Big ideas in small packages make an impact at Twim

Walk into Twim, near Ewha Womans University, and you’ll immediately be taken by the stylish notebooks and unique stationery items. Originality is an understatement.
Consider a folio called My Coupon Book (8,000 won; about $6.50). It’s filled with coupons saying things like “Promise You Won’t Get Mad,” “Say You Love Me” and “Make Me Laugh.” The idea is to have fun and improve communication between couples. The book advises users to read every page before giving out coupons. After all, with offers like “I’ll Be Your Slave for a Day,” you might have to give more than you bargained for.
“We focus on the design and idea behind each product,” says Grace Lim, the shop’s manager. People who own goods from Twim will stand out, or twinda in Korean, which is how the store got its name, she explains.
The best-selling items are notebooks and key chains. Notebooks run anywhere from 6,000 to 120,000 won. The most popular have flowers on their jackets or are covered with fabrics, making them soft and smooth.
Simple stainless-steel key chains in the shapes of hearts and figures are favored by couples, Ms. Lim says. Many of the key chains, which cost 5,000 to 10,000 won, were designed in Germany.
Twim also sells magnets, glass vases, cups, clocks and shoulder bags.
Some of the bags are reversible and collapsible, and can be folded into a tiny zippered purse. Others are waterproof. Still others have funky spot designs or are in the shape of animals, like dogs or cats.
So, a word to the wise: If you don’t have willpower or a fat pocketbook, you’re likely to empty your wallet once you enter Twim’s door.

Twim
Theme: Stationery, offbeat items
Telephone: (02) 3147-2960
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Location: Seodaemoon-gu Dae-dong 56-88; take subway line No. 2 to Ewha Womans University, exit 2, walk straight for three blocks, then turn left.
Parking: None

by Min Byung-hee