Shinhan Korea, represented by Hancheol Kim, launched a trunk show for its new brand 'UFC Sports' near Dosan Park in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. UFC Sports is a premium lifestyle brand infused with the spirit of UFC, offering a variety of lifestyle wear styles that can be worn by individuals aged 25 to 35 in their daily lives. It was launched with a capsule collection released on Musinsa last September. In its official debut season next year S/S, UFC Sports will introduce items in three categories: 'Heritage,' 'Lifestyle,' and 'Premium.' The Heritage category emphasizes vintage-inspired, eco-friendly products, while Lifestyle offers daily wear with a sports casual concept. Premium focuses on functional clothing with an emphasis on utility features. In addition, while incorporating the strong masculine characteristics of UFC, the brand will also introduce a practical line of women's sportswear.

In particular, UFC Sports, under the leadership of Hancheol Kim, CEO of Shinhan Korea, has acquired licensing rights for both Korea and Japan, aiming to simultaneously target both markets. In September, a capsule collection was tested in Japanese editorial shops such as Bstand and Beams. Domestically, the brand is gaining recognition through product placement on Mnet's popular program "Show Me The Money 10."

Over the past decade, Reebok, a global sports brand, has presented UFC with performance-oriented gear. Currently, Shinhan Korea's challenge lies in effectively translating the strong and powerful image associated with UFC into lifestyle fashion. Particularly, for performance gear frequently exposed in UFC events, Venim holds the licensing rights. Therefore, the initial focus will be on fashion to enhance accessibility for consumers.

Jaeyoung Lim, the current Vice President leading the UFC Sports division, stated, "Based on the feedback received from the capsule collection and the recent trunk show, we will focus on emphasizing UFC's strong identity while providing products and content that are easily accessible to consumers." He added, "We aim to increase the influx of our main target audience, the 25-35 age group, and we are also considering expanding into various categories such as kids' golf in the future. In our third year since launch, we are vigorously driving sales growth and contemplating a counterattack in the global market with our products.

The space where the trunk show was held will become the first flagship store for UFC Sports in February. The first floor will serve as a retail space, while the second floor will be designed as a customer experience and entertainment area. Simultaneously, a second store location is being established in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, which will also aim to provide consumers with a place where they can fully experience the brand's culture and identity. The goal is to create spaces that attract consumers. Additionally, starting from the first half of 2022, aggressive expansion plans for standalone stores in department stores and company-owned outlets are underway.

On the other hand, Shinhan Korea, which operates the golf wear and lifestyle brand JDX, is focusing on expanding its target audience to a younger and broader consumer base through the launch of UFC Sports. They are actively recruiting new talent to build anticipation for the new business. The company aims to leap forward as a fashion enterprise that communicates with all age groups, from golf to sports, and lifestyle, through JDX and UFC. [FashionBiz=Reporter Sunmi Kwak]