"Our goal is to make it possible for customers to put together a full outfit with the Plac brand from head to toe."
Plac, which started as a denim brand in 2009, is accelerating its transition into a "contemporary total fashion" brand. Kang Seung-hyun, CEO of Plac, said, "We want to move beyond the image of a jeans brand and blend naturally into everyday life," announcing that the brand will introduce styles that can be widely used for work, leisure, and more.
CEO Kang previously worked at the private equity firm Praxis Capital Partners, and acquired Plac in 2018 while it was under court receivership, focusing on organizational restructuring and strengthening the business foundation. "The fact that people immediately think of jeans when they hear 'Plac' is an asset that money cannot buy," he said, adding, "We decided to rebrand because we judged that fashion brands are shifting toward being connected to lifestyles rather than simply selling specific products." To this end, the company is expanding its lineup of tops and outerwear, and has newly recruited a design director—a position that had been vacant for several years—to reorganize its product planning and design systems.
The company is also focused on boosting product competitiveness. Plac recently collaborated with the "Shiota" factory in the Okayama region of Japan to launch its first premium denim line, "051," priced in the 200,000-won range. First-week sales jumped 256% compared to existing lines. Kang emphasized, "The premium line is like an 'anchor product' that elevates the brand's value," adding, "Based on products with top-tier competitiveness, we will enhance the completeness of the entire brand lineup."
In terms of distribution strategy, the company plans to focus on communicating with customers through pop-ups and content rather than expanding stores. Accordingly, the number of pop-ups has been increased from the previous one or two per year to at least one per quarter this year. Last month, the brand held a pop-up called "The Denim Standard" in Hannam-dong, Seoul, showcasing the Shiota collaboration line, which received an enthusiastic response, with some products selling out early. Kang added, "In standardized stores, the messages that can be conveyed to consumers are limited," noting that "pop-ups allow us to show the brand's story and direction in a more multidimensional way."
