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. \u201cIt\u2019s about exploring the beauty that surrounds us in many different areas, not just fashion,\u201d says Lee.<\/p>\n
Last year, Amomento opened its first brand store outside South Korea, in Omotesando, a fashionable, tree-lined shopping district in Tokyo. It\u2019s \u201cgoing very well\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n Amomento\u2019s space in department store Shinsegae Gangnam, Seoul.<\/p>\n <\/span>Photo: Jimin Jeon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Further Asian expansion<\/a> 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\u2019s total revenues and is growing at an average rate of 45% year-on-year.<\/p>\n Amomento manufactures much of its product in China, largely in Korean-owned factories. \u201cEven though it\u2019s in China, inside the factory it\u2019s like it\u2019s in Korea \u2014 the skill and detail is very good,\u201d says Lee. Amomento\u2019s 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. \u201cOur 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Up next are ambitions to join the official Fashion Week Men\u2019s calendar in Paris<\/a>, where the brand eventually hopes to establish a permanent presence. \u201cWhenever we hold a showroom in Paris, we get people from the street coming in excited thinking it\u2019s a pop-up,\u201d says Lee. \u201cWe think eventually there\u2019s potential for us to have a store there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/assets.vogue.com\/photos\/69d8cf0496ad6958a78baf3f\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/04-13-26-AMOMENTO-vogue-business-story-inline-1.jpg\"\/)
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