• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.646-660
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• 2008

Korean export of fashion products to the U.S. has fallen off sharply after 2001. Now, Korean fashion companies have to develop higher value-added business. In the U.S., Korean-American fashion companies are taking a primary role in up-stream of the fashion industry. To cut the edge over the U.S. fashion companies, one of the solutions could be to build the business relationship with Korean fashion companies which reflect the recent trend rapidly and have high quality production. On this study, we investigated the marketing strategies of Korean-American fashion companies to seek to start business with Korean fashion companies and make suggestions for Korean fashion companies who want to enter into the U.S. market effectively. To analyze current situation of Korean export to the U.S. and the U.S. fashion industry, we considered various kinds of statistic data, publications and studies. And we performed in-depth interviews with 9 Korean-American fashion companies in LA from $9^{th}$ to $21^{st}$ of July. The results are as follows. first, Korean fashion companies should aim for high-end market with the products of high quality and design. Second, there should be professional agents who manage Korean small-medium fashion companies and connect them with Korean-American fashion companies. Third, Korean fashion companies who want to enter into the retail market of the U.S. have to decide the target market clearly and plan strategic and differentiated merchandising. Fourth, Korean fashion companies can specialize in product developing service like proposing a product or a merchandising line as a package including designs, fabric swatches, trims, production information, etc.