As eyewear evolves into a key fashion statement, South Korea’s homegrown brands are setting their sights on the global stage with bold, unconventional designs that break loose from the traditional luxury eyewear styles of multinational haute fashion houses.

According to Lotte Department Store, one of Korea’s top three department store operators alongside Shinsegae and Hyundai, on Sunday, its eyewear sales – glasses frames and sunglasses – jumped 40% in 2024 from the previous year.

Eyewear sales at Shinsegae Department Store and Hyundai Department Store also increased 16% and 13.6%, respectively, over the same period, despite stagnant sales in the overall fashion category.

Their sales increase comes as eyeglasses, once seen solely as a medical device for vision correction, are now widely embraced as a fashion accessory.

“More people are willing to spend on eyewear, as it’s now seen as a fashion item – an affordable way to refresh their style, much like lipstick,” said Moon Kyung-sun, head of Euromonitor International Korea.

It also operates stores in other major department stores, including The Hyundai Seoul, run by Hyundai Department Store Co., in other parts of the capital city.

Shinsegae Department Store has also opened pop-up stores for a new Korea-native eyewear brand, Reclow.

Such stores have successfully attracted not only local consumers but also foreign visitors to Korea, brightening the outlook of their overseas business.

In 2024, foreigners’ purchases of Korean brand eyewear surged 70% from the previous year, said an official from Lotte Department Store.

“While more affordable than high-end European and Japanese counterparts, Korean brands offer comparable design and quality,” the official added.

ALREADY INTERNATIONAL  

Gentle Monster has already opened its stores across the US, from California and Texas to New Jersey and New York.

Founded in 2011, the Korean label, which has been making waves not only for its design but also its avant-garde approach to retail, has forayed into other countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Breezm, a Korean startup making customized eyeglasses with artificial intelligence and 3D technologies, opened its first US store in Manhattan, New York, in March last year.

It projected it would reap $1 million in US sales this year.

Blue Elephant, known for its unique designs and distinctive retail experiences at a more accessible price point than Gentle Monster, is set to open a store in Japan soon.

Korean fashion platforms, such as W Concept, are also tapping into the surging demand for eyewear.

W Concept, a major online shopping place for Korean designer brands, has recently introduced a custom-designed spectacle frame service after its eyewear sales more than doubled year over year last year.

“K-sunglass brands like Blue Elephant, Lash and Rieti are gaining popularity,” said an official from W Concept. “K-eyewear has become trendsetting with bold, distinctive designs that set it apart from foreign brands.”

Write to Hyun-jin Ra at raraland@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.