Although based in Paris, it’s not on home turf, but in Seoul where fashion designer Marine Serre has inaugurated her very first standalone store. Why? Musinsa Trading, a subsidiary of the eponymous South Korean fashion brand specialising in wholesale of foreign brands, has been the driving force behind this venture. The move not only signals how fashion-forward the local consumer market is, but also how the South Korean capital has started to outshine Tokyo, the original holy grail of fashion and lifestyle in this neck of the woods, in the variety and size of fashion offerings in just about any category. Last October, Musinsa Trading opened a shop-in-shop at Shinsegae Centum City department store in Busan, and now, it has secured a location in Seoul. The location is Hannam House, a former residential building tucked away in the maze of alleyways in the leafy Hannam area of town.
Given the exceptional location, the store bears the posh moniker Marine Serre Hannam House, and occupies 193 sqm. (2,077 sq.ft.) spread across two light-filled floors of a redeveloped residential structure. The house features a bold lavender-coloured façade, and the retail space has been designed by Serre in collaboration with London-based architecture and design practice Sybarite. The chosen aesthetic is based on the brand’s signature crescent moon motif and the changing cycles of the moon, creating a series of settings which balance modern functionality and decorative elements, and the circular glass door with crescent moon-shaped door handle signals this from afar. Luxurious, intricately laid Versailles-inspired parquet flooring ties in all store sections. The new Marine Serre flagship store carries the full range of women’s and men’s apparel, accessories, bags, small leather good, shoes, eyewear and jewellery pieces. © superfuture
Marine Serre
9-11 Daesagwan-ro 11-gil (Hannam)
04400 Seoul
Daily 11am-8pm
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