EXCLUSIVE: Marine Serre Opens First Stand-alone Store in Seoul

PARIS — Marine Serre is opening its first stand-alone boutique worldwide in Seoul, underlining the South Korean capital’s growing status as a global fashion hub.

The French fashion brand, known for its upcycled creations and innovative show formats, has partnered with local fashion marketplace Musinsa to open a brick-and-mortar location in a former private residence located in the Hannam-dong neighborhood, known for its cool cafés, designer boutiques and contemporary art galleries.

Conceived in collaboration with U.K.-based design studio Sybarite, Marine Serre Hannam House aims to upend traditional retail codes with a design that resembles a home and emphasizes spiritual elements.

“Just as the crescent moon — Marine Serre’s emblem — embodies phases of renewal, the store guides visitors through four immersive stages that mirror initiation, anticipation, transformation and rebirth,” the brand said in a statement shared exclusively with WWD.

Stretching more than 2,150 square feet, including a garden and terrace, the design of the location blends wood and metal for a retro-futuristic aesthetic accentuated by the circular glass entrance door, which leads visitors to a wishing fountain installation that sends rippling reflections of light across walls and ceiling.

Additional features include mirror-polished steel display units, velvet couches and wall sconces with 3D plaster casts, while changing rooms are draped in red velvet, echoing the set of Serre’s fall 2025 runway show.

The boutique will carry a full range of women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories, in addition to some exclusive capsule collections. A small lounge opening onto the first-floor terrace offers a panoramic view of the city, inviting contemplation.

“Opening our very first boutique here in Seoul is an incredibly emotional milestone for me. Hannam House is more than a store — it is a space to live, to feel, to regenerate. I imagined it as a home where people can step into our universe and experience it with all their senses,” Serre said.

“To see this vision come to life in such a vibrant city feels like a rebirth for the brand, and I am deeply grateful to share this moment with our community,” she added.

For Sybarite, it meant working on a more intimate scale after projects including an SKP mall in Wuhan, China, and stores for brands including Alberta Ferretti, Ferrari and Marni.

“Projects like these remind us that design can be a kind of alchemy, made possible only through genuine partnership and a shared sense of purpose,” said Simon Mitchell, cofounder of Sybarite. “Together, we have created a space that reflects their world of spirituality and ritual — layered with light, texture and quiet intensity.”

Luxury brands worldwide are ramping up their presence in South Korea as the country exports its pop culture, known as the Korean Wave or “Hallyu,” through K-pop groups, beauty brands, food and popular films and TV shows like the Netflix series “Squid Game.”