JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA. Lotte Duty Free has opened a dedicated Seoul Fashion Week pavilion on the eighth floor of its Tokyo Ginza store in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The inauguration ceremony held in Tokyo yesterday (27 June) was graced by officials including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Lotte Hotel HQ General Manager Lee Wan-shin, and Lotte Duty Free CEO Kim Joo-nam, who promised to promote K-brands in the key Japanese market.
The Lotte Duty Free Tokyo Ginza store is located in the centre of the capital’s Ginza shopping district, considered the heart of Japanese fashion trends.
Kim said the retailer is supporting K-fashion in earnest by opening the dedicated pavilion to celebrate Seoul Fashion Week.
The initiative follows a business agreement struck between Lotte Duty Free and Seoul City in May to discover promising K-brands and help them develop overseas markets.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is charged with selecting, managing and promoting brands while Lotte Duty Free provides dedicated retail space and helps with sales management.
Five brands are being showcased at the Seoul Fashion Week pavilion. The event offers an excellent showcase for brands as evidenced by the success of the spring Seoul Fashion Week in March, after which three brands – Ulkin, BLR Bluer and Ajobyajo – were selected among the top five fashion shows that buyers wanted to see again.
All three brands have been worn by popular K-pop idols, attracting much attention. As a result, each is exporting to Japan and featuring in pop-up stores. Two Korean brands participating in September’s autumn Seoul Fashion Week will also gain an enhanced retail presence in Japan.
Kim Joo-nam said: “We are pleased to introduce the emerging K-fashion brands that are attracting attention from the younger generation in Japan.
“Lotte Duty Free will continue to work closely with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to discover excellent local brands and actively market them to open up new markets.”
In related news, Lotte Duty Free and the Seoul Metropolitan Government plan to select standout brands from participating companies in Seoul Beauty Week to be held in September. The chosen brands will be introduced through the travel retailer’s online and offline channels, including the Jamsil World Tower, Busan and Lotte Internet Duty Free stores.
Through this initiative, small and medium-sized beauty brand products will be sold to foreign tourists visiting Korea, thus boosting sales and brand awareness. ✈
