S O L I D H O M M E f a s h i o n
S O L I D H O M M E f a s h i o n
Korea’ s powerhouse menswear brands are now looking to replicate their success overseas. And no label is taking this more seriously than Solid Corporation, led by COO Caroline Kim.
Founded 30 years ago, Solid Corporation is one of Seoul’ s most established fashion houses, made up of two men’ s labels: Solid Homme and its cool, luxury-focussed younger brother Wooyoungmi( founded in 2002 and now designed by co-creative directors Madame Woo and her daughter, Katie Chung). Having shown every season in the French capital since 2003 and broken into the western market with high-end stockists such as Selfridges in London and Bon Marché in Paris, Wooyoungmi has established itself arguably as the flagship Korean men’ s brand in Europe. Now Kim has decided it’ s time for the label’ s older brother to replicate this success.
And it’ s off to a solid start. Globally, Solid Homme’ s annual revenue has increased 70 per cent in 2016 versus 2015, with a projected growth rate of 75 per cent for 2017. As the new season of Solid Homme prepares to drop at Harvey Nichols in London, we talk to Kim about the opportunities and challenges presented to a Korean company here in Britain, why it’ s taken 30 years for the brand to arrive on our shores, and the key men’ s markets she wants to conquer next.