Russian buyers attend Hezys' order fair at Space H Seoul, the brand's flagship store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, which runs for two weeks from July 22 ahead of the 2027 spring/summer season. [LF]
Russian buyers attend Hezys' order fair at Space H Seoul, the brand's flagship store in Myeong-dong, Seoul, which runs for two weeks from July 22 ahead of the 2027 spring/summer season. [LF]

Hezys, LF's premium casual brand, posted strong growth in Russia and China in the first half of this year, with an expanded order fair strategy serving as a catalyst amid rising global interest in K-fashion.

According to LF on Sunday, Hezys' sales in Russia grew 110 percent in the first half compared with the same period last year. Russia, where the brand entered in 2024, is now its fastest-growing overseas market. China, another key market, saw sales rise 20 percent over the same period. The brand operates more than 600 stores there — accounting for 75 percent of its total overseas locations — including Space H Shanghai, a flagship store that opened in the Xintiandi district of Shanghai earlier this year. Hezys has also expanded into Taiwan and Vietnam, and its overseas sales now slightly exceed domestic revenue.

The growth has been driven not only by interest in K-fashion but by broader global attention to Korean culture. A key part of the strategy has been transforming the order fair from a simple product showcase into an event that reinforces brand identity.

To that end, the company significantly extended the duration of the fair, which had previously run for just two days. The order fair held last August ahead of the 2026 spring/summer season — the first time the new format was tried — ran for 10 days and drew 30 percent more overseas buyers than the previous year. Total orders also grew 10 percent.

This year's fair, held ahead of the 2027 spring/summer season, ran for two weeks starting July 22 and drew about 200 overseas buyers. The event featured new season key products infused with Korean aesthetics. The signature "Hezys Iconic" line incorporated Korea's traditional five cardinal colors, known as obangsaek, while the premium denim line "Hezys Blue" drew on Korean sculptural forms and silhouettes.

A jogakbo patchwork textile created in collaboration with Park Yeong-ae, a national intangible heritage holder in the art of needlework, is displayed at Space H Seoul, the Myeong-dong flagship store hosting the Hezys order fair. [LF]
A jogakbo patchwork textile created in collaboration with Park Yeong-ae, a national intangible heritage holder in the art of needlework, is displayed at Space H Seoul, the Myeong-dong flagship store hosting the Hezys order fair. [LF]

Inside Space H Seoul, the Myeong-dong flagship hosting the fair, the brand displayed jogakbo patchwork textiles created in collaboration with Park Yeong-ae, a national intangible heritage holder specializing in traditional Korean needlework, and arranged several moon jars throughout the space. A color palette featuring the obangsaek five cardinal colors was also installed on the walls. "We interpreted the subtle blue of celadon, the natural texture of unbleached cotton and the color harmony of jogakbo through contemporary denim," a Hezys official said. "It is an attempt to layer the most Korean sensibility onto the most universal material."

As overseas buyer interest grows, consultations are now conducted on a country-by-country basis. Where buyers from multiple markets were once handled together, the fair has evolved into a venue for discussing product strategies tailored to each market. Russia-specific adjustments include larger sizing to suit local body types, while Vietnam talks focused on expanding the golf line.

"Overseas buyers are receiving this as an entirely new brand experience," an LF official said, describing the fair as "a leading example of a K-fashion brand expanding the role of its order fair into a global business platform that shapes country-specific business direction."


soho0902@heraldcorp.com