Leeway

Wonjong Lee, better known as Mr. Lee, made his first foray into fashion retail in 2000 with a store in Seoul’s chic Gangnam district (whose style PSY has since made even more famous). In 2004, Mr. Lee and his wife opened Écru, which built on the concept of his first shop and brought European brands such as Maison Margiela and Acne Studios to Korean customers. He also championed Japanese labels including nonnative, Undercover, WTAPS, and Zucca, and in the process, helped them gain a serious foothold in the Korean market. MAN sat down with Mr. Lee to talk Écru, Korean retail, and what excites him about Gangnam.

(This piece was featured in our AW16 magazine - january 2016)