American Casual was an iconic 1900s fashion style in the United States and inspired modern ‘workwear’ and ‘military’ fashion. The style is reinterpreted as the popular ‘amekaji’ fashion in Japan and is popular among fashion maniacs in Korea.
“American Casual is a timeless style that always maintains comfort, fit, and stylishness. More customers are beginning to recognize the charm of the style’s vintage and modest feel.”
OUTSTANDING&CO(en.outstanding-co.kr) is an online menswear specialty brand founded by CEO Kang Sung-jin. The brand’s pieces are inspired by traditional American Casual but differentiated by CEO Kang’s unique sense of style. About 80 to 90 new products hit the online store twice every year. Each time, CEO Kang carefully examines the fabric and meticulously oversees the design to production process.
“I make sure to add OUTSTANDING&CO’s exceptional style and technique into each piece,” said CEO Kang. He explained, “The stylish end result has always managed to captivate customers.＂
OUTSTANDING&CO’s secret to success is in ‘product differentiation.’ This is what gives the brand its competitive edge in countries like Japan where American Casual is popular. ‘Hidden rivets’ are a hard to find detail in average jeans. The rivet is a small piece of metal that binds the denim seams together. Usually, rivets are found on the outer surface of jeans but OUTSTANDING&CO places the rivet on the inner surface. Customers appreciate such difference in detail because it allows the jeans to take on a more vintage look with each wear.
Sales increased over six fold last year, which is a huge jump since the brand launched its online store through global e-commerce platform cafe24(www.cafe24corp.com/en) in 2015. Popularity continues to grow with fine quality and new product launches. Now the brand has high numbers in both loyal and first-time purchases.
CEO Kang is constantly flooded with inquiries from global buyers and marketing directors. OUTSTANDING&CO currently sells products in about 15 offline multi-shops located in Taiwan, United Kingdom, and more. The brand’s style and cost-effectiveness is gaining much appreciation from locals. Such positive global reaction has led the brand to open English, Chinese, and Japanese versions of its online mall through cafe24. Further global market reach is under review.
CEO Kang said, “OUTSTANDING&CO will continue to make styles that satisfy customers through quality, design, and price.” He added, “We are planning to adopt a more systematic business plan to better meet the needs of global customers in love with American Casual.”
Staff Reporter Yoon, Heeseok | pioneer@etnews.com