Urban Sophistication founders talk aespa collaboration, pop-up in Seoul

In a world where phone cases are fashion items and not just protective accessories, Urban Sophistication's distinctive designs are likely recognizable from Instagram, even if the brand's name isn't familiar.

Urban Sophistication Seoul Art Pop-Up in Yongsan District, central Seoul [SEO JI-EUN]

[INTERVIEW]

In a world where phone cases are fashion items and not just protective accessories, Urban Sophistication's distinctive designs are likely recognizable from Instagram, even if the brand's name isn't familiar.

Its designs include the cigarette box with the phrase, "Social media seriously harms your mental health," and the glossy cases resembling padded jackets. They have frequently featured in the selfies of celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, as well as K-pop stars like Blackpink's Rosé and aespa's Winter.

Urban Sophistication's phone cases displayed at its Seoul Art Pop-Up [SEO JI-EUN]

Korea was one of the first countries to embrace Urban Sophistication's unique designs, not only for phone cases but also for its clothing and bag lines, say Elad and Neta Yam, founders of the brand, during an exclusive interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily. The country emerged as the third-largest market globally for the brand, with year-to-date sales growing by 230 percent. This led to Korea becoming one of the first few countries to host a pop-up location for Urban Sophistication.

The brand recently launched a new version of its iconic "The Puffer Case," featuring a mystical lavender and purple color adorned with cute devil horns, in collaboration with aespa. The Israel-born sibling duo hinted at another collaboration with a K-pop boy group coming up soon.

Open through Saturday, visitors can explore and purchase Urban Sophistication's products at the pop-up store in Itaewon, central Seoul, including exclusive items only sold at the Seoul location.

Below are edited excerpts from the interview with the Yams on June 14 ahead of the official opening of the pop-up.

Neta Yam, left, and Elad Yam, founders of Urban Sophistication, pose for a photo in front of the brand's Seoul Art Pop-Up on June 14 after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily. [SEO JI-EUN]

Q : What's the concept of the Seoul pop-up store?

A : Elad: The Seoul pop-up store's theme is "algorithm," with the main piece being the bows bursting from the wall. This was inspired by how algorithms work. When something trends, the algorithm pushes it into your feed, and the wall represents this push. We placed a mirror in front of the wall so that every person who takes a picture [and posts it online] reflects this algorithm, promoting the pop-up.

Q : What made you choose Korea as the location for your pop-up?

A : Elad: Korea was one of the early embracers of Urban Sophistication. We first collaborated for a pop-up with Boontheshop in Gangnam back in 2019, even before launching in the U.S. We were intrigued by the strong interest from Japan and Korea, which prompted us to explore further. We wanted to understand what attracted them to our brand and how they discovered us. So, we decided to travel and engage directly with our audience. This return to Korea felt like the right timing for us.

Neta: Korea became one of the fastest-growing customer bases on our website. We recognized the significance of bridging our online presence with physical interactions. Following our collaboration with aespa, we saw an opportunity to connect with our Korean audience before heading to Japan.

Unlike our 2019 pop-up, where we had a small space within Boontheshop, this time we designed the entire store space with the Urban Sophistication concept in mind. We aimed to offer the complete Urban Sophistication experience throughout the entire store.

Customers wait in line at Urban Sophistication's Seoul Art Pop-Up [URBAN SOPHISTICATION]

Q : What characteristics did you notice about Korean customers?

A : Elad: Korean customers are very open to experimenting with new things. They don't necessarily need a celebrity to try out a product. For instance, when we initially introduced hoodies, there were styles in the U.S. that didn't attract much attention, but here in Korea, even the most random and unique items receive orders. It's this openness to experimenting with style that stands out to us.

Winter from the girl group aespa with a limited edition phone case collaboration with Urban Sophistication [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Q : How did the collaboration with aespa come about?

A : Elad: The collaboration with aespa happened organically. I think it was Winter who first started using our brand without us sending her products. This organic adoption was important for us. One of the members began wearing our products, and over time, the others followed suit. Eventually, their team approached us with the idea of collaboration, coinciding with the release of their album, "Drama" (2023). We worked closely with them on the designs, drawing inspiration from the album's themes and the group's overall aesthetic. The limited edition items sold out very quickly, in less than an hour.

Q : Are there any upcoming collaborations we can look forward to?

A : Elad: We have another exciting K-pop collaboration lined up for this year. I can't say too much yet, but this time it involves a boy group. They have already showcased our products on Instagram.

Neta: The collaboration includes a phone accessory, which is a new addition for us other than a phone case.

Q : There have been complaints raised about slow shipping in Korea.

A : Elad: We are working on partnering with local warehouses in Korea to address the issue of slow shipping. This may take a few more months, but this is something we are doing on this trip, meeting with various warehouses and fulfillment centers in Korea for faster delivery in the near future. Additionally, we offer express shipping options, although they come at a higher cost.

Q : What does a phone case mean to you?

A : Elad: We believe that a phone case is not just for protecting the phone but is also a personal expression. We design phone cases with the person in mind, recognizing that our phones are essential and often our most visible accessory. It's like the clothing we wear the most, so when it appears in a selfie, we want it to reflect who we are.

Neta: Recognizing the potential of phone cases, we decided to concentrate on this product category first.

Urban Sophistication Seoul Art Pop-Up in Yongsan District, central Seoul [SEO JI-EUN]

Urban Sophistication Seoul Art Pop-UpAddress: 240, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan District, SeoulOpening dates: June 15 to 24 (from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.)Reservation link: None

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]