MU-B Wiki : How OHESHIO, a Rapidly Rising Brand with Sales in the Hundreds of Millions within Just Six Months after Launch, Leverages MUSINSA to Its Advantage

September 26, 204

MU-B wiki: An abbreviation for ‘MUSINSA Brand Wiki,’ which introduces brands that have grown together with MUSINSA.

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‍ 🆅 OHESHIO, How successful is it these days?

· Surpassing 100 Million Won in Sales within Six Months of Launch
· Achieving Several Billion Won in Sales within a Year of Launch  (cumulative from August 2023 to August 2024)
· September 2024: OHESHIO opens pop-up store in The Hyundai Seoul

‍In movies and novels, we often encounter stories of untapped potential, where someone helps the protagonist realize and fulfill their dreams. The protagonist discovers a hidden talent and, with the aid of this supportive character, evolves into a true hero.

The story of OHESHIO and MUSINSA is quite similar. Because MUSINSA Partners was there for the birth of OHESHIO and MUSINSA has been together for the growth of OHESHIO over the course of a year.

OHESHIO is a unique casual brand with vintage-inspired dots, checks and adorable details that has become a rapidly rising brand for women in their 20s. It hit 100 million won in sales within six months of its launch in August last year, and now, one year later, its transaction value at MUSINSA has surged 11-fold year-on-year as of August this year. Cumulative transactions in 2024 have already surpassed 1 billion won.

‍MUSINSA recognized the potential in OHESHIO that even OHESHIO hadn’t yet discovered

OHESHIO was launched by CEO Min Young with a strong background in the fashion online business. Although she may not be widely known, her unique sense of style is well-regarded within the fashion industry. As his career progressed, her desire to create her own brand intensified. While contemplating how to express their identity with their own products, MUSINSA Partners proposed brand launching.

“The proposal from MUSINSA Partners was a moment of confident that ‘we may not see it now, but we possess a unique potential.’ We probably wouldn't have launched the brand without the proposal.

And I think it’s great that MUSINSA made such a proposal, recognizing that we could do it. Because at the end of the day, you can say ‘Well, anyone can make a proposal,’ but it’s another thing to execute the proposal.”

- OHESHIO Director

OHESHIO 24SS lookbook (Source: OHESHIO)

‍Using influencers for branding, leading to 3-fold increase in sales

OHESHIO's concept revolves around clothing that feels perfect for a group of fashion-loving friends, where you might ask, ’Where did you get it?’ The brand features intricate details of OHESHIO, like kitsch graphics on the brand labels and pocket linings, that are only noticeable when you try the clothes on.

We realized that we couldn’t fully convey these details on a product detail page alone, as people need to be familiar with our brand to appreciate these unique aspects. So, we turned to influencer marketing. It was the ideal medium for introducing OHESHIO and authentically conveying our message and brand direction. You might think, ‘Isn’t influencer marketing something everyone does?’ but even this can be quite challenging for a new brand.

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“As a new brand, diving into influencer marketing on social media can be overwhelming. You’re unsure where to start, how to search, and with a limited budget, the pressure to avoid failure makes you extra cautious.

High number of followers no longer guarantees sales these days. Therefore, I believe finding influencers whose style and direction align well with our brand is crucial. If influencers’ daily routines or the brands they endorse differ significantly from ours, their followers might not connect with our message. We’ve gained many of these insights while conducting influencer collaborations with MUSINSA.”

- OHESHIO Director

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OHESHIO branded content produced in collaboration with influencer Lara Jin

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Since its launch in August of last year, OHESHIO has partnered with MUSINSA to identify and consult with micro-influencers who resonate with the brand. Thanks to the authenticity of influencer marketing, sales naturally followed.

‍The first YouTube collaboration with Mihee, which launched in November, resulted in a 273% increase in sales from the previous month. In December 2023, OHESHIO introduced a showcase with influencer Jungmin, and in April of this year, we unveiled new SS season products in collaboration with influencer Lara Jin. Consequently, OHESHIO achieved an average transaction value of 170 million won over the three-month season from March to June.

Among the items featured by influencers, the Dot Frill Hooded Windbreaker Jumper became the best-selling item, selling over 12,000 copies over six months. (Source: OHESHIO)

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MUSINSA, helping emerging small brands make both big and small decisions

OHESHIO is one of the brands participating in the MUSINSA Brand Incubation Project. OHESHIO joined the incubation program to give MUSINSA’s diverse customers the opportunity to experience what OHESHIO is all about and see if it aligns with their personal tastes and preferences.

MUSINSA Brand Incubation Project was launched in earnest in the second half of this year with the goal of enhancing the competitiveness of the domestic fashion industry by nurturing new brands. Small brands often struggle with low external visibility due to limited budgets and manpower, making marketing and planning challenging. This program aims to address these issues collaboratively.

The approach is for brands to concentrate on their strengths in creative areas, while MUSINSA provides practical support in product operations, marketing, and production. The program aims for continuous growth of brands by closely collaborating with the MUSINSA team on various practical aspects, from selecting creators and preparing pop-up stores to timing product releases.

‍OHESHIO 24FW ‘Layerd’ lookbook (Source: OHESHIO)

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“As soon as I learned about the brand incubation program, I saw it as a valuable opportunity for new brands. Today, many brands that are doing well can still disappear without gaining opportunity to be presented to customers, so I thought MUSINSA could help address this issue.

Additionally, early-stage brands often lack experience in various aspects of brand management, including marketing. They may be uncertain about branding strategies, marketing tactics, data analysis, and timing for launches to achieve optimal responses. Every step involves a series of critical choices.

When navigating these important decisions with an experienced MD of MUSINSA, those with strong design or creative skills can truly excel.”

- OHESHIO Director

OHESHIO brand shop in the MUSINSA global application (source: MUSINSA Global)

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Since March of this year, OHESHIO has also been featured on MUSINSA Global. Before launching OHESHIO, the director visited Tokyo on a business trip and was impressed by the bustling MUSINSA Tokyo pop-up store, which was filled with local customers. 

Since then, the director has thought about collaboration after the brand launch and when the proposal for the presence in MUSINSA Global was made, the decision was made immediately.

MUSINSA held its first Harajuku pop-up in Tokyo, Japan, in April 2023 to promote the status of K-fashion brands. The event was a great success, attracting over 11,400 visitors over the course of three days.

“Even I, as a Korean, was eager to visit. (Laughs) Walking around, it was clear that Korean fashion brands are highly popular in Japan. I could see that people in the Japanese fashion industry must be thinking, 'If MUSINSA can curate something like this and present it as a global showroom, it must be a great brand.'

When I looked around the space, I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if we had a space here?' I'm excited that we can now start to realize that idea in earnest.”- OHESHIO Director.”

- OHESHIO Director

Now in its first year, Team OHESHIO, with its seven closely-knit members, is embarking on various projects and store openings to connect with more customers effectively, much like a rookie idol beginning to make its mark.‍

In the second half of this year, the brand plans to enter 29CM and engages with customers via MUSINSA Live on mobile platform on September 6. Additionally, OHESHIO is preparing to launch in the editorial shop MUSINSA Store Seongsu @ Daelim Changgo, set to open on September 13. It aims to showcase OHESHIO's unique identity through various online and offline channels, step by step.

Lastly, let’s take a look at how the MD utilizes MUSINSA for OHESHIO.

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🆅 3 Ways REST&RECREATION use of MUSINSA as revealed by responsible MD

· NEWSINSA X MUJEANS campaign global pictorials led to a surge in orders for  ‘Minji’s Pink Padding', resulting in reorder (December 2022)
· Highlighted tank tops and T-shirts in MUSINSA Magazine, achieving a 1,300% increase in T-shirt sales compared to the previous year (2023).
· Showcased exclusive, special-price products in collaboration with influencers during the ZOZOTOWN online pop-up, with RR products accounting for two of the top five items in terms of sales in the event (March 2024).

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‍👀 If you want to dig in OHESHIO,

👉🏻 Visit OHESHIO Brand Shop
👉🏻 Visit OHESHIO Instagram

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