Innovative Changes by Young Designer Entrepreneurs in the Korean Fashion Industry

The global expansion of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) has reshaped international perceptions of Korean style, positioning K-fashion and K-beauty as significant cultural and industrial forces rather than just one-dimensional aesthetics. Young Korean fashion designers are driving innovation through entrepreneurial practices that integrate creativity, digital communication, and alternative business models. This study examines how young K-fashion designers are transforming the contemporary fashion industry and proposes a typology of startup-oriented business models based on their entrepreneurial, platform-based, and production strategies. It employs a qualitative multiple-case study design to analyze 30 Korean designer brands launched from 2020 to 2023, focusing on product and visual characteristics, brand management systems, and market entry strategies. The findings identify three dominant types of young Korean designer brands. The first type, traditional creative designer brands, emphasizes artistic authorship, craftsmanship, and small-batch or made-to-order production. The second type, market-oriented designer brands, features fandom-based marketing, digital-native communication, drop-based distribution systems, and rapid sales growth. The third type, eclectic designer brands, strategically balances artistic identity with commercial viability by integrating distinctive visual identity with market responsiveness. These findings indicate that K-fashion’s current competitiveness stems from various entrepreneurial approaches tailored to digital cultural markets.