Sales of fashion items made from the Suede material are rising in South Korea with consumers eagerly embracing the unique leather made from the soft underside of animal skin.
According to the fashion industry, search for suede items has rose across multiple fashion platforms with fashion-forward shoppers quickly snapping up these trending pieces.
From Sep 01-18, 2024, fashion platform W Concept reported a 700 per cent increase in sales of suede jackets and bags compared to the same period last year. Suede-related searches on the platform also increased by 488 per cent. Popular products in demand include suede jackets from brands like Unedit and le917, and suede bags from Elbategev.
Customers are gravitating toward unique colors, with shades like pink and brown seeing increased popularity, says a representative from W Concept.
Kakao Style’s ZigZag platform also experienced a similar growth with searches for suede bags spiking by 1,496 per cent and sales rising by 264 per cent compared to last year. Suede jackets followed suit, with searches up by 328 per cent and sales increasing by 64 percent.
Another major fashion platform, Ably also reported significant gains, with searches and sales of suede bags both increasing by 600 per cent between Sept 1 and 15. The platform also saw a 30 per cent rise in boot searches, with sales increasing by 350 per cent, while searches for suede jacket grew by 240 per cent and sales increased by 80 per cent. Bestsellers on Ably included Slow and End’s Rento suede boots and Highclassic’s suede crop jackets paired with tennis skirts.
One of South Korea's largest online fashion retailers, Musinsa also noted a 342 per cent Y-o-Y rise in suede-related searches. Searches for suede bag alone rose by 456 per cent.
Musinsa’s women's fashion platform, 29CM, recorded an 812 per cent increase in users searching for suede products.
This growing enthusiasm for suede aligns with the rise of the ‘demure look, a key trend for the fall/winter season characterized by understated elegance and minimal embellishments. Luxurious materials like suede are playing a central role in this trend, helping outfits stand out with their refined, tactile appeal.
