Preppy style attracts Korea's Gen Z, Alpha seeking retro trends

A licensed fashion brand from the University of Cambridge has entered South Korea as more young consumers are enthusiastic about the so-called Ivy League look that features some prestigious universities’ logos and vintage sporty styles. 

Fashion company LF Corp., formerly a unit of Korea’s fourth-largest conglomerate LG Group, said on Thursday that it has signed a trademark license deal with the UK university to launch its branded clothes, bags and accessories on Musinsa, one of the top online fashion platforms in Korea.

LF will target Generation Zalpha, or Gen Zers and Alpha who were born after 1996, as more of them are seeking retro trends and sporty looks. The Korean fashion distributor said it will increase its product offerings and expand the targeted consumer demographic.

Other licensed brands from Ivy League schools of the US, such as Yale University, Harvard University and Columbia University, are already available on Musinsa. The Yale brand, one of the most well-received preppy clothing brands in Korea, ranked the 10th most popular brand on the fashion platform on April 13.

Korea sees rising popularity in fashion brands licensed from non-fashion companies. Local apparel product maker F&F Co. has launched sports fashion MLB and outdoor brand Discovery Expedition, which are based on licensing deals with Major League Baseball of the US and TV channel National Geographic, respectively.

Kodak Apparel, licensed from US photography firm the Eastman Kodak Company, has enjoyed growing popularity with its retro-style fashion since it joined the Musinsa platform in 2019.

“Licensed brands have been attracting fashion consumers by leveraging the recognition of well-known companies. Preppy clothes, including sweatshirts and jumpers with university logos, are garnering attention in Korea thanks to their high-class reputation,” said Samsung Fashion Institute head Lim Ji-yeon.

On the other hand, there are concerns that brands using overseas university logos won’t last long. Experts say that if such products don’t show further uniqueness and expand their consumer demographic, they will lose brand value as the trend fades away.

Write to Ji-Yoon Yang at yang@hankyung.com

Jihyun Kim edited this article.