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Funding and advertised pay are reported in USD; filed accounts retain their stated source currency and basis.

Exchange-rate basis

Indicative conversions use ECB reference rates dated 2026-09-14, applied consistently across all periods. They are not historical exchange rates. Indian rupees may use crore (1 crore = 10 million); other currencies use K, M and B. CSV downloads, source documents and quoted news headlines retain their original currencies.

THE SOUTH KOREA EDITION 2026

South Korea’s
direct-to-consumer fashion brands industry,
in focus.

The companies, capital and talent shaping direct-to-consumer fashion brands in South Korea. Find the leaders. Understand the segments. See where the activity is.

Explore in Radar Read the key signals
Snapshot: Funding in USD
Illustrated cover for Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands Industry Landscape of South Korea
KR
COMPANIES · CAPITAL · TALENT

An industry ecosystem,
measured in context.

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands illustration
Companies tracked 545Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands ecosystem in South Korea Disclosed funding $1.77B27 companies · all recorded rounds Companies hiring 6With open roles at the snapshot Tracked open roles 60 employers posted in the preceding 30 days
MEET THE COMPANIES

Explore South Korea’s direct-to-consumer fashion brands leaders

21 featured companies from the funding, hiring, revenue and team-size leaderboards.

Expand panel +
Explore the full landscape
Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands company highlights in South Korea, snapshot 2 September 2026
Company
Musinsaglobal.musinsa.com$473.73M1 roles1,524—
KREAMkream.co.kr$447.79M1 roles100—
Trenbetrenbe.com$270.07M—66—
Dansaekdansaek.co$114.71M—15—
Bunjangm.bunjang.co.kr$112.95M———
ABLYably.team$76.9M———
Brandibrandi.co.kr$56.58M—211—
Balaanbalaan.co.kr$44.97M—69—
Charancharan.ai—1 roles23—
Dongledong-gle.co.kr—1 roles——
LAVUlavu.co.kr—1 roles——
Rapo Labsrapportlabs.kr—1 roles144—
COKODIVEcokodive.com————
Cafe 24cafe24.com————
Half Clubhalfclub.com————
Justonejustone.co.kr————
SSF SHOPssfshop.com————
TBH GLOBALtbhshop.co.kr————
VIVIENGRU COaboutsome.co.kr————
Zig Zagzigzag.kr————
jentestorejentestore.com——44—
21 featured companies

Locked revenue figures are available in Radar; the eight company financial previews stay the same throughout this page. A dash means the figure is outside these featured lists. Revenue years vary by company; the figures are not a like-for-like revenue comparison. Compare annual accounts ↗

Company discovery

Recorded evidence only

Explore the live startup set in Radar

No company example met every recorded classification, independence and public-profile gate in this snapshot. The live directory may have newer qualifying companies.

Explore classified startups in Radar ↗
THE KEY SIGNALS

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands industry KPIs in South Korea

A few useful ratios bring the size of this ecosystem into perspective.

2 September 2026
Hiring participation1.1%

6 of 545 tracked companies have open roles.

Funding participation6.2%

34 of 545 tracked companies have a recorded round.

Top 3 funding share67.3%

Share of disclosed capital received by the three largest recorded recipients.

Median disclosed round$9.22M

Midpoint of 41 rounds with a disclosed amount.

Scale is concentrated. Opportunity is broader. The three largest funding recipients hold 67.3% of disclosed capital, while 93.8% of tracked companies have no recorded funding round.

Explore the segments →
CAPITAL & COMPANY FORMATION

How South Korea direct-to-consumer fashion brands has grown

Recorded company formation and disclosed funding across the complete annual series shown.

Expand panel +
2016 — 2025

Disclosed funding by year

Sum of recorded funding rounds · USD

South Korea direct-to-consumer fashion brands
$0$198.45M$396.9M$595.36M$793.81M2016: $3.86M20162017: $11.76M20172018: $020182019: $176.33M20192020: $53.26M20202021: $260.97M20212022: $696.32M20222023: $450.4M20232024: $79.76M20242025: $18.67M2025
View the numbers
Annual direct-to-consumer fashion brands funding and company formation in South Korea
YearFunding (USD)FoundedRaising
2016$3.86M382
2017$11.76M372
2018$0340
2019$176.33M343
2020$53.26M462
2021$260.97M397
2022$696.32M179
2023$450.4M97
2024$79.76M53
2025$18.67M23
WHERE CAPITAL SITS

Funding concentration

Share of all disclosed company funding.

  • Musinsa26.7%
  • KREAM25.3%
  • Trenbe15.2%
  • Other companies32.7%

Funding by stage

56 recorded rounds since 2016

NUMBER OF ROUNDS
Seed & Angel14 25.0%
Series A–B31 55.4%
Series C+ / PE11 19.6%
Grants, debt & other0 0.0%

Recent recorded rounds

Latest recorded rounds · USD
2 rounds

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Series A04/2026
Brandazine $6.31M

Backed by DNX Ventures and Coupang.

Series B03/2026
Athler $6.69M

Backed by Company K Partners and Laguna Investment and others.

Largest and notable recorded rounds

Each card is one recorded round
10 cards

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Series D08/2022
Trenbetrenbe.com$259.26M

Backed by IMM Investment and Atinum Investment and others.

Series C03/2023
KREAMkream.co.kr$168M

Backed by Altos Ventures Management and Mirae Asset and others.

Series B10/2021
KREAMkream.co.kr$84.29M

Backed by Altos Ventures Management and Mirae Asset and others.

THE BUSINESS BEHIND THE ACTIVITY

Revenue, profitability & financial strength

Expand panel +

Annual accounts availability

No reviewed exact national-ID connector has yet been qualified for South Korea; this is a checked implementation boundary, not evidence that filings are absent.; No reviewed exact national-ID connector has yet been qualified for South Korea; this is a checked implementation boundary, not evidence that filings are absent.

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

Web traffic, app reach and release cadence

How the South Korea companies on this page show up online: the sites people visit, the apps they install, and how often those apps ship.

Busiest websites

23 of the 545 companies on this page carry a measured traffic record (4.2%); these are the largest of those, by monthly visits. The median among them is 99,781 visits.

CompanyMonthly visitsAuthorityMobile
Cafe 24cafe24.com8,886,3284453.8%
KREAMkream.co.kr2,829,6145026.9%
SSF SHOPssfshop.com1,581,4774769.2%
LEWKINlewkin.com764,7613647.9%
COKODIVEcokodive.com545,0883581.8%
H Fashion Mallhfashionmall.com408,3403693.6%
MAYDDLEmayddle.com150,5772587.8%
The Sharp Story Cochicfox.co.kr141,4392580.7%
Hiverhiver.co.kr121,2063355.2%
thisisneverthatthisisneverthat.com119,0923632.6%

Visits and authority are third-party web estimates, not company-reported figures.

Most-installed apps

221 of these companies (40.6%) publish at least one Android app — 804 apps in all, carrying 192.7M installs between them.

AppInstallsRatingStore category
Stickman The FlashCafe 2427.8M4.7Action
7Zipper - File Explorer (zip, Cafe 2422.3M3.8Tools
Zigzag: +7000 shops in one appZig Zag14.3M4.4Shopping
Zipper - File ManagementCafe 248.5M4.2Tools
브랜디 - 인기 쇼핑몰을 한곳에Brandi6.7M4.4Shopping
KREAM (크림)KREAM6M4.7Shopping
룩핀 - 1000만 남자가 선택한 코디 스타일 패션앱Lookpin4.6M4.3Shopping
포스티, 브랜드 패션을 아울렛 가격으로Kakao Style4.4M4.9Shopping
하프클럽 - halfclubHalf Club4.2M2.5Shopping
Dungeon ChronicleCafe 244M3.7Role Playing

Installs are lifetime totals to date at the June 2026 store reading — a measure of reach, not of people using an app today.

App reach by segment

The busiest app inside each of this page’s own segments, with the quarterly release trend behind it (2024Q1–2026Q2).

SegmentAppsInstallsLeading appRelease trend
Fashion Tech802192.4MStickman The Flash 27.8M
Apparel Brands7691.7KRomistory 417.5K
Mom & Baby Care4665Kunifriend 289.6K
Online Mom & Baby Care3333.5K행복을 부르는 마법패션 오즈키즈 191.4K
Retailers2216.3Kdeepny 131.6K
Fitness & Wellness Tech21.1KCART BP 1.1K

A company can carry several segment tags, so these rows overlap and should not be added together. Trend lines are zero-based and share one quarter grid, so a flat line is a quiet segment, not a missing one.

Release cadence by quarter

New apps published, beside apps whose most recent update landed in that quarter — the second bar is how much of the shelf is still being maintained.

2023Q2: 22023Q2: 312023Q22023Q3: 102023Q3: 32023Q32023Q4: 62023Q4: 32023Q42024Q1: 92024Q1: 62024Q12024Q2: 72024Q2: 32024Q22024Q3: 52024Q3: 122024Q32024Q4: 52024Q4: 62024Q42025Q1: 202025Q1: 62025Q12025Q2: 172025Q2: 82025Q22025Q3: 92025Q3: 572025Q32025Q4: 92025Q4: 3072025Q42026Q1: 162026Q1: 822026Q1

Darker bars are new releases, lighter bars apps updated. 518 of 804 apps carry a release date. The series ends at 2026Q1, the last quarter that closed before the June 2026 reading.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

The South Korea direct-to-consumer fashion brands market map

Explore the segments behind the headline numbers.

Expand panel +

Where companies are building

Rank segments by scale, hiring or disclosed funding.

B2c e-commerce544
Consumer digital537
Internet first brands246
Luxury e-commerce23
Second hand goods17
Second hand fashion goods17
Marketplaces17
Mom and baby care e-commerce11
Enterprise tech6
Sustainable ecommerce5
Internet first sportswear brands5

Companies can sit in several segments. Counts and funding overlap.

SEGMENT TO EXPLORE

B2c e-commerce

The largest measured segment in this report snapshot.

544companies
1.1%have hiring activity

6 companies hiring · $1.77B disclosed funding

Explore in Radar

How companies make money

Common revenue models; a company can use more than one.

E-commerce - product528
E-commerce - service76
Subscription23
Commission on transaction20
Advertising15
Physical commerce3
THE COMPANIES IN MOTION

Who is listing, hiring leaders, launching and winning work

Recorded corporate activity linked to companies in this landscape.

Expand panel +
Recent corporate headlines 7 dated reports
Mergers & acquisitionszigzag.kr ↗

ZigZag, the global post-purchase and returns network, has completed the acquisition of leading post-purchase platform Shipup.

Capital infusionstbhshop.co.kr ↗

The activation of a $1 billion capital and infrastructure reserve dedicated to Asian conglomerates establishing production strongholds in the United States.

Contractsskylabs.io ↗

Sky Labs Inc. (CEO Jack Byunghwan Lee) announced on the 5th that it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) for the ring-type blood pressure monitor, 'CART BP pro', in the Japanese hospital and clinic market.

Earningskream.co.kr ↗

South Korea-based niche marketplace Kream delivered another strong sales performance for 2024, lifting its revenue by 45.3% year on year (y-o-y) to KRW177 billion ($120 million U.S.), according to the company’s regulatory filing.

Lawsuitbalaan.co.kr ↗

Seoul Bankruptcy Court accepted Balaan’s application to begin rehabilitation proceedings on Friday, which the company had filed on March 31.

Leadership movestrenbe.com ↗

Jonghyun Lee, who was appointed co-CEO of South Korea-based luxury goods marketplace Trenbe in July 2023, alongside Kyung Hoon Park, has resigned, News1 reports.

New productsjentestore.com ↗

Jente, a premium online boutique, launched its global platform to expand its presence into not just Asia, but also the U.S., Canada and Europe, the company said Monday.

Full recorded event mix

Top 8 categories among 11 recorded events in the 24-month window.

Leadership moves
2
Regulatory
2
New products
2
Lawsuit
1
Capital infusions
1
Earnings
1
Mergers & acquisitions
1
Contracts
1
3 activity cards

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Contract wins

1 recorded customer wins

Sky Labs ↗

Customer: otsuka pharmaceuticalHealthcare

Regulatory events

2 recorded events

Balaan ↗

Prohibited Choi from leaving the countrySuwon Nambu Police Precinct

Balaan ↗

Initiated corporate rehabilitation proceedingsSeoul Bankruptcy Court

Litigation

1 tracked suits

Company
Group of sellers v balaan

bankruptcy rehabilitationRegulatory · Ongoing

Mergers and acquisitions

Company-linked deal reports; status is preserved as recorded.

Acquirer → targetStatusDateValue / context
Zig Zag→shipupCompleted2026-04-21Not stated in snapshot
KREAM→sodaAnnounced2023-10-11$71.6M
KREAM→shake handsAnnounced2022-07-20$1.7M
KREAM→Quista TechnologyAnnounced2022-07-20Not stated in snapshot
global blue→Zig Zag ↗Pending2021-03-31$70.0M
clemenger group→JOJEAN ↗Completed2013-04-24Not stated in snapshot

A discussion or rumour is not a completed transaction. An unstated value is not zero.

PEOPLE & OPPORTUNITY

The talent market

Recorded hiring and workforce signals from the available source snapshot.

Expand panel +

Most advertised job titles

No repeated job title is supported by this snapshot.

1 internship postings

0 tracked postings mention remote work.

THE PEOPLE BUILDING THE FIELD

Founders and leaders

104 founders and chief executives across 104 companies.

Expand panel +
12 profiles

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Education networks

4 profiles with education records.

University of Toronto
1
Seoul National University
1
Yonsei University
1
University of Chicago
1

Prior employers

1 profiles with prior-work records.

Profiles cover recorded founders and leaders; contact details remain in Radar.

NEWS INTELLIGENCE

How this industry appears in the news

309,933 articles in the measured 12-month window.

Expand panel +
309,933articles in the measured year
57,117articles in 2026Q1
38.7%positive tone in the latest complete year

News volume trends

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands coverage across South Korea · articles per complete quarter

042,01084,020126,030168,0402021Q2: 36,1102021Q22021Q3: 41,2482021Q4: 36,5282022Q1: 44,2862022Q2: 41,0522022Q22022Q3: 44,1532022Q4: 61,2272023Q1: 57,3992023Q2: 56,8672023Q22023Q3: 60,8732023Q4: 50,9352024Q1: 61,9442024Q2: 64,8002024Q22024Q3: 67,1602024Q4: 81,2242025Q1: 92,3172025Q2: 59,8752025Q22025Q3: 146,1222025Q4: 50,5942026Q1: 57,1172026Q1
View quarterly article counts
QuarterArticles
2021Q236,110
2021Q341,248
2021Q436,528
2022Q144,286
2022Q241,052
2022Q344,153
2022Q461,227
2023Q157,399
2023Q256,867
2023Q360,873
2023Q450,935
2024Q161,944
2024Q264,800
2024Q367,160
2024Q481,224
2025Q192,317
2025Q259,875
2025Q3146,122
2025Q450,594
2026Q157,117

Article volume measures coverage, not market sales.

Tone of coverage over time

2021
64,591 positive · 31,228 neutral · 26,526 negative
2022
96,373 positive · 49,033 neutral · 45,131 negative
2023
117,662 positive · 61,010 neutral · 47,251 negative
2024
127,121 positive · 95,910 neutral · 51,917 negative
2025
135,110 positive · 151,612 neutral · 62,003 negative

Leading coverage topics

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands coverage across South Korea · ranked by full-period article count.

International And Transnational Geographic Entities299,853 articles in the full recorded period
108,052 recent · 81,360 prior
Geopolitical Disputes And Contested Areas299,849 articles in the full recorded period
108,049 recent · 81,360 prior
Administrative And Political Subdivisions299,833 articles in the full recorded period
108,047 recent · 81,349 prior
International Political Relations23,383 articles in the full recorded period
5,478 recent · 5,592 prior
Mobile Operating Systems19,811 articles in the full recorded period
5,136 recent · 4,789 prior
Latest Gadgets And Consumer Electronics18,527 articles in the full recorded period
5,057 recent · 4,110 prior
Security And Defense Policies18,102 articles in the full recorded period
4,113 recent · 4,560 prior
International Relations And Diplomacy15,853 articles in the full recorded period
3,092 recent · 3,672 prior
Trade Policies And Agreements12,539 articles in the full recorded period
6,526 recent · 3,861 prior
International Sports Competitions12,274 articles in the full recorded period
2,701 recent · 2,026 prior

Recent and prior counts use the source comparison windows.

Topics gaining and losing attention

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands coverage across South Korea

KeywordRecentPriorChange
countries4,1751,848126%
bilateral trade1,27087046%
smart television94564247%
android tv86058647%
app-enabled tv81755747%
wifi television80851856%
google tv72448948%
internet tv68644455%
android tablet62939659%
tablet58135265%
aircraft wreckage82664-88%
aircraft emergency procedures60542-89%
olympic team selections295508-42%
flight safety measures73481-85%
cyber monday discounts250403-38%

Event and signal lenses

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands coverage across South Korea

All complete annual cohorts shown
Rising

Regulatory Risk

569,409 classified articles

territories, disputed islands, countries

15.8% critical · 11.3% positive
Rising

Funding Momentum

31,172 classified articles

flagship pricing, quarterfinals, world cup

40.7% critical · 46.1% positive
Rising

Growth

104,028 classified articles

gdp growth rate, gdp acceleration, economic output growth

33.8% critical · 47.9% positive

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands coverage across South Korea. Topic labels describe recorded classifications and can include broad context.

RESEARCH SIGNALS

What Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands research is working on

2,475 papers in the recorded worldwide scope.

Expand panel +
2,475papers
2,475worldwide comparison pool
—India-affiliated papers

Research orientation

Promising
995
Breakthrough
669
Descriptive
475
Problem-identifying
226
Comparative
61
Cautionary
43
Critical
6

Contribution mix

Methods-led
1,233
Empirical
736
Reviews
382
Position pieces
114
Theoretical
10

Tone counts: 2,412 positive · 54 neutral · 9 negative.

Common problems researchers identify
232 papers · 9.4% of this field
  • Textile104 papers
  • Clothing40 papers
  • Wearable computer35 papers
  • Wearable technology34 papers
  • Architectural engineering28 papers
  • Electronics18 papers
  • Sustainability12 papers
  • Reliability10 papers

Landmark: Smart Textiles for Electricity Generation

Cautions
43 papers · 1.7% of this field
  • Textile22 papers
  • Electrical conductor6 papers
  • Composite material5 papers
  • Electronics4 papers
  • Wearable computer3 papers
  • Wearable technology2 papers
  • Randomized controlled trial2 papers
  • Coating2 papers

Landmark: Wearable Electronics and Smart Textiles: A Critical Review

Opportunities
1,664 papers · 67.2% of this field
  • Textile722 papers
  • Wearable computer315 papers
  • Electrical conductor137 papers
  • Wearable technology134 papers
  • Composite material131 papers
  • Clothing102 papers
  • Nanotechnology93 papers
  • Yarn76 papers

Landmark: Smart fabric sensors and e-textile technologies: a review

Leading institutions

Chinese Academy of Sciences
2,313
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
2,043
Center for Sustainable Future Technologies
1,975
Italian Institute of Technology
1,975
Space
1,975
University of California, Los Angeles
1,626

Leading researchers

Matteo Stoppa
1,975
Alessandro Chiolerio
1,975
Jun Chen
1,725
Guorui Chen
1,448
Michael Bick
1,289
Kunigunde H. Cherenack
1,022
Yongzhong Li
903
Jun Yang
820

Highly cited breakthrough-labelled papers

  • Smart Electronic Yarns and Wearable Fabrics for Human Biomonitoring made by Carbon Nanotube Coating with Polyelectrolytes532 citations
  • Scalable One‐Step Wet‐Spinning of Graphene Fibers and Yarns from Liquid Crystalline Dispersions of Graphene Oxide: Towards Multifunctional Textiles424 citations
  • Shape adaptable and highly resilient 3D braided triboelectric nanogenerators as e-textiles for power and sensing421 citations
  • Woven Electronic Fibers with Sensing and Display Functions for Smart Textiles412 citations
  • Large‐Scale and Washable Smart Textiles Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator Arrays for Self‐Powered Sleeping Monitoring410 citations

Common problems researchers identify

213 papers · 4 recurring themes
4 cards

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Smart Textile Engineering ChallengesCommon problems researchers identify · 01

Smart Textile Engineering Challenges

103 papers

48.4% of this theme group

Researchers highlight difficulties integrating electricity generation and computing functions into wearable fabrics.

Architectural engineering (25) · Textile (44) · Wearable computer (17) · Clothing (17)

Smart Textiles for Electricity Generation

Smart textiles: A toolkit to fashion the future

View research history
YearShare index
2022894.9
2023952.1
20241032.1
2025972.9
Wearable Electronics Sustainability IssuesCommon problems researchers identify · 02

Wearable Electronics Sustainability Issues

59 papers

27.7% of this theme group

Studies point to environmental and technical hurdles in developing electronic textiles.

Textile (36) · Wearable technology (19) · Wearable computer (17) · Electronics (9)

Recent Trends in Wearable Electronic Textiles (e-Textiles): A Mini Review

Environmental sustainability of e-textile products approached by makers and manufacturers

View research history
YearShare index
2022171.6
2023172.4
2024145.7
2025165.2
Technical Textile Industry BarriersCommon problems researchers identify · 03

Technical Textile Industry Barriers

37 papers

17.4% of this theme group

Works discuss raw material constraints and safety concerns for functional textile diversification.

Textile (18) · Textile industry (6) · Raw material (3) · Joint (3)

Diversification into Technical Textiles: A Forward Momentum for Indian Textiles Industry

Safety,durability and applicability of functional textiles

View research history
YearShare index
202299.3
2023100.4
202491.6
2025125.9
Educational Integration of E‑TextilesCommon problems researchers identify · 04

Educational Integration of E‑Textiles

14 papers

6.6% of this theme group

Papers examine obstacles to incorporating smart textiles into STEAM curricula.

Humanities (4) · Archaeology (3) · The arts (2) · Curriculum (2)

Supporting and Sustaining Equitable STEAM Activities in High School Classrooms: Understanding Computer Science Teachers’ Needs and Practices

E-textiles para la educación STEAM en educación primaria: una revisión sistemática

View research history
YearShare index
2022142.4
2023148.0
2024145.6
2025103.2

Cautions

39 papers · 4 recurring themes
4 cards

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Smart Textile Safety and ReliabilityCautions · 01

Smart Textile Safety and Reliability

20 papers

51.3% of this theme group

Authors urge caution over health, durability, and emergency‑response reliability of wearable smart fabrics.

Textile (14) · Electronics (3) · Wearable technology (2) · Smart material (2)

Wearable Electronics and Smart Textiles: A Critical Review

AI-BASED SMART TEXTILE WEARABLES FOR REMOTE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AND CRITICAL EMERGENCY ALERTS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

View research history
YearShare index
2022159.4
2023159.4
2024135.0
2025153.1
Conductive Textile Manufacturing RisksCautions · 02

Conductive Textile Manufacturing Risks

11 papers

28.2% of this theme group

Research warns about laundering durability and production complexities of electrically conductive fabrics.

Electrical conductor (5) · Wireless power transfer (2) · Planar (2) · Fusible alloy (2)

Development of textile-based transmission lines using conductive yarns and ultrasonic welding technology for e-textile applications

Evaluation of Launderability of Electrically Conductive Fabrics for E-Textile Applications

View research history
YearShare index
2022252.7
2023243.3
2024207.8
2025301.5
Clinical Validation GapsCautions · 03

Clinical Validation Gaps

5 papers

12.8% of this theme group

Limited clinical trials raise doubts about therapeutic claims of functional textiles.

Randomized controlled trial (2) · Composite material (3) · Textile (4)

Functional textiles for atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Experimental Analysis and Simulation of Novel Technical Textile Reinforced Composite of Banana Fibre

View research history
YearShare index
20223028.5
20232977.6
20242797.2
20251971.3
Assessment and Training LimitationsCautions · 04

Assessment and Training Limitations

3 papers

7.7% of this theme group

Studies note a lack of standardized evaluation methods and short‑duration training for e‑textile designers.

Textile (2)

Consensual assessment in the new domain of e-textiles: Comparing insights from expert, quasi-expert, and novice judges.

Learning design for short-duration e-textile workshops: outcomes on knowledge and skills

View research history
YearShare index
2022115.2
2023123.4
2024128.2
2025169.1

Opportunities

1,516 papers · 7 recurring themes
7 cards

Swipe or scroll horizontally to browse.

Integrated Antenna and Sensor TextilesOpportunities · 01

Integrated Antenna and Sensor Textiles

290 papers

19.1% of this theme group

Opportunities focus on embedding antennas and electrodes for health monitoring and communication.

Textile (144) · Antenna (30) · Wearable computer (91) · Electrode (20)

A multifunctional wearable E-textile <i>via</i> integrated nanowire-coated fabrics

Design and validation of an e-textile-based wearable system for remote health monitoring

View research history
YearShare index
20221616.9
20231675.7
20241527.4
20251453.0
Fiber‑Optic Biosensing PlatformsOpportunities · 02

Fiber‑Optic Biosensing Platforms

266 papers

17.5% of this theme group

Research explores wearable optical fiber sensors for continuous health tracking.

Wearable computer (115) · Fiber Bragg grating (21) · Textile (115) · Optical fiber (22)

Smart Textiles with Biosensing Capabilities

Smart Textile-Based Interactive, Stretchable and Wearable Sensors for Healthcare

View research history
YearShare index
2022159.3
2023167.3
2024146.0
2025175.2
Smart Clothing for Sports and LifestyleOpportunities · 03

Smart Clothing for Sports and Lifestyle

232 papers

15.3% of this theme group

Papers propose designs that merge architecture, wearability, and performance monitoring.

Textile (117) · Architectural engineering (40) · Clothing (32) · Wearable technology (33)

A Naturally Integrated Smart Textile for Wearable Electronics Applications

Smart Textiles and Wearable Technologies for Sportswear: A Design approach.

View research history
YearShare index
2022864.3
2023918.1
20241005.4
2025938.7
Nanocomposite Energy‑Harvesting TextilesOpportunities · 04

Nanocomposite Energy‑Harvesting Textiles

231 papers

15.2% of this theme group

Works highlight nanomaterials enabling self‑powered, thermally adaptive smart fabrics.

Nanotechnology (57) · Nanocomposite (21) · Composite material (51) · Carbon nanotube (20)

Functional Nanofibre: Enabling Material for the Next Generation Smart Textiles

Multipurpose Smart Textile with Integration of Efficient Energy Harvesting, All‐Season Switchable Thermal Management and Self‐Powered Sensin

View research history
YearShare index
20226750.0
20236725.2
20246870.9
20255386.9
High‑Performance Functional DyeingOpportunities · 05

High‑Performance Functional Dyeing

223 papers

14.7% of this theme group

Studies target nanotech‑enhanced dyeing processes for durable, multifunctional fashion textiles.

Textile (111) · Pulp and paper industry (12) · Dyeing (13) · Polyester (14)

Nanotechnology – a new route to high-performance functional textiles

Designing multifunctional textile fashion products

View research history
YearShare index
2022103.6
2023101.8
2024106.7
202594.8
HCI‑Driven Textile Craft and EducationOpportunities · 06

HCI‑Driven Textile Craft and Education

150 papers

9.9% of this theme group

Research promotes human‑computer interaction approaches to enrich textile‑based learning and design.

Human–computer interaction (27) · Craft (13) · Mathematics education (10) · Textile (57)

Wearable E-Textiles Using a Textile-Centric Design Approach

A Review of E-Textiles in Education and Society

View research history
YearShare index
202279.4
202382.8
202492.8
202569.6
Durable Conductive Coatings for E‑TextilesOpportunities · 07

Durable Conductive Coatings for E‑Textiles

124 papers

8.2% of this theme group

Papers present robust conductive yarns and mounting techniques for long‑lasting smart garments.

Electrical conductor (98) · Composite material (51) · Textile (55) · Coating (18)

Electronic Component Mounting for Durable E-Textiles: Direct Soldering of Components onto Textile-Based Deeply Permeated Conductive Patterns

A Novel Elastic Conductive Yarn for Smart Textile Applications

View research history
YearShare index
20223250.3
20233191.7
20243000.9
20252444.4

How this field compares with the research baseline

Orientation shares compared with 25,000 papers in the reference sample.

Research orientationThis fieldReference sample
Promising40.2%37.8%
Breakthrough27.0%26.3%
Descriptive19.2%17.2%
Problem-identifying9.1%9.3%
Comparative2.5%3.8%
Cautionary1.7%4.7%
Critical0.2%0.9%

Concerns receiving less research attention

Counts and shares refer to the stated research pool. A low count describes how much of that research is recorded here, not the absence of a real-world concern.

Concern / example paperPapersShareRaised as a problemWorldwide share
Privacy & surveillanceAI-BASED SMART TEXTILE WEARABLES FOR REMOTE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AND CRITICAL EMERGENCY ALERTS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE R210.93%9 (42.9%)0.93%
Hardware, e-waste & supply chainEnvironmental sustainability of e-textile products approached by makers and manufacturers70.31%1 (14.3%)0.31%
Concentration of compute powerFolding-Dependent vs. Folding-Independent Flexible Antennas on E-Textiles20.09%0 (0.0%)0.09%
Labour & data workSTEAM-Powered Education: E-Textiles to Integrate the Arts and STEM10.04%1 (100.0%)0.04%
Bias & fairnessAll-fabric-based multifunctional textile sensor for detection and discrimination of humidity, temperature, and strain st10.04%0 (0.0%)0.04%
Energy & datacenter footprint00.0%0 (%)0.0%
Water use00.0%0 (%)0.0%
Carbon & emissions of compute00.0%0 (%)0.0%
Safety & misuse00.0%0 (%)0.0%

Institution and researcher rankings use citations to their covered work. Research scope: worldwide. This may be broader than the company geography.

GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINT

Where companies are based

Company counts, hiring and disclosed funding across the recorded hubs.

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UNDERSTAND THE LANDSCAPE

Direct-to-Consumer Fashion Brands in South Korea: key questions

Clear definitions for making better comparisons.

What does this landscape measure?

It measures the tracked company ecosystem, recorded funding, hiring and other available evidence. It is not a market-size estimate.

Can segment counts be added together?

No. A company can belong to several segments, so segment counts and funding can overlap.

What does a missing figure mean?

A dash or unavailable panel means the current reviewed source snapshot does not support that figure.

KEEP EXPLORING

Put South Korea in context

All landscapes ↗

Company ecosystem snapshot: 2 September 2026. Funding is recorded in USD; filed accounts retain their stated currency and reporting basis. Each section identifies its own coverage. The news and research behind these sections is explorable in Prism.

Canonical landscape ↗
Coming soon