French fashion brand Lacoste has opened a new flagship store in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Announced in the first days of November 2026, the store is located in Seongsu, a district that has stood out in recent years for its creative scene, and covers an area of more than 800 square metres. According to FashionUnited, Inside Retail Asia and Jing Daily, the space was designed not only as a point of sale but as a meeting place bringing together fashion, art, food and drink. The store’s most eye-catching feature is the brand’s first Café Lacoste in Korea.
View Lacoste Korea's post on Instagram
A design stretching from brick buildings to clay courts
Seongsu was once an industrial area known for its workshops, warehouses and small factories. Today its old brick buildings have been turned into cafés, galleries and design stores. The architectural concept of Lacoste’s new store draws on this history. According to FashionUnited, two colours dominate the interior: a terracotta tone that evokes both the district’s red bricks and the clay courts of Roland-Garros, and a white that references tennis dress codes. In this way, the neighbourhood’s industrial texture and the brand’s tennis roots are brought together in a single visual language.
View Lacoste Korea's post on Instagram
At the entrance, visitors are greeted by an installation by artist Mauricio Alejo made of tennis rackets that appear frozen in mid-motion. Lacoste also invited Korean artists to create special works reinterpreting the brand’s symbols from their own perspectives. Jing Daily gives the name of the space as “Lacoste Clubhouse Seongsu” and notes that works by international and Korean artists are exhibited together.
What’s in the store?
The shelves carry men’s and women’s collections, sportswear lines and store-exclusive capsule collections. A service for personalising products is also offered. On the Café Lacoste side there are drinks, desserts and café-exclusive products; Jing Daily writes that the menu is French-inspired. The most talked-about item on the menu is the “Polo Cake”, made in the shape of the brand’s signature polo shirt. According to Jing Daily, this café is the first example of the Café Lacoste concept in Asia.
View Lacoste Korea's post on Instagram
Lacoste is positioning the space not only for shopping but as a place where the local creative community can come together. According to reports, monthly events in fashion, art and culture as well as joint projects with local creatives are planned at the store.
Lacoste’s push into Asia
The Seoul opening is seen as part of a series of moves by the brand in the region. FashionUnited recalls that, a few days before this opening, Lacoste presented its Fall/Winter 2026 collection in Shanghai for the second time. The brand’s CEO, Thierry Guibert, said that opening flagship stores in different cities around the world reflects Lacoste’s goal of strengthening its international presence. In his statement reported by Inside Retail Asia, Guibert summed up the importance of these spaces: “These destinations play an essential role in enhancing our global reach.” According to Guibert, the Seoul store was conceived as a place that carries the spirit of Lacoste while also embracing the spirit of Seoul.
Founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste, the brand is known for its crocodile logo and piqué polo shirt. In recent years, tennis turning into a lifestyle trend has carried court aesthetics into street style and put tennis-rooted brands like Lacoste back in the spotlight. The Seoul store combines this interest with an experience-led approach to retail.
Why it matters
South Korea is an increasingly strategic market for the fashion world. With Seoul’s young, trend-conscious consumers combined with the global influence of K-pop and Korean dramas, international brands see the city not only as a point of sale but as a showcase opening onto Asia. Seongsu is one of the busiest corners of that showcase; many luxury and contemporary fashion brands have a presence in the district through events and pop-up stores.
Lacoste’s choice also reflects a trend spreading through retail: stores are no longer just places where products are sold, but are turning into spaces where people go to spend time, with cafés, exhibitions and event areas. At a time when online shopping is growing stronger, the value of a physical store is measured by the experience it offers. The brand’s design, which pairs the district’s industrial heritage with its own tennis history, is also an example of a global brand’s effort to fit into the local fabric.
Seen from Turkey, the picture is familiar too. In Istanbul as well, old industrial buildings and changing neighbourhoods are becoming the addresses fashion brands choose for events and concept stores. Readers who want to follow the season’s major fashion gatherings can take a look at our 2026-2027 fashion week calendar.
Sources
- FashionUnited: Lacoste strengthens presence in Asia with new flagship in Seoul
- Inside Retail Asia: Lacoste brings first Café Lacoste to South Korea
- Jing Daily: Lacoste unveils Asia’s first Café Lacoste in Seoul
Image: Old industrial buildings in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (representative image) — CartoonChess, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Instagram posts in this story are official posts by the respective accounts and have been published using Instagram’s embed tool; the rights to the images belong to their owners.