Matin Kim: The K-Fashion Phenomenon Every STAY Needs to Know

(From 300,000 Won to Lee Know’s 26FW Ambassadorship)

When the news dropped on September 8 that Lee Know of Stray Kids was officially named the new brand ambassador for Matin Kim’s Fall/Winter 2026 season, the K-pop and fashion crossover internet collectively imploded. Within seconds, search bars across the globe were flooded with STAYs asking the exact same question: What is Matin Kim, and why is this brand everywhere right now?

As someone who has been tracking South Korea’s sartorial revolution for years, let me tell you: this isn’t just another celebrity endorsement. Matin Kim is arguably the most remarkable success story in modern K-fashion,a brand that grew from a 300,000 won ($220 USD) budget into a 100 billion won ($75M+ USD) cultural empire.

Here is the ultimate breakdown of the Korean streetwear phenomenon taking over your feed.

The Humble Beginnings: A 300,000 Won Miracle

The story of Matin Kim reads like a cinematic drama. Founded in 2015 by Dain Kim (Kim Dain), the brand did not begin in a high-end atelier or an elite design school. In fact, Kim had no formal fashion education or college degree.

Her first attempt at sourcing clothes in Seoul’s relentless Dongdaemun night market started with just 60,000 won ($45 USD). After losing her initial investment, she sat in a 24-hour coffee shop until dawn and wrote a pledge to herself: “I will succeed.”

Restarting with 300,000 won borrowed from her mother, Kim launched a blog-based shop combining the French word for morning (Matin) with her surname (Kim). Through relentless personal branding, transparent social media interaction, and an obsessive focus on customer feedback, Matin Kim built a fiercely loyal fandom among young Korean women.

The Aesthetic: Industrial Minimalism Meets Seoul Cool

Before Matin Kim blew up globally, many shoppers actually mistook it for an emerging European designer label.

The brand’s design language is defined by industrial minimalism:

• Neutral & Metallic Palettes: Dominated by charcoal, dark silver, smoke blue, khaki, ivory, and deep black.
• Deconstructed Silhouettes: Unfinished raw hems, oversized boxy blazers, asymmetrical cuts, and distressed washes.
• Wearable Functionality: Garments designed for real daily street life rather than static runway poses.

Matin Kim mastered the art of making effortlessness look expensive, a hallmark of contemporary Seoul street style.

The Viral Holy Grail: The Metal Plate Accordion Wallet

You cannot talk about Matin Kim without mentioning the piece that built the empire.

If you walk through Seongsu-dong, Hongdae, or Tokyo’s Shibuya, you will spot it in minutes: the Matin Kim Accordion Wallet. Made from cowhide and topped with a heavy, matte-nickel silver plate engraved with the brand’s block logo, this simple accessory became an absolute viral sensation.

It hit the sweet spot of accessible luxury,chic, functional, instantly recognizable, and priced under $70 USD. It became an essential rite of passage for Korean fashion lovers and a non-negotiable souvenir for international tourists visiting Seoul.

Seongsu-dong Capital & The HAGO HAUS Boom

By 2021, Matin Kim’s explosive online growth caught the attention of fashion investment firm HAGO HAUS (Hago Company). The investment supercharged the brand’s offline expansion, transforming it from an online DTC label into a retail giant.

Matin Kim opened flagship locations in Seongsu-dong,Seoul’s trendsetting epicenter,and established prime real estate inside South Korea’s top department stores, including The Hyundai Seoul, Lotte, and Shinsegae. The flagship store in Seongsu became a global fashion pilgrimage site, drawing massive queues of shoppers from Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and beyond.

When founder Dain Kim stepped down in late 2023, she had guided the company to over 100 billion won in annual sales, cementing Matin Kim as a pillar of contemporary K-fashion.

The K-Pop Era: From TWICE’s Momo to Stray Kids’ Lee Know

As Matin Kim expanded globally across Japan, Hong Kong, and international platforms like Musinsa, the brand made a strategic pivot: transitioning from a female-centric cult brand into a global unisex powerhouse.

Enter K-pop royalty:

• Momo (TWICE): Fronted the energetic “PURE PLAY” Fall 2026 campaign, showcasing the brand’s vibrant, high-fashion versatility.
• Lee Know (Stray Kids): Officially appointed as the face of the Fall/Winter 2026 season.

The 26FW campaign with Lee Know revolves around the concept “A celebrity inside and outside a magazine.” The visuals bridge the gap between Lee Know’s magnetic, razor-sharp stage persona and his relaxed, candid everyday life.

Styling Lee Know in logo-embroidered knits, zip-up sweaters, beanies, cargo track pants, and winter puffer jackets, Matin Kim is sending a clear message: their elevated unisex street aesthetic is built for everyone, regardless of gender.

The Verdict

For STAYs and fashion enthusiasts alike, Lee Know’s partnership with Matin Kim is a match made in sartorial heaven. It pairs one of the most versatile visual artists in K-pop with a brand built on raw grit, street authenticity, and self-made success.

Matin Kim isn’t just a trend passing through Seongsu, it’s the living blueprint of modern Korean fashion culture.