LET’S VLOOK is a startup by Yonsei Alumni Kim Ji-young (Sr., Dept. of Clothing & Textile) that aims to expand the market of slow fashion, a new social trend created to tackle the current environmental problem caused by the fast fashion industry’s massive production and the consequent waste of clothes. It is an active advocate of sustainability and is promoting slow fashion through online platforms, fashion magazines, and videos under the maxim “we may be slow, but we’ve got flow.” 

Slow fashion all in one 

   The term slow fashion was first introduced by Kate Fletcher and it was defined as a fashion trend that encourages customers to purchase lasting clothes and combines fashion with ethics and sustainability[1]. There has been a growing interest in slow fashion following people’s increasing concern for environmental damage, especially in North America. Korea’s fashion industry, however, is highly trend-conscious and has yet to embrace slow fashion. Domestic slow fashion brands have begun to emerge only recently; for instance, the well-known *Sustainable Ethical Fashion Hub* in Dongdaemun is home to numerous slow fashion brands like Over Lab, Pleats Mama, and Cotton Ball. These brands recycle the textile wastes and turn those into new quality clothes. 

   Let’s Vlook is committed to make slow fashion accessible to all. The company focuses on building an online platform where both sellers and buyers can easily practice one of the values of slow fashion: reusing. It aims to change people’s perspective on vintage clothes and encourages people to rethink their relationship with clothes-eschewing trends to move in favor of quality, durable pieces that promote sustainability. 

Expanding the company’s audience through marketing

   The young entrepreneur, Kim Ji-young envisions the corporation to be a “slow fashion playground,” where a community of fashion designers can discuss sustainability seriously. The company upholds three business philosophies: raising awareness on the harms of fast fashion, promoting slow fashion trends, and channeling the power of culture to protect Earth. The business plan began gestating in her mind at school, where she first learned about the social values of slow fashion. She founded the company in 2018. As a Clothing & Textile major, she is determined to succeed in the world of fashion while keeping sustainability in mind. 

   What sets Let’s Vlook apart from other online fashion platforms is its activism-cum-marketing strategy that is geared toward raising awareness about sustainable fashion. It has used the approach of the promotion mix, which is a marketing strategy that combines numerous promotional tools to increase customer demands[3]. For instance, it publishes fashion magazines with articles on slow fashion online and also uploads videos about styling with upcycled clothes on YouTube. Additionally, Let’s Vlook’s magazine, *Let’s*, talks about meaningful but interesting topics in order to capture the interest of a wider population. Creating both text and video media, the company wishes to reach the widest audience possible. During the interview, Ji-Young lamented about the Korean consumer’s resistance to slow fashion due to “unnecessary” stigma. For now, her company mainly targets Generation Z customers as they have the largest purchasing power and are more likely to be interested in the individuality and unique style of vintage clothing. In the interview, she frequently emphasized the customer’s responsibility to be aware of the consequences of their consumption. 

   Marketing team member Kim Su-jin (Sr., Dept of English Language & Lit) addressed common college student inquiries about social media marketing which is the other counterpart of the promotion mix. A prime example was the “My Vlook/Village Type Indicator Test (MVTI)”, a recent marketing success for the Let’s Vlook team. Similar to the PR events in social media, the Test strived to stimulate general attention and increase the public’s familiarity with slow fashion by benchmarketing the well-known MBTI test. It did not stop there; the test recommended vintage shops based on the results. Currently, the test has accumulated more than 400,000 participants and received largely positive feedback. According to Su-jin, the success factor was the company’s acute sense of trendiness and understanding of social media algorithms. She wishes that “the mainstream market become more receptive about secondhand and vintage clothing.” She also stated that she “has strong faith that their sincerity about sustainability will garner recognition from a wide range of customers.” 

Beyond marketing: customer retention 

   The company is determined to show that sustainable consumption can be as easy and accessible as any other. For example, Let’s Vlook online platform has adopted the “preference style recommendation” and “body size-based virtual fitting” functions to improve the consumer experience by optimizing their selection and fit. First, the “preference style recommendation” creates a comprehensive algorithm based on customer preference information extracted from the first few choices customers had made during their first visit to the site. The algorithm customizes the main page for each individual, preventing customers from wasting time scrolling through pages. When people want to try certain clothes, they can use the “body size-based virtual fitting” function which minimizes sizing complications that commonly occur during online shopping. Customers simply enter their body sizes on the app and the system presents avatars with corresponding measurements wearing clothes in the chosen size. 

   Su-jin takes pride in her company for broadening both the selection and marketing strategies of online shopping platforms. She concluded that marketing for slow fashion products needs to take different strategies from that of fast fashion. 

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   Let’s Vlook continues to work towards the invigoration of vintage clothing transactions. They are currently preparing to launch an updated version of the application, including a forum allowing one to share stories about ethical and sustainable fashion, culture, and lifestyle. 

[1] The Good Trade

[2] Statista

[3] Business Jargons