Hince Hannam • 힌스 한남

Hince (힌스) is a South-Korean makeup brand that is well known for their “mood-narrative” focused beauty products. Founded in 2019, Hince was first started with a vision to expand the standard of Korean bold transparent makeup that was popular at the time by creating products with more neutral color palettes and different, lighter textures. The aim was to enhance customers’ natural beauty and features so they can create their own unique aura. And with the majority of other brands focusing on the brighter (fairer) and bolder color choices, this move actually made Hince stood out from the rest of their competitors. Hince has now expanded their lineups from lip products, to makeup and fragrances which you can discover and experience in person at Hince Hannam (힌스 한남), one of their offline stores in Seoul.

 

Hince Hannam • 힌스 한남

Address: 서울 용산구 이태원로49길 14-2 1층
Telephone: 02-2135-3031
Hours: Everyday 11:00-20:00

Instagram: @hince_official
Website: https://hince.co.kr/

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Cosmic Mansion Hannam • 코스믹맨션 한남점

Cosmic Mansion Hannam (코스믹맨션 한남점) is a home fragrance shop that is tucked away in one of the alleyways of Hannam-dong (한남동). This local brand has been around since 2013 and is probably considered one of the more famous niche fragrance brands in Seoul with its own loyal following. The brand has a sleek, minimalistic monochromatic branding and they sell high-quality, eco-friendly and all-natural scented products with affordable price.

Cosmic Mansion (코스믹맨션) is actually one of (if not) the first fragrance stores that I visited during my very first trip to Hannam-dong years ago when I was first visiting Seoul. It was one of the shops that left quite an impression on me since fragrance stores back then were not as abundant as they are now in city. Back then, if I remember correctly, they’re mainly focusing on home fragrance products (candle, soaps, room sprays, diffusers). But now, they’ve expanded their product lineup to include linen sachets, perfume and body & hand care products as well. I usually try to stop by the store every time I’m in the area and on every single visit, I usually ended up buying something before walking out of the store. My last purchase was 2 bottles of their Our Maison room spray (Scent: ‘Another Morning’ & ‘Garden Rain’) and ‘Another Morning’ perfume. Love their scents.

If you’re looking for an alternative or a more affordable options than the usual Tamburins, Grandhand or Non-Fiction selections, Cosmic Mansion is definitely the brand you should check out.

 

Cosmic Mansion • 코스믹맨션

Address: 서울 용산구 이태원로54길 31 2층
Telephone: 0507-1316-0652
Hours: Everyday 11:00 - 20:30

Instagram: @cosmicmansion
Cosmic Mansion Website

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Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu • 코닥 성수직영점

Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu (코닥 성수직영점) is probably one of the most iconic and eye-catching shops in the trendy neighborhood of Seongsu-dong (성수동). Their bright yellow store facade combined with the retro aesthetic of one of the most well-known photography brands in the world often captured every passerby’s attention, inviting them to come into the store to explore more.

And more you’ll find as soon as you decide to enter the space. Not only can you find a collection of Kodak vintage cameras, 35mm slides and posters on display, but you can also find clothing and accessories—The Kodak Apparel—inside the Kodak Corner Shop. The Kodak Apparel (different from the Eastman Kodak company) itself is developed and designed by a South Korean firm called Highlight Brands (a division of Modern Works) who licenses the iconic Kodak name and logo to create a clothing line that is inspired by Kodak’s iconic heritage. The collections have that Kodak’s unique retro look but combined with a newer, trendier aesthetic that appeal to the more modern audience. The Seoul Kodak Corner Seongsu flagship store opened in early 2024 and has become one of the popular spots to visit by photography and fashion enthusiasts alike. 

 

Kodak Corner Shop Seongsu • 코닥 성수직영점

Address: 서울 성동구 연무장7길 3-1 1층
Telephone: 0507-1372-7965
Hours: Everyday 10:30-20:30

Instagram: @kodak_seongsu

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Unvanish Hannam • 언베니쉬 한남

Unvanish Hannam (언베니쉬 한남) is a Korean brand that sells perfume, body oil, hand wash, body wash, and life fragrance. Stumbled upon this store during one of my shopping trip with my friend around Hannam area. Saw their posters plastered on the walls outside the building and we decided to climbed up the stairs to the second floor to check the place out.

Pleasant aromatic scent greeted us as soon as we stepped into the store. The place isn’t too big. But just like the majority of the shops around here, it is well-designed. Their products are displayed around the space that is decorated with modern minimalistic furniture and fixtures. One corner resembles a small living room and on the other they have an open bathroom display area with bathtub and sink where you can use to test their hand or body wash.

Sea of ​​Green Life Mood Spray (씨 오브 그린 라이프 무드 스프레이) ₩59,000

Elegant AldehydeㅣCool MuskㅣSea Beyond the Grass
3.38 fl oz. (100 ml)

TOP     ALDEHYDE, GRAPEFRUIT, MANDARIN
MID     ROSE, MUGUET, VIOLET
BASE   MOSS, SANDALWOOD, MUSK, TONKA

“The elegant and clean aldehyde scent will capture the tip of your nose the moment you apply it. The light floral scent is reminiscent of the sea beyond the grassy plains. The scent of musk and soft sandalwood is finished with  the whisper of a cool sea breeze and the scent of ripples in the earth, bringing to mind memories of early morning walks along the sea.” —Unvanish

Out of all the scents, both me and my friend like the Sea of Green Life the best. But unfortunately, all the Sea of Green products were out of stock when we were there so we couldn’t purchase any. We took it as a sign that we should go back again next time. If you’re looking for perfume around Hannam-dong area, this place is worth checking out. 

Image Courtesy: Unvanish Website

 

Unvanish Hannam • 언베니쉬 한남

Address: 서울 용산구 이태원로49길 19 2층 언베니쉬
Telephone: 070-4129-3333
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30-20:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Instagram: @unvanish.official
Website

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Pan Am Seongsu Flagship Store • 팬암 성수플래그쉽스토어

Pan Am Seongsu Flagship Store (팬암 성수플래그쉽스토어) is one of the many cool stores that you can find in Seongsu-dong neighborhood. Opened by a Seoul-based fashion company SJ Group who acquired the brand’s merchandise licensing, Pan Am sells men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, bags and home decor products that are inspired by the airline’s rich history with a modern spin to the designs. The store itself is also a reflection of that same concept. Designed by South Korean architects NiiiZ DESIGN LAB (@niiizdesignlab), they combined the rugged concrete structure left by the old factory who used to occupy the building with more futuristic and sleek fixtures and furnitures decorating the interior, making the store looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. 

If you’re not familiar with the brand, Pan Am—also known as Pan American World Airways—was one of the leading and most well-known US airline during the 1950s until the 1970s. The brand was associated with luxury intercontinental travels with little competition on the market during what many Americans considered as the golden  era of air travel. The company was in operational for 64 years before it ceased operation in 1991. But even after that, their blue globe logo—also known as “The Blue Meatball”—which was used from 1973 to 1991 is still one of the most recognizable piece of their history. 

I personally have heard about and seen Pan Am since I was young. But the one thing that kind of cemented its association with luxury travels in my brain was when I watched the Catch Me If You Can movie (one of my favorite movie of all time actually) where the main character Frank Abagnale Jr. who’s a master of deception and excellent forger pretended to be a Pan Am pilot and got away with it. He lived such a glamorous life during that period of his life and the movie does make it looks like working as an Pan Am pilot comes with certain status symbol and privilege.

Seeing how a fairly iconic brand that’s well-known for its vintage heritage designs translated and adapted into a more modern and sporty direction is always interesting. And I have to say they did a pretty good job at adapting Pan Am’s original branding to the product line-ups they have in store (granted they steer towards the more general sporty lifestyle direction instead of the aviation inspired direction). One thing that I like about their apparel collections is they have a lot of pieces with discreet logo, subtler designs and nice materials. I ended up purchasing a couple of t-shirts (pics below) from the store because the materials are pretty thick (not too flimsy but not too thick either), nice and comfortable and they have crewneck that’s not too wide (I even buy another one of the same model just cause this has become one of my favorite t-shirt to wear 😆).

If you’re looking for basic apparels with nice materials, subtle branding, and a somewhat gender neutral colors and styles, definitely check out this store if you’re around Seongsu area. 

 

Pan Am Seongsu Flagship Store • 팬암 성수플래그쉽스토어

Address: 서울 성동구 연무장길 89 1층
Telephone: 02-3409-5976
Hours: Everyday 11:00-20:00

Instagram: @panam_kr

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