Asia Fashion Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 69 Week of 15 June 2026
(1) British premium footwear brand FitFlop expands in key Korean market
British premium footwear FitFlop is expanding rapidly in South Korea, betting on the market’s strong appetite for stylish comfort. Backed by new distributor Samsung C&T Fashion, the British brand is opening more stores, adding pop ups and positioning Korea as a key driver of its next phase of global growth.
(2) Pop star G-Dragon teams up with Nike on World Cup collection for South Korea
Soccer fashion is moving further into the street, and South Korea is at the centre of that shift. Nike, G-Dragon and the Korea Football Association have joined forces on Tigers of Asia, a collection that blends national team identity with streetwear, led by a sneaker inspired by a football boot.
(3) HKTDC Brings Hong Kong Fashion Designers to Paris Men’s Fashion Week
Hong Kong designers will head to Paris Men’s Fashion Week this month as HKTDC launches a new showroom to promote local brands internationally. Supported by Hactl, the initiative combines fashion, business and logistics, while giving Hong Kong labels fresh access to buyers, media and global market opportunities.
(4) The Italian luxury fashion house Max Mara Celebrates 75 Years With Shanghai Catwalk
The Italian luxury fashion house Max Mara marked its 75th anniversary in Shanghai with a collection that reworked Chinese style codes through the brand’s tailored aesthetic. The show reflected both the importance of China to global luxury and the industry’s need to engage local consumers with greater cultural fluency and authenticity.
(1) British premium footwear brand FitFlop expands in key Korean market
(Photo Credit: Courtesy of FitFlop)
British footwear brand FitFlop is accelerating its push into South Korea, which it now views as one of its most important growth markets. The company, which operates through thousands of stores and retail partners across 88 countries, is betting that Korean consumers will play a major role in its next phase of expansion.
At the centre of that strategy is a new partnership with Samsung C&T Fashion, which took over distribution last year. FitFlop says Samsung offers the premium retail expertise, consumer insight and brand building strength needed to raise its profile in Korea. Since the deal was signed, the brand has expanded into 22 premium shop in shop locations, including major department stores, and opened its first standalone concept store at Starfield Suwon Mall.
The company plans to grow that standalone network to 30 stores nationwide by the end of the year, while also running 15 active pop ups. Speaking in Seoul, chief commercial officer David Schuttenkopf described Korea as a market where fashion, innovation and culture intersect, and said local consumers are especially demanding when it comes to style and comfort.
FitFlop believes that focus works in its favour. As demand grows for shoes that combine design with wearability, the brand is positioning itself as an option that avoids the usual trade off between comfort and fashion. Its latest push also includes a Spring Summer 2026 collection inspired by Keith Haring.
News Source: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20260616/fitflop-expands-in-key-korean-market
(2) Pop star G-Dragon teams up with Nike on World Cup collection for South Korea
(Photo Credit: NIKE FOOTBALL/INSTAGRAM)
Soccer kits have long moved beyond the pitch, and for the World Cup they are increasingly being shaped by fashion labels, artists and streetwear brands. National team gear is now designed not only for players and supporters, but also for everyday wear, reflecting the growing overlap between sport, style and pop culture.
One of the most prominent examples is Tigers of Asia, a collaboration between Nike, G-Dragon’s fashion label PeaceMinusOne and the Korea Football Association. The capsule reinterprets South Korea’s football identity through a streetwear lens, combining KFA design codes with the daisy motif that has become a signature of G-Dragon’s brand. The flower appears on the back of the national team pieces, updated with pink and sky blue embroidery that references the South Korean flag. Nike’s swoosh is also worked into the design, forming the teeth of a tiger around the daisy.
The collection forms part of a wider Nike project linking seven national teams with major fashion names and artists for the World Cup. France was paired with Jacquemus, Canada with Drake’s Nocta and England with Palace. South Korea, represented by G-Dragon, is the only Asian team in the line-up.
The standout release is the Cryoshot shoe, which adapts Nike’s CTR360 football boot into a sneaker for daily wear, capturing the shift of football style from stadiums to the street.
(3) HKTDC Brings Hong Kong Fashion Designers to Paris Men’s Fashion Week
(Photo Credit: HKTDC)
Hong Kong fashion labels will take the spotlight in Paris this month as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council launches a professional showroom during Paris Men’s Fashion Week. The event, held with Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (“Hactl”) as strategic partner, marks the first time the Fashion Hong Kong initiative has been presented in this setting and is designed to help local brands raise their international profile.
Running from 24 to 28 June in Rue de la Paix, one of Paris’ best known fashion districts, the showroom will present Spring Summer 2027 collections from Hong Kong designer brands across apparel and accessories. Among the highlights, local labels MARCCH and MATTER MATTERS will unveil collaborative works created with Paris based artist Yaz Bukey, bringing together Hong Kong design and European creative influence.
A networking reception on 27 June is expected to draw about 200 buyers, media representatives and industry professionals, giving participating brands added opportunities to build international connections and pursue new business partnerships.
The project also marks the first cross sector collaboration between HKTDC and Hactl, combining fashion promotion with logistics expertise. Organisers say the partnership reflects Hong Kong’s ability to link creativity, commerce and professional services in a way that supports local brands entering global markets. Through its wider Fashion Hong Kong programme, HKTDC aims to strengthen the city’s role as a hub for cultural exchange and international fashion business.
News Source: https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/107693/hktdc-leads-hong-kong-designers-to-paris
(4) The Italian luxury fashion house Max Mara Celebrates 75 Years With Shanghai Catwalk
(Photo Credit: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images)
Max Mara, the Italian luxury fashion house best known for its polished tailoring and camel coats, chose Shanghai to mark its 75th anniversary, using the occasion to underline both the city’s energy and the brand’s long standing relationship with China. For creative director Ian Griffiths, Shanghai was a natural setting for a label built around the lives of metropolitan women, and one that could no longer define that identity through a purely Western lens.
At the Long Museum, the Italian fashion house sent out a collection that drew on Chinese visual codes while filtering them through Max Mara’s restrained design language. Knotted pankou buttons, cheongsam references and side fastening jackets with standing collars appeared in tailored, modern forms. Griffiths said the brand approached these elements cautiously, with extensive consultation, in recognition of the risks of cliché and cultural misstep.
The show also reflected the changing balance of power in luxury fashion. Chinese consumers remain central to the global market, but brands can no longer rely on prestige alone. A growing preference for guochao, or style rooted in local cultural identity, has raised expectations for authenticity and relevance. Max Mara’s response was to align itself with contemporary Chinese confidence, from a cast dominated by local models to front row guest Eileen Gu.
The collection balanced the label’s signature camel tones with flashes of red, a colour associated in China with luck and joy. Griffiths said fashion no longer dictates a single trend, arguing that personal style now leads the conversation.
News Source: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026/jun/16/max-mara-woos-china-luxury-brand-consumers
