How Hyungji is Revitalizing Castelbajac: Insights from Macron’s State Visit to South Korea

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South Korean fashion house Hyungji announced on April 3 that, to mark French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit, it unveiled works by designer Castelbajac from its collection at the Hyungji Global Fashion Complex headquarters in Songdo, Incheon.

The archive unveiling was staged to celebrate cultural ties between South Korea and France and to showcase the historical value of the Castelbajac brand—an artistic French asset that Hyungji acquired and has since successfully stewarded.

Hyungji’s archives include key Castelbajac pieces, including haute couture, many of which contributed to the designer receiving France’s highest honor, the Légion d’honneur.

Chairman Choi Byung‑oh’s connection with President Macron goes back 10 years. In 2016, when Macron was serving as economy minister, he met Choi at the Paris Business Forum and voiced strong confidence in the globalization of French brands.

Macron later endorsed Choi’s vision of taking Castelbajac—an iconic French label—global under Korean management. The two reunited at a state dinner at the Élysée Palace in 2018, where Macron encouraged Choi to keep driving the brand’s growth.

Hyungji has honored that trust by preserving Castelbajac’s artistic DNA while blending it with the business savvy of K‑fashion, giving the label a contemporary reinterpretation. Marking Macron’s visit, the company says it will highlight the collection both at home and abroad and continue serving as a bridge for South Korea–France economic and cultural cooperation.