The Sabukaru guide to Our Favourite Korean Brands
South Korea is quickly becoming one of the beacons of fashion, developing its own unique style and sophistication. From Seoul to Busan, emerging talents are galvanizing the fashion scene with their blend of textile innovation and unique silhouettes. With a hyper-focus on breaking industry standards as well as continuing to push forward trends and diversity, many of Korea’s brands are bravely walking forward towards the future whilst keeping a keen eye on the past for inspiration.
This is not to say that Korea has never been fashionable. Having always an intriguing and tantalizing relationship with streetwear, colliding together different genres to create bold aesthetics, the streets of Seoul and beyond have always been a spectacle with rivers of colour and fashion aficionados flowing through them. Although, whilst it has always been interesting, the fashion scene was not looked at as much, nor as respected, as the likes of Tokyo and New York. With a focus on cheap, fast, but highly aesthetical garments, the scene had never been truly nurtured until recent years.
With Korea being such a diverse space for creativity, this is distilled into the fashion scene. For as long as Korea has been a subtle driving force within fashion, colours have collided, hair and make-up effortlessly blend with the outfits, silhouettes are both oversized and slim, and gender norms are continuously broken through blending male and female fashion principles.
In 2023, Korea’s fashion landscape has never been more exciting, and this is down to the numerous fashion talents breaking through into the scene. Whilst there is yet to be a figure such as Yohji Yamamoto or Issey Miyake coming from an Eastern-Asian country, with the number of exciting brands and designers now seeing the limelight they deserve, we may not be far off.
With our love for Korean brands growing by the day, we have created the ultimate list of heavy hitters for you to browse, discover, and hopefully support in their ongoing journey. Ranging from functional fashion to the upper echelons of design, these are the razor-sharp, the elegant, and the timeless brands of tomorrow.
A must for any fashion enthusiast and a sci-fi fan, the Korean garment label FFFPOSTALSERVICE should be on your radar. Headed up by CHURRO, founder and creative director of the brand, he describes it as “A Never-Ending Sci-Fi Motion Picture” and it’s clear to see why. The coveted designer builds a world around his brand straight out of a fantasy flick, and through this develops a narrative between fiction and clothing to further contextualise design principles.
FFFPOSTALSERVICE’s DNA harnesses seminal styles from archive fashion and draws inspiration from them. Looking to the future to instigate a new channel of fashion moving forward, they combine the best of both worlds in a culmination of eras. With their strong sense of military science fiction, the garments are both heavy-duty and stylish.
Our top pick is their Khaki PD V1 Balaclava, a padded headpiece made with recycled nylon twill. Utilising their signature, high functionality aesthetic FFFPOSTALSERVICES take on the ever increasingly popular balaclava is both interesting and technical, making for an iconic piece to be worn all year round.
Founded in 2021, XLIM is the brainchild of Kim Dohee. The multifaceted designer is an expert in textile innovation, and this strong focus on fabrication comes in the form of elegantly crafted garments with functional and technical flare. To understand the power of XLIM you have to see the collections in person; incredibly tactile pieces are decorated in meticulous detail with every detail considered. From form to colouring, XLIM is in pursuit towards perfection.
With each passing season, XLIM has levelled up and gone from strength to strength. Through beautiful visual language and subtle nuances to help engross the customers in their universe they help to communicate their world perfectly. From campaign imagery to the signature incense stick you receive which is in fact the clothing tag, every part of XLIM is crafted with reason. Each season they have released full collections of staples you’d expect, but every time they offer a welcomed surprise that makes them one of the most exciting young brands in modern times.
While all products from XLIM this season have caught our eye, our top pick from them is the EP.3 01 TROUSERS coming in burgundy. XLIM known for their trousers once again prove why they are masters of their craft with this new addition. From the unique colour to the curved detailing and textile layering, these pants are serious.
Although still up and coming, Post Archive Faction, or PAF, needs no introduction. Disrupting the industry now since 2018, PAF is a functional brand on the brink of avant-garde fashion. Combining luxurious sportswear philosophies with futuristic outwear they manifest an entirely new genre of style. Sitting on a knifes edge of outlandish and wearable, PAF leads us with a next-generation mindset towards a dystopian future.
With their clothing featuring unique functions and forms, the brand, although never categorized into a single style, pulls us towards a post-apocalyptic land. The balance of chaos and clarity that runs between their garments creates an unprecedented sense of intrigue each passing season, as we can't wait to see what more they do whilst they continue to break normalities.
A favourite our ours this season is the 5.0+ Jacket Right in black. A Sabukaru staple black jacket that is not only functional but beautifully designed, coming in unique textiles to transform your everyday black jacket into a standout piece all the same. Using seersucker fabric that keeps the garment away from the skin, allowing more airflow, this jacket proves why PAF is someone to watch as they continue to revolutionise functional fashion.
A current buzzword in the technical design scene right now, J EONGL I is the eponymous brand of Jeong Li, Korean based rising talent. Dedicated to reimaging classics in the present era, his designs establish a unique dialect of fashion that helps him reside in his own space entirely but still rub shoulders with the gorp-core and functional fashion vogue respectivaley. With particular attention to unique pattern cutting and textile experimentation, the world of J EONGL I is vast, and playful, but sophisticated to the point that he is redefining the functional style.
Starting as a designer creating one-off pieces and gaining stardom through Instagram, the coveted creative is just starting, being in his early 20s, but has been making a name for himself with his signature style for years now.
Although unfortunately now sold out with no sign of it restocking, our top pick is the 001 hardshell Jacket coming in a black and grey colourway. Guaranteed to keep you dry and warm in the coldest conditions, the shell jacket is a staple in the functional fashion world and J EONGL I does not disappoint.
Plastic Product is a fashion brand that has been gaining attention in the Korean fashion scene for its unique and daring designs that feature the use of unconventional materials, including plastic. Quickly establishing itself as a brand that is not afraid to push boundaries and experiment with new materials and silhouettes, its collections feature a mix of bold prints, bright colours, and unexpected textures that are designed to make a statement and stand out from the crowd.
One of the key elements of Plastic Product's design philosophy is the use of plastic materials in their clothing and accessories. From transparent PVC bags to plastic hats and visors, Plastic Product embraces the versatility of plastic to create unique and innovative pieces that are both functional and fashionable. Despite their focus on plastic, Plastic Product's designs are far from one-dimensional. They incorporate a range of other materials, including cotton, wool, and leather, to create a cohesive and balanced collection that caters to a variety of tastes.
One product in particular that has peaked our interest recently is the Fireman Cotton Jacket in Beige. With a high neck, cropped body, and wide silhouette this jacket captures the essence of Plastic Product perfectly whilst also offering a bold yet slick entrance point into the brand.
A crossbreed of Tokyo and Seoul creativity, Cmmawear expands the functional universe and explores unorthodox lands. With an unconventional take on classic staples, what Cmmawear brings to the table is beautifully balanced design with refined contemporary style. By empowering the wearer with practicalities and technicalities, Cmmawear is undeniably a functional brand but one that opens a door into the higher side of fashion. Truly bridging the gap between Japanese and Korean fashion.
Inspired by both construction workwear and the more tranquil side of fashion, unique patterning is utilised such as with their pants that elongate outwards creating a bold shape, or vests with various buckles connecting layers creating a suit of armour. Cmmawear are focused on quality, and while being inspired by everyday life they produce garments that equip you to tackle it. While only being established in 2020, the young brands’ voice echoes of imagination as they piece together a uniform that establishes itself as classy and timeless, but bold and outlandish at the same time.
Although now sold out, our top pick is the Polaris Vest in brown. Inspired by tactical vests, this piece boasts an ample amount of functionality throughout with its magnetic closing, a multitude of pockets, and flaps on the side and upper which are reversible for versatile styling options.
The brain child of coveted South Korean fashion designer, Hyein Seo, her eponymous brand "Hyein Seo” is known for its unique and edgy designs that often blend streetwear and high fashion elements. Gaining recognition for its rebellious aesthetic, incorporating bold graphics, oversized silhouettes, and unconventional detailing, Hyein Seo has gone from strength to strength and with its recent SS23 release there is no stopping.
The collections often explore themes of youth culture, subversion, and societal norms. Hyein Seo's designs have been worn by notable celebrities and have been featured in prominent fashion publications and runway shows, proving why she and her brand is a serious player in both Korean fashion and fashion across the world.
Our top pick is the Cotton Bomber, coming in an oversized silouhette and washed black colourway. Featuring side arm zips and large frontal pockets this jacket can hold all your necessary goods in.
Stemming from Seoul, Merely Made was established in 2018 and despite its sophisticated and professional visual language is still a very young brand just starting in its long and successful journey. The effortlessly stylish brand is headed up by Hong Loco and blends premium craftsmanship and textiles with exaggerated and considered silhouettes. This fusion creates timeless classics that can be worn every day, curating a uniform of identity.
Merely Made boasts a diverse range of apparel that all seamlessly fit together like puzzle pieces. With warm colour palates ranging from creamy off-white to rusty browns, each piece is meticulously designed to be paired together. Signature Korean flare is present here too in some of their more innovative pieces, such as the ultra-cropped shirts and the dual-mode coat featuring a lining that can be worn on the inside or outside of the coat.
Our top pick from Merely Made is the Sand Padded Wide Shorts. The traditional DNA of the brand is present here, with its signature oversized and wide cut, but the usage of quilted material helps bridge the gap between contemporary and outdoor style. With subtle nuances such as the ribbons pulling the materials together, these make for both everyday wear and a standout piece all in one.
Creating a succinct uniform for the urban explorers, Moif balances out relaxed silhouettes with functionality to be able to reside both in the outdoors and in cityscapes. Tactile details are at the epicentre of its design philosophy, flirting with everyday wearability but energizing its customers with the technical design you would find when on the hunt for your next batch of hiking gear.
As the modern market hungers for brands like this, Moif continues to go from strength to strength each season. The Seoul-based brand is quickly becoming staples in the wardrobes of the youth in Asia, and although still only early, we can see them continuing this path over the pond too.
Everybody needs a simple blank t-shirt for everyday use, and Moif provides this with further enhancements to help elevate the simple blank T. The Baggy Pocket Long Sleeve comes in a multitude of colourways and is equipped with two breast pockets to keep essentials always at arm’s reach.
The enigmatic brand stemming from the Central Saint Martin graduate Kim Jiyong takes an overall different route than many of this list but is still equally impressive in its own rightful lane. This eponymous brand of this profound and talented designer uses its dialect with fashion to address critical consumption issues within the fashion industry. With sustainability being at the helm of the brand's philosophy, the designs and styles focus on dying methods which avoid chemicals or water by sunburning them instead, creating a unique colour palate that bridges dystopian, distressed aesthetics with elegant, nuanced contemporary fashion.
After only releasing his debut collection in 2021 as part of his graduation programme, Jiyong Kim is already disrupting the status quo in the industry. Providing meticulously designed full ranges, from coats, shirts, pants, and accessories, each season since his emergence he has continued to build up his portfolio of impressive garments that tell unique stories. This young designer is a true one to watch in fashion and we can’t wait to see him continue to push boundaries.
Our top pick is the Black Layered Jacket; a versatile outwear piece with detachable sleeves to morph into a vest, this jacket features unique patterning and a low collar to break the norms of a jacket. This is functional fashion at its most sophisticated.
A brand that is currently catching the eye of many across the pond from Korea recently, Side Service combines technical design with muted and tonal palates providing futuristic gorpcore. Humming of y2k aesthetics with a more sophisticated and considered eye for detail, the garments fit perfectly in today’s current fashionscape and harmonise with the functional universe that everyone is orbiting right now.
Their range consists of shell jackets featuring curved lines and colour blocking, cropped overshirts with oversized pockets and collars, and staple cargo pants with subtle detailing. With the products being made in Korea you can ensure a premium finish and careful craftsmanship in each piece.
Our top pick is from Side Serive right now needs to be the Uzamaki Track Pants coming in black. With unique colour blocking using both black and deep grey/blue the pants for an interesting pair, but the sophisticated fit help bring these pants back to a grounded and wearable everyday trouser.
As we step further into the functional universe, we’re noticing a transition from baggy silhouettes to slicker and more sophisticated fits. Mudule provides this in heaps, offering a smart but still urban approach to technically designed workwear. Clean patterning and considered design allow each piece on show from Mudule to feel impressive but never too outlandish; accompanying the collections though are pieces with extravagant nuances that help to define their relationship with the more fashion-conscious consumers.
The Korean-based brand is a multifaceted avenue into other creative mediums too, with them showcasing playlists on their website and selling merchandise such as art and books. Products range from everyday basics you’d need to accessories and outwear too. Dressed in muted colours such as black, blue, and white, the brand offers a concise and collective wardrobe that can easily allow access into the functional universe whilst still offering more versatile pieces.
One of which is the Vacancy Raglan Hoodie in grey, our favourite item on offer right now due to its unique nuances throughout. Featuring cut-through angular slits near the back, but from the front a seemingly simple everyday grey hooded sweat, it's these types of small considered design tweaks that prove Mudule as a serious contender in the industry.
Words by Joe Goodwin
