Seoul Beauty & Fashion Weeks Evolve into Global Export Platforms

Seoul is enhancing the global competitiveness of K-beauty and K-fashion by transforming industry exhibitions into export platforms through Seoul Beauty Week and Seoul Fashion Week.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it achieved a total of $20.14 million in orders through the consecutively held 'Seoul Beauty Week' and 'Seoul Fashion Week' in August and September. This achievement is the result of focusing on creating tangible outcomes by linking industry-specific trade shows, inviting overseas buyers, and connecting year-round support infrastructure.

#223 Companies, 132 Overseas Buyers Participate... Seoul Beauty Week Establishes Itself as a K-Beauty Business Platform

Firstly, the fourth edition of 'Seoul Beauty Week' was held from Thursday, August 28 to Saturday, August 30 at the DDP area, attracting over 41,000 visitors including citizens, tourists, domestic and international buyers, and beauty industry officials, highlighting the interest in K-beauty.

The event saw participation from 223 small and medium-sized enterprises in Seoul, conducting a total of 872 consultations with 132 overseas buyers from 43 countries, resulting in order consultations amounting to $28.48 million (approximately 39.6 billion won) and actual contracts worth $12.69 million (approximately 17.7 billion won). By focusing on attracting overseas buyers with genuine purchase intentions and operating a pre-matching program, contract performance increased by 40% compared to the previous year, effectively serving as a bridgehead for entering the global market.

Spanish buyer Anika Díaz Linares stated, “What I love most about K-beauty is the ability to discover brands with high potential,” while Pakistani buyer Anmol Sultan Kan remarked, “K-beauty now has the potential to stand shoulder to shoulder with major brands in Europe and the US.”

On the second day of the event, August 29, the 'Business Meetup Pitching Competition' featured nine promising startups selected nationwide. Companies like ▴Skincare Platform (Bareun Bio Co., Ltd.) ▴4th Generation Organic Tampon (Lusong) ▴AI-based Custom Services (Haebom Co., Ltd.) presented innovative beauty items closely related to daily life, with Bareun Bio Co., Ltd. winning the grand prize.

The winning companies are currently in business meetups with global companies like Amorepacific Holdings, Korea Kolmar, and major domestic investment firms (Signite Partners, Capstone Partners, MMP, Zero One Booster) to explore actual business expansion possibilities.

The exhibition was divided into 'Trend Zone' and 'Innovation Zone,' showcasing products from cosmetics to cutting-edge beauty tech. Experience booths from brands like LG Pra.L and Dr. For Hair, along with various on-site events, increased visitor engagement and immersion.

Online promotion also proved effective. Content created by the official promotional team of 25 members garnered over 370,000 views on YouTube and SNS, while preview videos recorded 120,000 views, boosting the event's excitement.

Beyond large-scale events like Seoul Beauty Week, the city operates a constant support system through 'Seoul Beauty Hub.' In the first half of the year, 50 companies were selected to receive influencer promotion content production, buyer matching, and overseas certification education, with contracts worth $440,000 underway. Infrastructure rentals like live commerce studios were also operated 132 times, with 1,204 people using the facilities, providing substantial support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Additionally, five specialized training sessions on overseas certification and marketing were conducted, with 172 participants, supporting the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

#26 S/S Seoul Fashion Week, Donning 'Seoul-ness' to Emerge as a Global Fashion Hub

'26 S/S Seoul Fashion Week' significantly boosted its global competitiveness with a brand lineup harmonizing top-tier global brands with mid-sized and emerging ones. A total of 27 collections were viewed by 74,000 people through both online and offline channels, alongside presentations involving both B2B buyers and B2C audiences.

This collection gained further attention by combining the sense of place in Seoul, where tradition and innovation coexist. Experimental stages held at places like Deoksugung-gil and Heungcheonsa conveyed Seoul's unique identity and aesthetics, leaving a strong impression on domestic and international stakeholders. Experts with extensive international stage experience in production and makeup enhanced the overall quality, with meticulous planning of movement, lighting, and sound.

The fusion of the historical charm of Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway, the tranquility of temples, and cutting-edge AI in the production vividly highlighted Seoul's identity as a city where tradition and innovation coexist. Especially, the opening and other key programs centered around symbolic locations, providing an experience of rediscovering Seoul's cultural assets through fashion.

The presentation program expanded viewing opportunities with open exhibition spaces at EQL Seongsu and DDP Seoul-On mini shows, transforming the experience from 'viewing fashion' to 'participating in fashion.' A total of nine brands participated, conducting mini shows and performances.

Global connections were also strengthened. The 'Berlin Showroom,' organized in cooperation with the German Fashion Association, saw the participation of 12 brands for the first time, expanding networking with overseas press and buyers. The city plans to extend this beyond one-time exchanges to a mid-to-long-term partnership with mutual curation and constant feedback systems.

Participating brands highlighted their strengths in materials, eco-friendly processes, and digital creativity, attracting interest from domestic buyers and press. Consequently, the city aims to expand the European sales network of Seoul brands while facilitating the entry of European newcomers into Seoul, establishing a model where fashion ecosystems between cities grow complementarily.

Promotional efforts utilizing new media such as media and SNS achieved a viral effect with 19 million views on YouTube and Instagram (as of September 19). A total of 267 celebrities participated in photo sessions and interviews, broadening public engagement.

The industrial ripple effect is also noteworthy. The order exhibition and showroom tour program held from September 4 to 7 resulted in a total of 2,338 consultations, with the order consultation amounting to $7.45 million (104 billion won). This marks an increase of 910 cases and approximately $740,000 compared to the previous season.

The order exhibition saw participation from 76 brands across the entire DDP Design Lab (1st to 3rd floors), with professional showroom agencies like Ideal People and Future Society diversifying brand portfolios. The showroom tour was exclusively operated for overseas buyers, targeting 30 brands in major fashion districts such as Seongsu, Cheongdam, and Hannam, distributing district maps to expand K-fashion touchpoints.

A buyer from the German concept store 'Voo Store' commented, “I was impressed by the balanced introduction of established brands and emerging designers, and the unique fashion sense I felt in Seoul was intriguing. I’m pleased to have discovered brands with excellent quality and design this season.”

Meanwhile, the city is strengthening the foundation of the fashion industry by establishing the 'Seoul Fashion Hub' in areas like Seongsu and Dongdaemun, providing comprehensive support such as branding, market development, and manufacturing linkage for 90 designers and Dongdaemun-based brands. Through consumer-linked (B2C) events like Seoul Fashion Festa and buyer-invited order exhibitions (B2B), the city is striving to enhance the practical competitiveness of K-fashion.

The city plans to continuously strengthen global networks and private partnerships to position K-beauty and K-fashion as new export drivers for Seoul based on the achievements of this Seoul Beauty Week and Seoul Fashion Week.

Joo Yong-tae, Director of the Seoul Economic Policy Bureau, stated, “Seoul is growing the beauty and fashion industries into a ‘global business platform’ beyond mere exhibitions,” adding, “We will continue to produce tangible results by strengthening year-round support systems and global networks.”