Beyond Ader Error: 7 Korean menswear brands to know, from JiyongKim to Post Archive Faction

Beyond Ader Error: 7 Korean menswear brands to know, from JiyongKim to Post Archive Faction From indie Seoul labels to rising names redefining streetwear, tailoring and techwear, these are the Korean menswear brands to know. If there’s one thing Korean fashion does particularly well, it’s mixing references that shouldn’t necessarily work together, but somehow do. Classic tailoring gets roughed up with streetwear. Outdoor gear becomes fashion. Minimalism is made interesting through exaggerated proportions and unexpected fabrics. And that’s precisely why Seoul remains such an exciting city for menswear. There are, of course, the names that have already travelled well beyond Korea. Amomento has perfected its particular brand of clean, architectural minimalism, while Ader Error continues to make a case for playful, slightly off-kilter streetwear. Andersson Bell, meanwhile, has built a following – including members of BTS – with its eclectic mix of art, culture and fashion. But there’s plenty more worth seeking out. Here are seven Korean menswear labels that should be on your radar the next time you’re in Seoul. 1. JIYONGKIM Kim Ji-young has the kind of CV that immediately gets fashion people interested. He worked at Lemaire before joining Louis Vuitton as a design assistant under the late Virgil Abloh, won the Samsung Fashion Design Fund award in 2023 and was an LVMH Prize semi-finalist in 2024. BigBang's G-Dragon and BTS’ J-Hope have worn his clothes too, but celebrity approval isn’t its only claim to fame. The designer is best known for his sun-bleaching technique, something he first experimented with for his Central Saint Martins graduation project. Fabrics are left exposed to sunlight for days or even months, naturally fading and developing irregular patterns in the process. It means no two garments look exactly alike – and that’s the appeal. Applied to reclaimed fabrics and relatively familiar pieces such as shirts, trousers and jackets, the technique gives the clothes character without making them feel overly designed. There’s also something refreshing about seeing distressed clothing where the ageing process is actually real rather than printed or artificially replicated. Where to buy: 30 Hannam-daero, 28ga-gil, Seoul. Visit JiyongKim for details. 2. POTTERY If your wardrobe leans towards clean shirts, good trousers and coats you’ll still want to wear five years from now, Pottery – or PTRY – is one to bookmark. There’s very little shouting here. Instead, the brand concentrates on proportion, fabric and those small details that make clothes look expensive. Its sweet spot is somewhere between workwear and smart casual, which makes the clothes particularly useful if you want pieces that can move easily between the office and the weekend. Tailored shirts, blazers and trousers form much of the foundation, all cut with enough ease that they never feel overly corporate. Pottery gets particularly good during autumn and winter, when the knitwear and outerwear come out. Its Double Breast Coat is a good example: beautifully clean, slightly imposing and just dramatic enough to give you K-drama chaebol energy without looking like you’re trying to dress as one. Where to buy: 40 Itaewon-ro, 55ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul; 1F Yeonmujang 13-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Visit Pottery for details. The brand also ships internationally via Musinsa Global. 3. SAN SAN GEAR San San Gear is for anyone who likes their clothes a little more technical. The Seoul label sits comfortably between streetwear, outdoor clothing and techwear, with a futuristic edge that occasionally looks as though it has wandered off the set of a very stylish sci-fi film. What makes it interesting, though, is the construction. A relatively simple pair of trousers might come with curved seams, straps or adjustable elements, while jackets are worked with intricate piping and panelling. Texture tends to do more of the work than colour, which keeps even the more complicated pieces surprisingly wearable. Its Affine Curve Pants are a good entry point. The sculpted leg gives them an immediately recognisable shape while still allowing plenty of movement. Then there’s the Suffix Puffer Jacket, worn by NCT Wish’s Sion, with its diagonal zip and fleece lining. San San Gear has also collaborated with Puma, Asics, League of Legends and NCT Wish. If gorpcore is already part of your vocabulary – or wardrobe – you’ll probably find plenty to like here. Where to buy: 36 Jandari-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul; B2F The Hyundai Seoul, 108 Yeoui-daero, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Visit San San Gear for details. 4. INSILENCE Insilence has been around since 2013 and has quietly become one of those Korean labels that people who like minimalist menswear tend to know. The clothes are clean, but not boring. A lot of that comes down to proportion: oversized outerwear, boxier tops, straight trousers and tailoring that feels architectural without becoming severe. The colour palette is equally restrained. Expect charcoal, beige, khaki, navy and plenty of black. Rather than relying on logos or decorative details, Insilence lets silhouette do most of the talking. There’s also a slightly geeky quality to some of its styling – plaid shirts, straight-cut chinos, boxy tees and jackets – which makes the clothes feel more current than your standard minimalist uniform. Don’t overlook its Base Line collection either. The tanks, cotton T-shirts and long-sleeved tees are designed as layering pieces but work perfectly well on their own. They’re also considerably easier to justify back home in Singapore than a giant wool coat. Where to buy: 2F, 5 Yeonmujang 17-gil, Seoul; B2F The Hyundai Seoul. Visit Insilence for details. The brand also offers international shipping via the Musinsa Global website. 5. POST ARCHIVE FACTION Post Archive Faction is probably the most fashion-forward name on this list. Better known as PAF, the label was founded by Lim Dong-joon and Jeong Soo-kyo, and has built its identity around experimental technical clothing. If conventional menswear starts with a familiar garment and tries to perfect it, PAF seems more interested in taking that garment apart and seeing what else it could become. You’ll find asymmetric constructions, heavy panelling, reflective fabrics, transparent PVC and unexpected combinations of texture. Even relatively everyday categories – nylon trousers, fleece hoodies, down jackets – are cut and constructed in ways that make you look twice. These aren’t necessarily clothes for someone who wants to blend in, but that is rather the point. PAF’s long-running collaboration with Swiss sportswear company On is also worth noting. The partnership has produced both technical clothing and footwear, including releases based around On’s Cloudmonster. For anyone interested in where performance wear and avant-garde fashion currently meet, PAF is essential browsing. Where to buy: 30 Dasan-ro 20-gil, Jung district, Seoul. Visit Post Archive Faction for details, including international shipping. 6. COOR Coor is another label that proves Korean minimalism doesn’t have to mean endless anonymous beige basics. The brand’s name stands for “Common Origins”, and its clothes are intentionally straightforward: uncomplicated shapes, neutral colours and very little obvious branding. But look closer and the appeal becomes clearer. Fabric is important here. Coor works with materials including organic cotton, distressed denim and vegetable-tanned leather, giving fairly simple pieces a more premium feel. The leather jackets are particularly good. Cut slightly oversized, they sit nicely across the shoulders and have enough volume to make even a basic T-shirt-and-trousers combination look considered. That’s essentially what Coor does best. These aren’t clothes designed to dominate an outfit. They’re the pieces that make everything else you already own look a little better. Where to buy: 14-2 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul; B2F The Hyundai Seoul, 108 Yeouidae-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Visit Coor for details. 7. TONYWACK Tonywack is what happens when classic menswear loosens its tie a little. Designer Kim Tae-wan takes familiar tailoring and mixes it with the moodier, more rebellious side of 1960s and 70s European style. The result feels polished, but never particularly formal. The jackets are especially worth looking at. Tailored styles, suede blazers and corduroy pieces have enough structure to sharpen an outfit without making you look as though you’re heading into a board meeting. That balance runs throughout the collection. Wear one of its jackets with tailored trousers and you’re ready for dinner; throw the same thing over a ribbed tank or relaxed long-sleeved tee and it immediately feels more casual. Nothing is radically experimental, and Tonywack is better for it. The brand understands that sometimes good menswear is simply about getting the cut, proportion and styling right. For younger professionals who want to dress well without looking overly dressed, this might be one of the easiest labels on the list to wear. Where to buy: 19 Hannam-daero, 28ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul; ETC Seoul, 11 Apgujeong-ro 10-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Visit Tonywack for details. The brand delivers to Singapore via SSENSE.