System opens shop-in-shop at Galeries Lafayette Homme

System is going from strength to strength in Paris. After opening a flagship store in the Marais, on Rue Saintonge, in mid-2024, the South Korean label, which has been presenting its creations at men’s fashion week since 2019, has just inaugurated a large corner space at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.

The brand, launched in 1990 in Seoul, has set up on the second floor of the men’s building, between A.P.C. and Officine Générale. Its offering is showcased in a setting that echoes the design codes of its Marais store, and also features works by the French graffiti artist Tanc, who previously collaborated on the flagship boutique.

System explained in a press release that this opening is the result of several seasons of work, and that the brand “has demonstrated strong commercial performance within Creative Galerie, a carefully curated retail platform dedicated to brands with high growth potential. This success also builds on the excellent results achieved by the System pop-up store at the main Galeries Lafayette store last year.”

According to the brand, the new retail space, in a department store popular with an international clientele, will showcase the creations of its creative director, Hee-Soo Kim, who has held the role since 2023, including his sheer jackets and knit tops embellished with tie details, as well as leather jackets, ruffled blouses and wide-leg trousers.

Already stocked by several leading department stores worldwide, System, which offers a co-ed proposition under the “Global Collection” banner, is highly developed in its domestic market, where, as a subsidiary of Handsome Corporation, the brand enjoys broad exposure. Since 2012, the company has been part of the Hyundai conglomerate via its Hyundai Department Store arm, and it also aims to expand in Japan and across Asian markets. It is pursuing a dual approach, highlighting its creativity by presenting its collection on January 22 in Paris as part of men’s fashion week. 

Handsome is a major player in premium and luxury fashion in South Korea, also owning the brand Time, as well as the multi-brand retailer Tom Greyhound (whose Paris store previously occupied the site of the System flagship). The company also acts as a distributor for numerous international brands. It posted revenues of more than 1 billion euros in 2024.