First there was K-Pop, K-Dramas, and K-Beauty. Well now there’s K-bags 😂. Since going to South Korea I have a greater respect for the fashion brands coming from that country. They tend to be on trend but also super affordable. Let’s just say these Korean brands make really good dupes without being an exact carbon copy (they usually make it just different enough). The construction also tends to be fairly solid, but as I found out the materials used can be a bit of a mixed bag (pun intended lol). So far I’ve tried these Korean bag brands and this is what I think of them:
Nothing Written Brown Classic Golf Bag
I originally fell in love with this Classic Golf Bag because it looked like something from The Row but at a tenth of the price (in the $300 range vs the $3000 range). And in fact this Classic Golf Bag that I picked up (but then returned) from Canadian retailer Ssense looks a lot like The Row India bag but with The Margaux handles. It’s canvas-lined with a zippered pocket inside so it’s very light to carry. The rolled handles are nice to carry and I like that the zipper opening goes down the sides so that when fully unzipped the bag opens up really wide (so it’s easy to get things in and out and easy to see what’s in there). But as much as I like the look I ended up returning it because 1) the handles can’t go over my shoulders and 2) the leather feels quite plastick-y. The leather is probably pretty durable since it has such a heavy plastic coating on it, but I can’t see it aging well (once the plastic veneer cracks, it’ll probably start flaking). But if you’re looking for a bag for right now (and not a heritage one to pass down to your kids), then this might work for you (as long as you’re ok with hand-carrying or crook-of-the-arm carrying).
Dunst Classic 28 Bag
This very classic looking bag looks a bit like The Row’s Domino bag, but the Dunst Classic 28 Bag is smaller, lined in canvas, has a large exterior pocket, and is made of a super durable leather (instead of The Row’s super fragile saddle leather). This Dunst bag also looks like the Hermes Plume [October 2024 update: I got my hands on a Plume 28 for a bit and I have to say as beautiful as that bag is, it’s not practical because the bag can’t go over the shoulder—the handle drop is 6.5” compared to the 8” handle drop of the Dunst Classic 28. I also really like the exterior pocket of the Dunst Classic, which is so useful for my phone]. But unlike the Domino or the Plume, this Classic 28 cost me $228 from Ssense (vs. the $5600 for the Domino) so I feel confident to put as many charms as I want (ala Miu Miu style). Sure the leather quality is not going to be on par with The Row or Hermes, but overall the leather is good enough (it’s not luxurious but doesn’t feel like complete plastic either) and the construction is solid.
The bag itself is well-made with clean stitching and decent hardware. The leather is quite stiff and scratch resistant (probably a heavy coating on top of the leather), but it works for a simple bag like this. I like that the handles can easily go over my shoulders (and stay there). The exterior pocket is also super handy to stash my phone, and it’s secure enough with a magnetic button so I don’t feel like it would fall out. I really have no complaints about this bag thus far though I haven’t used it a ton yet (but of course I’ll update this review when I do). Also for $228 I don’t feel too bad letting this one sit in the closet for a bit (not like that Hermes Kelly I used once lol). Ssense no longer sells current Dunst bags, but you can find this bag at W Concept (at a lower price too). Right now they have this Classic 28 in a tan with contrast stitching that I’m tempted to get (edit: Ok after writing up this post I ended up getting it with a coupon code—see below). And their Classic Bowling Bag with the crossbody strap is super cute too! Honestly the style of their products is on point and their prices are reasonable.
{October 2024 Update: I loved this bag so much that I got a second one in the tan leather. And I’ve used this brown one a lot more since my wardrobe is currently more complimentary to brown than to black. Since using this bag I’ve found the exterior pocket to be an absolute necessity, and in general I’ve found the bag really easy to use. The straps can still go over my shoulder with a thick sweater or coat, and I’m not afraid of taking this one out in the rain.]
Couronne Ruvo Bag
I first noticed this brand when I watched the K-Drama Hometown Cha Cha Cha (which also inspired my Hermes Roulis purchase, reviewed here). Ever since then I’ve had my eye on the brand. And then when I went to Korea last year I saw some of their items in-person at a department store. Overall I would say the quality of their bags were good, but they had some misses in there as well so I won’t say everything is top notch.
But the bag that caught my fancy was the Couronne Ruvo bag. I didn’t buy it then, but later I saw it on sale at W Concept and snagged it for less than what I would have paid in Korea (and it’s even cheaper now by $75 if you have a coupon code). I opted for the seasonal green color instead of another neutral (as beautiful as the neutrals are) because I thought I should branch out to other colors. However I have to admit I haven’t used it much because of the color. But the leather is quite nice for the price and the construction is clean and neat. Now that I’m getting into green bags I really need to add this to the rotation. I’ll update this review once I use it more.
Monorow Sara Bag
This Sara bag was an impulse purchase after seeing it on someone’s substack as a dupe for The Row’s Terrasse bag. I’m not sure why but I’m really into shoulder carry bags (as opposed to crossbody bags) and I thought this would be a simple yet lovely bag. I’ve heard of Monorow in the past because of their Margaux dupe, the Blanc bag, and hadn’t heard any complaints about the quality. [Edit: After posting this review, one reader reached out to me let me know she actually had heard the leather quality on the Blanc was also not great.]
However I have to say I was pretty disappointed in the Sara bag. The leather quality was quite bad (something I would expect from Zara). And for a bag that involved folding the flaps over the top, this meant the leather folds were wonky and wrinkly. To me it looked cheap, so I sent it back (there’s a $18 restocking/shipping fee with W Concept, but better that than to be out $149). Anyway I don’t think I’ll try anything else from this brand because of my first impressions with this bag.
Have you guys tried other bags from these brands and what did you think? What are some other Korean bag brands you’ve tried and what did you think? I asked this over on Instagram and I’ve heard back that Atelier Lumen and Facade Pattern are good ones.
[new for December 2024:]
Facade Pattern Cabin Bag
I had heard some good things about this Korean brand, but when I saw their dupe of The Row’s 90’s bag I knew I had to give them a try. As much as I like the simple shape of the 90’s bag, the fact that it’s a hand-carry only bag made me hesitant to buy it. So I thought it was pretty genius for Facade Pattern to add an adjustable strap to their version so it can also be slung on the shoulder (and even over a coat since the adjustable strap is quite generous). But I was only going to keep the bag if the leather quality was decent (after trying the Korean bag brands above I knew some of them used cheap and plasticky leather). But I have to say the quality of the leather for this bag far exceeded my expectations. Sure, it’s not the same as The Row, but the leather still feels nice and smooshy. And for $202 (of which I got 10% off with a code at W Concept), it’s definitely worth it if you’ve been thinking of trying this style of bag.
Roh Seoul Large Mug Shoulder Bag Review
I got this dupe for The Row’s Park Tote because my medium Park tote doesn’t fit a laptop, while the large is just too big for my needs. This Mug bag from Roh Seoul is actually the perfect size: it’s large enough to fit a 13” laptop, but still close in size to the medium Park tote. There’s also one front pocket that’s perfect for stashing a phone and small notebook.
However in the end I returned it because I just wasn’t a fan of the handles. The handles were stiff and almost like rolled handles, which made it hard to stay on my shoulder (yes I know if I took off the plastic it would stay better but the stiffness of the handles was the bigger problem). And that was a big shame because everything else about the bag was perfect. I loved the suede leather (felt quite luxe for the $321 price tag) and the stiff bottom (perfect for a heavy thing like a laptop). If only they had made it with a flat shoulder strap, then it would have been the perfect bag. But overall I was impressed with the quality and value of the bag, and I would be open to getting a different bag from Roh Seoul.