Counterculture Fashion Shops

Korea's 'Rare Market' Sells Alternatives to Global Designer Brands

There's a lot of competition between global luxury brands that want to win over the hearts of consumers in Korea, but Rare Market is a concept shop that diverges from
other retailers in this area. This fashion shop caters to consumers who want to stand out and be recognized for their own style, not a designer brand name.

The shop in Seoul was co-founded by two friends who were on a mission to bring obscure designer brands to Korea. As a result, the pair have six annual buying trips, where they bring back an assortment of globally inspired pieces from everywhere from New York to Russia. Co-founder Jessica Jung says: "In Korea, it’s always Chanel, or Louis Vuitton, or Gucci, but now we have people coming in and saying, ‘Oh, what brand is this?'"

As well as having a foothold in Korea among a new generation of style-conscious women, Rebel Market has global appeal—it launched its own in-house line, We11Done, in collaboration with American 'Man Repeller' blogger Leandra Medine.

Alternative Fashion
Rare Market caters to consumers who want to stand out and be recognized for their own style, not a designer brand name.
Obscure Designer Brands
The founders of Rare Market bring back an assortment of globally inspired pieces from obscure designer brands during their buying trips.
Global Appeal
Rare Market's in-house line, We11Done, in collaboration with American 'Man Repeller' blogger Leandra Medine, has gained global appeal.

Sectors Adopting This

Fashion Retail
Rare Market's focus on alternative fashion presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the fashion retail industry.
Designer Brand Distribution
The success of Rare Market in bringing obscure designer brands to Korea opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in the designer brand distribution industry.
Fashion Collaboration
We11Done's collaboration with Leandra Medine demonstrates the potential for disruptive innovation in the fashion collaboration industry.
SCORE
6.1 out of 10
GENDER
10% Men90% Women
MARKETTop markets: Asia
GENERATION
  • Gen Z
  • Gen Alpha
  • Millennial (primary audience)
  • Gen X (primary audience)
POPULARITY
Popularity 86%
Activity 90%
Freshness 8%

Solutions for innovators working at the edge of change. We help transform emerging ideas into practical, durable solutions by combining strategic thinking, creative exploration, and hands-on execution.

Trends © 2026 Trend Hunter Inc. All Rights Reserved.
LinkedIn Instagram X