Camping Gear and Cameras Transform into Fashion Brands... Now Re-Exported Abroad

Helinox, Brompton, and Harley-Davidson Expand Their Reach
No Longer Just Borrowing Logos: Integrating Products and Culture
Moving Beyond Apparel to Product Distribution and Service... Targeting Overseas Markets

The "Korean-style license" business, where overseas intellectual property (IP) is brought to Korea, developed into domestic fashion brands, and then re-exported to global markets, is evolving. In the past, the focus was on making clothing using the name and logo of foreign brands. Recently, the approach has shifted to bringing in not just the original brand’s products and technology, but also its culture and fandom, expanding them into comprehensive lifestyle brands.

According to the fashion industry on September 16, domestic fashion companies are moving beyond simply expanding sales channels for licensed apparel. They are now directly engaging with the core business areas of original brands or advancing into overseas markets, thus broadening their business scope. The structure is shifting from the traditional model of relying solely on overseas IP recognition to sell products to one where Korean companies lead distribution and business expansion for the brands.

On the 10th, the 'Eclipse Pack Down Jacket' was showcased at Helinox Wear's first standalone flagship store near Dosan Park in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Han Yeju

Beyond Clothing: Breaking Down Business Boundaries to Gear and Bicycles

A key example is Helinox. Kolon FnC partnered with camping brand Helinox in October 2025 to launch "Helinox Wear." In less than a year since launch, the brand has opened five stores in department stores and shopping malls in Gangnam and Jamsil. On the 10th, it unveiled its first standalone flagship store near Dosan Park in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The store spans approximately 960㎡ (290 pyeong) from basement level 1 to the rooftop on the 5th floor.

Next month, a pop-up store will open in Shanghai, China, with plans for an official local store in December. Initial product response is swift. The "Edition 1" Eclipse Pack Down Jacket and Down Vest, introduced in October last year, sold out within a month of launch. The "Helinox x Crocs Quick Trail Clog" released on August 3 sold out within five minutes on official online stores and Musinsa, and major offline stores achieved an average sell-through rate exceeding 85%. At Lotte Department Store Jamsil Branch, 99% of available stock sold by the day after launch.

Shinsegae International's "Harley-Davidson Collections" is also expanding its distribution channels. Shinsegae International acquired the license for the American motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson in 2024 and launched the apparel brand in September of the same year. Rider culture and Harley’s iconic skulls and eagle imagery were reinterpreted as street fashion. The brand initially focused on pop-up stores, but last year, it expanded to exclusive standalone outlets in Daejeon Shinsegae and Shinsegae Centum City, building up its regular distribution network.

From January 1 to September 15 this year, Harley-Davidson Collections saw sales increase by 124.9% compared to the same period last year. In particular, the Seongsu pop-up store, held from July 10 to August 2, attracted a strong response from younger customers, with sales during that period jumping 205% year-on-year. T-shirts capturing American biker culture and a vintage look led those sales.

The Nature Holdings signed an apparel license agreement with British folding bike brand Brompton in 2022 and launched "Brompton London" in 2023. Sales grew 332% in 2024 compared to the previous year, 92% in 2023, and another 36% in the first quarter of this year. Recently, business expanded into bicycles themselves. In July, The Nature Holdings secured exclusive distribution for Brompton bicycles in Korea, so from this month, it will handle the import and distribution of bicycles and parts/accessories and will provide official after-sales service (A/S) in the future. The company aims to increase related business sales to 70 billion won by 2030.

Harley-Davidson Collections' 'American Vintage Pigment Long Sleeve T-Shirt'. Shinsegae International

From MLB to IP Acquisitions: Korean-Style Licenses Scale Up

Since the late 1990s, Korean fashion companies have developed a business model of growing non-fashion overseas IPs into independent fashion brands. The starting point was MLB by F&F. In 1997, F&F secured the license for Major League Baseball, and broadened MLB goods—formerly focused on baseball caps and uniforms—into casual and streetwear. In Korea, the sports league IP was reimagined as a full-fledged fashion brand.

Discovery Expedition, launched in 2012, marked the next phase. Leveraging the adventure image of the Discovery Channel, a new outdoor brand was created. Sales grew from 5.4 billion won in 2012 to 270 billion won in 2017. Last month, F&F invested approximately 113.2 billion won to acquire the global fashion trademark rights and related IP for Discovery Expedition. Companies that previously grew brands in Korea by borrowing overseas IPs have now reached the stage where they directly own key fashion IP themselves.

The Nature Holdings' National Geographic Apparel followed a similar path. Starting with travel bags in 2013, the line expanded into apparel by 2016, rapidly growing in popularity with fleece and padded outerwear. Nature Holdings’ sales rose to 291.5 billion won in 2020.

The camera film brand Kodak also found its footing as a fashion brand in Korea. Kodak Apparel, launched by Highlight Brands in 2020, saw its first-year sales of 13.2 billion won grow to 104.4 billion won last year—a 7.9-fold increase. Now, there are 122 physical stores in Korea and 25 overseas outlets in China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, and other countries.

Discovery Expedition Releases ‘Active Wellness’ Fall Campaign Photoshoot Featuring Actor Byun Woo-seok. F&F

Logos Alone Aren’t Enough: Making the Leap to Products and Culture

The industry now believes that simply repeating past formulas no longer guarantees success. After the achievements of MLB, Discovery, and National Geographic, a wave of fashion brands using various IPs—such as CNN, BBC, NFL, and FIFA from broadcasting, sports, automobile, and aviation—has emerged.

Competition among license brands has intensified, and the popularity of so-called "logo play," in which large logos are featured prominently, has waned. With consumers less likely to be drawn solely by famous IPs, it has become crucial to ensure authentic connections between the brand’s identity and its fashion offerings.

Approaches to overseas expansion are changing as well. Korean fashion companies are not just importing overseas IPs; they are also building new brands locally and then exporting them to foreign markets. Kodak Apparel and National Geographic Apparel have already expanded overseas business, particularly in Asia, and Helinox Wear is preparing to enter China.

The industry expects that going forward, the competitiveness of licensed fashion will depend less on IP awareness and more on how organically brands can connect their original products, culture, and consumer base with the fashion business. The focus of the license business is shifting from simply selling clothes with a logo to connecting products, stores, distribution, and community.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.