Matin Kim

Matin Kim (마뗑킴) built its following on authenticity before that word got overused. Founded in 2018 by designer Kim Da-in, the Seoul-based label grew through Instagram without a single offline store, relying entirely on its community to define what the brand stood for. That approach worked until the money dried up. In 2021, with sales at 5 billion won and the brand losing ground, brand incubator HAGO HAUS stepped in. What followed was one of the fastest brand turnarounds in Korean fashion. Under HAGO HAUS, Matin Kim went from a digital-only operation to a label with nine overseas stores and 150 billion won in 2024 revenue. The Myeong-dong flagship alone generates 2 billion won a month, with 90 percent of its foot traffic coming from international visitors. Stores in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay, Shibuya in Tokyo, and multiple Taiwan locations opened within 18 months, each posting record opening-week numbers. The brand launched on Amazon in October 2025 to extend reach into North America. The aesthetic is hard to pin down precisely, which is by design. Matin Kim does not have a fixed visual identity. The brand surveys its 390,000-plus Instagram followers before each collection, incorporating their input into colorways, silhouettes, and restocks. Signature pieces rotate through logo-coated windbreakers, oversized hooded zip-ups, and wide-shoulder bags, but the formula stays loose enough to absorb new directions without breaking character. Collaborations have accelerated the global profile. A December 2024 capsule with Coach fronted by K-pop group KATSEYE put Matin Kim in front of a new audience outside its usual orbit. Photographer Hanna Moon shot the campaign, which sold across Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan simultaneously. For 2026, the brand appointed Liz of IVE as its Spring Summer ambassador, leaning into the convergence of K-pop fandom and K-fashion's expanding international reach.