"Personality Matters More Than Trends... I Made Regular Customers"

Cafe24-MZ (Millennial Generation) Global Brand 'Looknun'

Preparing to Enter Chinese and Vietnamese Markets

Co-CEOs Yuna Kim and Looknun

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] "I wanted to sell clothes that don’t go out of style and can be kept for a long time, while also expressing individuality."

Min Jeonghyun (32), CEO of the online clothing brand 'Looknun,' explained in an interview with Asia Economy on the 22nd that this was the starting point and goal of Looknun. Min, who worked as an MD for a men's clothing shopping mall, jumped into entrepreneurship in 2015 to do what she loved rather than settle for a stable salary.

Min thought that if women wore men's classic fashion items like jackets and blazers, they could create a classic yet sophisticated style. Initially, it was just a simple idea, but it was realized after meeting Kim Yoona (27), co-CEO and model of Looknun. Kim is also the creator of the current Looknun style.

As her unique style spread by word of mouth, customers began to seek out Looknun one by one. Kim explained, "At some point, black straight hair and red lips became a signature," adding, "By minimizing other elements so that the focus could be on the clothes, customers were able to judge whether these were clothes they actually wanted to wear."

Kim, a social network service (SNS) influencer with about 100,000 followers, continuously communicates with customers through SNS, which is also a background for Looknun’s growth. While attracting new customers is important, Looknun judged that creating 'regulars' through communication with existing customers is the key to growth. In fact, Looknun’s revisit rate exceeds 80%, and repurchase rate among them is over 50%.

There is no distinction between peak and off-seasons. Instead of fast fashion that follows seasonal trends, Looknun creates and sells clothes that do not go out of style and can be kept and worn occasionally for a long time. Generally, shopping malls see a sharp drop in sales in January and February when outings decrease due to cold weather. However, Looknun achieved steady sales growth without an off-season. Min found the secret to growth in showing customers that unique styles can also be daily looks.

Min said, "At first, customers liked the style but hesitated to buy because they felt it was difficult to pull off in daily life," adding, "So we started taking photos outdoors instead of in the studio, showing that you can look stylish enough in everyday life, and the effect was immediate."

Looknun’s sales in 2019 increased by about 200% compared to 2018. Building English and Chinese malls on the global commerce platform 'Cafe24' in response to overseas demand is producing good results in line with the globalization trend of K-fashion. Looknun plans to enter the Chinese and Vietnamese markets this year to lay the foundation as a global brand.

Min said, "I want to show that you can be stylish without necessarily expensive luxury brands," adding, "What’s important is your own style, not the price. Going forward, I want to increase self-produced products and offer customers more of the 'Looknun essence.'"

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