Italian luxury brand Aspesi is homing in on its Asia-Pacific operations, with plans to open 35 points of sale in South Korea by 2026.
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The Milanese fashion brand is plotting five new doors by the end of the year, in partnership with local retailers Shinsegae, Hyundai and Lotte Department Stores in both Seoul and Daegu, according to a WWD report.
“We were attracted by one of the most influential retail groups, such as Hyundai, for its reputation in the sector but also for its capacity to have an innovative vision of retail,” Carlos Pellegrini, vice president global sales and marketing at Aspesi, told the U.S. publication.
“We have appreciated their understanding of our fundamental values and their ability to offer a very loyal representation of the DNA of the brand to a Korean public that is increasingly more trendsetting and looking for authenticity.”
Founded in 1969 by Alberto Aspesi, Aspesi started out as a shirt brand, before creating men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections in the 1970s. In 2017, Aspesi was acquired by Italian private equity fund Armònia SGR, with the brand opening a Japan flagship in Tokyo’s luxury Aoyama district in 2020.
Most recently, Lawrence Steele was appointed creative director of Aspesi in 2021.
Today, Aspesi is available at 16 monobrand stores and shops-in-shop and more than 600 points of sale worldwide world.
In addition to Tokyo, Apesi already posts two locations in Korea, at Hyundai Pangyo, and The Hyundai Daegu, respectively.