3 Most Popular Korean Fashion Brands Right Now: Gentle Monster, Matin Kim, ADER Error
- cigichannel
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
3 Hottest Korean Fashion Brands Right Now – Style, Experimentation, and Philosophy
After K-Pop and K-Drama, now is the time for K-Fashion to attract the world's attention.
Especially among young Koreans in their 20s and 30s, there are several brands that are very popular.
Not just because the models are cool, but because each brand has its own philosophy, style and world.
Today, we will introduce 3 rising Korean fashion brands—
Gentle Monster, Matin Kim, and ADER Error—each of which has its own unique strengths and global fan base.
🕶️ Gentle Monster
“We don’t sell glasses. We sell sensations.”
Originally known as an eyewear brand, Gentle Monster is now more of a cultural phenomenon.
With bold designs like CD-shaped glasses, frames with pencils attached, and even inspiration from handcuffs,
They changed the perception that glasses are just a visual aid.
💡 Brand Philosophy
MiX Strategy: Combining softness and strength, imagination and reality, art and commerce
Main goal: “To surprise the world with design”
Creative team: Consisting of media artists, robotic engineers, pastry chefs, perfumers, and visual artists.
🎨 Design Features
Experimental & artistic design
Flagship stores in Seoul, New York, Beijing, Shanghai are designed like contemporary art galleries.
🌍 Projects & Achievements
Collaboration with BLACKPINK's Jennie: Gentle Garden project + video game
Son Heung-min caught on camera wearing Gentle Monster at the airport → sold out
Collaborations with Moncler, Fendi and more
75% of sales come from overseas, company valuation is over 1.2 trillion KRW
👚 Matthew Kim
“What clothes do you most want to wear right now?”
Matin Kim is very popular among young Korean women.
The brand is known for its drop system—unannounced limited releases that sell out within minutes.
But behind that, there is a strong philosophy and a smart communication strategy.
💡 Brand Philosophy
Fashion that is trendy and comfortable for everyday wear
Managed directly by CEO Kim Da-in, who started from a blog and built an online community.
“It's not about selling products, but making clothes that I myself would want to wear”
👗 Design Features
Simple but fashionable cut
Chic play logo → easily recognizable on the street
A collection that suits various body shapes (straight, wave, natural)
📦 Projects & Achievements
Collaboration with ASICS: sneakers sold out, website crashed
Worn by Suzy, Han So-hee, Gong Hyo-jin, Red Velvet's Wendy
Available at department stores such as Hyundai, Lotte, Shinsegae
2024: overseas expansion + launch of Kim Martin, premium line
🧥 ADER Error
“Errors can also be a style”
If you like something different, ADER Error is perfect.
The brand uses elements of imperfection—crooked buttons, asymmetrical cuts, oddly positioned logos—as artistic expression.
💡 Brand Philosophy
Slogan: “But near, missed things” → looking back at the little things that were missed
All teams work anonymously: there are no public figures, so that brands are judged by their work.
Design style based on intentional errors → creating a new aesthetic
🧵 Design Features
Oversized, asymmetrical and deconstructive silhouettes
A mix of newtro, gorpcore, and street luxury nuances
All products give the impression that "there is a hidden meaning"
🔧 Projects & Achievements
Collaborations with PUMA, ZARA, Maison Kitsuné
→ ZARA collaboration creates exclusive new logo
Show at Paris & London Fashion Week, flagship store in Seoul & Shibuya
Annual revenue of around 700 billion KRW
It's Not Just Fashion, It's a Style of Thinking
These three brands aren’t just following trends—they’re creating trends with strong identities.
Gentle Monster: turning glasses into art
Matin Kim: accurately capturing what people want to wear 'now'
ADER Error: invites us to see the beauty of "imperfect" things
If you're looking for something unique from Korea,
not just because it's viral but because it's truly meaningful,
take a look at these three names.
Maybe you'll also find a style that's truly 'you'.
If you want to order these products from Korea, please contact us!
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