They may have hit the coveted fashion magazines like Vogue, but even these Korean designer brands cannot be considered as a true 'luxury' brand.

It may be ironic that one of the world's leading consumers of world-class products from fashion houses like Chanel and Christian Dior does not have its own national exclusive brand able to stand through the test of time, but local experts from diverse industries say this is true.

"Korea doesn't have a true luxury brand, so the domestic designer brands we carry at department stores, even if they may be expensive and of premium quality, are not considered 'luxury' brands," Yoon Hyun-sik, a spokesman for Lotte Department Store, said.

This means couture designers like Burda Moon, Son Jung Wan, Park Choon Moo, or even icons of Korea's fashion world like Andre Kim, are not acknowledged as luxury brands, experts say.

Yoon noted that Avenuel - the separate building specialised in global luxury brands, and which is annexed to the main Lotte Department Store branch in downtown Seoul, carries labels famous in almost all major markets or at least in some of the leading markets for "haute couture".

"You could say a major reason for Korea being deprived of a luxury brand is its relatively short fashion history," Yoon said in a telephone interview. He added quickly, however, that some local designers may be on the road to luxury status.

There are variations of the definition of 'luxury', but from the perspective of Lotte Department Store, the country's leading department store chain, a luxury brand is one that has high brand awareness among consumers, meets international standards, and is highly-coveted for the product's quality and experience.

"At least at this point in our fashion history, we don't have a standard-bearer designer that the mass population goes crazy over," Yoon said. "Consumers even in their teens should have a desire for the brand and possess a certain ideal about its image."

Philippe Galtie, managing director of Cartier Korea, shared his definition of 'luxury' with The Korea Herald.

"It's about quality, craftsmanship, elegance of style, and value for money. True luxury relies on the heritage of a brand or 'maison,' and thereby is a source of inspiration and the bedrock for brand values which can guide management strategies," Galtie said.

He added that "buying a luxury product or service is buying a dream, an emotion", and underscored that "a product is not enough, as the service and the cultural dimension surrounding it contributes to a successful luxury purchase - it is more than a commercial transaction".

The local head of Cartier, the world-class jeweler whose beginnings date back to 1847, also stressed the capacity for longevity.

"True luxury products can be kept forever, or for at least for a very long time, hence creating a relationship with the brand."

Ha Song, an expert on luxury brands at the Samsung Economic Research Institute, also echoed the view that luxury was not just about high prices and high quality. He said the particular brand needs to carry a sense of history and be consistent with its brand identity.

Big-name brands in Korea, such as local electronics king Samsung and cosmetics maker Amore Pacific, as well as fashion designers have made big strides in creating top-class products. But they still need to persevere to emerge as household names in the world of luxury and succeed in having a universal appeal to capture the hearts of consumers worldwide, experts say.

Some advice Ha can offer to these ambitious players is to maintain quality, build a historical brand identity, and maintain a consistent brand identity even when undergoing product renewal.

Lee Chang-hyun, vice president of the Korea National Brand Management Headquarters, operated by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, advised that mass marketing is not as effective for true luxury brands, because consumers seeking luxury tend to value the experience and personal impact of the product.

But Lee stressed the importance of establishing brand awareness.

"Korean companies need to continue to give their utmost efforts in developing a strong brand identity, maintaining a high-level of quality, and raising global awareness," he suggested. "Client management services provided after a purchase is also important."

Galtie noted that "marketing can only be at the service of product, as supporting or staging the creation, and not as a substitute for it." He declared that he could not give advice to local brands, but offered to suggest that Korean corporations should invest in the long term on the talents of creative designers.

"They've done it in the technological, construction or retail fields. Why not in the world of luxury?" he stressed, adding that "luxury or fashion brand- building is a long term process and relies foremost on a vision."

He then offered a possible diagnosis.

"Maybe Koreans tend to prefer to try many different approaches and market test many different propositions, as they are very efficient and quick to innovate and produce; this strategy outsmarts competition: it's about the fast ones eating the slow ones, not so much the big ones eating the small fishes."

Galtie then added: "In luxury, however, one must stick to a brand's accurate vision and ethics and aim for the long-term with patience and determination. This will forge a brand DNA in the long run, which in turn will provide guidance for creativity."