JiyongKim Hannam Flagship Store by one-aftr: A Transformative Retail Experience in Seoul

Located in the vibrant Hannam-dong neighborhood of Seoul, the JiyongKim Hannam Flagship Store represents the brand's first flagship retail environment, designed by one-aftr. Covering an area of 255 m², this innovative store embodies the essence of JiyongKim's signature sun-bleaching technique and emphasizes themes of time, transformation, and material authenticity. Opened in 2025, the space not only functions as a retail store but also as a spatial narrative, exploring the intriguing state between completion and incompletion.

The building, a converted row house, has a rich history, evolving from residential use to mixed commercial programs, including offices and retail. Each phase of its transformation has left physical traces, which are deliberately preserved to reflect the temporal journey of the architecture—mirroring the brand’s garments that capture the accumulated effects of time.

The store’s design concept, described as “Finished, Finish,” celebrates imperfection and the beauty of unfinished surfaces. Existing walls and ceilings, with their natural unevenness, are left exposed or minimally treated, becoming integral to the architectural composition. Modular furniture, vertical supports, and ceiling elements are strategically incorporated to provide both functional utility and spatial organization, creating a dynamic environment for product display and circulation.

Natural light plays a key role in shaping the store’s atmosphere. The interplay of untreated materials, subtle light variations, and minimal interventions articulates smooth spatial transitions, highlighting material textures in their raw, unrefined state. This approach deliberately moves away from polished perfection, allowing material irregularities and existing conditions to communicate the brand’s values directly and authentically.

The JiyongKim Hannam Flagship Store offers visitors a retail experience that merges fashion, architecture, and storytelling. It stands as a testament to the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship, temporal narrative, and the dialogue between old structures and contemporary design interventions.

All photographs are works of Jang Mi