Blue Elephant is the latest major Korean brand to make waves in the U.S. They make cool, vintage-inspired eyewear beloved by K-pop idols, including J-Hope. This has helped them become a massive success in the eyewear industry!
Thanks to their expanding fanbase, Blue Elephant sunglasses are coming stateside. Their first store is opening in none other than Beverly Hills. Is this a sign of global expansion?
How Did Blue Elephant Eyewear Get So Big?
The Seoul-based brand was founded in 2019, which makes it even more impressive that they’re already opening stores in the U.S. Like many popular fashion labels, they started life online as a small-scale startup that saw instant demand in Korea and Japan.
It’s no surprise that Blue Elephant sunglasses took off; they give off that cool, it-girl vibe that K-pop stars love. If you love BLACKPINK and BTS as much as the next girl, then you know that K-pop idols love dressing in fun, chic, and retro styles.
Like many brands that tap into the K-pop niche, Blue Elephant played it smart and grew from being online to having 25 stores in Asia, with another nine planned to open.
They really blew up when stars, including Soobin of TXT and J-Hope of BTS, were spotted in Blue Elephant sunglasses. The rest is history, as they say.
California Dreams: Expanding in the U.S.
The Korean eyewear brand is renting a 12,000-square-foot, two-story space in Beverly Hills. It’s big.
They’re taking over the lease from Pottery Barn (sorry, but it had to go). Beverly Hills is a prime location for fashionable brands, so it’s a wise choice for Blue Elephant. Having a store in the Hills is like saying, “I made it.” It shows that they are ready to win the hearts of American customers.
But that will likely be easy because everything Korean or K-pop oriented sells fast in the U.S. It’s part of Korean culture’s increasing influence globally. After all, we’ve all tried the skincare and makeup, so now it’s time for the accessories to have their moment in the spotlight.
What Will Blue Elephant Bring to Their New Store?
Eyewear stores in the U.S. are typically meh. They often look the same, featuring just rows of white or plexiglass shelving. They add no unique experience to shopping, which is why it’s not surprising that customers have started buying their eyewear online in the last few years.
But Blue Elephant might bring something different to the table. Their stores in Seoul and Tokyo are immersive and feel as much like an art gallery as a store. It’s all about an inspiring retail experience where Blue Elephant sunglasses and eyeglasses are intentionally displayed to showcase the brand’s aesthetic.
They plan to replicate this art pop-up vibe in the U.S. and Europe. It remains to be seen if their stores draw in the crowds as they do in Asia. But if they create some innovative retail displays, they just might.
After all, if Pottery Barn wasn’t cutting it, then maybe it’s time for something fresh in Beverly Hills and across the shopping districts of the country.
Is Blue Elephant the Same as Gentle Monster?
With the astronomical rise of K-brands, people have a tendency to compare. But these two brands have a lot of differences, just like big U.S. brands do.
For instance, Free People and Anthropology might look similar at first glance, but when you get to know them, you’ll see they’re not the same at all. The same principle applies to Korean brands.
Both Blue Elephant and Gentle Monster sell sunglasses and eyeglasses; however, the ethos, prices, and aesthetics are very different. Blue Elephant has a retro appeal, with vintage-inspired styles. You’ll find lots of classic models alongside some more subtly contemporary ones.
Gentle Monster, on the other hand, focuses on funky, statement pieces and collaborations with high-end brands, including Maison Margiela and Moncler.
Gentle Monster sunglasses are also more expensive, ranging from $200 to $300. Although not as expensive as other major brands like Prada or Gucci, Gentle Monster is a premium brand. They also have the advantage of being ahead of the Korean fashion boom since they opened their first U.S. store in 2016!
Blue Elephant sunglasses are more accessible at around $50. So they’re more affordable than most designer sunglasses, which is part of their appeal. They’re appealing to a younger audience as well as fashion-lovers who don’t want to splurge on eyewear but still want trendy styles.
Although both brands are huge right now, it will be interesting to see how Blue Elephant builds its presence in the U.S. Will they become bigger than Gentle Monster?
Blue Elephant is Going Global
All the major fashion brands start their global expansion by opening stores in the U.S., especially in New York and L.A. If a brand can make it in the States, it usually means they’re ready for global stores. It remains to be seen when and where they open other stores outside of Beverly Hills and the United States.
Top Blue Elephant Sunglasses
The VIAN-S galaxy sunglasses are one of the styles that showcase Blue Elephant’s original retro vibe. Everything from their photoshoots to their styles feels kind of ‘90s.
Another retro style is the Timmy-s Red Wine, which features vintage-inspired frames and a subtle cat-eye shape.
The LEX pearl sunglasses are a style you could easily imagine a K-pop star wearing. They’re sporty, fashionable, and have a Y2K edge.
TL;DR
Blue Elephant is the latest Korean fashion brand to set up shop in the U.S. It goes to show that there’s a demand for cool, alternative eyewear.
- Blue Elephant started as an online store in 2019. They then blew up and now operate 18 stores across Asia.
- K-pop stars were seen in their styles, which made them even more popular.
- The brand’s first U.S. store will open in Beverly Hills, California. It may lead to more U.S. stores opening in the next few years.
- They sell affordable vintage-inspired styles, which sets them apart from the other major Korean eyewear brand, Gentle Monster.
What do you think of Blue Elephant’s eyewear?
