Kyndof Aims to Repeat K-Pop's Success in K-Fashion

"We are going to apply the playbooks of Hybe and Cosmax to the fashion industry and build a powerful K-fashion platform," said Kim Sunbin, chief executive of Kyndof. His aim is to demonstrate a new planning model that turns creative K-fashion into a data-driven business.

Kyndof, a fashion planning and incubation platform, runs 2000Atelier, which produces stage costumes for K-pop artists including BLACKPINK, aespa and IVE, and 2000Archives, a consumer fashion brand built on the same design concepts. Unusually for a fashion company, it recently raised 2.6 billion won in seed funding from investors including Bluepoint, and secured 1.2 billion won in research and development money through Global TIPS, the government's private-investment-led technology startup programme.

Meeting at the company's office in Dongdaemun, Seoul, Kim said he is watching fashion distribution become personalised around influencers. "We are preparing a platform that supports freelance designers launching their own brands, helping them personalise manufacturing," he said. "We differentiated ourselves by raising the speed and cost efficiency of making clothes for K-pop artists, who are the top tier of influencers."

Kim studied statistics at Korea University, worked as a quant at an American hedge fund and then moved into crypto investing. When vintage pieces that creative director Hong Daeun posted as a hobby began drawing attention, he started helping with cash-flow forecasting, then founded the company in 2023 and joined it outright.

Kyndof now works with a group of about 30 fashion designers to co-produce highly individual garments, and is extending from K-pop groups into clothing for general consumers. It plans to grow by applying data analysis, operational optimisation and AI-based design automation across the fashion business. 2000Archives keeps inventory to a minimum through responsive production and manages sell-through rates, and has been profitable since its founding year.

"The fashion industry is about five times the size of the entertainment industry, so I believe a company that reads and leads trends can emerge from Korea," Kim said. "I don't regret leaving the investment industry, because I believe in the potential of a strong brand house."