As part of Berlin Fashion X International, Fashion Council Germany's internationalisation project the first delegation trip to Seoul, South Korea took place from September 1st to 5th .
The initiative pursues the overarching goal of supporting fashion brands in their international market entry by and providing them with relevant, trend-setting business contacts.

The trip offered twelve fashion and accessory brands a diverse programme ranging from workshops and networking events to visits to relevant retail spaces. The trip aimed to provide the participating designers with a comprehensive understanding of the Korean market, an opportunity to discover local trends and the chance to establish lasting connections with local industry professionals.
The twelve delegation participants Balletshofer, Clara Colette Miramon, Danny Reinke, DAWN Denim, Gerrit Jacob, Haderlump Atelier Berlin, Isabella Rudzki, LUEDER, Richert Beil, Sia Arnika, Unvain Studios and William Fan gained in-depth insights into the Korean fashion market.

The five-day program offered unique experiences and valuable insights into the US market. Here are a few highlights of the program:

Day 1
The trip began with a casual welcome dinner bringing together all participants of the delegation trip to connect and prepare for the journey.
The first day was dedicated to the Berlin Showroom set up at MCM Kunsthalle with the support of the local agency Future Society. In the afternoon, we welcomed esteemed guests from the press, retail sector and creative industry for our Berlin Showroom Opening for an evening of meaningful connection and networking.
The opening speeches by Christiane Arp (Chairperson, Fashion Council Germany), Sung-Joo Kim (Chairperson MCM), Jörn Beißert (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Korea) and State Secretary Michael Biel reflected on Berlin’s creative scene, the cultural dialogue between Germany and Korea and the importance of supporting emerging design talent on an international stage.


DAY 2
Our second day in Seoul focused on insights into the Korean culture and exploring the local fashion scene. The morning started with an engaging workshop led by Anton Scholz from Korea Consult, diving into Korean history, business culture and intercultural communication. A great foundation for our delegation to develop a sensitivity for local market particularities.

The afternoon focused on exploring Seoul’s vibrant retail scene. We visited the concept store EMPTY in Seongsu, that blends fashion, art and street culture. The concept store offers a wide curation of unique and experimental Korean and international designer brands. We explored the store MOTH, a multi-brand concept space where several of our participating brands showcased key pieces of their collections for a pop-up during the delegation week. This offered a unique opportunity to get in touch with Korean and international consumers and the international community of MOTH.
The day wrapped up with the launch event of AW25 Collection & Film of Lueder at the Multi-brand store SAMPLAS, followed by the exclusive BEARBRICK opening reception of our partner MCM, an evening to celebrate creativity and collaboration.

DAY 3
We kicked off day 3 with a deep dive into Korea’s media and press landscape, led by Joy Somin Park from InTrend PR, a renowned South Korean fashion PR and talent agency, led by celebrity stylist Yun-Kee Jeong. The workshop offered our participating brands valuable insights into local fashion communication and storytelling.

In the afternoon, we visited the multi-brand store Addicted, were delegation trip participant Gerrit Jacob is already stocked. After exploring the various levels and connecting with the buying team on site, we headed to Boon the Shop, a retail pioneer celebrated for its curated mix of established designers. Both retail spaces gave the delegation a deeper understanding of how international brands are presented in Seoul, highlighting the opportunities and expectations within the local fashion market.

DAY 4
The day focused on getting a deeper understanding on the success factors of growing and establishing an emerging brand in the Korean fashion industry.

We started our day with a Fireside Chat in collaboration with Start2. As a startup ecosystem platform, they connected us with local experts and designers like Eunuk Nam (Founder & Director of the production company Fabrica, Jino Lee (Founder & Director of Hyein Seo), Jihyun Lee (Founder of Le Vermillion) and Sungyi Lee (CEO of WALA). During the panel talk, they shared their journeys, challenges and strategies for building impactful fashion brands in Korea. Our delegation had the opportunity to exchange ideas on creative direction, brand positioning and market trends with some of the industry’s most influential voices.

In the afternoon, we visited the WALA showroom, an innovative e-commerce platform at the intersection of fashion and technology. CEO Sungyi Lee shared how WALA is reimagining retail through digital platforms and a focus on celebrity fashion.

Afterwards, the delegation brands attended a retail workshop led by Sung Woon Kim (CEO, Sam & Company Inc.), who provided valuable insights into distribution models and retail operations tailored to the Korean market.

To close the day, we had a tour of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where the Seoul Fashion Week trade show takes place. We took a closer look at Bonbom, an emerging brand combining couture and streetwear, showcasing their new designs.


DAY 5
On our last day, we began in Dongdaemun for an in-depth tour over the textile market with Joon Lee, uncovering more about Korea’s vibrant textile industry and production systems.
In the afternoon we visited the flagship store of Andersson Bell where we experienced a minimalist space that beautifully blends Scandinavian design with a Korean point of view that further highlighted the importance of store design as an extension of the brand universe. This was followed by an insightful conversation at Amomento with Director Lee on creative direction.

We then reflected on the last week with WWD-Korea, where the delegation participants shared their experiences and perspectives on their first visit and perception on the Korean fashion scene.

In the evening, we visited the newly opened concept space Haus Nowhere of Gentle Monster, that merges fashion with unconventional retail experience.

We closed the day at the Seoul Fashion Week Party, connecting with designers, creatives, and cultural leaders.