Cult South Korean Handbag Brand Gu_de Adds Shoes

Cult South Korean handbag brand Gu_de is expanding its footprint — literally. The label will launch its first range of shoes for spring 2020, riffing on the sophisticated design motifs that have contributed to its success. Founded in 2016 by Seoul-based designer Ji Hye Koo and her business partner husband, Ethan H.K. Song, the label gained fast notice from homegrown retailers like Beaker and went on to amass a roster of international stockists including Net-a-porter, Selfridges and Moda Operandi. Prior to launching Gu_de, Koo primarily honed her skills as a footwear designer in the fashion departments of South Korean conglomerates like Samsung. “I love shoes and I wanted to design the kinds of shoes that I would wear,” she told WWD. Gu_de’s debut shoes.  Courtesy Gu_de’s structured bags, often constructed of crocodile-stamped leather, have become street style catnip — with styles mimicking tiny canteens, briefcases and doctor’s bags. They fall into the new cheap-and-chic category of high-design accessories offered at a lower cost. At $450 to $700, Gu_de’s bags fall well under luxury purses by big, European houses. The label has replicated this pricing structure with its shoes, placing its initial three styles in the $400 to $500 range. As is the case with its bags, all

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