The multi-brand stores are airy and filled with natural light, often with tall windows that look onto greenery outside and decorated with small bonsai trees or large rocks. There are art installations, too: currently, an electrokinetic sculpture of tiny metal rods by Venezuelan artist Elias Crespin hangs from the ceiling of its Hannam outpost. “It’s about exploring the beauty that surrounds us in many different areas, not just fashion,” says Lee.
Last year, Amomento opened its first brand store outside South Korea, in Omotesando, a fashionable, tree-lined shopping district in Tokyo. It’s “going very well”, according to Lee; the brand had already established a fan base in Japan, and tested the market with pop-ups first. Japanese consumers research the brand online before coming into the store, he says, meaning the conversion rate of visiting customers is 23%, compared to around 10% or less in Korea.
Further Asian expansion is imminent: the brand intends to amp up distribution in Japan, and will host pop-ups in Shanghai and Chengdu in the coming months. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel is vital. According to Lee, DTC is its fast-growing channel, currently accounting for 70% of Amomento’s total revenues and is growing at an average rate of 45% year-on-year.
Amomento manufactures much of its product in China, largely in Korean-owned factories. “Even though it’s in China, inside the factory it’s like it’s in Korea — the skill and detail is very good,” says Lee. Amomento’s prices range from $100 for a tight cotton top, to over $1,200 for a lambskin hoodie, though most pieces hover around the $200 to $300 mark. “Our quality is good compared to other brands, and we have a slightly more competitive price point. I really want to make this our strong point in the global market.”
Up next are ambitions to join the official Fashion Week Men’s calendar in Paris, where the brand eventually hopes to establish a permanent presence. “Whenever we hold a showroom in Paris, we get people from the street coming in excited thinking it’s a pop-up,” says Lee. “We think eventually there’s potential for us to have a store there.”
