Sundae School
Sundae School is a privately held, founder-led streetwear and lifestyle brand that designs Korean heritage-inspired apparel (hanbok-based silhouettes, goreum ties, gyobok motifs) sold direct-to-consumer online and through a Manhattan Chinatown flagship, with an adjacent cannabis sub-brand, Sundae Flowers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Sundae School does
Sundae School is a privately held, design-led fashion and lifestyle brand founded around 2017–2018, operating from Los Angeles with a flagship retail presence in Manhattan's Chinatown (117 Hester St, New York). The company designs and sells Korean heritage-inspired streetwear, translating traditional hanbok elements — goreum tie closures, balloon wide-leg silhouettes, asymmetric fly fronts, and gyobok (Korean school uniform) motifs — into contemporary apparel. Its product catalog spans outerwear (jeogori shell jackets, blazers, windbreakers, chore coats), bottoms (hanbok chino pants, balloon pants, denim, track pants, skirts, shorts), tops (hoodies, shirts, baby tees, polos), and accessories (bandanas, caps), priced between $42 and $280 and sold through an owned DTC e-commerce platform at sundae.school.
The brand extends into cannabis lifestyle via its sub-brand Sundae Flowers and through collaborations such as the Mochi Gummies line with drag icon Kim Chi. Distribution is concentrated: a single U.S. e-commerce store, one flagship boutique with limited hours, occasional seasonal pop-ups (e.g., Mochi Holidaze in DUMBO), and an ambassador program. Go-to-market is event-driven, leveraging seasonal collections with monthly microreleases, influencer and celebrity partnerships (Kim Chi, Chloe Surreal), earned media in Hypebeast and WWD, and a "Textbook" content blog. Customer segments are persona-driven (Asian-American, LGBTQ+, "High Achieving Degenerents") rather than enterprise-based.
The company is founder-led (Dae Lim) with no disclosed institutional venture or private equity backing beyond a 2019 funding round involving Blue Collective and Soma Capital. It does not offer international shipping, has no mobile app or public API, and shows no AI/ML technology stack; competitive advantage rests on cultural branding, design IP, and community positioning rather than on technology, scale, or network effects.
Sundae School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sundae School
- Legal name
- Sundae School
- Website
- https://sundae.school
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sundae School is a privately held, founder-led streetwear and lifestyle brand that designs Korean heritage-inspired apparel (hanbok-based silhouettes, goreum ties, gyobok motifs) sold direct-to-consumer online and through a Manhattan Chinatown flagship, with an adjacent cannabis sub-brand, Sundae Flowers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sundae School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sundae School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct product sales: One-time product purchases through e-commerce and retail store. Products include outerwear, tops, bottoms, accessories, and coordinated sets.
- Direct-to-consumer merchandise: Core streetwear apparel sales with price points ranging from $42 to $280 across various product categories including jackets, pants, hoodies, and accessories.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full-price streetwear apparel |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sale items with discounts |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sundae School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sundae School designs, produces, and sells Korean heritage-inspired streetwear apparel and accessories, including hanbok-derived outerwear, bottoms, tops, and accessories, sold direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce platform and a flagship Manhattan Chinatown store. The brand operates monthly microreleases within seasonal collections and extends into cannabis lifestyle products under the Sundae Flowers sub-brand.
Product overview
Sundae School is a Korean-inspired streetwear brand offering a diverse portfolio of clothing and accessories centered around hanbok-inspired modern streetwear. The product line includes outerwear (jeogori jackets, blazers, windbreakers, chore jackets), bottoms (hanbok chino pants, balloon pants, denim pants, track pants, skirts, shorts), tops (hoodies, shirts, baby tees, polo dresses), and accessories (bandanas, caps, bags). Signature elements include the 'goreum tie' bow closures, signature sleeve stash pockets with '떨' logo embroidery, and mochi/quilted detailing. The brand also extends into cannabis lifestyle products including Mochi Gummies (collaboration with Kim Chi) and the Sundae Flowers product line. The brand operates a flagship store in Manhattan Chinatown at 117 Hester St, New York NY 10002.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sundae Flowers: Cannabis brand operating under the Sundae School umbrella
Quantifiable outcome
- 5-star customer ratings on flagship products like the NAVY JEOGORI TIE SHELL JACKET and CHARCOAL HANBOK CHINO PANTS
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Sundae School
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sundae School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Sundae School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable.
- Kim ChinotableDrag superstar Kim Chi partnered with fashion and cannabis brand Sundae School, blending her unique aesthetic with their trendy products while celebrating her Korean heritage and advocating for LGBTQ+ representation in various cultural spheres.
- Kim ChinotableDrag icon Kim Chi collaborated with Sundae School to release Mochi Gummies product line, extending the brand's cannabis lifestyle offerings with a celebrity partnership.
- Chloe SurrealnotableSundae School launched a bold holiday campaign featuring Chloe Surreal, redefining cannabis culture through a celebration of self-expression and empowerment, highlighted by the release of the Sundae Flowers Holiday Gift Box and the Holiday Pajama Collection.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sundae School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aimé Leon Dore: New York-based heritage-inspired streetwear brand known for cultural nostalgia, premium price points, and DTC plus flagship retail—mirroring Sundae School's blend of cultural storytelling, Asian-influenced design language (in ALD's case via Queens/NYC heritage), and selective drops.
- A Bathing Ape (BAPE): Iconic Japanese streetwear label that pioneered Asian-heritage streetwear globally with cultural motifs, capsule collaborations, and limited drops—directly comparable to Sundae School's Korean-heritage design philosophy and editorial/celebrity-driven marketing model.
- Noah: NYC streetwear brand focused on quality craftsmanship, cultural commentary, and small-batch collections with similar DTC and flagship retail structure, comparable price points, and a similar culture-forward editorial voice.
- Saturdays NYC: New York surf-and-streetwear lifestyle brand with flagship retail, premium apparel, and culture-led storytelling—a close analog in DTC-plus-flagship model, price band, and editorial positioning to Sundae School.
- Entireworld: DTC-first essentials-and-streetwear brand founded by Scott Sternberg with strong community/editorial positioning—highly comparable to Sundae School's DTC-led, small-batch, community-driven approach at similar contemporary price tiers.
- Madhappy: Lifestyle apparel brand built around cultural community and mental-health storytelling, with premium basics, capsule collaborations, and DTC-plus-physical-retail—parallel to Sundae School's identity-driven brand and ambassador program.
Broad incumbents
- Stüssy: Established global streetwear incumbent with broad wholesale distribution, deep cultural cachet, and seasonal collections—comparable as the dominant reference point in streetwear against which Sundae School's cultural niche is differentiated.
- Supreme: Cultural anchor and largest direct competitor in the streetwear category globally; relevant as the drop-based, hype-driven model Sundae School emulates at smaller scale, though far larger in distribution and brand awareness.
Emerging players
- Advisory Board Crystals: Independent LA-based contemporary fashion label with cultural collaborations, small-batch drops, and a DTC storefront—comparable in scale, cultural positioning, and creator-driven model to Sundae School.
- Eckhaus Latta: Independent NYC-based contemporary fashion label known for art-school aesthetics, cultural collaborations, and DTC-plus-wholesale model—an analog in scale, cultural identity, and indie positioning to Sundae School.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sundae School social profiles
Digital presenceSundae School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sundae School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Sundae School subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Sundae School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sundae School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sundae School
What does Sundae School do?
Sundae School designs, produces, and sells Korean heritage-inspired streetwear apparel and accessories, including hanbok-derived outerwear, bottoms, tops, and accessories, sold direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce platform and a flagship Manhattan Chinatown store. The brand operates monthly microreleases within seasonal collections and extends into cannabis lifestyle products under the Sundae Flowers sub-brand.
Is Sundae School a public or private company?
Sundae School is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sundae School founded?
Sundae School was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sundae School based?
Sundae School is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sundae School make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct product sales are the primary driver. The others are direct-to-consumer merchandise.
Who are Sundae School's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aimé Leon Dore, A Bathing Ape (BAPE), Noah, Saturdays NYC, Entireworld and Madhappy. Broad incumbents are Stüssy and Supreme. Emerging players are Advisory Board Crystals and Eckhaus Latta.
Does Sundae School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sundae School.