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K-FASHION
It’s perhaps no great surprise that the rise and rise of K-pop has had a knock-
on effect on the world of fashion, with the Hong Kong-based fans of Korean
tunesmiths understandably keen to sport the same styles as their favoured
purveyors of South East Asian dance-floor fillers. This has led to the
inexorable rise of outlets dedicated to Korean couture across the city,
with the small mass-market stores that opened in Mong Kok and Tsim
Sha Tsui representing the first wave of K-fashion to hit the Hong Kong
market. Their mix of well-made, affordable fashion proved irresistible
to the city’s younger style-conscious consumers, while their national
origins bestowed upon them an impeccable pedigree. Acknowledging that
this halo effect is still very much in evidence, a saleswoman at the TST-set Jace
Store – which boasts a finely curated collection of Seoul-sourced stylewear –
said: “Anything boasting a ‘Made in Korea’ label never stays long on our shelves.”
With its beachhead established at the lower end of the fast-fashion market,
it wasn’t long before Korean couture found an equally warm welcome among the
city’s more chic outlets and designer boutiques, as well as within many of its more
decidedly upmarket department stores. Now the sight of previously-obscure Korean
clothing brands, such as D by D, YCH and General Idea, jostling for space on the
refined racks of such high-end retailers as Harvey Nichols is no longer a cause for
comment. Another K-brand to have committed to major investments in Hong Kong
is MLB Korea, a distinctively Korean fashion label that now has outlets in several
prime locations across the city, including Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay.
Outlining the company’s reason for going big on its local operations, Jenny Tung,
Retail Director of FnF, MLB’s Seoul-based parent company, said: “We chose Hong
Kong as the site of our first overseas store as it is a true shopping Mecca for the
whole of Asia and the perfect place to build our international profile.” Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay Photos: AFP