MILAN — Chasing visibility and retail opportunities in South Korea has become the great equalizer in the business plans of both fashion powerhouses and smaller players.
And Italian advanced contemporary brand Forte_Forte is getting in on the K-fever, as it gears up to officially unveil its first store in the country on Sept. 20.
Developed in partnership with LF Corp., which imports and distributes renowned foreign brands in South Korea and serves as the label’s exclusive distributor in the market, the 581-square-foot boutique is located on the third floor of the Galleria Luxury Hall department store in Seoul’s Gangnam-Gu district. The unit marks the second store in Asia after the opening in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills last year, and Forte_Forte’s 11th store worldwide.
“This new opening marks a further step forward in the path undertaken toward expansion into the Korean market. We are proud to be able to collaborate with a partner like LF Corp, which owns a proper fashion sensitivity and knowledge of the sophisticated Korean customer that Forte_Forte was looking for,” said Roberta Benaglia, chief executive officer of investment fund Style Capital, which in April 2017 acquired a 51 percent stake in the fashion brand.
A preview of Forte_Forte’s first store in South Korea.
The distributor predicted the potential of the brand a decade ago, bringing part of the Forte_Forte collection to the market through premium select shop Raum, introducing the label to the local customer. LF Corp. decided to pursue Forte_Forte’s business after seeing the raise of domestic consumers’ awareness of overseas fashion and the potential of the brand, which progressively expanded its local wholesale presence to include the likes of Ecru and Fourm Studio.
Benaglia believes South Korea “is destined to become an important geography over the next three to five years” for the brand. If the market still has a limited impact on the label’s total wholesale sales, distribution at multibrand retailers has helped to build the base of the current retail strategy, which will see Forte_Forte and LF Corp. open other seven stores in the country in three years. A second opening is already in the pipeline, with a location to be shared soon.
“Forte_Forte’s Galleria store will be the first iconic space in Korea and an important starting point for domestic expansion,” said LF Corp.’s president Sangkyun Kim. “Rather than chasing popular trends, LF plans to continue to expand its overseas luxury brand portfolio by targeting overseas brand enthusiasts who value their own style and prefer authentic brands based on deep knowledge and insight into imported fashion.”
A look from the Forte_Forte fall 2024 collection.
“This is a market that has always dictated the trends of the fashion sector in the Asian region and is seen as a reference model, especially by Chinese consumers. The fact that the brand has made a name for itself in South Korea, as well as in Japan, is a clear indication of Forte_Forte’s maturity and its future potential in the remaining Asian markets as well,” Benaglia said.
Local consumers in South Korea are “always looking for brands that have a very recognizable aesthetic and a strong personality: To this end, Forte_Forte pays great attention to the search for innovative fabrics, exclusive colors and looks defined by elegant sophistication,” Benaglia said. And as locals search more and more for high-end materials, Forte_Forte’s Made in Italy production has resonated.
A look from the Forte_Forte fall 2024 collection.
Positioned in the advanced contemporary segment and with an average retail price of 600 euros, Forte_Forte is known for a feminine, laid-back aesthetic rich in fluid silhouettes, washed silks and refined colors. Launched in 2002 by siblings Giada and Paolo Forte, the brand started with a small collection of hand-finished T-shirts and gradually evolved into total looks, encompassing dresses with a bohemian vibe that became one of the brand’s signatures — knitwear, tailoring, outerwear and accessories, ranging from footwear to jewelry.
The brand’s delicate aesthetic is mirrored in its store’s designs, developed by Giada Forte and art director Robert Vattilana. In particular, the Seoul outpost is defined by rough, unfinished plaster walls and marbleized powder pink floor, with plush velvet carpets and arty metal hangers adding to the simple yet striking interior. Curved armchairs and mirrors in organic shapes with golden finishes further elevate the minimal space.
A preview of Forte_Forte’s first store in South Korea.
“This year our retail channel is recording double-digit growth in all geographies. These exceptional results confirm the retail potential of the brand and are certainly [guiding] our choices in regard to where to open next both in Europe and in the U.S.,” said Benaglia, without disclosing specific figures, forecasting Forte_Forte’s total sales will reach 40 million euros in 2024. Last year, the brand totaled more than 30 million euros in sales.
With Italy, France and the U.S. listed as top three markets for the label, Benaglia said the goal is to continue to growth in Europe and the U.S. both in the wholesale and retail channels, and boost its footprint in Asia.
A look from the Forte_Forte fall 2024 collection.
Forte_Forte kick-started its retail expansion by opening its first store in 2018 in Milan, quickly followed by an outpost in Paris. Ever since, the brand opened stores in London, Rome, Tokyo and made its U.S. retail debut with a unit on Melrose Place in Los Angeles in 2022.
Earlier this year, the brand strengthened its in Spain opening a store in Puerto Banus, Marbella, which marked its third unit in luxury resort destinations after the locations in Cannes and Forte dei Marmi, Italy.
The brand is carried at 600 retailers worldwide, including specialty stores, department stores and e-tailers, with Rinascente, Le Bon Marché, Le Samaritaine, Harvey Nichols, El Corte Inglés, Tsum, Isetan, Ron Herman, SKP and LuisaViaRoma carrying the collection.
The Forte_Forte x Lessico Familiare collection.
Forte_Forte also has a track record of collaborations, encompassing tie-ups with Acqua di Parma, Superga, Borsalino, Sebago and Manebì. As part of its sustainable ethos, last year the label joined forces with indie label Lessico Familiare on a capsule collection of upcycled looks launched with a takeover of Le Progres café in Paris during fashion week. Yet its sustainable bent traces back to more than a decade ago with a seminal collaboration with silk specialist Mantero Seta to retrieve and breathe new life into deadstock silks.
During the pandemic, the brand also boosted arty tie-ups, ranging from the “Corde Vocali” project with artist Pauline Guerrier using its deadstock fabrics for her artistic tapestry, to partnering with Ukrainian talents in 2022.
