Where Can I Buy K-Fashion in NZ?

In the TMI Vol. 041 we showed you a few 2020 F/W fashion items that were trending in Korea, and feedback asked for more. Also, a few of you asked me where I could get these Korean-styled clothes here in New Zealand. I only have two words for you. ONLINE SHOPPING. 

Pre-COVID, which feels like a thousand years ago, I used to order all my clothes straight from Korea with international shipping. But as flights continued to be cancelled and delayed, the shipping cost was jumping so high - it soon became triple the price of my ordered clothes! Then I searched for alternatives, such as websites with free shipping or Instagram shops based in New Zealand. Let me show you the three to-go secret Insta boutiques that I’ve settled on.

1. AVRIL APRIL

Instagram | 4vril_april

This is probably where most of my Korean friends shop on Instagram. It’s an Instagram Korean clothing shop based in Auckland, New Zealand, where they offer pre-orders for new clothing pieces every week. Orders are made through direct messages on the app, and their payment method is bank transfer only. The clothing styles they offer are mostly feminine - by that, I mean blouses, long skirts, boots, slingback heels, etc. Here you can find the knitted vests that I’ve mentioned in TMI Vol. 041 and the tweed setups mentioned in TMI Vol. 042. The quality of their clothes is very reasonable, given their price range ($$ ~ $$$). Their shipping time frame really depends on whether the product is in stock. If they're not in the country, we’ll have to wait for the product to be shipped from Korea - so on average, we’ll be looking at 2-4 weeks to receive your order. To get your items ASAP (and to save on the shipping fee), I would recommend checking if the product is in stock first, and picking them up if you live around the North Shore or CBD in Auckland. 

Instagram | 4vril_april

2. Lynens

Instagram | lynens__

Compared to Avril April, Lynens has got a chic styled clothing range targeting females in their mid-20s to 30s. Lynens also take orders via Instagram direct message, and payment can be made with international bank transfers to their Australian account. They open pre-orders roughly twice monthly, and their shipping time frame is 3-4 weeks. It doesn’t mean that you can’t order the products that were opened for pre-orders in the past, you can always inquire via DM unless the product is specified to be ‘out of stock’ in the description. Because they are Australia-based, they only take AUD currency and shipping fee is $12AUD to Australia and $20AUD to NZ. Their clothing quality is similar to those of Avril April and their price range is among the same lines as well ($$ ~ $$$). I especially liked their outerwear that they’ve introduced this winter, like the handmade coats and fur collar jackets. 

Instagram | lynens__

3. Blue Drop

Instagram | blue.drop_

Blue drop does not handle clothing but is a Korean style accessories shop. They mostly stock hair clips, bracelets, rings and necklaces - but at times they also do scrunchies and even phone cases! Like the other Instagram shops, orders are made via direct message & pay is made through bank transfer. This shop is based in Auckland, but they ship to Australia as well. Good news, they offer free shipping for orders over $50NZD for domestic shipping or $150AUD for Australian! So gather up your accessories-lover-friends to make a bulk order 👌 If you’re a fellow Aucklander, you can pick up your order at either the Albany mall or at the CBD.  Note that all products are coming from Korea and will take 1-2 weeks for you to get your order!

Instagram | blue.drop_

I’m starting to see quite a few small Korean businesses opening up on different social media platforms, especially on Instagram. Go give them some support if you’re interested since these are actually where most Korean-Kiwis search for K-fashion locally. Hope you all got some idea of where we all shop our clothes or accessories! Fingers crossed that more local K-fashion shops will open up in the future, so we can have even more options to choose from xx