9 Questions with Chilindo’s Fashion Manager — Liv
Chilindo’s very own Fashion Manager Liv takes centre stage as she makes waves building private brands in-house. With a keen interest for fashion and art, we can say Liv has an eye for style. Featured as our Chilindo Icon this week, sit back and enjoy getting to know Liv as she answers our quick-fire questions.
Q. Hi Liv, what have you been up-to lately?
It has been very busy in our office lately as we are working on building 4 new private label brands: 1 for classic women (MIOMORI), 1 for classic men (MONACHIO) and 2 for kids (BOYZT for boys and MIRIMOKO for girls). Some items for MIOMORI and MONACHIOare already available in the website.
Our entire Fashion team is working really hard to bring these new labels to life and make it available in our website as soon as after Chinese New Year. “Be ready to bid for some chic statement pieces and a broad range of cool kids fashion!”
Additionally, we are also busy designing broad range of new items to our already existing 2 successful labels NEAT and EVE. We are always looking ahead of what the next new trend is and carefully adding the items that are perfect for our customers.
At the same time, I have been busy travelling back and forth to our regional offices in China, Malaysia and Vietnam to expand the Fashion team for bigger things to come :)
Q. What’s an average day in your life look like as Chilindo’s Fashion Manager?
I am not sure if there’s an average day at Chilindo! Every day brings exciting new ideas, amazing opportunities and important challenges. That being said, I am always on the go. Checking my emails, communicating with my team across regions (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and China), making and approving process/decisions. These are my top three priorities or to-do list for each day. Apart from that I am always working closely with my team on new ideas and design to bring items that fits perfectly with our customers in Southeast Asia.
Q. Chilindo houses quite a few private labels, such as NEAT and EVE. Could you tell us more about each label and how they differ from each other?
So far I have designed 2 labels named NEAT and EVE and more are coming soon in near future :) These two labels are our first in-house brands and they have their own identities.
NEAT is specifically designed for men which has a youth-culture vibe i.e. cool, urban and is inspired by street style.
EVE is our women’s only brand, dedicated to the girl who loves mixing styles; feminine and sporty. Imagine a girl with dress, cool sneakers and backpack. That’s our Eve girl!
Q. Walk us through the process of creating a new item for each of these private labels.
Creating a new item for private labels is truly unique within Chilindo as we take ideas from concepts to finished products all in-house.
We have an entire design team of Local and International Fashion Buyer, Fashion Designer for different categories who fulfils a complete development cycle. From identifying trends, conducting market analysis, selectingcolours and fabrics, designing our own collections and ensuring quality and fit standards.
Personally, I find my inspiration everywhere from runways to walking around the city, people watching, windows shopping, etc. Then I break them down into more wearable styles based on my customers taste.
Q. What item on your label are you most coveting about right now, and why?
“Can I list my top 4 haha?” We have a great collection of sunglasses, watches, shoes and backpacks. Being a woman who loves to have a good collection of accessories, bags and shoes; I love to own them all.
Q. What do you love most about your company’s work environment?
“People are happiest and most productive when they work in an environment that suits them.” Chilindo allows me to work independently which has then allowed me to work hard everyday and provide excellence in my job. I have definitely grown along with the company.
When I joined Chilindo we were just 2 people in the Fashion Department with no private label brands. After a year and half I can proudly say I have built my Fashion army; we are 16 across regions and we own 2 successful private label brands: NEAT and EVE. We can’t wait for you to see our upcoming 4 NEW labels.
Q. What are your three wardrobe essentials you can’t live without and why?
The perfect pair of Sunglasses — it’s a must for our weather which is (usually) sunny and warm. Sunglasses styles evolve so quickly these days that it can be hard to keep up with the latest currents. But retro and big round glasses never go out of trend, and I love how a sunglass can make you feel (and look!) like a total fashionista.
The Great Watch — I love dressing my outfits with accessories, especially with a staple watch. It is timeless!
A Big Tote Bag — the essential weekdays piece that is practical for work. I prefer black or neutral colors as it’s easy to pair them with any outfits.
Q. What current in-trend style are you loving right now?
I have already listed my top 3 wardrobe essentials and I am sure you’ve guessed it by now. It’s ACCESSORIES!! In now age, accessories are more crucial than ever. Actually it never goes out of trend but just changes season to season.
That being said, my trend/ style changes every week! I do follow the latest runways and celebrities OOTDs but I try to mix and match my own style to the ongoing trend and make it wearable for everyday purpose.
Q. Any hints on what’s coming up next as private label for CHILINDO?
Wow, to answer it in one word … “A LOT”.
I have already spilled a bit of secret in your first question but let me elaborate more. We are coming up with FOUR NEW private label brands which is very exciting for me and my team. Our hard work is finally coming to life. To say more about the upcoming brands:
- MIOMORI: Dedicated to all our classic women in the spotlight who loves dressing like A Leader. Chic and Modern.
- MONACHIO: Inspired by our sharp men who strives for a timeless, classic styles.
- BOYZT and MIRIMOKO: For all our cool kids with swag.
The entire collection is UH-MAZING!! Stay tuned!
