eat and drink in style: 11 of the newest dining and cafe openings from fashion brands

as we’ve been rounding up all the exciting news from fashion brands over the past year, we’ve noticed a common thread. to summarize, it’s no longer about selling clothes, it’s about selling “clothes”. in the past, brands expanded by adding product categories such as cosmetics and fragrances, but nowadays, they are expanding their identity into various spaces that connect fashion and lifestyle, such as galleries, hotels, cafes, restaurants, and bars. na Aga Movie. we’re also seeing more and more brands tapping into the arts, including music and performance. in other words, it’s not just fashion styles that you can buy from fashion brands anymore. It’s time to shop for all five senses.

eat and drink in style: 11 of thelatest dining and cafe spots opened by fashion brands

in this article, we’ll show you the latest cafes opened by luxury fashion brands that are leading the way in theera of shopping with allfive senses.

‘Pierre Sang at Louis Vuitton’

louis Vuitton has introduced a pop-up restaurant in Korea. pictured here is Pierre Sang at Louis Vuitton, a pop-up restaurant that opened at the Cheongdam store in 2022

ralph’s, a café created by Ralph Lauren

left Ralph Lauren’s cafe ‘Ralph’s’ opened its first store in Korea in September last year.

right Dior Cafe, which debuted in Korea in 2015, is considered the first example of a fashion brand’s success in the F&B business.

in particular, F&B spaces created by fashion brands, such as restaurants, cafes, and bistros that connect the worlds of fashion and taste, have become very popular. cafes, in particular, have been on the rise in recent years. their appeal and success is driven by the low threshold of access for both brands and consumers, and the ability to experience the brand’s philosophy through simple and intuitive elements such as drinks, desserts, packaging, and interiors.

as the number of cafes grows, so do the ways they operate. from in-store café spaces and direct operations, to partnerships with coffee chains to open shop-in-shop locations, to standalone café stores with some fashion items inside, coffee-scented fashion stores are spreading like wildfire.

gucci Osteria

gucci Osteria serves food and drinks with a Korean flavor.

it’s known as “coffee marketing. the simplest example of extending a brand’s value to a space and an experience, the movable café has become a key strategy in fashion brand marketing. but what makes their coffee and desserts so different? we take a look at why fashion brands are opening cafés all over the world, what makes them so popular, and the hottest new ones that have recently opened in Korea.

nudake Nudake

a brand experience for the price of a cup of coffee

recently, Jenny uploaded several photos of cakes to her social media accounts. she was celebrating the opening of a pop-up store with the dessert brand Nudake, which was a great way to promote both Nudake and Gentle Monster. the reason is that Nudake is a dessert cafe presented by Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster. jenny, the model of Gentle Monster, has been the medium through which Nudeike has been linked to Gentle Monster through viral marketing.

louis Vuitton pop-up restaurant with Michelin-starred chef

louis Vuitton pop-up restaurants with Michelin-starred chefs. source Louis Vuitton

these unconventional spaces create more touchpoints to experience the brand’s values and philosophy while reinforcing the brand’s identity. consumers feel relaxed and entertained in these spaces and subconsciously feel more connected to the brand. this increases brand loyalty and awareness with Synabro. it also helps to increase new customers. interestingly, all of this happens for the price of a piece of cake or a cup of coffee. this is the real reason why fashion branded cafes are booming.

apesse’s chic French-style café

the first Aperçu café opened in Korea in 2021. source apc_paris

one of the most successful examples is A.P.C. the French brand launched its first cafe in Paris in 2019 as a pop-up, incorporating the brand’s minimalist design philosophy into French coffee culture. in 2021, the brand opened its first full-scale café store in Korea, creating a buzz. adding a spoonful of rustic, refined sophistication to the sophisticated French style, Café Apécé emphasizes the brand’s identity and beautifully combines fashion and lifestyle.

maison Kitsune Flagship Store on Garosugil, Sinsa-dong

maison Kitsune’s flagship store in Garosugil, Sinsa-dong. Source Masion Kisune

french brand Maison Kitsune is also on the list. in 2018, Maison Kitsune opened its third standalone store in Seoul Garosu-gil after Paris and Tokyo, and it has become a mecca for insiders thanks to its cafe. fitting perfectly into the cozy atmosphere of the store, Café Kitsune is not only a café in itself, but also a platform to highlight the brand’s luxurious and cozy sensibility. the signature logo fox cookies and the café blanc, which is only available at the Seoul café, are still as popular as the fashion items.

cafe Kitsune’s signature fox cookie and latte

cafes by Swedish fashion brand ArketArket are also attracting attention as a charming space that connects fashion and food.

arket Café, which entered Korea with a more modern pop-up café, officially opened at the Garosu-gil flagship store in 2021, leading the latest café trend at the time.

it is characterized by introducing the healthy gastronomic culture of Northern Europe, including vegetarian and vegan menus made with organic and seasonal ingredients and various efforts to consider the environment.
this flavorfully conveys the brand’s philosophy of sustainable design and everyday beauty.

arket’s flagship store on Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong

arket’s flagship store is located in Garosugil, Sinsa-dong. It also houses Arket Cafe, which serves Nordic-inspired dishes.

the essence of the fashion F&B space is presented by luxury brands. fashion houses have proven that fashion can be delicious and fashionable, and by opening cafes and restaurants, they have lowered the threshold of communication with customers and increased the innovation of their brands.

this has transformed luxury brand stores into more intimate spaces where you can walk in without buying a bag. the unique experience of buying the brand’s aesthetics for the price of a cup of coffee and posting a selfie on social media was especially appealing to MZ consumers.

dior Cafe Cheongdam

As K-culture grows in popularity, luxury brands are increasingly entering the F&B space in Korea. domestic consumers who want to enjoy both the premier gourmet culture and the brand’s philosophy at the same time are responding enthusiastically. examples include Dior Cafe, which is filled with sweet desserts, Gucci Osteria, a restaurant that combines traditional Italian cuisine with Korean flavors, and Big Pilot Bar, the world’s first cafe opened in Seoul by watch brand IWC. in addition, limited-time pop-up cafes and restaurants by Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Valentino, and others are also proving popular, with tables selling out as soon as the reservation window opens.

gucci Osteria

the restaurant opened in 2022 on the 6th floor of the Gucci House in Itaewon. gucci Osteria Seoul.

iWC’s Big Pilot’s Bar, the first of its kind in the world, opened on the 5th floor of Lotte Department Store

iWC’s Big Pilot’s Bar, the first of its kind in the world, opened on the fifth floor of Lotte Department Store. source IWC

it’s not just international brands. domestic fashion brands are also working hard on the cafe business. in particular, fashion designers’ cafes, which are known for their gourmet food, fill the senses. From Youngmi Woo’s Café Manmade, which can be considered the pioneer, to Steve] ann Yoni P’s salt bread specialty shop Abek Cheri and Cafe the Great, Andy and Deb Yoon’s bistro Debbies, Arthur Erer’s Tongue Planet, Choonmoo Park’s PCM Square, and more, these cafes are loved as true gourmet spots for fashionistas, as they capture the designers’ philosophies in original and trendy ways.

woo Youngmi Cafe Man Made Dosan

woo Youngmi Cafe Man Made Dosan is a natural beauty.

cafe Tongue Planet by Arthur Erer

adererror’s cafe Tongue Planet is popular among MZs for its unique sensibility.

source Adererror

nowadays, we go to fashion stores to shop for our five senses. we don’t just look at the clothes, we linger in the coffee-scented store and deeply savor the culture and artistic values of the brand. this is definitely different from drinking coffee at Starbucks. because the power of space to extend emotions beyond coffee and fashion leaves a deeper and more intense impression than you might think. just as fads come and go, style stays.

pop-up Jimmy Choo’s Choo Cafe

jimmy Choo’s Choo Cafe opened as a pop-up in 2022. source Jimmy Choo