Is WOOYOUNGMI worth it?+
For the right pieces, yes. WOOYOUNGMI is known for sophisticated tailoring and well-considered details, and outerwear in particular tends to feel like a genuine investment. Prices on some other items can climb quickly, so the value is strongest when you buy into the brand's core strength, its cuts and coats, rather than spending top money on a basic. It's a label aimed at someone who already knows their own style.
How does WOOYOUNGMI sizing fit?+
WOOYOUNGMI is known for intentionally relaxed, oversized silhouettes, and it generally runs slightly large, especially in outerwear and shirts. That generous cut is part of the aesthetic rather than a mistake. Because regional sizing conventions and seasonal proportions vary, it's worth checking the specific size chart and, if you prefer a closer fit, considering sizing down.
What's the difference between WOOYOUNGMI and Solid Homme?+
Both come from the same designer, Woo Youngmi, but they have different personalities. Solid Homme, her first label launched in 1988, is classic, tailored menswear. WOOYOUNGMI, founded in 2002, is the more experimental, androgynous and higher-end line. Choose Solid Homme for refined classics and WOOYOUNGMI for the more design-forward, Paris-runway side of her work.
What is WOOYOUNGMI best known for?+
Above all, tailoring. The brand has become known for its cuts, and in 2014 The Korea Herald called it "the most successful Korean independent menswear designer brand." Art and architecture run through its design language as recurring sources of inspiration, which gives the tailoring its distinctive, considered edge.
Who founded WOOYOUNGMI and when?+
It was founded by South Korean designer Woo Youngmi (born in Seoul in 1959) and launched in Paris in 2002. She had already created the menswear brand Solid Homme in 1988, but with WOOYOUNGMI she wanted an eponymous label that gave her the freedom to design for her own vision of the ideal man.
Why is WOOYOUNGMI considered a significant Korean brand?+
Because it broke through internationally from a Korean base. It has shown at Paris Menswear Week since 2003 and became an official member of La Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine in 2011. In 2016, GQ described it as arguably the flagship Korean men's brand in Europe, stocked by names like Selfridges in London and Le Bon Marché in Paris.
Who designs WOOYOUNGMI now?+
Design is handled by founder Woo Youngmi together with her daughter, Katie Chung. Chung was named joint creative director in 2014 and presented her first show that June for SS15. As of 2017, mother and daughter share the design duties, which is part of why the brand feels both rooted and contemporary.
Who owns WOOYOUNGMI?+
The brand is part of a private company called Solid Corporation, whose shares are held by Youngmi Woo and her family, including Katie Chung. Solid Corp was founded in 1988 in Seoul by Youngmi Woo and her younger sister Janghee Woo, starting with the menswear brand Solid Homme. So WOOYOUNGMI sits within a family-owned house alongside its sister label.
Where can I buy WOOYOUNGMI?+
The brand has 24 standalone stores in Asia plus one European store in Paris, and it's stocked by respected retailers including Selfridges in London, Le Bon Marché in Paris and Marais in Melbourne. Buying from the brand's own stores or these established stockists is the most reliable way to get an authentic piece.
Does WOOYOUNGMI work with artists?+
Yes, it's part of the brand's identity. Since 2012, under the art direction of Katie Chung, WOOYOUNGMI has collaborated with artists on its advertising campaigns, including the sculptors Guerra de la Paz, Korean artist Osang Gwon and painter Clemens Krauss. With art and architecture already feeding the design, these collaborations extend that creative thread into how the brand presents itself.
