Every few years, a brand comes along that takes the fashion world by storm. I’m talking about HUGE success stories like Miu Miu and Off-White. Well, there’s a new kid in town, and it’s focused on eyewear!
Gentle Monster is a brand that sets its own rules, with its roots in the South Korean fashion and pop culture scene. Let’s uncover how it went from humble beginnings to a global phenomenon.
Where Is Gentle Monster From?
Unlike many big brands that have their origin stories in cities like New York or Paris, the Gentle Monster brand origin story began in Seoul.
Gentle Monster was founded in 2011 by Hankook Kim, who surprisingly didn’t come from an eyewear background. In fact, he was working with kids. But he soon figured out he had a knack for design, found an investor, and created Gentle Monster.
The name says it all! The comfort is priority (that’s the ‘soft’ part), and the style is edgy (that’s the ‘monster’ bit).
What made Gentle Monster fresh and cool?
You may be wondering, why is Gentle Monster so popular? Well, when an eyewear brand like Gentle Monster comes along, it gets noticed.
Why?
As you may or may not be aware, the eyewear industry is largely dominated by large companies. I’m talking multi-billion dollar conglomerates like EssilorLuxottica. They’re the world’s biggest eyewear manufacturer and own some big-name brands, including Ray-Ban and Oakley.
But Gentle Monster isn’t owned by them or any of the other big eyewear players. Instead, they design, manufacture, and style their own eyewear.
Hankook Kim also tailored his designs to the Asian market. He decided to manufacture the company’s eyewear in Korea and China, closely monitoring the construction.
It’s an original brand with an original story. Hankook Kim didn’t copy the Western eyewear brands. He made Gentle Monster distinctly South Korean.
What’s Gentle Monster’s Style?
The brand blends performance art and futuristic aesthetics to create a truly unique look. The hyper-cool vibe of Gentle Monster makes them completely different from other brands. They don’t release quirky one-off themed collections or ride the wave of trends.
They add their distinctive touch to each collection, coming up with innovative shapes. They go beyond the classic round, oval, and cat-eye styles, and they create shapes such as the Milky Way glasses below. These glasses could be gimmicky, but instead, they manage to be super-cool.
The sunglasses and eyeglasses feature aesthetic, sleek designs that have some Y2K nostalgia. There are a lot of rimless styles, tiny frames, translucent lenses, transparent frames, tinted lenses, and edgy logo detailing.
K-pop Is King!
In the last decade, K-pop has blown up! It has taken over the globe with its catchy lyrics, quirky outfits, and beautiful singers. I mean, who hasn’t heard of BTS or Blackpink? The music industry was shaken up with K-pop breaking into the U.S. charts and overtaking the biggest artists around.
But the K-pop effect wasn’t limited to just music. It’s had a huge influence on fashion too, from sleek styles to gender-fluid looks to sparkly outfits.
Gentle Monster plays into the wave by making styles fit for Korean Pop princesses (and princes). In fact, the brand really blew up when Jennie from Blackpink started wearing their sunglasses and became a collaborator.
Any brand with a Blackpink ambassador can expect K-pop fans to follow!
Game-Changing In-Store Experiences
What comes to mind when you see the word ‘eyewear retailer?’ Maybe a store lined with white shelves stacked with the latest shades and glasses. It can all be a bit same-same from one store to the next.
That’s where Gentle Monster is blowing the competition away. They’re doing something that even the giant eyewear companies like EssilorLuxotica and Kering aren’t doing.
Gentle Monster says it hires more spatial retail designers than product designers. The brand is all about moving away from boring, copy-and-paste eyewear stores.
Think giant robot heads, nine-foot-tall sculptures, and life-size rhino recreations. It’s big, bold, and somewhere between art and a futuristic fantasy. They change up the concepts in their stores like an art exhibition. It’s smart because it draws customers into the store, not just to buy sunglasses, but to leave being mindblown.
It’s the whole experience that counts. Gentle Monster isn’t just creating sunglasses; they’re creating worlds within fashion. The concept of cool pop-up stores and installations isn’t new, but they’re taking it to another level.
The massive store in Beijing looks like something out of Back to the Future. However, it’s clearly working, as they have expanded their retail presence worldwide to the following cities:
- London
- New York
- Bangkok
- Tokyo
They also have pop-up stores and concessions worldwide.
Big Name Collaborations
In the world of eyewear, collaborations are a win-win. It’s all about the hype, the new innovations, and designs. Think Ray-Ban x Meta. When two big names come together, it gets people talking.
Gentle Monster understands digital marketing. It gets the young customers, fashion-focused buyers, and K-pop fans. So it makes sense that these have been the collaborations so far:
- Jennie Kim: There have been three collaborations with the Blackpink star! The third included sunglasses featuring hearts, stars, and other cute charms.
- Maison Margiela: This collection was designed by the legendary designer John Galliano. It fused Parisian design and Korean futurism.
- Moncler: This collaboration was more understated but brought together high-end athleisure and slick sunglasses.
- Coperni: Another cult classic brand, Coperni is all about futuristic, sporty looks. The collaboration with Gentle Monster was a match made in robot heaven.
They don’t play it safe like many of the big eyewear brands. It’s less about being classic and more about being a cult classic. Gentle Monster sunglasses are all about being innovative and fashion-forward. It’s high-end, trendy fashion.
And when Gentle Monster collaborates, it does so with intention. They push the envelope by merging their style with the ethos of the other brand, as shown in the example below of Maison Margiela.
The cutting-edge shape and mirrored lenses could easily look like something out of Star Trek. Still, the Gentle Monster touch makes them a fabulous pair of sunglasses, unrivalled in design.
Boundary-Pushing New Collections
One of Gentle Monster’s latest collections proves they are not slowing down. They released a mini 21-design collection in collaboration with Bratz in 2025. The eyewear even comes with its own Bratz doll! It’s an example of how good Gentle Monster is at strategically collaborating with brands that match their aesthetic, which is equal parts futuristic and Y2K nostalgia.
It’s all about self-expression and youthful fun, which is evident in their pop-up spaces for the new campaign. Their Los Angeles pop-up featured Nudake’s Microissants, which are popular bite-sized croissants. They also offered Maru Coffee’s TikTok-famous Creamtop drink.
The other locations, including Shanghai and Bangkok, had immersive one-off experiences, such as using humanoid Bratz dolls and huge dolls.
The frames themselves put a Bratz-style spin on classic Gentle Monster eyewear. This again shows that their collaborations are intentional and use thoughtful details.
Gentle Monster Is a Leader, Not a Follower
When Hankook Kim, also known as Mr. Kim to his staff, started the brand, he attempted to get Gentle Monster sunglasses into EssilorLuxotica stores. But it didn’t happen.
But instead of letting that stop him, he did all the work without being sold by a giant eyewear retailer. The results? In 2023, Gentle Monster experienced a 50% growth, while EssilorLuxottica grew by 7%. Warby Parker was up 12% as another eyewear competitor that designs and makes their own branded eyewear. It shows that what the brand is doing is working. Customers are loving it.
It’s new, it’s fresh, and it’s like nothing the eyewear world has seen (at least not in a while). Gentle Monster is setting its own trends instead of following what other brands have been doing. And it’s riding the Korean pop culture wave like few other brands have been able to do.
What Other Eyewear Brands Can Learn From Gentle Monster
There are two types of eyewear brands. One type is the major fashion houses that enter licensing agreements with large manufacturers. Some examples of these fashion houses are Chanel, Dior, and Prada.
These brands have an input into the designs of their glasses, but the manufacturing isn’t done in-house. That’s all handled by companies like EssilorLuxottica, Marchon, and De Rigo Group that operate factories globally.
Then there are brands that focus solely on eyewear, like Oliver Peoples and Cutler & Gross. They aren’t fashion houses. They don’t make shoes or dresses; instead, it’s all about the eyewear.
Both types of brands can learn from Gentle Monster’s success. One of the main takeaways is that it’s not just about making high-quality eyewear (which, of course, is important). It’s also about putting your own stamp on it.
Many fashion houses’ eyewear isn’t that distinct from rival brands. They offer the classic round tortoiseshell frames, sleek oversized black shades, and so on. And while consistency is good, Gentle Monster proves you can have a subtle line of core products but then experiment with other shapes, colors, and styles.
That’s probably one of the biggest reasons they’ve risen to global fame. They keep trying new things. While it makes sense that they ride the K-Pop wave, they don’t just get Jennie (from Blackpink) to pose in their campaign; they collaborate with her to make a unique collection that her fans will love.
Appealing to a Younger Crowd
Gentle Monster also creates eyewear that appeals to younger Gen Z buyers. This is a very smart strategy. Gen Z is really expressive with their fashion, which is why luxurious and fancy Louis Vuitton sunglasses might not be their first pick.
Gentle Monster is winning because they understand the zeitgeist, they have a knack for thinking ahead, and they partner not only with ‘big’ brands but with edgy ones that younger crowds like.
Finally, while their eyewear isn’t cheap, there are styles available under $250, which is more accessible to young people than a $500 pair of sunglasses.
Improving the Retail Experience
Do you remember going to the mall a few years ago and thinking how sad some of the shops felt? Malls have been dying for years now. What once was the hangout of choice for teens on the weekend is now a place they don’t want to be seen in.
Gentle Monster has revived the in-person shopping experience. Their pop-ups and stores make people want to leave the couch, close the Amazon tab, and go shopping like we used to in the early 2000s. It’s not just about having humanoid robots or art installations. It’s all about creating memories for customers.
It’s also smart because in the digital age, the social media boost from their pop-ups drives their popularity. They’ve not become another temporary, fleeting popular brand. Instead, they keep pacing themselves and creating new experiences that make customers want to come back.
Other brands should take note because while they’re still paying for rent for hundreds of stores, they’re clearly not always making the most of it.
Another thing about Gentle Monster stores is that they don’t feel like they’re only for rich people. They’re open environments meant for everyone who loves fashion.
TL;DR
Gentle Monster shows no signs of slowing down on its path to becoming an uber-famous brand. Here’s how they got here:
- The brand had an unlikely start and rise to fame. But they’ve carved their own path with a clear South Korean Identity.
- Gentle Monster has had three collaborations with Jennie from Blackpink, which have made them a huge presence in the K-pop fashion scene.
- They have had many collaborations with other fashion brands like Maison Margiela, furthering their fashionable reputation.
- They’re also creating innovative new collections, like their collaboration with Bratz.
- They continue to grow with innovative, art-museum-like stores in major cities like Shanghai.
Let’s see what’s next for Gentle Monster!
