Cult Hong Kong fashion group I.T will
open its first i.t multi-brand store at Wisma Atria in June with an
array of popular in-house brands like Izzue, b+ab, 5cm, tout à coup,
fingercroxx & Venilla suite plus hot Japanese brands as know as de
base, mysty woman & Pageboy
Known
for its support of cutting-edge fashion and developing strong Asian
brands, Hong Kong fashion conglomerate I.T is finally coming to
Singapore. In June, 2013, the group will open an i.t multi-brand
boutique at Wisma Atria with nine brands; six in-house labels and three
from Japan.
Focusing on fashion and accessories for guys and girls from 20-35
years old, i.t is the more youth-oriented branch of the I.T group which
has established itself as the source of fashion-forward brands like
Kenzo, Comme des Garçons, A Bathing Ape, Isabel Marant and Maison Martin
Marigela throughout Asia.
The Singapore store, in collaboration with Singapore retail
powerhouse Wing Tai, will take up 10,200 sq ft on level 3 at Wisma Atria
and will launch with in-house brands Izzue, b+ab, 5cm, tout à coup,
fingercroxx and Venilla suite alongside Japanese labels as know as de
base, mysty woman and Pageboy. There will also be shoes from Puzzle and
some Jeffery Campbell as well.
Two of the in-house I.T brands that will be available in the Singapore i.t store from June; Izzue (above top) and b+ab (above)
Inside the store there will be different sections set up to reflect
the different brands’ “DNA”, the interior will be similar to I.T’s
Hollywood Plaza store in Mongkok, Hong Kong.
According to Ms Deborah Cheng, VP of International Business for I.T
Ltd, the company is launching in Singapore with its in-house brands
first as they’ll be more flexible in being able to be adapted and
“tailor-made” to the local shoppers. “If the in-house brands are
successful in Singapore we’ll also look at establishing them as
free-standing boutiques,” said Ms Cheng.
She also said that many of the international brands that I.T carries
in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China are already available in Singapore.
While Singapore “fashion insiders” are already well-aware of I.T and
its offshoot brands, and going by the turnout at the store launch on
April 11, 2013, are already supporting the new store, Ms Cheng was
confident that i.t’s brands could bring something new to the Singapore
shopping scene.
“We’re very confident that the market will welcome our brands.
Singapore women tend to dress in a certain way, a bit more sexy and
feminine, but our collections’ style is looser and more boyish, offering
shoppers something new. The Japanese brands we’re bringing in
especially mysty woman and Pageboy are more feminine though, so we’re
catering to those who want a more feminine style too,” explained Ms
Cheng.
Interestingly, Ms Cheng said that a number of major European
department stores have contacted I.T recently about stocking its
in-house brands, especially Izzue.
“I would really like one of our brands to hit the international
level,” said Ms Cheng. “I’d love Izzue to be more visible in Europe.
There are lots of Japanese brands that have ‘made it’ on the
international market, not just the high-end designers but also mass
market brands like Uniqlo. My great ambition is to have a Chinese brand
at that level; Chinese brands are not yet recognised so it would be
great to take Izzue to the next level.”
As for how the I.T brands go about creating their collections, Ms
Cheng explained that there are completely dedicated design teams that
work separately on their own brands, and that there is, in fact, some
friendly rivalry between the brands.
Design wise, and price wise, the i.t brands aren’t your
run-of-the-mill high-street fare; similar in some ways to brands like
All Saints, Urban Outfitters and Sandro, these brands are less about
price-point and more about concept and identity.
I.T and its offshoots have been strongly supported by Asian
celebrities like Cherie Chung, Lynn Xion, Eddie Peng, Guey Lun Mei,
Charlene Choi, Angelababy, Kelly Chen, Anthony Wong, Pakho Chau, Helen
To, Jennifer Tse (sister of Nicholas, who’s also a fan) and Shawn Yue –
some of whom are sure to turn up for the store opening in June, although
Ms Cheng couldn’t name names at this point.
All in all, the arrival of i.t in June adds another dimension to the
shoppers’ paradise that is Singapore’s Orchard Road; we can’t wait.
resource:http://www.herworldplus.com/shopping/updates/hong-kong%E2%80%99s-cult-it-boutique-opens-singapore-june
6:13 AM
Vinay Singh
