Clothing Embracing the Beauty of Freedom and East Asia... Celebrity Airport Fashion 'Jjim'

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] He ran across the playground yearning for freedom. Determined to become a world-class soccer player, he went to study in Cologne, Germany at the age of 16, but returned at 20 due to injury. It was not easy for someone who only knew soccer balls to jump into fashion design. However, since its launch in 2014, the fourth-division German soccer player has become the CEO of a brand that doubles in growth every year.

Yoo Ju-hyung (32, pictured), CEO of the clothing brand Freinok, has a unique background. As unique as it is, his identity is fully reflected in the company name. The word "Frei," commonly used in Korea to mean fried food, means "freedom" in German. Added to this is the English word "Knock," meaning "to knock," creating a company name that means "knocking on freedom." "Freedom is a right everyone should enjoy, but it is not easily attained. I believe fashion is also a field imbued with the spirit of expressing oneself and yearning for freedom. So, I wanted to create clothes that embody the desire for freedom."

Perhaps because of the firm fashion philosophy felt from the company name, millennials are the core customer base of Freinok. Yoo cites "experiences through online and offline communities" as the most important factor to attract millennials. He added that conveying the brand's value to customers is as important as good products. Yoo said, "It is important not only to actively communicate with customers through social networking services (SNS) but also to form communities where customers can directly experience and co-create through showrooms. We plan to explore more active ways to communicate with customers in the future."

The signature item is the corduroy cap. The behind-the-scenes story of the corduroy cap, which became the brand's growth catalyst, is interesting. Due to a factory mistake, the front and back panels of the cap were swapped in the sample, making the cap deeper and creating a face-slimming effect. Many customers who had already purchased it repurchased caps in different colors due to its popularity. This year's key items are sweatshirts and knitwear with unique patterns. These embody the brand's concept of "elegantly interpreting Asian beauty through oriental patterns and embroidery."

Yoo said, "In the past, Korean and oriental styles were considered niche, but that is no longer the case. We aim to present modern items through patterns and embroidery that capture the beauty of the East."

The world of Freinok is expected to expand further. As popular idols and actors wear Freinok's clothes as 'airport fashion,' overseas demand has surged. Yoo revealed that sales are focused exclusively on their own mall built on the global e-commerce platform Cafe24. He added that to enhance the brand image, they do not sell through other domestic online select shops. Instead, various products are sold under the second brand, Frei. Since last year, they have been preparing to leap into a global brand by adopting a strategy of entering only carefully selected overseas showrooms.

Yoo said, "As interest in Korean culture rises, the atmosphere around K-fashion has also changed. In line with this trend, Freinok plans to grow as a brand that promotes Korean casual fashion."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.