Soko Glam has entered the UK market for the first time through a multi-year partnership with Space NK, unveiling a ‘Best of K-beauty’ edit aimed at educating and inspiring British consumers.
Founded in 2012 by Charlotte Cho, Soko Glam is credited with helping to spark the K-beauty boom in the US and beyond.
The brand now stocks over 100 K-beauty brands, and is stepping onto UK soil with the new partnership.
Cho said her“passion” for Korean beauty began after living and working in Seoul, South Korea, for five years.
She added: “I was just so fascinated with Korean innovations, trends and rituals, it really changed my perspective on skin care and beauty as a whole, because in the US, at least, make-up was kind of [a] priority, but learning about skin, preventative skin, and the multi-step skin care routine.
“I am so glad that the US and now the world has embraced Korean beauty.”
K-beauty has undoubtedly grown since Soko Glam’s inception, with the category now in what Cho feels is a second growth phase.
“They are calling this current time K-beauty 2.0 because it’s like surging to even greater heights than one has ever expected it,” she explained.
”This time it i a Korean Beauty takeover, not just skin care anymore. It is about make-up, and now hair care and body care are starting to get everyone’s interest.”
When Cho first launched Soko Glam, K-beauty was largely unknown in the US.
“They did not even know what a sheet mask was. They thought K-beauty, the K, stood for Kardashian beauty.
“It was a really steep learning curve in terms of educating people. “Leading by education was very important… that’s why K-beauty is not a fluke. It truly stands on innovation.”
Why Space NK?
A peek into what Soko Glam x Space NK will look like in-store.
The retailer first partnered with Cho last year to launch her own Korean skincare brand, Then I Met You.
Cho said:“Through working together, I discovered, ‘Wow, they remind me so much of Soko Glam’.”
It was a “match made in heaven”, according to Cho, who added: ““Their intentionality behind education, their focus on the beauty advisors to help educate, their very tight assortment of curation… they do not just carry anything.
“It isvery elevated. And their team is phenomenal.”
From the onboarding of Then I Met You, conversations then began spiralling between Space NK and Cho about bringing K-beauty to a wider UK audience.
“I think still in the UK, they aregetting familiar with K-beauty, but there is still so many Korean brands out there – and how do you really curate a collection that is trusted, approved, vetted and will deliver results?” asked Cho.
“Space NK is the best of the best in the UK, and we’re so, so excited to partner with it.”
What’s in the Soko Glam x Space NK edit?
Soko Glam will be bringing curated K-beauty edits to Space NK shoppers.
The range combines long-time Soko Glam bestsellers with new viral favourites, with seasonal changes to ensure the best of K-Beauty is always available.
Cho said:“There is a selection of skin care products that have been popular on Soko Glam… and then the other part of the collection includes make-up.“This is a very new and exciting part of our curation… there are no Korean make-up brands distributed [in] the UK, and that is what is going viral on TikTok right now.”
She pointed to Dasique and Rom&nd as two of the most in-demand brands, with the Space NK edit being the only place to get your hands on them, and added: “They literally sold over 60 million units of their lip product… it is the first time they’re ever entering the UK.
“So we are bringing a slice of what else is new and exciting about Korean beauty. It is not… just skin care. It is about make-up.”
The edit also introduces trending skin care names like Skin1004.
“They haven't been on Soko Glam for very long, but they are very much trending on social media… it was more about their morality and how popular they are globally,” Cho explained.
Education-led retail
In-store merchandising reflects Soko Glam’s educational ethos, with gondolas and wall displays showing exactly where each product should fit into consumers' daily routines.
“This is the first time that Space NK is creating a section where it’s sectioned off by the routine… so you can build your own Korean skin care routine with our shelf,” shared Cho.
“It has everything from the best oil cleanser to serums to sheet masks. There is something for everyone and every skin type.”
The partnership will be long-term, with regular updates.
Cho added: “It is an ongoing partnership for several years… you will see new brands coming in and out of the assortment according to trends and needs.
“We will constantly be bringing in newness. So it is going to be ongoing.”
The edit is exclusive to Space NK in the UK, and Cho hinted at wider ambitions and said: “There are definitely opportunities for Soko Glam to bring our expertise as a trusted curator and retailer… but that is something I cannot really talk about more in detail just yet.”
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