Gabriela Hearst among designer trio opening exclusive stores in Korea

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Dec 22, 2022

U.S. designer brands Gabriela Hearst and Veronica Beard, as well as Sweden's Toteme, are set to open exclusive stores in South Korea, in a tie-up with Handsome Corp., a fashion unit of local major retailer Hyundai Department Store Group.

On December 15, Handsome launched Gabriela Hearst's debut exclusive boutique in Asia at the main branch of Hyundai Department Store Co. in Apgujeong, Seoul, one of the capital's wealthiest areas.

Now, the department store is gearing up to open boutiques for Toteme at branches in Gangnam, Seoul’s upscale and modern center, in January and February next year, followed by an opening for Veronica Beard in March at a branch in Pangyo, dubbed the 'Silicon Valley of South Korea'.

“It is the first time for the three brands to open exclusive stores in South Korea, although they have been sold at multi-brand shops,” said a Handsome official, according to local media reports.

The openings come as Handsome aims to more than double sales from overseas fashion brands to some 1 trillion won ($767 million) in the next five years. It plans to do so by doubling the number of foreign brands to about 20 by the second half of 2023 and expand sales channels for its existing overseas brands.

It will open more stores for the Swedish designer brand Our Legacy launched in South Korea earlier this year at Hyundai Department Store branches, according to local media.
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“We aim to provide new experiences and differentiated values to customers along with our own domestic brands such as Time, Mine and System by discovering overseas brands that can lead the global fashion trends,” said another Handsome official.