koreans at major fashion brand stores in Seongsu-dong, including the Musinsa Store. Notices inside and outside the shops were written not only in Korean but also in English, Japanese, and Chinese. Signs offering discounts when presenting Alipay, WeChat Pay and other overseas payment system QR codes or a passport (SHOW PASSPORT & GET 00% OFF) also stood out frequently.
According to the industry on the 7th, as K-fashion (Korean fashion) gains attention in the global market, not only Myeong-dong and Gangnam in Seoul but also Seongsu-dong and Hannam-dong have become must-visit stops for foreigners. In fact, foreign customers account for 60% to 70% of sales at Musinsa Store Seongsu and Hongdae. At Musinsa's SPA (fast fashion) brand Musinsa Standard, foreign sales shares are highest in Myeong-dong (55%), followed by Hannam (44%) and Seongsu (42%).
Analysts say unique brand identity (BI), design, and quality competitiveness of domestic fashion brands are aligning with the appeal of Korean cultural content and the influence of famous idols and influencers, drawing interest from foreigners. More brands are expanding their reach beyond Japan, China and Southeast Asia to the United States and Europe. Some companies, including Musinsa, are accelerating preparations for listings on the back of overseas expansion.
According to the 2025 Global Hallyu Survey conducted by the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange in 28 countries, 66.2% of foreigners said they had purchased Korean fashion products within a year after encountering Korean cultural content. The top reasons for favoring Korean fashion were "good design and style" (42.1%) and "excellent quality" (30.8%).
◇ Foreign customers become a growth formula, expansion abroad followed by IPOs
Musinsa, which is pushing to list on the KOSPI this year, opened its first overseas store, Musinsa Standard Huaihai Baixing in Shanghai, China, on the 14th of last month. It plans additional openings in three areas—Nanjing East Road, Xujiahui, and Hangzhou—within the first half of the year. Musinsa aims to increase its number of stores in China to more than 100 by 2030 and lift global sales to 3 trillion won. Musinsa's overseas sales last year are estimated at about 20 billion won.
Piece Piece Studio Co., Ltd., which operates the brand Mardi Mercredi known for its flower graphics, filed a preliminary listing review application with the KOSDAQ market headquarters last month. After successfully establishing itself in Japan, it shifted its Greater China business to a directly managed model. It also expanded into Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Indonesia, and into Amazon in the United States.
Matin Kim, acquired in 2021 by HAGO HAUS, an affiliate of Dae Myung Chemical Group, is moving beyond Japan and Greater China to enter the United States and Europe. The brand, which had sold mainly online to a small core of enthusiasts with its clean, chic designs, began to expand in earnest at home and abroad after investment from HAGO HAUS.
Early last year, Matin Kim collaborated with global fashion brand Coach. The limited-edition Coach x Matin Kim collection made waves when the multinational girl group KATSEYE fronted the ad campaign. Around the same time, it also ran ads for Netflix's "Squid Game Season 2" and in-flight ads with Korean Air.
Matin Kim is not the only domestic fashion brand partnering with global labels as overseas recognition grows. Aden Era, founded in 2014 and now sold in 60 countries, has unveiled collaborative collections with global SPA brand Zara, Converse, Bang & Olufsen, and Maison Kitsuné. The tie-up with Zara, dubbed "Zader Error," sparked a sellout frenzy.
In the case of Aden Era, it first gained attention abroad through renowned select shops and pop-up stores rather than domestically. Observers say its genderless designs that cross boundaries of genre and gender, along with its distinctive Tetris logo, have led to a global fandom. Applying different concepts to each store and displaying products alongside various installations also won praise.
◇ Beyond apparel, accessories and functional wear gain presence
Foreign demand is also rising for domestic accessories such as eyewear, bags, and hats. Compared with apparel, these are relatively less affected by season, body type, and trends, and they are seen as advantageous for global expansion thanks to strong design value for the price.
Gentle Monster (IICOMBINED), which became famous for sunglasses worn by Blackpink's Jennie, is on the verge of surpassing 1 trillion won in annual sales, with about 40% of its total sales coming from overseas. Latecomer Blue Elephant gained word-of-mouth traction with low prices and brick-and-mortar stores and is actively targeting overseas markets. Blue Elephant's sales rose from about 1 billion won in 2022 to about 30 billion won in 2024.
Stand Oil, a domestic bag brand that reached 20 billion won in sales four years after its 2018 launch, has overseas customers—Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and elsewhere—accounting for more than half. It won praise for stylish design and quality at a price point in the 100,000 won range. Emis, which became famous on social media (SNS) for ball caps worn by popular idols and influencers, is on the verge of reaching 100 billion won in annual sales.
As indie brands expand their footprint overseas, major fashion companies are absorbing global demand by focusing on premium functional categories such as golf wear and outdoor gear. Kolon Industries (Kolon FnC) is expanding its influence in Asia through G/FORE and Kolon Sport, while F&F is accelerating its push into China and Southeast Asia with MLB and Discovery Expedition.
According to data released last month by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), shopping accounted for 51% of total tourism expenditure by foreign visitors to Korea from January to September last year. Fashion consumption rose about 23.4% during the period. Accessories (up 33.0%), sportswear (up 32.8%), and sporting goods (up 33.4%) led the gains.