Burberry launches immersive pop-up on Korea's Jeju Island

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Nov 15, 2021

Burberry continues to pull out all the stops as it targets the Asian market and puts extra support behind its outerwear offer and has unveiled an Imagined Landscape pop-up on Jeju Island, Korea. 

The first “immersive brand experience” in Jeju is “connected to a series of inspirational pop-ups across the globe showcasing our latest outerwear silhouettes whilst blurring the lines between nature and technology, the indoors and outdoors, the real and the imagined”, it said.

The pop-up comes in the form of a “topographic mirrored sculpture [that] rises from the landscape – an ephemeral brand space, dreamlike and futuristic, deeply connected with nature. Mountainous terrain is reinterpreted with modernity, as this imaginative structure is sculpted by architectural contour lines inspired by maps. Its shape and reflective surfaces seamlessly merge with the beautiful natural surroundings, sitting at the foot of the majestic Halla mountain”.

Overlooking Sanbangsan mountain and the South Shore, a viewing platform means visitors can take in the undeniably impressive views.

Inside the space, it’s more of a traditional store, although even here, “the digital and physical collide”. In one room is an immersive experience featuring cinematic films by artists Maotik, Cao Yuxi, Lia Jiayu. Visitors are surrounded by screens and “can interact with the unique worlds the artists have created, each rooted in the great outdoors”.

The products available include the latest iterations of the label’s trench coat alongside “outerwear pieces crafted from the new revolutionary gabardine” that’s made in the UK and “expertly woven in a compact twill with an increased lightweight hand, allowing it to feature fluidly across quilts and puffers”. 

Other styles include an Italian-made coat in double-faced wool, detachable sleeve hooded puffer jackets in black and dark peat brown and check panel cotton gabardine trench coats in honey and black.

It’s no surprise that a “social experience” is a big part of the space too with a partnership with TikTok continuing the label’s “connection with technology and global communities”. Visitors scan a TikTok QR code to activate an augmented reality lens, creating a scene filled with sharks across the sky.

The brand has also opened Thomas’s Cafe for the first time in Korea with a light beige colour scheme and Burberry animal kingdom motifs throughout. Inside the cafe, pastry chef Justin Lee from JL Dessert Bar has created “an assortment of treats with local inspiration and subtle brand references”.

The opening is also big on sustainability and the company “will support the continuing preservation of Jeju Island through a five-year partnership with the non-profit organisation Jeju Olle Foundation”. It will invest in “maintaining the island’s scenic trails to allow continued and safe access for the public while supporting waste elimination programmes to help preserve the island’s natural beauty”.