Hansei Co. Looks to Dress Humanoid Robots as Next Fashion Frontier

'Wear the Future' showcase open to public through Friday

Robot apparel features cooling, high-durability textile technology

First in Korea's apparel industry; company in talks with robot makers

Hansei Co. Vice Chairman Kim Ik-hwan poses with a humanoid robot on stage at a media briefing held Monday morning. [Hansei Co.]

"If a future comes where humanoid robots enter our daily lives, clothing for them will be needed as well."

Hansei Co., a specialist in original design manufacturing for apparel, is staking a claim in the humanoid robot clothing market, betting it will become a new growth engine in a future where humans and humanoid robots share the same spaces. Vice Chairman Kim Ik-hwan made the announcement Monday morning at the "Wear the Future" media briefing at the Korea Federation of Textile Industries in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. "The humanoid and robot apparel market is a future industry that no one has yet pioneered," Kim said. "Hansei Co. aims to be the company that leads it."

The briefing also unveiled a humanoid apparel exhibition jointly conceived and produced by Hansei Co. and its retail affiliate Hansei MK. The garments are rooted in human clothing but adapted to the physical structure of humanoid robots. Cooling fabrics were incorporated to manage heat generated during extended operation, while abrasion-resistant, shape-recovery textiles ensure stable wear across varied environments. Open-panel construction and three-dimensional patterning at the shoulders and knees accommodate the wide range of joint movement humanoid robots require.

Designs vary by robot function — from child-type humanoids to caregivers and gardeners. The gardener humanoid's outfit, for instance, is made entirely of waterproof materials. A workwear line inspired by Carhartt, one of Hansei Co.'s major fashion brand buyers, was also on display, featuring modular attachments for tools and equipment. The exhibition remains open to the public through Friday.

The "Wear the Future" exhibition runs through Friday on the 17th floor of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Pictured are a child-type humanoid outfit (left) and a Carhartt-inspired workwear design unveiled at the show. [Kim Jin]

Hansei Co. sees the humanoid market — projected to grow into the hundreds of billions of dollars — as a new frontier for the apparel industry. The company believes its existing functional textile technologies, including cooling, heat-dispersal, high-stretch, high-durability and lightweight materials, give it a competitive edge. It has also left open the possibility of expanding overseas production facilities as the market grows.

Asked when a commercial pilot might begin, Kim said it would come "when more commercialized robots move into homes and industrial complexes," adding that the company is already "in discussions with firms about collaboration." The briefing also featured a humanoid robot in a black leather stage costume performing choreography to singer G-Dragon's "Power." Kim said Hansei Co. "is in talks with the manufacturer of the robot that danced."

Son Ji-yeon, director of Hansei Co.'s research and development division, said appearance will matter more as humanoid robots work in close proximity to people. "Just as the pet apparel market has grown, the impression a humanoid makes will become increasingly important," she said. "The design challenge goes beyond simply dressing a robot — it is about making the environment where humans and humanoids coexist feel more natural."

Hansei Co. plans to develop the exhibition into a platform for research and ideas about the future apparel market, drawing on its accumulated digital design capabilities. The company established Korea's first dedicated virtual design unit in the apparel industry in 2019, introducing 3D virtual sample technology. Since 2023, it has run a dedicated AI organization, integrating AI into planning, design and development.

"When the humanoid era arrives in earnest, the apparel industry could face an entirely new transformation," a company official said. "We intend to be the company that responds and prepares for that change first."

A concept illustration of future humanoid apparel unveiled by Hansei Co. at the "Wear the Future" exhibition Monday. The image depicts humanoid robots integrated into daily life in an aging society — playing baduk and enjoying a round of golf alongside humans. [Kim Jin]

soho0902@heraldcorp.com