Sustainable Fashion Trends: How Korea is Leading the Way

Hungry to know what it is?

South Korean fashion designers and brands are taking all the right steps to become industry leaders in sustainable fashion. In contrast, other countries in the world are still discovering where to start.

Let me blow your mind with this…

The Korean sustainable fashion market reached USD 182.05 million in 2024 and is expected to grow at an explosive rate of 24.6% for the upcoming years. Don’t mind me, just shattering your world.

In this guide, you will discover:

• Why Korean Fashion Brands Are Winning At Sustainability
• The Most Innovative Sustainable Materials From Korea
• How Seoul Fashion Week Sets Global Trends
• The Korean Brands You Need To Know Right Now

Korean Fashion Is Reinventing The Wheel

It goes without saying that Korean fashion designers and brands have always been at the forefront of cutting-edge fashion, but things are about to get even more insane. Sustainability is no longer a niche interest for Korean fashion, but a serious category in its own right. Right now, Korean brands are pouring themselves into figuring out how to make sustainability as effortless as possible.

And, of course, you know that they are nailing it.

Korean consumers are some of the most tech-savvy, environmentally conscious, and quality-demanding in the world. Combine that with Korean brands’ thirst for innovation and enter the unstoppable force of Korean sustainable fashion.

Finding the best Korean fashion brands just got a ton easier with 필요한 주소를 한눈에 찾는 플랫폼 (aka “a platform to find all needed addresses at a glance”) as they rise to international prominence and become an object of the world’s attention.

On the more serious side, statistics show that the South Korean clothes market grew to a size of USD 29.64 Billion in 2024, and a vast majority of that growth is fueled by sustainable fashion initiatives.

Don’t you think that’s crazy?

So, what sets Korean sustainable fashion apart?

Korean brands have become increasingly ambitious with how they redefine clothes from the very beginning.

Out-With-The-Old-In-With-The-Sustainably-New

First of all, here’s a little known fact…

Korean fashion brands are coming up with some of the most ingenious sustainable materials in the industry. Saint Mill, for instance, has come up with a fabric made out of random plastic bottles, fishing nets, and the air captured from the smoke of a steel mill. And, this is the very first Korean fashion brand to do so.

Saint Mill is not the only one. Other Korean fashion brands’ collections include:

• Organic cotton and recycled polyester
• Plant-based dyes and non-toxic pigment materials
• Waterless dyeing techniques
• Biodegradable fabrics

Vegan Tiger is a great example of one of the most advanced sustainable Korean fashion brands. AKA Korea’s first vegan fashion brand has continued to set the tone for fashion with sustainable, cruelty-free, and vegan materials, as well as ethical manufacturing standards. The latest collection of Vegan Tiger in 2024 is 70% nature-friendly materials and 30% recycling materials.

I know it seems trendy to you and me, but for Korean fashion brands, it is about taking care of the planet while we can.

Korean Zero-Waste Design Philosophy

The sustainable philosophy of Korean brands goes far beyond the materials they work with. Many Korean designers are starting to build on zero-waste design principles, where a single piece of fabric is almost entirely used in the manufacturing process.

Think about it:

The traditional fashion manufacturing wastes up to 15% of its fabric when cutting out pieces. Korean designers are implementing patterns and cutting techniques that make use of nearly every piece of fabric.

It’s as simple as that: less waste, less resources.

Seoul Fashion Week Is Setting The Trends

Seoul Fashion Week has become one of the most coveted places to observe and experience sustainable fashion at the cutting edge. The 2023 event featured 30 designer fashion shows, many of which had a strong focus on sustainability.

But what makes Seoul Fashion Week stand apart from other high-profile events…

Sustainability is not an add-on or a side-branch in the industry. For Korean designers, it is woven into the very DNA of their brands. PARTsPARTs, for example, introduced classic yet wearable staples made of neoprene, while Saint Mill showcased collections made of the material made from waste.

Best of all: these aren’t one-off pieces of an art exhibition never to be seen again. Korean sustainable fashion is wearable and commercial.

Korean Upcycling Scene Is Going Strong

Upcycling is super in-vogue in the Korean fashion scene. Korean fashion brands are not starting from scratch by generating materials from virgin resources. Instead, they are upcycling waste and end-of-life resources.

Like what you see?

• Military tents upcycled into jackets
• Parachutes used for making dresses
• Automobile airbags turned into bags
• Vegan leather made from mushroom mycelium and cactus

RE:CODE, a Korean sustainable fashion brand, has built its whole brand identity on the upcycling principle. Collaborating with luxury brands, the company “helps” the luxury brands upcycle their excess stock into limited-edition and exclusive pieces.

Amazingly, customers are willing to pay a premium for the unique styles and feel-good factor.

Korean Brands Leading The Way

Here are some of the top Korean brands that are making the biggest splash in sustainable fashion.

PARTsPARTs has been one of the leaders in the field since 2011. Making sophisticated and elegant women’s clothes, PARTsPARTs has been devoted to environmentally conscious materials and ethical practices.

Vegan Tiger is one of Korea’s first completely vegan fashion brands, debuting as early as 2015. AKA Vegan Tiger is continuing to champion ethical sourcing, cruelty-free materials, and an aesthetic that stands out to the younger audience.

ul:kin is all about minimalistic designs and simplistic silhouettes with an emphasis on organic and recycled materials.

Guess what?

Not only are these Korean brands killing it at home. They are gaining serious traction abroad and are successfully scaling their businesses internationally.

Sustainable Fashion = Made In Korea

Korean sustainable fashion is not some fly-by-night trend. It’s the complete reinvention of what fashion can and should look like. Innovative and futuristic materials and zero-waste manufacturing process, upcycling, technology integrations: Korean brands have got it all.

With a market growth rate of 24.6% per year, the Korean sustainable fashion scene is only starting to grow.

Korean brands are making sustainable fashion as easy as it gets. It’s just as stylish as fast fashion and looks super trendy, and you don’t have to feel guilty about wearing it. Korean brands are the future of the fashion industry, and other fashion brands are learning from them.