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Matin Kim, Musinsa and other trendsetting Korean fashion brands are going global

Published: 23 Oct. 2025, 19:13 Updated: 23 Oct. 2025, 20:10

Korean fashion brand Matin Kim, operated by Hago Haus, officially launched on Amazon on Oct. 20 as part of its expansion into the North American online market. [HAGO HAUS]

Korea’s trendsetting fashion brands are going global. Matin Kim and Musinsa are moving beyond domestic online marketplaces to set up shop directly on the world's biggest e-commerce platforms, betting that fast-rising interest in K-fashion and the spending power of Gen Z will translate into global sales.

Matin Kim made its debut on Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform, on Monday. After opening standalone stores in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan to strengthen its Asian footprint, the brand is now turning to the North American fashion market.

About 60 products — including its best-selling ready-to-wear and bags — are now available on Amazon. The move comes as foreign sales at Matin Kim’s domestic stores jumped 132 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025, driven by a steady increase in overseas visitors.

The company expects Amazon’s review-based recommendations and search algorithms to help raise its profile among U.S. and Canadian consumers. bringing in new customers.

“In Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, we are introducing products through local select shops to expand our offline network,” said a spokesperson for Hago House, which operates Matin Kim.

“The entry into Amazon is also aimed at supporting offline sales growth,” the spokesperson added.

The brand plans to open more European stores later this year to build its overseas revenue base.

Musinsa rides Tmall momentum

Korean fashion platform Musinsa launched its official flagship store on Tmall, Alibaba Group’s business-to-consumer platform in China, in September. [MUSINSA]

Meanwhile, Musinsa, Korea’s largest online fashion platform, has entered China’s Tmall, Alibaba Group’s business-to-consumer marketplace. It launched its private label Musinsa Standard there last month, followed by the opening of its Musinsa Flagship Store on Oct. 16, featuring about 20 Korean brands including Kijun, Nochant and Loeuvre.

The company already runs a global online platform serving 13 regions, from the United States and Japan to Singapore and Indonesia, and is targeting 3 trillion won ($2.1 billion) in global transactions by 2030.

The Tmall launch is a precursor to Musinsa's offline rollout in China. Its joint venture, Musinsa China, plans to open both a Musinsa Standard store and a Musinsa Store in Shanghai in December.

Early results are promising: In just two weeks, from Sept. 19 to Oct. 3, Musinsa Standard’s Tmall store generated 5 billion won in sales and attracted 1.2 million unique visitors, over 80 percent of who were from the millennial and Gen Z demographics.

“Through Tmall, we quickly raised awareness of Musinsa Standard in major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangdong Province,” a company representative said.

“Over the next five years, we plan to open more than 100 offline stores across China and achieve over 1 trillion won in combined online and offline sales by 2030.”

Going global amid domestic slowdown

Models showcase newly released T-shirts from Matin Kim’s Hangul line during a photo event at the brand’s flagship store in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong District, eastern Seoul on Oct. 12, organized by Hago Haus, a brand incubator that invests in Matin Kim. [HAGO HAUS]

Korean fashion companies are increasingly eyeing overseas markets as domestic spending cools. Many are shifting from relying on reverse direct-purchase platforms to entering local marketplaces and building brick-and-mortar stores abroad.

Dunst, a casual label from LF subsidiary CTDots that gained traction through the U.S. shopping site Revolve, joined select shops in department stores — like Bergdorf Goodman and Printemps New York — this year. Samsung C&T’s 8Seconds will open its third store in Manila in December, followed by an online launch early next year.

“More companies are building both online and offline distribution channels abroad to diversify risks and secure stable growth,” an industry insider said. “With global interest in K-fashion rising, more Korean brands are expected to speed up their expansion overseas.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-MI [[email protected]]