Fast-fashion brand Brandy Melville's Korea debut draws backlash — not for its sizing, but for speaking English
Brandy Melville, the fast-fashion giant known for its “one-size-fits-most” clothes and laid-back California aesthetic, finally opened its doors in South Korea on Jan. 3. But despite the excitement expressed by some, the brand is facing backlash from others — and not for reasons you might think.
It’s not the sizing that’s causing a stir. It’s the staff's use of English.
The controversy kicked off with a viral post on social platform X by user @Rjsoc_bo:
“I went to the Seongsu Brandy Melville, and the staff couldn’t speak Korean… I was so shocked. There were very few who could speak Korean. When I tried to ask something, they told me to speak English. What kind of aesthetic is this supposed to be?”
The post quickly went viral in Korea, racking up nearly 4,000 likes and spreading across local online forums and social media.
Curious shoppers began visiting the store to see if the claims were true.
“I visited the shop with doubts,” wrote Naver blogger Kkamso in response to the post, “But really, even if I asked a question in Korean, (the staff) answered in English. When they passed by, they’d say ‘sorry’ (in English).”
Another Naver blogger, Seojin, shared about her experience attempting to communicate in broken English to the staff, “There were staff who couldn’t speak Korean. So it’s preferred to ask questions in English. I said, ‘Where this one?’ three times in the store.”
Others, like Naver blogger Nancy, claimed that the store indeed had Korean-speaking staff and that she hadn't experienced any language barrier.
“I read reviews saying staff would answer in English, so I was nervous. I’m in Korea; it felt unfair for a Korean like me to feel this way. Fortunately, there was a Korean speaker.”
To investigate these claims, this Korea Herald reporter visited the Seongsu store on Monday afternoon. By the time the reporter had arrived, a line had already formed outside.
Even before stepping inside after waiting to get in about 20 minutes, the complaints started making sense.
Two older women approached a staff member at the entrance to ask in Korean how long they’d have to wait. The response was: “I don’t speak Korean.” Frustrated, the women walked away.
Once inside, of four staff members approached in Korean about the cap section by this reporter, two spoke fluent Korean, one struggled to respond and another simply said, “English?”
Switching to English, however, got immediate answers.
It was the same while paying for items. Staff relied on English and hand gestures to manage the line.
A Korean-speaking staff member was found in the fitting room, though online reviews suggest that there aren't always Korean-speaking staff there.
One Naver blogger recalled, “When I asked where to leave the clothes I wasn’t buying, the staff didn’t understand Korean. I didn’t know what to do.”
When asked if speaking Korean was a job requirement, one staff member explained, “No.”
She added in English, “They preferred people who could speak both English and Korean since we have many foreign customers. But Korean wasn’t mandatory.”
While a Jan. 3 English Reddit post with 437 likes as of Wednesday expressed excitement about the store opening in Seongsu-dong, for many Korean customers, the lack of effort to accommodate them has been met with irritation and even outrage.
“When I was buying a sweater, the cashier couldn’t speak Korean. She just showed me the price and didn’t explain the refund or exchange policy,” said Kim Yeon-jung, a shopper in her 20s.
“They’re doing business in Korea but didn’t bother to hire people who speak Korean? That’s outrageous,” added Kim Jin-ah, 26. “Did you see the exchange policy? It’s only in English on the receipt. Shocking.”
Though receipts are printed in both Korean and English, the return policy is listed in English only.
Founded in Italy, Brandy Melville opened its first US store in Los Angeles in 2009 and is now a multinational store popular with American teens. The fast-fashion brand has faced criticism for, among other things, its "one-size-fits-most" policy, for offering only relatively small-sized clothing. According to some reports, this approach has ironically resonated with some teenagers, who see it as an implicit endorsement of a slim body type.
Even before entering the Korean market, the brand had already gained traction thanks to Blackpink's Jennie and Rose showcasing its styles on Instagram.
As of press time, the brand did not respond to an email asking about its practice of primarily hiring English speakers for the Seongsu-dong branch, or whether it has plans to hire more Korean-speaking staff in the future.
