"The design is tired and ugly": Gucci's new design dedicated to Korea strikes a wrong chord with fans

Gucci is facing backlash over its recent release of exclusive clothing in Korea, which has been called into question for its authenticity.

Recently, on January 5, Gucci released a new design exclusively for the Korean market featuring the brand's signature label name written in their authentic font, with the addition of the word "GUCCI" written in Korean.

The fashion giant's new Korea collection (Image via Gucci)

In an effort to tap into Korean culture, the company added the Hangul language as an essence to their exclusive designs. However, the response to this design has not been as positive as the team at the luxury fashion house had hoped.

Despite their efforts to incorporate elements of Korean culture into their classic design, the outcome has not been as successful as they had anticipated.

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People were really not amused by Gucci's designs

At first glance, people believed it to be photoshopped work or made by some fake page, selling their fake products online.

However, according to Gucci's official website, the designs are authentic and were introduced as part of the brand's "Korea Exclusive" line.

The hoodie zip-up and short-sleeved T-shirt both feature the word "Gucci" written in Korean, as well as the English phrase '"GOOD LUCK" on the front of the hoodie.

Netizens are even calling out the company's designers for adding just a word and calling it a new product.

In a statement, Gucci even explained that the inclusion of both English and Korean writing on the patches "further emphasized the charm" of the products. The hoodie zip-up retails for 3.2 million KRW and the short-sleeved T-shirt for about 890,000 KRW.

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The company's venture in South Korea

In recent events, the luxury fashion brand has named K-pop group NewJeans member Hanni as its latest brand ambassador. NewJeans is a popular and highly sought-after group in the world of K-pop, featuring members Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein.

This move by the Italian fashion brand highlights the continuing trend of fashion companies seeking out partnerships with K-pop stars to appeal to younger consumers and tap into the massive global success of the genre.

In 2021, the luxury brand had another big campaign with one of the global K-pop stars, Kai from EXO. The collaboration was for a limited-edition capsule collection, making him the first Korean celebrity to do so. He was previously named the luxury house's brand ambassador in 2019.

The collection, called Kai x Gucci, features teddy bear motifs on monogrammed handbags, leather goods, sneakers, and clothing for both men and women, inspired by Kai's love of the childhood toy. A few other ambassadors of the luxury brand have also been given the opportunity to create their own collection.

The brand has even bigger Korean celebrities in its global ambassador family, like IU, the famous K-pop star and actor, Lee Jung-jae, the famous Squid Game star, and Shin Min-ah, the star famous for her role in Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.

The Italian luxury brand will also be presenting its cruise 2024 show in South Korea on May 15, 2023. The show will mark the label’s 25 years in the country, since the brand opened its first flagship store in Seoul in 1998.