The Japanese have had their turn making waves in the fashion retail world, but now it seems to be the turn of the Koreans, with big high street brands finally coming to Bangkok. We give you a closer look at two well-known brands that Thai fashionistas have always followed, one which has recently celebrated its first store at EmQuartier, and another which ran out of stock due to huge sales within just a couple of days after its launch on Zalora. Forget the hassle of flying to Korea as everything is now right here on our doorstep.
Stylenanda
I’m not one for Korean fashion, but could not fail to be impressed by the grungy but clean ambience — “graffiti” on the walls and oil barrels — when stepping into Stylenanda. The clothes make a statement against the black fences and grey walls; their street-savvy styles stamped with edgy motifs cannot be ignored. Being at the pinnacle of uber-chic, the brand offers hip pieces for those who beg to be seen. If loud typography, full-on sequins, bold prints and hip hop vibes are your thing, this season’s collection has got you covered.
There are four main concepts for this spring/summer collection. Go prim and proper with the lace-packed and feminine dresses from “Edelweiss” or ball-game-ready with “NBA”. Uninanda presents the expected edgy style of the brand, while “Hitting On You” gets flirty and attention-seeking with sassy graphics.
Unlike some of the ready-to-wear clothes, the prices aren’t too scary — you’ll probably be spending around 1,000 to 3,000 baht a visit. Alongside the clothes, the brand’s line of make-up is just as alluring.
Their extensive make-up range, 3CE (3 Concept Eyes) has clean-cut, black and white packaging, sometimes decorated with polka dots. To ensure that 3CE rises above all the other Korean make-up brands available, a Koreaphile tells me that this company targets those who are way over names such as Etude and Skinfood. It’s a tad more expensive, maybe 50-100 baht or so, but if it delivers what it promises, why not? You can gauge expectations with nail polish prices — they start at 190 baht per bottle. Pailin Umpujh, corporate image manager of The Mall Group, is not afraid of having to compete with online vendors that take pre-orders from Korea, saying that prices at the flagship store are actually lower than what some vendors set.
With the most sought-after beauty items and apparel right under our noses, it’s going to be harder for the K-obsessed to not look more Korean.
Stylenanda, EmQuartier, second floor. Open daily 10am-10pm.
The 3CE corner inside Stylenanda.
Headline Seoul
If you don’t want to fight the crowds at Stylenanda and can’t even be bothered to leave your house, opt for HLS (Headline Seoul) — a mass-market, affordable fashion brand only two-years-old, but already finding its space in leading department stores, such as Lotte, and Korea’s No.1 shopping site, halfclub.com. Their clothes have left such an impression that they were selected to take part in the Seoul Girls Collection, a festival that brings top artists and fashion together. Earlier this week, girl group EXID were the models that donned Headline Seoul’s street wear which is slowly captivating the masses, despite stiff competition from numerous other Korean fashion houses.
Recently launched during Chinese New Year, following the popularity of the stores in Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong, Thai fashionistas can grab a piece of their main line at shopping website Zalora, while their premium and designer line (HLS DSGN) is available at the Wonder Room in Siam Center. The three styles of the main line can be classified as trendy, classic or girly-chic.
The price range may only be 399 to 2,499 baht, but nothing is sacrificed in terms of quality and design, despite being more affordable. Case in point: a neoprene dress with mesh is available at 1,099 baht. High-quality fabrics have always been the pull of Korean clothes. Having to pass tedious testing, as opposed to fabrics that come from mills in Thailand and China, it is a given that fabrics from Korea are innovative and comfortable, quite like textiles from Japan.
As for the premium line, it sources the finest tweeds and all sorts of luxurious fabrics from Italian and Japanese mills.
Founder of Headline Seoul Ann Kositchotitana has brought her decade-long experience in both the designer and mass fashion landscape to create a brand that is not fast fashion, even if new products are rolled out every single week.
“The product really has to speak for itself, because you’re on your own,” said Kositchotitana. “Designer wear in a high-end shop will have staff coming up to you to tell you about the story behind it but with mass-market clothes, you must look good for 50 million people.
“In the mass market, you compete on price too. Our fabrics are high quality but at a mass-market price — all we need is for customers to buy that first piece and they will definitely be hooked.”
Find HLS DSGN at the Wonder Room, Siam Center, 3rd floor. Visit www.zalora.co.th for the main line of HLS.
