Domestic brands battle with tech and tailored strategies
Targeting B2B deals and Asia expansion to drive growth
Competition is heating up in the workwear market — a true blue ocean within fashion. Homegrown brands are jumping in one after another, and the sector’s buzz is building fast.
Market research firm Insight Partners put the global workwear market at about 44.34 trillion KRW (approximately $33.26 billion USD) in 2022. They forecast it will rise to around 72.5 trillion KRW (about $54.38 billion USD) by 2030, a growth of more than 1.5 times.
The domestic picture looks promising, too. The fashion industry estimates Korea’s workwear market this year at about 1.5 trillion KRW (around $1.125 billion USD).
That upside is attracting more Korean companies into workwear. They see untapped opportunities at home and across Asia, plus steady, predictable revenue from B2B contracts.
On the 7th, KINTEX Hall 2 in Ilsan became a stage for workwear brands to showcase their competitiveness.
From the 7th through the 10th, the Smart Safety and Health Expo (2025 International Safety and Health Exhibition, KISS) brought numerous domestic workwear labels face to face with industry pros.
At the event, brands aimed to capture attention by highlighting distinct strengths, from materials tech to tailored solutions.
Kolon FnC’s BOLDEST makes its expo debut — playing up fabric technology
Kolon Industries’ fashion division, Kolon FnC, brought its workwear label BOLDEST to the expo for the first time.
BOLDEST’s concept, "Engineered For Worker," centers on designing and co-developing products that reflect on-site workers’ voices. That worker-first approach is a core selling point.
Since Kolon has deep experience in materials, BOLDEST emphasizes choosing the right fabric in the right place to deliver comfortable, functional workwear — a clear differentiator.
Seong-chul Park, head of the BOLDEST brand, said Kolon is an advanced materials company and the brand focuses on fabrics that endure extreme conditions. He promised visitors they’d get to see signature materials like HERACRON.
BOLDEST’s confidence in its materials and tech was on full display across its booth.
In the Brand Zone at the entrance, Kolon showcased products made with its in-house aramid fiber HERACRON and functional fabrics like FORPE, which provide cut resistance and cooling — all rooted in more than 50 years of textile expertise.
In the technology-focused BOLDEST Lab Zone (R&D), the brand visualized real applications across four core protective categories: flame resistance, cut resistance, high visibility, and chemical resistance.
In the Flame Resistant zone, items used HERAWIN, a composite material developed by precisely blending aramid raw materials.
The exhibit included garments that passed ISO 11612 and the flame mannequin test (ISO 13506-1). Even after exposure to temperatures above 400°C (752°F), pieces retained their shape — a striking demonstration.
In the Cut Resistant zone, products used a proprietary yarn that triple-coils FORPE, HERACRON and tungsten.
In the Chemical Resistant zone, BOLDEST presented chemically resistant suits built on its Engineered Division ergonomic patterns and chemical-resistant safety boots made with GORE-TEX EXTRAGUARD. Kolon leveraged its experience handling chemical products to develop these items.
The B2B Partner Zone highlighted collaborations with major clients like Hyundai Construction and Hyundai Motor. The MA-1 jacket co-developed with Hyundai Construction — which offers windproofing and warmth and has even influenced corporate culture — was featured in the 2025 Trend Korea report.
Kolon also showcased a safety cap developed with Hyundai Motor and smart workwear integrated with exoskeleton equipment to prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
Park Byung-joo, BOLDEST’s brand manager who attended the event, said the brand is targeting 150 billion KRW (about $112.5 million USD) in B2B sales by 2030. He added that Kolon plans to prioritize Asian markets where proper workwear supply is still lacking.
ARKERD bets on custom, field-tested workwear
Steelmaker Daehan Steel’s workwear label ARKERD was also at the show.
At its booth, ARKERD displayed a wide range of site-tailored products — from flame-resistant garments using super fibers and meta-aramids to uniforms and seasonal workwear designed for specific job environments.
Front and center, ARKERD used a bespoke display system to show custom-made workwear on rails, so visitors could instantly survey the brand’s variety and high production quality.
Throughout the expo, ARKERD pointed to cases where it has supplied major Korean firms like Samsung Electronics, LG Chem and Hyundai Motor, stressing the real safety improvements its products deliver on-site.
Rooted in the steel industry, ARKERD emphasized that its products undergo rigorous testing in harsh industrial conditions.
Team leader Sang-mok Park said the company even tests basics like durability, breathability and absorbency for a single T‑shirt. For steel clients, they identify suitable products, send them to testing labs and quantify the results.
He added that ARKERD custom-designs and supplies workwear. For one client, the labor union requested specific changes — ARKERD implemented them immediately and ran tests. “We keep field-testing and fold feedback directly into our garments,” he said.
Other brands at the show included K2, which focuses on construction environments, and Eider, which featured casual lines using cooling fabrics for hot job sites.
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