Inside DEINET's first flagship store in Seongsu-dong

"This is our first standalone store that distills everything DEINET stands for."

The flagship store of DEINET, an emerging fashion brand making its bid in Seongsu-dong — Seoul's hotly contested arena for K-fashion — opened its doors earlier this month. The two-story building, which looks like a converted warehouse, is visible from a distance.

The DEINET Flagship Store Seongsu encapsulates the identity of the fast-growing brand. DEINET was launched in 2024 by Kim Da-in, founder of Matin Kim, in partnership with Park I-ra, head of OVLR under the Sejung Group. The brand is known for classic, refined designs accented with playful details.

DEINET built its reputation online. On its first day on 29CM, a fashion and lifestyle platform, in November 2024, sales reached 700 million won ($525,000). When it joined Naver Plus Store in January 2025, a live broadcast featuring Kim drew a record 1 million views in the shortest time ever recorded on the platform.

With many fans long awaiting a physical store, DEINET put considerable effort into the space that would become the brand's public face. The roughly 264-square-meter interior is styled with silver-toned fixtures, wood furnishings and decorative objects. A bestseller zone near the entrance gathers the brand's most popular products, while wall-mounted shelves display clothing alongside matching bags and shoes.

Products previously available only online drew strong reactions from visitors. The summer hit "Jelly Two-Way Bag," a range of two-way bags in various materials, and colorful UGG boots — the brand's flagship fall-winter offering — caught the eye of nearly every customer who walked in. The boots, available in shades including pink and mint, proved especially popular.

The store also carries flagship-exclusive and early-release items. A standout display features a mannequin in a pink hooded zip-up and sweatpants paired with sky-blue UGG boots — an ensemble evoking the Y2K aesthetic associated with 2000s fashion icon Paris Hilton, a style currently popular among Generation Z.

Foreign tourists seeking a taste of K-fashion were also among the visitors. Shoppers of various nationalities browsed the store, trying out the Jelly Two-Way Bag and a leopard-print two-way bag, among other items. Some stopped to take photos in front of a distinctive mirror shaped like a human silhouette.

DEINET plans to continue exclusive events for both the flagship store and its own online shop. A 20 percent discount promotion — triggered when Seoul's morning temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius — runs through Monday. The brand said it will keep rolling out in-store events to drive foot traffic.

The flagship store also marks the starting point for a broader offline push. This year, DEINET ran pop-up stores at Hyundai Department Store's Pangyo and Kintex locations, Shinsegae's Gangnam and Centum City branches, and Yongsan iPark Mall, among others. The pop-up at the Pangyo branch, which unveiled the "G-PARK" collection created in collaboration with broadcaster Park Myung-soo, drew long lines on opening day when Park made a personal appearance. Sales over the two-week pop-up run reached 400 million won, with the Jelly Two-Way Bag and Jelly Two-Way Mini Bag selling out completely.

The brand is also expanding its permanent store presence. Last month, it opened locations at Shinsegae's Daejeon and Cheonan Asan branches, as well as the main branch of Shinsegae Duty Free. Further expansion across the country is planned for next year. "Following last year's efforts to build touchpoints through pop-ups and collaborations, we will deliver the brand's value to more customers next year through a full-scale store expansion," a DEINET official said.