Monthly Credit Society | The Challenge of ‘Greenest,’ a Sustainable Fashion Brand

Aiming for ‘Classic + Chic’ in Eco-Friendly Fashion

CEO Ha-eun Choi shared, “I enrolled at FIT simply because I loved clothing. One day during a class, I learned that the fashion industry emits more greenhouse gases annually than both the aviation and shipping industries combined. That hit me hard.”

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She added, “Realizing that something I loved was causing harm to the world made me feel a deep sense of betrayal. That’s when I began to ask myself—what can I do to change that?”

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Upon graduation, Choi chose entrepreneurship over employment. “I wanted to have a positive impact on the fashion industry I love. I asked myself what I could do that others weren't doing—and the answer was sustainable fashion,” she explained. “While many sustainable fashion brands exist overseas, there were few in Korea making a strong impression.”

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The key challenge was design. In Korea, sustainable fashion is often associated with dull or outdated designs, with most brands focusing solely on organic materials and neglecting aesthetics. Choi emphasized, “No matter how eco-conscious the clothing is, people won’t wear it if it’s not beautiful. For sustainable fashion to go mainstream, it must be stylish.”

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She graduated from FIT in May last year and launched Greenist in March this year. The brand name combines "Green" with the superlative suffix "-est," reflecting its philosophy of placing sustainability above all else. With no connections and limited capital, Choi took matters into her own hands. She attended a fabric expo at COEX, seeking recycled and organic fabrics from Korean suppliers. However, most rejected her due to her brand’s early stage and small order volumes. Undeterred, she reached out directly to overseas suppliers in Japan and Italy via email. Fortunately, some responded positively to her passion and agreed to export small quantities. This led to stable and affordable access to high-quality fabrics. “The fabrics we use come from the same suppliers that work with luxury brands overseas. Because I contacted them directly, they’re rare and hard to find in the domestic market,” she said. “From fabrics and trims to labels and manufacturing, we work with top-tier partners.”

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Even product packaging reflects her commitment to sustainability. For example, Greenest uses FSC-certified eco-friendly shipping boxes approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.

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International Expansion with Entry into DOORS NYC

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Greenest's design identity is rooted in classics—timeless pieces designed to last. This aligns perfectly with sustainability. “I design with the mindset that I’ll still wear these pieces when I’m a grandmother,” Choi explained. “The key is making styles that don’t feel outdated and can be worn for years.”

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Earlier this year, Greenest met customers face-to-face through pop-up stores in Samcheong-dong and Seongsu-dong in Seoul. While focusing on online sales for now, the brand plans to expand simultaneously in domestic and global markets. In Korea, the brand’s fall collection is available through its official website(http://Greenest.kr) as well as platforms like Hago and Trunk Show. Greenist has already made headway in the U.S. market, securing placement on DOORS NYC’s online platform just three months after its launch.

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“Consumers overseas are more aware of sustainability, so expanding abroad was always part of the plan,” Choi said. “Even though we didn’t have a large product lineup, I emailed DOORS NYC with our story and values, and we successfully got in.”

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The brand is also entering the Asian market, where loyalty to Korean content is strong. Greenest is set to launch on Indonesia’s Sonderlab online platform this month.

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Some well-known names have already worn Greenest designs. Creator Hyein, actress Lee Min-ji, comedian Kim Sook, and singer Jeong Dong-won have all appeared on broadcasts and online videos wearing the brand’s pieces. Word-of-mouth is spreading, and online orders are steadily increasing. Choi concluded, “We have followers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, which shows how much global interest there is in K-fashion. I want to build a world-class sustainable fashion brand from Korea—like Denmark’s GANNI or the UK’s Stella McCartney.”

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[Reference: Credit Society] http://credipia.net/bbs/board.php?bo_table=company_people&wr_id=250