W Concept is opening a pop-up store in New York during New York Fashion Week to help Korean designer brands expand overseas.
The online fashion platform said on the 9th that it will run the pop-up store, called "W Together," in New York's Soho district from the 10th through the 23rd. W Concept joined the project as part of a consortium with Shinsegae Department Store under a program run by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to support retailers entering overseas markets.
The two-floor pop-up, spanning the ground floor and one basement level, focuses on introducing Korean lifestyle to local consumers across fashion, beauty, music and wellness. The ground floor displays designer apparel and K-beauty products, while the basement level offers experiential content combining technology and culture. Visitors can create lookbooks using artificial intelligence-based virtual fitting and personalized styling, and try a self-photo booth and do-it-yourself keycaps.
About 90 Korean designer brands are taking part. The lineup includes flagship brand Front Row, brands sold exclusively on W Concept under its "W Only" label, selected designer brands under "W ICON," and labels chosen for "W Stage," the company's program to nurture emerging brands. Brands gaining recognition abroad, such as Eenk, Kimhekim, Minju Kim, Bonbom and Vunque, are joining alongside emerging designer labels including Mounid, Mohan and Mars Un Avril.
"We planned the pop-up store to coincide with New York Fashion Week to showcase Korea's distinctive lifestyle to the world," a W Concept official said. "We will continue to serve as a bridgehead helping Korean designer brands enter global markets."
