As Seoul's Dosan Park rises to be one of the great center stage areas for Korean luxury, it has been attracting globally renowned high-end fashion houses from all over the world. So, it's really no wonder to us that flagship stores of major Korean fashion representatives including Songzio, Wooyoungmi, and Juun.J, along with named street brands such as Supreme and Palace, are all currently operating near the said area.
Now, Dosan Park has become the new hotspot for both domestic and international fashion enthusiasts - establishing its status as a central hub of Korean high-end fashion.
The 'Big Three' of K-fashion—Songzio, Wooyoungmi, and Juun.J—have been constantly promoting the stature of Korean fashion globally by participating in Paris Fashion Week for nearly 20 years. The houses maintain a unique position in the crowded Korean fashion market, each brand having about 30 domestic stores and also being found in famous department stores worldwide as they significantly show more and more growth each year. Especially, Wooyoungmi and Songzio have flagship stores in Paris, France, illustrating their international presence as part of the Korean fashion industry.
For those who didn't know, the opening of flagship stores by fashion brands means more than just additional retail locations to the label. These stores reflect each brand’s unique design philosophy and identity, providing visitors with new experiences of the houses; such flagship store launches are vital to strengthening their foothold and competitiveness in the global fashion market.
■ Intersection of Fashion and Art, The Songzio 'Galerie Noir'
Songzio (SONGZIO), a first-generation domestic brand of Korea, opened their cultural art space 'Galerie Noir' on April 4, which combines a contemporary art gallery with a flagship store. Spanning from the basement to the fourth floor, 'Galerie Noir' allows visitors to witness the pure and creative process of Songzio through paintings, drawings, media art, and sculptures by its founder and designer Songzio. The space hosts exhibitions that combine Songzio's art and fashion, creating an art-fashion space that is unique to Galerie Noir only.
■ Fashion and F&B Coexistence, Wooyoungmi 'Man Made Dosan'
Wooyoungmi's flagship store 'Man Made Dosan,' which opened in Dosan Park during the year 2012, was just renewed last year in September, 2023. The store showcases Wooyoungmi, Solid Homme, and the Wooyoungmi Jewelry Collection, applying the new store design by Wooyoungmi that emphasizes bold and flexible forms in its display spaces while also offering convenient shopping experiences to users. The expanded second-floor space features a women's line and a spacy cafe area, standing as a cultural complex where fashion and F&B coexist in harmony.
■ Juun.J Dosan Flagship Store with a Garden
Juun.J's flagship store, which opened in Dosan Park in 2019, emphasizes the brand's signature black hue both inside and out under the theme 'Dark Matter.' The two-story flagship store features their men's lines on the second floor, with women's lines and collaboration products on its first. This flagship store will also provide its users a unique brand experience, with a cafe and a garden for the audience to explore freely.
■ Supreme Flagship Store Filled with Skateboards
Supreme opened its first flagship store in South Korea at Dosan Park in August last year, celebrating the event with some limited edition box logo t-shirts and hoodies. The store boasts a facade filled with skateboards and its elegant black exteriors extending from the building's floor to its ceiling windows.
■ Palace, Inspired by (Literal) Palaces
London-based street brand Palace also opened a flagship store in Dosan Park in February, launching a Korea-exclusive collection to commemorate its opening. Inspired by traditional Korean palaces, the interior features intricately carved Palace logos and marble benches, exuding a lush, lavish ambiance from its intricately adorned interior.