POST ARCHIVE FACTION is Ready for Its Final Form

From local cult label to the Pitti Uomo runway, PAF’s Dongjoon Lim expands his vision with a simple but steadfast belief in making good products.

I remember the first time I saw a piece by POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF). It was way before COVID hit. A friend I ran into in Seoul was wearing a padded jacket with dramatic volume and cool rubber string details. I asked what brand it was. “It’s PAF—it’s by my friend Dongjoon,” he said.

Back then, PAF was still more of a well-kept secret, passed around between friends. It started as a side project by Dongjoon Lim, who studied industrial design at Hongik University, to save up for art school abroad. Not long after, Sookyo Jeong, a fashion design graduate from Konkuk University, joined as cofounder in 2018. Together, they began building a brand with a cult following and a reputation for solid product design.The moment PAF crossed over from an insiders-only label in Korea to international buzz was when Kendrick Lamar wore it on Saturday Night Live, just as the brand launched. Since then, it’s checked off a list of milestone moments: LVMH Prize semi-finalists in 2021, a close collaboration with Virgil Abloh that introduced its “EQUIPMENT” line in Off-White’s FW22 collection, and an early team-up with Swiss running brand On, long before the current hype. Over the past year, PAF has secured investment from Korean fashion conglomerates and venture capital firms, marking its biggest leap yet. What began with just two people now powers a team of over 20.After showing its recent collections in Paris, PAF headed to Florence as a guest designer for Pitti Uomo’s Spring/Summer 2026 season. Its success feels less like beginner’s luck and more like a result of a quiet, persistent belief: “A good product can meaningfully shift people’s lives.” Eight days before the runway show, I caught up with Lim, who was deep in the chaos of final prep, to talk about where things started and where they’re headed.

You’re in the middle of preparing for Pitti Uomo. There must be a lot to juggle. What was today’s issue?How does it relate to the concept of the show?Was there a specific tailoring reference or approach you were working with?Looking back, what do you consider the most pivotal moment in PAF’s archive?

The show’s in eight days. We had a concept in place, we were planning to lay sand on the floor, but it turned out to be way too expensive. So we were in meetings until 6 AM trying to rethink the direction and execution. [The final direction was changed to sand falling from the sky onto the runway.] I remember for our second Paris show, we changed the idea three days before and ended up buying mattresses and props from IKEA to make it work.We don’t usually define a clear theme, but this one was based on the idea of a “drifter.” It translates directly to someone who’s adrift. I’ve been feeling that way personally, and in some ways, the brand also feels like it’s endlessly drifting. This flow—it’s something you feel rather than see. Sometimes you don’t even know where it’s headed. “Drifter” is often tied to being lost, but to me, life itself feels like a series of drifts. And this season, we tried a lot of things we haven’t done before—especially tailoring. Since Pitti Uomo is rooted in menswear, we thought it was the right time to dive into more classic forms.We focused on very classic pieces, like suits. Tailored jackets and similar forms aren’t something we’ve explored much at PAF. But it’s not traditional formal tailoring—we wanted to reinterpret it in our own way.I’d say the LVMH Prize and our collaboration with Virgil Abloh during the COVID era. Our collaboration with On was also a turning point. When we found out we’d made it into the top 20 semi-finalists, that news came when I was at a pretty low point. But honestly, that was a really difficult time. I was seriously considering ending the brand.

What made you want to quit the brand back then? For many, that would feel like just a beginning.Like going from the national team to the Premier League.PAF’s flagship store in Seoul has become a go-to for visiting fashion insiders. A$AP Rocky, Kim Jones, Hiroshi Fujiwara, and many fashion people stopped by. Has anyone been memorable?What’s the most memorable thing someone has said to you about wearing PAF?

Because it’s never just about designing or making clothes. Every designer faces this: sales, operations, and external engagements. You’re swamped with collection prep but still have to do interviews, and you want to do everything well, but there’s just not enough time.It wasn’t burnout exactly, but the mental weight of wanting to excel at everything while juggling too many tasks in too little time. Maybe it’s a Korean mindset—like, if you’re first in your class, you have to be first in the whole school too. Even when things are going well, you feel the pressure to do better.Right, and once you’re there, it’s not enough unless you win. A silver or bronze medal is already an incredible achievement, but it doesn’t feel like enough.Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist once visited and tried on some pieces, and he ended up buying something. Fleur Pellerin, the former French Minister of Culture and Communications, came by as well. It’s not just people from the fashion world; it’s been interesting to see visitors from a really broad range of fields.Probably just, “It feels good.” I think that’s when clothing really fulfills its purpose—when the person wearing it feels good in it. If someone says they felt happy wearing PAF—that they genuinely liked it—that’s the highest compliment. I think of clothing as something intuitive, not overly intellectual. To me, clothes are like a good meal. Of course, a Michelin three-star or a famous fine dining spot is great, but sometimes the best meal is something simple. It’s the same with clothes. You don’t always need to overthink it.

Where do you always take guests when they visit Korea?In a moment where the fashion industry feels stalled, what strategy is PAF taking?You’ve previously mentioned launching a more casual line. What’s the update on that?Are there brands you really admire or have drawn inspiration from?

Geumdwaeji Sikdang for K-BBQ, or Woo Lae Oak for Pyongyang-style cold noodles. I also remember taking a friend to Gyeongju once, and that was a good trip.We’re drifting [laughs]. Our focus is just to get the product in front of broad audiences—let them experience it, try it on. We’ve used a lot of technical fabrics in the past, but I realized something: as impressive as synthetics can be, I don’t reach for them every day. Lately, I’ve found myself gravitating more toward natural materials like cotton and wool, the kind of fabrics that feel better over time. That realization has shaped how we approach our essentials. We’re reinterpreting and reintroducing our core pieces with that in mind. From last season on, there’s been a real shift.We’ve already made it, actually. We divide our products into two lines: ARCHIVE and POST ARCHIVE. POST ARCHIVE includes more experimental, collection-driven pieces—the kinds of things that really push ideas. ARCHIVE, on the other hand, is focused on pieces that can stand the test of time. They’re more grounded, more lasting, the kind of items that truly feel archival.Our Legacy, AURALEE, Comme des Garçons, Y/Project, Rick Owens, ISSEY MIYAKE, Balenciaga, Kiko Kostadinov . . . I’m still learning, to be honest. I don’t see myself as someone in a senior position yet. But I think those brands have influenced not just me, but so many others in the industry.

Some of those brands that inspire others end up shutting down due to financial issues. What goes through your mind when you see that?It could always evolve into a new, even better final form.What are you thinking most about these days?What brings you the most joy in your work?

I don’t think a brand necessarily has to last forever. Of course, longevity is great—but it’s not a must. Some of the most impressive brands to me were short-lived. There was one called Final Home, for example. I think of brands as projects. Like Y/Project—it’s right there in the name. Projects have a beginning and an end. And sometimes, they evolve into something even better.Exactly. We use the word “form” a lot like the form in uniform. It’s one of our core concepts. That idea of form shapes a lot of how we think. We often say we’re making uniforms. We’re not necessarily trying to make those distinctions obvious on the surface, but conceptually, that’s how we organize things: ARCHIVE and POST ARCHIVE. We didn’t make a big announcement about the recent lines, but we’ve already updated the garment labels to reflect that structure.Lately, my focus hasn’t been fashion so much as the company itself—as an organization, a community. I heard the word “company” comes from the Latin com [together] and pan [bread]. It means people who eat bread together. I’ve been thinking a lot about that—what it means to build something with people, as a group.Seeing good design, both when I encounter it and when it happens inside our studio. The most exciting moments are when the design team is in a meeting and something truly great comes out. There was this one moment where I was genuinely smiling, almost like a kid, and I realized: I still really love this job. I want to keep chasing that feeling. That part of me hasn’t changed, and I don’t think it ever will.