© Labotory / Photography: Yong-joon Choi

As one of the divisions of sustainable clothing company KOA, the Le Cashmere brand has a distinct identity of its own, offering South Korea‘s forward consumer demographic – well, you’ve probably guessed it – cashmere garments and homeware at an affordable price. Sourced by the KOA-founded Sustainable Material Lab, an entity which researches a variety of sustainable materials and analyses the impact of manufacturing and consuming, from selected farms in Mongolia, the material is processed and manufactured according to eco-friendly principles.  Interestingly, part of the proceeds are invested in the education of Mongolian cashmere producers. Next to extensive online operations, Le Cashmere has now opted for a brick and mortar presence to further raise its profile in the competitive home market. The flagship store is situated in Hannam-dong, a leafy residential enclave on the banks of Han river. The store occupies a two-storey modern structure, and features a distinct interior design on each level.

Seoul-based architecture and design practice Labotory not created the interior design, but also took care of all furnishings and styling. The ground floor is an elongated space that’s defined by clean lines and a largely monochrome palette. Furnishings and fixtures comprise of displays in primary shapes, in addition to a visually dissonant one that comprises of broken tiles, sleek shelving and steel clothing racks. At the far end a planked semicircle, situated opposite a stone-clad sales counter with decorative pendant lamp, shields a small seating area. Upstairs, the timber presence is reduced, making the setting a tad more austere. The setting is similarly whitewashed, and the front section is cordoned off by a suspended chrome frame with concrete cylinders attached at the end, and which ties in perfectly with sturdy clothing racks of the same material. A row of tubular lights runs along the exposed ceiling, and optically elongate the space even further. The back section serves as an events gallery space, and features a simple wooden table and benches, and displays. The Le Cashmere store carries the brand’s full range of apparel for men, women and kids, in addition to homeware items.

Le Cashmere
7 Hannam-daero 27ga-gil (Hannam-dong)
04400 Seoul
Daily 11-8

© Labotory / Photography: Yong-joon Choi