"A Clearer Concept Than Trends: My Own Wardrobe, Capturing Women's Hearts"

Cafe24, MZ Generation Global Brand - BeMyYoung CEO Jeong Sun-young

The starting point of the popular women's clothing brand 'Be My Young' was a blog. CEO Jeong Seon-young (27) gained considerable popularity as a fashion blogger. Although she attracted much attention from customers by opening a shopping mall within the blog and showcasing diverse outfits, it was far from enough to promote her own brand. It was recognized as just one of many similar blogs.

CEO Jeong said, "It was difficult to gain trust from customers while running a shopping mall through a blog," adding, "I prepared for a long time to build trust as a professional shopping mall and then opened the mall." In 2018, determined to grow 'Be My Young' beyond a blog market into a fashion brand, she opened the shopping mall. Having a background in a clothing company and a strong interest in design and overall shopping mall branding, she boldly invested in in-house production at the early stage of the business. From the very beginning, when brand awareness was minimal, CEO Jeong visited various production lines and persuaded them to work together. Since the expected order volume was small, it was natural that the production lines responded coldly. Her countermeasure was a business plan for the shopping mall and various design portfolios.

CEO Jeong said, "I started appealing to each factory about how I would grow the shopping mall and what capabilities I had," adding, "Since it was a shopping mall handling very small quantities, I was often ignored, but by persistently persuading them, they gradually opened the door to collaboration." Now, entering the third year of the business, various designs that were once just ideas are being made into prototypes at the factories. CEO Jeong said, "They have become reliable partners who stand by me in difficult times, allowing us to grow together."

CEO Jeong emphasized that Be My Young is a brand targeting the hearts of women in their mid-20s to early 30s. She said the brand value is encapsulated in the slogan "My Own Special Wardrobe." CEO Jeong said, "Just as the designs I want to present to customers are unique to me, I thought customers would be interested in their own styles," adding, "Running the shopping mall made me realize that having an independent and clear concept is more important than simply following trends."

Be My Young's styling resonated well in the market. A blouse featuring a cherry pattern sold more than 4,000 pieces per month and became a hot topic on social media. There are many other products that were popular enough to be reordered three to four times. Most popular products are self-produced. CEO Jeong's efforts cover the entire production cycle, from planning, fabric selection, design, to coordinating photo shoots.

The vertical growth in the domestic market opened the door to overseas business. Last year, they collaborated with a famous Italian production line to produce bags. Since it was a production line known to anyone familiar with luxury brands, it attracted much attention from customers. The shopping mall built on the global e-commerce platform Cafe24 was even praised by overseas buyers as comparable to a coordinated collection. CEO Jeong said, "Recently, as interest in K-fashion has become globalized, overseas companies are paying attention," adding, "I want to continue approaching customers with styles that only Be My Young can show."