LF's Raum bets on Japanese designer brand Akiranaka as incubation push intensifies

LF's premium fashion boutique Raum announced Monday it is stepping up its strategy to discover emerging global designer brands and establish them in the Korean market.

LF is developing Raum into a brand incubation platform that goes beyond a conventional multi-brand boutique, identifying overseas emerging labels and guiding them through the Korean market. The process spans the initial buying stage through seasonal product curation, marketing and customer experience design, with domestic consumer response tested at each step.

As part of that effort, LF has selected Japanese designer brand Akiranaka as its key incubation brand for the second half of the year.

On Thursday, Raum West hosted the "Akiranaka 2026 AW Preview" for about 200 guests, including fashion industry insiders and VIP customers. The event showcased the 26AW collection alongside artwork created by the designer. A styling class for VIP customers followed on Friday.

Akiranaka first entered Raum's women's section in the 2024 spring/summer season. More than 70 percent of buyers have returned to purchase again each season since then, and the average spend per customer rose about 30 percent between the 2024 spring/summer season and the 2026 spring/summer season.

The 2026 AW collection is themed "Poetic Transformation," drawing inspiration from Japanese temples and gardens as well as the work of sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Standout pieces include a jacket with a partially open front panel that takes its final form depending on how the wearer styles it, and a graphic dress rooted in the wabi-sabi philosophy.

Meanwhile, the number of new brands Raum has discovered and brought in has grown from 10 in the 2025 fall/winter season to 38 for the 2027 spring/summer season. The number of new exclusive brands expanded from two to 10 over the same period.

"Raum is a platform we build together with global emerging brands to introduce them to Korean consumers and help them grow sustainably," an LF official said. "We will continue to discover and nurture differentiated brands that match the tastes and discernment of Korean consumers."