Juun.J
South Korea
Juun.J is a Seoul menswear label led by designer Jung Wook-jun, shown at Paris Men's Fashion Week since 2007. It is a member of the French Federation of Fashion and has been linked to Samsung's fashion arm since the early 2010s.
| Year of creation (FHCM) | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Founder / designer | Jung Wook-jun |
| Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea |
| Paris shows | Since 2007 |
| Segment | Luxury and designer houses |
What is Juun.J?
Juun.J is a South Korean menswear brand founded by designer Jung Wook-jun, who is also its artistic director. He describes his approach as "street tailoring", influenced by South Korea's military culture and uniforms. The Fashion Federation lists the brand's year of creation as 2007 and describes its design approach as a "diversion of classic".
History
Jung graduated from Esmod in 1992 and worked for fashion houses including Club Monaco and Chiffon. He launched a label called Lone Costume, renamed Juun.J in 2007, and started a retail business in 1999 with a small store in Garosu-gil, Seoul, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. His first Paris show came in 2007. In 2016 he became the first Korean designer invited as a guest at Pitti Uomo, and in May 2019 he opened his first permanent flagship in Seoul.
Ownership
Sources agree that the brand joined Samsung's Cheil Industries around 2011 to 2012, a group that funds emerging Korean brands. Cheil's fashion business later became part of Samsung C&T, but current ownership could not be verified in the sources used, so the group is left blank.
Business model and distribution
Juun.J sells through its own flagship, wholesale stockists and pop-up stores. Business of Fashion lists Dover Street Market New York, Harrods, L'Eclaireur and Neiman Marcus among its stockists. In 2014 the Korea JoongAng Daily reported sales in 65 stores across 33 countries, but the paper gave a different figure in an interview, so the number is uncertain and dated.
Products and positioning
The brand's best-known early hit was a neoprene sweatshirt. It has also made costumes for film and stage, including for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), and has worked with Samsung Electronics on a Paris presentation.
Why it matters
Juun.J is one of the Korean menswear labels that earned a regular place on the Paris calendar, and its corporate backing shows how large Korean groups have supported designer brands.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Juun.J?
Juun.J was founded by Korean designer Jung Wook-jun, who remains its artistic director. The label was renamed Juun.J in 2007.
Where is Juun.J from?
Juun.J is a Seoul-based menswear brand that shows at Paris Men's Fashion Week.