The Vogue Business 100 Innovators: Next-gen entrepreneurs and agitators – VOGUE BUSINESS
Mon 11 Sep
By VOGUE BUSINESS Team
Featuring Dohun Kim, Founder and Creative Director of Andersson Bell
Fashion’s future codes can be found in the fabric of the designs created by the rising class of creatives, many of whom have set out to change the status quo. These designers, business leaders and founders represent the next wave of leadership as they redefine what success in the industry looks like. Through their companies, their clothing and their stories, a new vision for fashion shines through.
Seoul-born and raised, Dohun Kim is the founder and creative director of Andersson Bell, a promising South Korean label that is well-positioned to become the country’s next big fashion export thanks to its unique aesthetic.
The brand stands out locally because it doesn’t ascribe to the 애교 (aegyo) or cutesy aesthetic that has long been prevalent in South Korea. It also stands out internationally by not following trends. Instead, its pieces nod to an amalgamation of Korean street style with a minimalist Scandinavian attitude — inspired by a 2014 trip to Stockholm, Kim’s first to Europe.
In 2023, Andersson Bell staged its debut international runway show at Milan Fashion Week and opened a flagship store in Anguk-dong next to Seoul’s historical Gyeongbokgung palace. Fuelling the label is distribution support from Tomorrow, a fashion group and incubator that also works with Martine Rose and Charles Jeffrey among others, and an ongoing collaboration with buzzy sneaker label Asics since 2021.
The brand, which has been profitable since launch, is currently present in 140 markets globally and brings in $15 million in annual revenues.