[Photo courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The 2026 F/W Seoul Fashion Week kicked off in spectacular fashion on the 3rd (Tue). The opening day—spanning the opening show, the Seoul Fashion Forum, and a global partnership program—captured the attention of fashion insiders from Korea and abroad.

Leading the charge for the six-day run was designer Han Hyun-min’s MÜNN. Recognized for its distinctive style and aesthetics after winning Designer of the Year at the <Korean Designer Fashion Awards>, Han has steadily built his presence on global stages including London and Milan Fashion Week. Returning to the Seoul Fashion Week runway for the first time in a while, MÜNN marked the start of the 2026 F/W season with an opening show that distilled the brand’s signature experimental energy into a tightly charged runway.

This season, MÜNN presented an experimental take on military items, centered on the brand’s core philosophy of “making the familiar unfamiliar.” The label reimagined classic military outerwear as feminine bodysuits and transformed angular set-in sleeve patterns into rounded shoulder lines—shifting silhouettes to reinterpret familiar elements in unexpected ways. It further expanded its experimental identity through a range of sustainable material explorations, including sweaters knitted from recycled paper, dresses made from discarded banners, and bustiers woven from elastic bands.

MÜNN’s approach—combining silhouette shifts with experimentation and sustainability—drew an enthusiastic response from the audience, earning praise as a collection that delivered both design achievement and a clear message.

The Seoul Fashion Forum, held for the second time since February 2025, was co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and WWD Korea. Under the theme “Next-Gen K-Fashion: Insights for a New Leap Forward,” it was organized into industry and public sessions.

Kim Byung-min, Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs of Seoul, attended and delivered opening remarks, saying he “hopes this will serve as a turning point as K-fashion prepares for a new leap in the global market.” He was followed by speaker Jon Gempel, Country Manager of Loewe Korea, who shared insights into global fashion industry trends and K-fashion’s growth potential.

In the industry session, Kim Bo-young (Vice President) and Lee Ji-eun (Executive Director) of <Fashionbiz>, Professor Yang Eun-kyung (Assistant Professor, Integrated Design) at Yonsei University, and Ran Almog, Country Manager for Korea and Japan, discussed “Practical Strategies for K-Fashion’s Global Expansion,” focusing on cases across brands, distribution, and partnerships. Next, Min Eun-sun, CEO of <Value Makers Media>, presented execution strategies for global expansion under the theme “K-Fashion at Midnight: From Exploration to Action.”

In the public session, Seok Jung-hye, CEO of <vunque>, spoke on “K-Fashion’s Cultural Influence and Global Growth,” offering direction to next-generation talent with the message, “Taste is shaped through experience.” In the final talk, moderated by Editor-in-Chief Kim Ruby, Kim Do-hoon (CD) of <Andersson Bell>, Lee Hye-mi, CEO of <EENK>, and Jeon In-yong, CTO of <CLO Virtual Fashion>, looked ahead to the future of the fashion industry through the keywords AI, content, and brand expansion.

This season, Seoul Fashion Week signed an MOU with Milan Fashion Week, officially stepping up global collaboration. Accordingly, during Milan Fashion Week in late February, five Seoul Fashion Week brands are set to present a joint exhibition-style showcase at ANTONIOLI, a Milan high-end concept store.

To mark the collaboration, Claudio Antonioli—the founder and CEO of the ANTONIOLI concept store—visited Korea to coincide with the opening of Seoul Fashion Week. Widely recognized for his singular curatorial influence across the global fashion scene, he is regarded as a key distribution partner representing Milan fashion.

On the opening day, the 3rd, he attended the opening show and the Seoul Fashion Forum, then held a meet-up with designers from 13 participating Seoul Fashion Week brands to discuss Korean designers’ creative direction and their expansion into global markets. He later commented, “Seoul Fashion Week is incredibly energetic, and the designers’ individuality and level of completion are impressive. Korean fashion already has ample competitiveness on the global stage, and I’m even more excited about what’s to come.”

Meanwhile, the 2026 F/W Seoul Fashion Week runs through the 8th (Sun). Through a wide range of programs—including 15 brand runway shows, nine brand presentations, and business programs such as a trade show—it will take a multifaceted look at K-fashion’s competitiveness and potential for expansion.