Handsome
Handsome (한섬) is a Korean multi-brand fashion retailer and Hyundai Department Store Group affiliate that sells premium apparel, beauty, eyewear, and curated lifestyle goods through department stores, its thehandsome.com e-commerce platform, and mobile apps, serving Korean fashion consumers with select international expansion into France and Thailand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Handsome does
Handsome (주식회사 한섬 / ㈜한섬), founded in 1987 and headquartered at 523 Dosan-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is a Korean fashion retailer and the dedicated fashion affiliate of Hyundai Department Store Group. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio of premium and contemporary apparel, with flagship brand TIME — the first Korean women's ready-to-wear brand listed on the Paris Fashion Week official calendar — alongside the core 한섬 brand, the curated SELECTED lifestyle platform, THE 매거진 editorial property, an outlet channel, and a TOP 100 curation. Its product and distribution surface spans both physical retail through the Hyundai Department Store Group network (department stores, Hyundai Hmall, H패션몰, and other family sites) and its own direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform, thehandsome.com, supported by iOS and Android mobile apps, online membership, VVIP benefits, mileage programs, and coupon mechanics.
Handsome generates revenue primarily through fashion retail — apparel sales through department stores and its e-commerce platform, with Q4 2024 sales of 463.7 billion won (+6.4% YoY) and operating profit of 27.2 billion won (+30.1% YoY), marking the first simultaneous top-line and bottom-line growth since Q1 2023 and ending a 10-quarter earnings slump. The revenue model is one-time retail sales (no subscription or licensing disclosed), with the company now extending its category mix into higher-margin beauty and eyewear (up to 30% margins) as a structural hedge against apparel discounting. Its primary customer segment is Korean fashion consumers seeking segmented, premium brand choices; the company is also testing international expansion in France (via TIME on Paris Fashion Week) and Southeast Asia (Thailand retail expansion). CEO is Kim Min-deok (김민덕); the company is listed on KRX (ticker 020000) and operates 1,001-5,000 employees.
Handsome firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Handsome
- Legal name
- 주식회사 한섬
- Website
- https://thehandsome.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Handsome (한섬) is a Korean multi-brand fashion retailer and Hyundai Department Store Group affiliate that sells premium apparel, beauty, eyewear, and curated lifestyle goods through department stores, its thehandsome.com e-commerce platform, and mobile apps, serving Korean fashion consumers with select international expansion into France and Thailand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Handsome industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fashion Retail
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Luxury Fashion & Designer Department Stores (CRAGADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury & Designer Apparel Retail (CRAAABAI), Luxury Fashion (Ready-to-Wear & Couture) (CRAKAFAE)
Keywords
Where Handsome is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Handsome business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fashion Retail: Handsome generates revenue through fashion retail operations, including apparel sales via department stores and e-commerce platforms. The company reported Q4 2024 sales of 463.7 billion won with operating profit of 27.2 billion won. Revenue is driven by multiple fashion brands including TIME, with expansion into beauty and eyewear categories offering higher profit margins (up to 30% for beauty products).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Handsome product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Handsome operates an online and offline fashion retail business selling curated premium apparel, accessories, beauty and eyewear products under its owned brand portfolio, anchored by flagship women's ready-to-wear brand TIME. The company runs thehandsome.com e-commerce platform with online membership, mileage and VVIP benefits, and distributes through Hyundai Department Store Group's department store network in Korea, with international expansion into Thailand and visibility at Paris Fashion Week.
Product overview
Handsome operates THE HANDSOME.COM, an online fashion ecommerce platform featuring multiple curated fashion brands. The platform serves as the digital storefront for Handsome, a fashion affiliate of Hyundai Department Store Group, offering online shopping, membership benefits, VVIP programs, and mileage rewards. The company portfolio includes flagship brand TIME and other fashion brands, with the online platform integrating lifestyle content through THE Magazine and curated lifestyle products under the SELECTED collection.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 한섬 (Hansome): Core fashion brand
- 셀렉티드 (Selected)
- THE 매거진 (THE Magazine)
- 아울렛 (Outlet)
- 탑 100 (TOP 100)
Products and services
- THE HANDSOME.COM Online Fashion Marketplace
Quantifiable outcome
- Q4 2024 sales of 463.7 billion won (up 6.4% YoY) and operating profit of 27.2 billion won (up 30.1% YoY)
Companies that use Handsome
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Handsome technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Handsome partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Handsome competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Capri Holdings: Capri Holdings (Michael Kors, Versace, Jimmy Choo) is a global multi-brand luxury group; thematically comparable to Handsome for multi-brand portfolio management but operates at significantly larger scale and primarily in Western markets.
- Hyundai Department Store Group: Hyundai Department Store Group is Handsome's parent conglomerate and primary physical distribution partner, making it a directly relevant ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
- Prada Group: Prada Group is a global luxury fashion house with ready-to-wear and leather goods, comparable to the TIME brand in its international luxury ready-to-wear positioning and runway-show-led brand strategy.
Direct peers
- Kolon Industries: Kolon Industries' fashion division operates premium and lifestyle apparel brands distributed through Korean department stores and online platforms, comparable in scale, brand portfolio breadth, and distribution mix to Handsome.
- LF Corporation: LF Corporation is a Korean fashion retailer operating multiple apparel and lifestyle brands (e.g., Hazzys, TNGT, DAKS) with department store and e-commerce distribution, closely comparable to Handsome's multi-brand luxury and contemporary apparel model.
- Fila Holdings: Fila Holdings is a Korean-listed fashion holding company with multiple branded apparel and lifestyle businesses across domestic and international channels, comparable to Handsome's multi-brand, multi-channel portfolio.
- Eland Group: Eland is a major Korean fashion conglomerate operating multiple apparel brands across department store, specialty, and e-commerce channels, making it a directly comparable multi-brand domestic fashion retailer.
Broad incumbents
- LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton: LVMH is the global multi-brand luxury conglomerate whose portfolio of fashion maisons (Louis Vuitton, Dior, Celine) represents the upper-bound benchmark for multi-brand luxury retail strategies like Handsome's.
- Lotte Department Store: Lotte Department Store is one of Korea's largest department store chains and a key distribution channel for premium fashion; comparable as a broader incumbent that carries fashion brands similar to those Handsome retails.
- Shinsegae: Shinsegae is a major Korean department store and retail group with extensive premium fashion and lifestyle assortment, comparable as a broader incumbent retail platform overlapping Handsome's core categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Handsome social profiles
Digital presenceHandsome financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Handsome leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Handsome funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Handsome 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 Handsome
What does Handsome do?
Handsome operates an online and offline fashion retail business selling curated premium apparel, accessories, beauty and eyewear products under its owned brand portfolio, anchored by flagship women's ready-to-wear brand TIME. The company runs thehandsome.com e-commerce platform with online membership, mileage and VVIP benefits, and distributes through Hyundai Department Store Group's department store network in Korea, with international expansion into Thailand and visibility at Paris Fashion Week.
Is Handsome a public or private company?
Handsome is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Handsome founded?
Handsome was founded in 1987. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Handsome based?
Handsome is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Handsome make money?
One revenue line is on record: fashion Retail.
Who are Handsome's main competitors?
Others on record are Capri Holdings, Hyundai Department Store Group and Prada Group. Direct peers are Kolon Industries, LF Corporation, Fila Holdings and Eland Group. Broad incumbents are LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Lotte Department Store and Shinsegae.
Does Handsome have an API?
No public API is recorded for Handsome.
What industry is Handsome in?
Handsome's product category is Fashion Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAGADAC, Luxury Fashion & Designer Department Stores, with a secondary code of CRAAABAI, Luxury & Designer Apparel Retail. Its NAICS code is 45811 and its SIC code is 5600.