LF, a lifestyle company, is doubling down on curated shops that spotlight global emerging brands.
LF announced on April 2 that it has renovated and relaunched 'Raum' at Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam flagship. As the fashion market pivots toward real consumer demand, "new luxury"—which prizes rarity and individuality—is getting hotter. LF plans to turn Raum into more than a curated boutique: it aims to make it a true brand-incubation platform.
Raum currently operates three locations: Raum West in Apgujeong, the Shinsegae Gangnam store, and Galleria Timeworld. The Gangnam outpost, thanks to its distinct brand curation, posted roughly 20% year-over-year sales growth last year. It’s seen steady gains driven by shoppers in their 30s to 50s, and the arrival of fresh emerging labels has drawn more customers in their 20s and 30s.
The refreshed shop sits on the 4th floor’s "Overseas Contemporary" zone at Shinsegae Gangnam. LF reworked the roughly 12-pyeong (about 427 sq ft) space in neutral tones—beige and soft gray—to create a calm, modern backdrop. For the 2026 S/S season, the store will showcase about 50 brands, including 14 Raum-exclusive imported labels. New additions include rising global names like Irenisa and DL1961.
LF is sharpening a strategy that tests brands with the domestic market from the buying stage and then nurtures those that resonate. Existing exclusives such as Dorothee Schumacher and Christian Wijnants are selling more than three times faster than other labels. Danish jewelry brand Rie Studio sold out select items during a popup and secured reorders.
Raum has already helped some brands scale. Italian designer label Forte Forte expanded into a standalone store after launching at Raum. LF says it will continue to broaden its lineup of global contemporary brands that balance design with practicality.
An LF spokesperson said, "Raum is the platform that first introduces global emerging brands and helps connect them to growth. We will keep discovering and curating distinctive labels to meet the increasingly sophisticated tastes of Korean shoppers and strengthen our competitiveness in the imported-fashion market."
