Mulberry thinks big in South Korea with Seoul show

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 5, 2018

Mulberry has set its sights firmly on Seoul and South Korea. After Tommy Hilfiger’s show in Shanghai, it is now the turn of the British luxury leather goods label to tread the catwalks in Asia. For four days, Mulberry will be staging a series of events in the South Korean capital, for its ‘Mulberry x Seoul’ operation. Top of the bill will be a show scheduled on Thursday at 8 p.m. at the K Museum of Contemporary Art, which will be broadcast live on Mulberry’s website and social media accounts.

The show will introduce the label’s ‘Eccentric Sensibility’ Autumn/Winter 2018-19 collection, with which creative director Johnny Coca seeks to explore “the mischievous, eccentric facet of British style.” Mulberry is keen for Koreans to discover its own brand of British eccentricity, “the by-product of a juxtaposition of historical and visual references.” The show will be followed by a gala evening organised by artist collective Studio Concrete and by renowned Seoul club Trunk, notably featuring star Korean DJ Peggy Gou.

From Friday to Sunday, the public will be able to enjoy a comprehensive Mulberry experience, with events including British-themed cocktail parties, a selfie studio and films. For the occasion, the Museum of Contemporary Art will host a Mulberry pop-up store, with the chance to win gifts and, above all, one of the exclusive Small Harlow handbags from the latest collection - a limited edition of the model will be available in Korea for two weeks. In parallel, and until September 21, Seoul’s two 10 Corso Como concept stores will showcase a selection of Mulberry items from the new collection.

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“At a time when we are focusing on international expansion, this event will boost our distribution network in South Korea, which is already robust. We want to realise the brand’s potential in this crucial market, and to address more directly a generation that is young, curious and keen on digital tools,” said the CEO of Mulberry, Thierry Andretta, in a press release.

Mulberry recently set up the Mulberry Korea joint-venture company with its long-standing South Korean partner SHK Holdings. The British label has a 60% stake in the company, which will manage its business in the country. The two partners are planning investments worth €5.22 million. Mulberry currently operates 18 retail outlets in South Korea, including concessions, outlet and duty-free stores and an e-tail site.

In recent years, the luxury leather goods brand strengthened its presence in Asia by creating other joint-venture companies, in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. In the 2017-18 financial year, which closed on March 31, Mulberry generated a revenue of €192.61 million, up 1%, while its retail sales rose 3%, reaching €150 million.