By creating eco-friendly apparel and working with
the community to preserve the environment,
Patagonia is setting the new industry standard
When it comes to being
fashion-forward, outdoor
clothing brands usually
don’t come to mind. For
many years, outdoor performance apparel
has been associated with being durable
but bulky, sacrificing fashion for functionality.
But Patagonia is breaking down
these stereotypes. Founded in 1973 in
California by rock climber Yvon
Chouinard, this American-based apparel
brand caters to both traditional and trendy
outdoor adventurers. And if there’s one
country that knows anything about trends,
it’s Korea. So it comes as no surprise
when the company opened up its Korea
branch in July of 2016.
With Koreans becoming more health
conscious, “well-being” products and
exercise apparel are always in high
demand. Although Korea’s overall fashion
market has fluctuated in recent years, the
outdoor clothing industry has shown relatively
steady growth. Thanks to such
demand, Korea boasts the second largest
outdoor goods market in the world
despite the country's diminutive size.
“Korean consumers are very interested
in outdoor culture,” says Tony Choi,
Country Director of Patagonia Korea.
“Awareness of environmental issues is
also growing. Patagonia’s philosophy of
creating environmentally-friendly and
durable products combined with Korea’s
interest in outdoor activities meshed
together really well.”
In a nutshell, Patagonia’s vision is to make high-quality apparel without harming
the environment. Most notably, it
transforms used plastic water bottles into
polyester fabrics and uses organic cotton
free of pesticide or chemicals. The company
also works closely with the local
community, including grassroots groups
to protect the environment. Last year, the
company launched the ‘Worn Wear’
campaign, fixing worn out shoes and
frayed clothes for customers to minimize
the effect that unnecessary spending has
on the environment.
But it’s not just nature that Patagonia is
passionate about. The company knows
well that Korean consumers are heavily
driven by trends. To meet the ever-changing
demands, Patagonia released an
exclusive line of limited edition products
from its ‘Pataloha’ (a combination of the
words 'Patagonia' and 'aloha') collection
for the Korean market. Due to its deft eye
for style, Patagonia recorded a 15 percent
growth in the first quarter of this year
alone. On average, each of the 31
stores in Korea saw sales rise by 20 percent. Following an intricate step-by-step strategy,
Patagonia opens three to five stores
every year. In 2017, the company plans to
expand the total number of stores to 35.
Another reason for Patagonia’s success
in Korea is the appeal it has to consumers
from all walks of life. Choi says that most
Korean consumers used to buy outdoor
products related to light activities like
hiking. The trend is changing, as Koreans
are showing a growing interest in more
extreme sports, like mountain biking,
climbing and surfing. And to
meet such shifting demands, Patagonia has expanded
its product line to include swimwear,
skiwear, sundresses and underwear. From
socks and sweatshirts to wetsuits and
waders, it’s clear that Patagonia Korea is
redefining the outdoor apparel industry.
Like any company entering uncharted
territory, there were a number of obstacles
facing Patagonia when it initially
came to the Korean market. “Korea’s outdoor
product market was stagnant when
we first tried to enter. And as a new brand
in Korea, operating a stable business was
a bit of a challenge. But despite all these
factors, Patagonia has become the only
outdoor apparel brand that has shown
positive growth,” says Choi. “Just like
there are so many different cultures, there
are also
many different markets. To be a successful
company, you need to implement
a flexible business strategy that
takes into consideration such diversity.”
Although an internationally recognized
brand with a global network, Patagonia’s
Korea office works closely with local
businesses to promote its fashionable yet
functional apparel. With the exception of
manufacturing, all other aspects of business
operation and management are conducted
with domestic companies. Choi
emphasizes that Patagonia actively plans
on establishing long-term partnerships
with them to help Korea’s economy
grow.
When asked about the company’s
vision beyond Korea, Choi says Patagonia
has already entered the Japanese and
Australian market. It is also actively doing business in
other Asian countries like China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Considering that Asia makes up a significant portion of the global market, it plans on actively engaging and investing in the Asia region. And with its unwavering passion for creating green fashion, Patagonia Korea is sure to help the rest of the fashion industry clean up its act.
