Skims is expanding in Asia with its first permanent retail locations in Hong Kong and Seoul.
Slated to open this November, the Hong Kong store will be located at Times Square, a shopping mall located at the heart of the vibrant Causeway Bay retail zone. The street-facing, 353-square-meter storefront was previously occupied by a Tiffany & Co. flagship.
The Seoul store in Dosan will be operated in partnership with Handsome Corp. and will be the first of several Skims loations planned across the city, the company said. It will open this winter, although the specific date was not disclosed.
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“Hong Kong and Seoul have such an incredible energy, style perspective and influence on fashion globally,” said Kim Kardashian, cofounder and chief creative officer of Skims. “Opening flagship stores in these city allow customers to experience the quality, fit and innovation behind every Skims piece in a more personal way.”
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For Skims cofounder Jens Grede, the Asian cities “are among the world’s most influential fashion markets in the world and our partnerships with Lane Crawford and Handsome Corp. position us strongly as we grow our presence across Asia,” Grede said.
As Skims’ exclusive wholesale partner in China since 2021, Lane Crawford will be in charge of the Hong Kong flagship’s retail operations. Handsome Corp. is the fashion affiliate of South Korea’s Hyundai Department Store Group.
Valued at $5 billion, the shapewear, apparel and beauty company currently has 18 owned stores in the U.S. and two franchise doors in Mexico. Last November, the brand launched two South Korean pop-ups at The Hyundai Seoul and the youthful Seongsu-dong neighborhood.
Lane Crawford is a part of The Lane Crawford Joyce Group, a leading fashion retail, brand management and distribution group in China. The department store chain currently counts four stores in Hong Kong and two located in Shanghai and Beijing.
Skims’ announcement coincides with a long-awaited retail rebound in Hong Kong’s legacy fashion retail market.
According to data from Cushman & Wakefield, an uptick in tourist arrivals alongside sustained local spending sentiment continued to support Hong Kong’s retail sector in the January to February period, which rose 11.8 percent year-over-year to $72.4 billion Hong Kong dollars, or $9.3 billion.
Apart from Skims, Alo is slated to open its first China store at K11 Musea; this February, Palace unveiled its first stand-alone store in Hong Kong in Causeway Bay.