Diamond and Laundromat... The Fashion Business of 20s 'Concept Masters'

Wo Seo-hwi 'Unaroid' CEO Interview
A Collection Faithful to Story and Concept
Active Communication... BTS Also a Customer
Overseas Expansion with Cafe24

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] "Every year, the collection concept starts with setting the protagonist's name, personality, and interests. We create a space for the protagonist and build the story within it."

Woo Seo-hwi, CEO (27, photo) of the unisex fashion brand 'Arnaroid,' which pursues minimalism, stated this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 5th. Although his main profession is a fashion designer, he also writes scripts and directs video content. When he is meticulously expressing his imagination through text and video, it feels like even having two or three bodies would not be enough.

His obsession with storytelling is exceptional. He said, "Arnaroid values stories," and emphasized, "We want customers not just to wear clothes but to wear stories and enjoy our content." For CEO Woo, clothes are more than just something that covers the body. They are a way to express oneself and communicate with the world.

Woo was a 'promising talent' in the fashion industry. Since high school, he worked as a fashion blogger and aspired to launch his own brand. The blog he ran at the time became the current brand name, 'Arnaroid.' Arnaroid means 'pure, unadulterated.' The brand philosophy embodies the desire to remove all unnecessary elements and leave only the pure essence. For several years, the brand has released collections under the concept of 'opening a room.' This year's concept is 'Laundry Room.' He explained, "It carries the meaning of starting anew, like washing clothes clean."

Unalloyed 'Tiny Room' Line

Many have joined the story and worldview created by CEO Woo. It became a hot topic when it was revealed that BTS, the center of global Hallyu, also wore Arnaroid's clothes. Regarding this, Woo said, "The brand has never sent sponsorship requests to celebrities," and evaluated, "Storytelling has replaced marketing."

While attracting new customers is important, Woo has also been faithful in communicating with existing customers. Since the brand aims to be unisex, there was a lot of size feedback from female customers. The recently launched women's line, 'Tiny Room,' is the result. The name means small jewels gathering to shine brightly. A distinctive feature is that most products include the diamond symbol, which represents this line.

The three strengths?collections faithful to the concept, the power of storytelling, and active communication with customers?have become the foundation for Arnaroid's expansion beyond Korea. Currently, in partnership with the global commerce platform Cafe24, they have established English and Chinese online stores. They conduct business with China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United States, Japan, and more. Sales have steadily increased by 20-30% annually based on the fall/winter (FW) season. Woo also hopes to expand next to the UK, a country that inspires him greatly when planning collections.

He said, "My dream is to meet people wearing Arnaroid clothes anywhere in the world," adding, "Seeing people abroad wearing our products means sharing our worldview, and I want to continue delivering Arnaroid's unique sensibility to more people."

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