As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, BritishIndia strives to put itself on par with premium fashion brands, writes Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan
WHEN homegrown fashion house BritishIndia broke into the market in 1994 with its combination of clever ad campaigns and excellent fabrics in classy, clean silhouettes, it gave local retail a breath of fresh air.
Colours were muted, with browns and offwhites dominating the collections, and the brand’s size range was large — possibly still the largest of fere d by any local label.
Fabrics are of high quality.
Its cotton, linen and silk are made into simple blouses and roomy pants.
You can hardly find synthetic fabrics in its stores, often guarded by two elephant statues.
A respite from typical mid-1990s brands like East India Company, Somerset Bay and Liz Claiborne, this fashion label founded by Pat Liew went into the untapped territory of chic, tropical style.
Very soon, the brand attracted the well-heeled.
Expatriates loved its designs.
The use of natural fibres means in a country where it’s always hot, its clothes will keep you cool.
And for the past 20 years, the brand has kept its identity — cotton pants and linen tops are its staples and intricate beading on silk and cotton tops make some exclusive items, coveted.
NEW LEADERSHIP
On a bright Tuesday morning, I met the brand’s chief executive officer Rhoda Yap, Liew’s niece.
She came back from the United States a few years ago to head the company.
With a law degree from King’s College London and an MBA from Cornell University - where she was awarded a scholarship and a fellowship — Yap is focused on the big picture when it comes to revving up the label.
We met at the BritishIndia headquarters in Kota Damansara, a well-designed, high-ceilinged office with raw brick facade that is, to me, the building version of the brand.
We talked in a vast meeting room with minimal furnishing and a steady stream of natural light.
and Yap spoke about the halo effect of fashion brands and how it drives a country’s economy.
Prada, Armani and Tod’s for example, help push the Italian economy while Chanel and Louis Vuitton keep tills ringing in Paris.
Yap has the same vision for BritishIndia and having seen the brand thrive for the past two decades, she is confident that the label can do for the country what Vuitton does for France.
“I was in the KLCC store and I saw an Argentine father and son shopping for clothes.
At the counter, the father asked the origin of the brand and our employee proudly said, ‘Malaysia’.
“In 40 minutes, a tourist gets a positive impression of our country and I feel very proud,” said Yap.
Dressed in a V-neck top and colourful skirt and sandals, Yap is as cheerful as she is serious.
Prior to BritishIndia, Yap was at McKinsey & Company US focusing on large scale transformational efforts for Fortune 100 clients, including retailers and financial institutions.
“The appeal of the brand is the assimilation of cultures evident is the style of the clothes.
It’s all about East meets West.
“And the number of years we have been in the industry open doors to higher quality manufacturers.
In fact, we make some of our clothes in the same factory as other international brands,” she said.
The company used to make its clothes in India and China but escalating labour costs have forced it to find a better spot.
It ventured into Vietnam but it bombed, Yap said.
“It takes years to build a strong rapport with manufacturers so they know the quality we are looking for and building that isn’t easy,”
HIGH PRICE
I mentioned that the prices of its clothes are steep and Yap is ready to justify why BritishIndia clothes cost a lot more than other local brands.
“Our costs have increased, the prices of natural fibre fabrics have gone up.
So too has payroll and other operating expenses.
“But we never compromise on the quality of our products — our stitching, lining and beading are all well-done.
There is still a lot of value in our clothes,” Yap said.
“Comfort is long remembered after the price is forgotten,” she said, adding that it’s comfort that keeps its customers coming back.
I asked her if fast fashion’s domination in the fashion retail market is affecting BritishIndia’s business.
“There is an overlap of products in the local and foreign fast-fashion houses but we cater more to the wellheeled and well-travelled.
“Our customers include diplomats and royalty, and those who find value in simple and stylish clothes.” The high prices, she said, are also due to the small batches of some of the clothes.
“Sometimes, we can’t even get the manufacturers to make 50 pieces of clothing, due to the labour-intensive work.”
UPHILL TASK
“Perhaps it’s inferiority of our own talents or the standard acceptance that foreign is fabulous but most local brands I know strive to break this unjustified perception that homegrown labels are not on a par with foreign ones,” said Yap.
“BritishIndia is no exception, despite its stature, price tags and store exclusivity.
“I get people telling me that it’s not a Malaysian brand because it’s not made here.
Even if it is manufactured elsewhere, the intellect, thought and talent that go into the products comefrom right here in Kota Damansara.
“And that’s more important that the made-in label.
The manufacturers don’t design the clothes, we do.
“As a local brand, we have to consistently address this psyche that Malaysian brands aren’t good enough.
We are at Singapore’s Raffles Hotel and Marina Bay Sands along with other foreign names.
Those locations speak volumes about our standard and quality.” BritishIndia clientele is a mixed bag of tourists and locals.
While its KLCC store sees 60 per cent tourist purchase, its MBS outlets is 95 per cent driven by visitors.
“Our approach to clothes is international, that’s why we see a lot of tourists buying our clothes,” Yap said, admitting that because these locations are tourist-sensitive, the brand experienced a bit of a slowdown after the MH17 tragedy.
“There are a lot of expansion opportunities but we don’t want to rush into things.
We want to be sure we are strong enough in areas that we are in, before venturing into other countries.” Yap is excited but pragmatic when it comes to expansion.
For now, she is solidifying the brand.
She will soon venture into e-commerce, opening the label to the world.
“Product expansion is limitless and there are so many areas yet to be developed.” It has been a steady two decades for the brand, but who knows, give it a few decades more, it can grow to be a magnet for tourists.