Hermes holds fashion show for first time in Korea

It looks as if all the Hermès Birkin bags sold in Korea have been mobilized. The event has also been a gathering of young "stars" in the Korean business community, including Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin, Samsung C&T’s fashion division chief Lee Seo-hyun, and Oricom’s Vice President Park Seo-won who also in charge of Doosan`s duty free shop strategy.

The first fashion show of French luxury goods maker Hermès was held at Hwajeong Gymnasium of Korea University in Seoul at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Hermès showcased on the day the 2016 Spring Summer Collection, which was presented at the Paris Fashion Week in October. Experts say that thin wrinkled leather dress, and beige and red sneakers among others have illustrated luxuriousness unique to Hermès products. In attendance at the event was Hermès CEO Axel Dumas, a sixth generation member of the Hermès family.

Why did Hermès hold its first fashion show in Korea this time? “We are holding this event because Korea is a country that sets trends in Asia and the world, and hence constitutes a great luxury goods market with huge growth potential,” said Axel Dumas after receiving guests at the venue for two hours before the show. Asked the reason they chose Hwajeong Gymnasium, an unlikely venue for a fashion show, Hermès said, “We hoped to give customers an ‘unanticipated fun.’” The show was viewed by more than 700 people, including not only Koreans but also Hermès customers from China and Malaysia.

Lee Boo-jin, who rarely attends a luxury goods fashion show, showed up at the show, wearing a brown leather cape, and exchanged greetings with the Hermès CEO. Attendants included Doosan Vice President Park Seo-won and Hanwha Galleria CEO Hwang Yong-deuk, who will manage new duty-free shops in Seoul to be launched at the end of this month or the first half of next year.“Hosting Hermès, the most luxurious of luxury brands, will effectively determine the class of duty free shops," said a fashion industry source.

Hermès is concurrently operating a luxury goods shop and a duty free shop at the Second Lotte World Mall in Seoul, the only place in the world to have two Hermès shops in a single building. As the Korea Customs Service, however, decided not to renew business license for Lotte Duty Free Shop’s World Tower branch, attention is focusing on where the Hermès stores at the duty free shop will move to. On this issue, Dumas said, “Even though the store will be tentatively closed, we will wait and see the situation given many business factors that are still uncertain.”

kimsunmi@donga.com