At S.Factory in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, walking into the gray, factory-style building revealed a space filled with blue light. A sculpture shaped like waves hung from the ceiling, and objects evoking seaweed and the ocean were placed throughout. With the gentle sound of waves added, the atmosphere felt like a small sea had appeared in the middle of the city.
SIL, Taekwang Group's newly established cosmetics unit, unveiled a pop-up store on Tuesday to mark the launch of its first beauty brand, SAFIN. The pop-up, running from Wednesday through November 20, was built around the concept of "Dreamscape: Marine Sanctuary," allowing visitors to experience the brand's concept of a "sanctuary for the skin" through all five senses.
Inside the pop-up were a brand zone introducing SAFIN's proprietary ingredient "Reverse Marine" and a product experience space. SAFIN's key differentiator is raw materials sourced from Korean seas. The company developed Reverse Marine, its proprietary ingredient, from kelp of the South Sea, deep-sea water of the East Sea, and sea silt of the West Sea, using marine biotechnology and K-dermatology research. In the product experience space, visitors could try three flagship skincare products: the Skin Reverse Ampoule Toner, the Solution Cream, and the Tone & Glow Up UV Cream.
"SAFIN is a brand that started with the goal of becoming a settling place for skincare nomads who have been wandering," said Kim Jin-sook, CEO of SIL. "We will present premium skincare that solves the skin concerns of consumers in their 30s and 40s, our target group."
SAFIN is the first result of Taekwang Group's new beauty business, which is being pursued on a scale of 1.5 trillion won. Taekwang Group recently completed its acquisition of Aekyung Industrial, expanding its cosmetics business base, and established SIL, a specialized cosmetics unit, to nurture its own brands. The corporate name SIL carries a double meaning of "thread" and "room," expressing an identity that pursues organic connections between brands and harmony between product strength and brand experience.
"This year's first priority is to raise brand awareness and clearly convey SAFIN's unique identity to consumers," Kim said. "We are also planning to expand offline stores and pursue overseas expansion centered on the United States." She added, "We plan to review ways to create synergy based on the strengths of each beauty affiliate, including SIL within the group, as well as Aekyung Industrial and Dongsung Pharmaceutical."
