Frette opening means local consumers can lay on luxurious linens

Life & Style

Published: 05 Jul. 2021, 14:43 Updated: 08 Jul. 2021, 14:39

Frette opening means local consumers can lay on luxurious linens

Italian luxury bedding brand Frette opened “Frette Seoul,” its first flagship boutique in Korea in Apgujeong, southern Seoul, on June 25. [FRETTE SEOUL]

Italian luxury bedding brand Frette opened “Frette Seoul,” its first flagship boutique in Korea on June 25.

The newly opened boutique located in Apgujeong, southern Seoul, measures 132 square meters (1420 square feet) and offers the entire collection of Frette products so that Korean consumers can fully experience the Italian luxury brand. The store was designed in close communication with Frette’s headquarters in Monza, Italy.

While Frette has had a number of retail shops in Korean department stores, this is the brand’s first flagship store in the country and is also the largest linen store in the Asia Pacific region.

The boutique’s first floor displays products while the second floor is designed to receive and consult customers who want to use Frette’s bespoke service, which offers customized tailoring services from size to color, even embroidering family crests.

The exterior of Frette Seoul [FRETTE SEOUL]

Founded in 1860, Frette is best known for its linen bedding and towels. The brand has supplied bedding for over 500 European noble families including Italian and British royalty, as well as for the Titanic, the altars of St Peter's Basilica, the Orient Express and Italian embassies all over the world. It currently has exclusive supply deals with luxury hotel chains Ritz-Carlton, the Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, St.Regis, Rosewood, the Luxury Collection and more.

Korea’s high-end hotel chains Lotte and Josun have also been using Frette’s bedding since last year, according to Yoon Seung-hwan, a representative from Linear Block, the Korean importer for Frette, during a press conference held at the boutique on June 24.

“Many hotel guests care about what brands the amenities are from, but not where the bedding is from,” Yoon said. “I wondered if Frette’s brand recognition was relatively low because it had no flagship store and mainly focused on supplying hotels. I wanted to introduce the brand to Korean homes, not just hotels.”

Frette's pillows range in prices from 600,000 won ($530) to 1.7 million won. Its pillow cases start from 300,000 won, while those with lace are priced from 800,000 won. Towels start at 100,000 won and blankets from its most luxurious line cost between 10 to 15 million won.

“The opening of this boutique is Frette’s key to step into the luxury living market of Korea, which is growing rapidly,” said Frette’s CEO Filippo Arnaboldi. “We are glad to offer Frette’s high-quality customized services to Korean clients.”

While young shoppers today enjoy personalized experiences, they also prefer to shop online. So Frette aims to expand its consumer base to younger shoppers by strengthening both the offline bespoke experience at the boutique and online retail.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and runs under an advance reservation system but also welcomes walk-ins.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]