# Maison HQ SS26 Korea Briefing - Confidential Internal Use

## 1. SS26 Collection Direction

The SS26 collection from our main Leather Goods house emphasizes "Quiet Luxury" — a strategic pivot away from monogrammed loud branding toward materials, craftsmanship, and silhouette. Key themes for Korea positioning:

- **Material story**: 92% archive leather origin, new tanning process reducing water use by 38%
- **Color palette**: Warm neutrals (Champagne, Burnt Caramel, Smoke Grey, Soft Ivory), with one pop accent (Tangerine)
- **Silhouettes**: Structured top-handle bags, soft hobos, mid-size tote evolution
- **Hardware**: Brushed gold (replacing prior season's polished), reduced visible logos by 40%

## 2. Korea Allocation - SS26

Korea allocation for SS26 has been finalized at -8% vs SS25 across leather goods, driven by:
- Continued slowdown in Chinese tourist spend (-15% YoY Q1 2026)
- Slight shift toward Japan allocation (+12%) per regional rebalancing
- Maintained share for top 3 Korea duty-free locations

Category-level allocation changes:
- Premium bags (>5M KRW): -5%
- Standard bags (2-5M KRW): -12%
- Small leather goods: -3% (relative resilience)
- Wallets and accessories: flat YoY

## 3. Pricing Strategy SS26 → AW26

Q3 2026 pricing adjustment will affect approximately 35% of SKUs:
- Premium leather: +6-8%
- Standard leather: +4-6%
- Small leather goods: +3-4%
- New SS26 introductions: priced at adjusted level from launch

Korea pricing rule: align within +0% to +2% of Japan price. Duty-free vs Domestic synchronized rollout on July 1, 2026.

VIC pre-announcement: Top 30 Korea customers (per CRM tier) will receive 4-week advance notice under NDA, allowing pre-purchase. Coordination with VIC managers required by June 1.

## 4. Marketing Calendar SS26

Key dates:
- **May 25-30**: Korea showroom viewings (3 slots, max 4 attendees each)
- **June 8**: First SS26 stock delivery
- **June 15**: Soft launch top 3 flagship stores
- **June 20**: VIC preview event (3 cities: Seoul, Busan, Jeju)
- **July 1**: Public launch + price adjustment effective
- **July 15-Aug 15**: First-month performance review
- **September 10**: SS26 Korea showcase event (Seoul, with HQ executive attendance)

## 5. Russian Customer Pattern (New)

A notable shift: Russian-speaking customer traffic to Korea duty-free is up +28% YoY in Q1 2026. Profile data:
- Average basket size: €4,800 (vs €3,200 last year)
- Top categories: Leather Goods, Fine Jewelry, High Watches
- Preferred language: Russian (66%) > English (28%) > Korean (6%)
- Top locations: Lotte Main DF, Shilla DF, Incheon Airport DF

Recommendation: Top 5 duty-free locations should consider Russian-speaking sales support by Q3 2026. Budget approved for 8-12 part-time roles.

## 6. Sustainability & Compliance

SS26 collection sustainability commitments (for Korea market communication):
- Tanning process: 38% reduction in water use vs SS24 baseline
- Packaging: 100% recyclable, FSC-certified
- Carbon offset: All boutique shipments offset via certified partner
- Materials traceability: Full chain available for top 20% of SKUs

Compliance note: Any AI-generated marketing content using HQ materials requires explicit approval. Reference brand book v4.2 for visual identity rules. Adobe Firefly enterprise license rollout to Korea office expected Q3 2026.

## 7. Competitive Landscape

Key Korea market signals as of Q1 2026:
- Hermès Korea: New flagship Apgujeong opening Q3 2026 (significant)
- Chanel: 5% price increase already implemented May 2026
- Bottega Veneta: Strong growth in mid-price leather (+22% YoY)
- Local pre-loved market (Lalalala, Vintage Cafe): +45% YoY
- Personal shopper service apps: +180% transaction volume

Korea team's strategic priorities:
1. Defend share in premium leather (>5M KRW) — VIC retention focus
2. Counter pre-loved market with authenticated trade-in pilot (Q4 2026 launch)
3. Strengthen Russian customer engagement in duty-free
4. Maintain "quiet luxury" narrative consistency across all visual content

## 8. AI Usage Guidelines (Internal)

Per HQ policy effective Q2 2026:
- AI-generated content allowed: Internal moodboards, concept proposals, draft communications
- AI-generated content restricted: Published marketing, customer-facing communication, official documents
- AI-generated content prohibited: Brand campaign imagery (final), product visuals for media use
- All AI-generated work assets must be tagged in asset tracking system
- Adobe Firefly enterprise: pilot for approved use cases starting Q3 2026
- Gemini Pro / NotebookLM: cleared for internal analysis and research

Korea office submitted Q1 2026 has highest AI adoption rate in Asia region (78% staff with documented AI usage). HQ Innovation team monitoring as pilot region.