[Edaily Reporter KIM JUNG YOU ] "We aim to differentiate ourselves in the global casual fashion market by naturally incorporating Korean elements while adding storytelling to the brand."

This is the core strategy for the first half of next year thatLF(093050)will pursue through its casual fashion brand “Hedges.” Hedges’ brand strategy was clearly evident at the “2027 Spring/Summer (SS) Global Order Fair” held on the 23rd at “Hedges Space H Seoul” in Myeongdong, Seoul.

Kim Hoon, Global Creative Director of Hazzys, stated, “Hazzys is a casual brand with a British sensibility, and the main theme for next year’s SS collection also highlights the diverse colors of London’s Notting Hill neighborhood.” He added, “We conceived the collection around themes found in Notting Hill, such as Portobello Market—where people from all over the world gather—and the Notting Hill Carnival, the area’s largest street festival.”

Indeed, the first floor of Space H Seoul, which we visited that day, was designed with the colors of the buildings along Portobello Market as its motif, while the 1.5th floor was themed around the Notting Hill Carnival. This floor-by-floor layout, organized according to the flow of the seasons, allowed visitors to naturally experience Hazzys’ upcoming SS collection.

The focus of Hedge’s at this order fair was the “Hedge’s Blue” collection. Its core lies in combining denim—a staple material in casual fashion—with Korean-inspired finishes. The concept was inspired by the fact that starting with completely undyed cotton fabric, repeated dyeing processes can produce colors of varying depths. Hedge’s is also collaborating with the National Heritage Promotion Agency and Park Young-ae, a National Intangible Cultural Heritage master of embroidery.

Choi Woo-il, Head of the Hegyes Business Division, said, “As Hegyes must compete with global casual brands, we needed our own competitive product line,” adding, “Through ongoing collaboration with Korean artisans, we will expand our product lineup so that an entire store—primarily in global markets—can be filled exclusively with Hegyes Blue items.”

There are other efforts to incorporate Korean elements as well. The brand has also integrated Korea’s “Obangsaek” (five traditional colors) into its flagship “Hazzys Iconic” line. This represents a strengthening of the brand’s storytelling by blending Korean heritage with Hazzys, which draws inspiration from British culture. Manager Choi explained, “We are building our own unique identity within the Iconic line,” adding, “All five colors of the Obangsaek are present in our signature color palette, which ultimately means we are pursuing the same vision.”

Hedges has recently been accelerating its leap toward becoming a global brand. Last year, Hedges alone surpassed 1 trillion won in sales. It currently operates approximately 800 stores worldwide, including in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Russia. The SS strategy for next year, announced this time, is expected to serve as a key weapon in Hedges’ global expansion.

Ahn Yong-seop, Head of Hazzys’ Overseas Business Division, said, “We plan to open our first local store at Sogo Department Store in the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong this September.” He added, “Next year, we plan to open stores in Thailand, India, and France as well, with the launch expected around the Fall/Winter (FW) season. We are also currently seeking local partners to enter the Middle East market.”

This year’s projected performance is also looking promising. Director Choi noted, “I understand that the traditional casual (TD) segment as a whole has been performing well in the first half of this year,” adding, “Brands like Hegyes that can appeal globally will see further growth, and we expect the positive trend to continue into the second half of the year.”

Hegyes also plans to gradually expand the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the future. This time, the company has introduced, for the first time, a global corporate order system linked to an AI-based digital lookbook. Director Choi explained, “We are currently conducting an internal pilot test of AI technology that allows us to identify global fashion trends as early as the product planning stage,” adding, “Since we need the assistance of AI processes to appropriately tailor our designs to the distinct trends of each country, we intend to expand the application of AI throughout the entire process.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and K-Heritage