\n\tCurrently, around 95 percent of Hansae<\/a>\u2019s business comes from the U.S.\u2014with clients including major retailers like Gap Inc. and Carhartt\u2014but Europe is quickly scaling. Looking to accelerate this growth and narrow the reliance on the U.S. amid tariff uncertainty, the manufacturer is putting resources toward strategically expanding its European revenues. Per Hansae, it is the first and only South Korean firm to establish a research and development center in the EU, distinguishing it from its peers.<\/p>\n \n\tSituated in a major retail and fashion district in Barcelona<\/a>, the office puts Hansae closer to its European customers, allowing for easy visits for in-person collaboration. Although Hansae has a New York office, some U.S.-based clients will also visit Barcelona to get a fresh take or incorporate a more European design sensibility to their collections. U.S. teams trying to sell into Europe also turn to Barcelona for market intelligence on reaching the continent\u2019s consumer base.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Hansae<\/p>\n \n\tAll the Barcelona office\u2019s design staff are native Spaniards, bringing a localized touch. At the helm is branch manager Sharon Riumbau, who brings over two decades of experience, including work as a buyer at Mango. Head designer Yolanda Ortin has worked in the industry for more than 25 years, including time within European fast-fashion companies.<\/p>\n \n\tBarcelona was a strategic choice since it is a destination that already attracts international design teams for trend hunting. Hansae\u2019s design office does this legwork for partners, and its team is constantly on the lookout for trends. In addition to following and sharing insights from forecasting firms, the team mines social media, pop culture and television, runway collections, people watching and more to determine where style is headed. Taking each brand partner\u2019s DNA into account, Hansae creates mood boards and presents trends in a way that fits their image.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0\u201cThey not only need you to produce. They also need you to give them the latest trends in design, fabrications, colors and so on,\u201d said Riumbau. \u201cThey are searching for a global supplier who can offer mass production, small production and also design.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Hansae<\/p>\n \n\tAfter researching trends, Hansae\u2019s Barcelona team proposes designs to customers in a few weeks\u2019 time. The customer then places an order, and the team in Spain<\/a> coordinates with the group\u2019s manufacturing<\/a> facilities to bring these looks to life, starting with sending design assets and tech packs. Most of this production happens in Vietnam, since the EU\u2013Vietnam\u00a0Free Trade Agreement provides tariff relief if garments are made of fabrics from Vietnam, South Korea or countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-wwd-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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