Biography
The duo behind Rare Market, famed concept store and mecca for the Seoul’s moneyed Gen-Z and Millennial locals, have become household names at the forefront of the city’s fashion scene.
Old friends Jung and Kwon opened Rare Market in 2014, in Seoul’s upscale Gangnam district. Previously Jung had been a stylist at her own retail operation in California for 10 years, while Kwon is the older sister to K-pop star and one of the most influential fashion icons in Asia, G-Dragon, who suggested the store’s name.
While the musician’s reach of 11 million undoubtedly aided the store in building buzz, it is Jung and Kwon’s targeted buy of conceptual and emerging brands, including Rosie Assouline and Jacquemus, that has sustained its momentum.
“One of the reasons why we’re successful as an individually run select shop is because we can make quick decisions to meet that demand as it arises. Our advantage lies within our ability to be the quickest ones to react to global trends,” Kwon told BoF.
The retailer has also launched its own line of contemporary clothing, We11Done, casting Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine as the face of the label. The brand is now stocked on Net-A-Porter, Browns and Ssense.