SUSTAINING A DREAM
Homegrown lifestyle brand britishindia celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. ceo and founder Pat Liew speaks of the challenges of maintaining the business.
AT the launch of Malaysian lifestyle brand Britishindia in 1994, the team just comprised of its founder and CEO, Pat Liew and five other persons.
Dressed in T-shirts and shorts, they worked in a makeshift office, which was a house under construction. Liew recalls having to mortgage the house to provide funding for her dream.
Liew, her small team and an architect accomplished seemingly the impossible by opening eight stores in four months across Malaysia and Singapore then.
After launching her brand, Liew was fortunate to have the late celebrated filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad produce her first Britishindia advertisement.
The witty and tongue-in-cheek copywriting courted some controversy, but it went on to win the Cannes International Festival Creativity Award and the London International Advertising Awards: Consumer Campaign Award in 1995.
This year, Britishindia celebrates its 25th anniversary, with a total of 38 stores across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Philippines.
The brand that caters to the well-heeled and well-travelled is created for the tropics and inspired by the grand romance of the Colonial era.
“To me, fashion is an emotional business. The emotion of working in it is the most important thing in my life. I have yet to lose the excitement of getting on a plane for the next buying trip,” says Liew.
She describes the Britishindia look as comfortable and utilitarian, elegant and timeless, and a brand that is not trapped in a fashion trend. The brand has something for everyone, be it for work, travel, adventure, leisure or celebrations.
“Over the years, our designs have evolved and are inspired by the cultures and traditional values of our country’s diverse communities. We focus on cut, fabric and finishing to give it a global appeal,” she explains.
“In 25 years, I can’t nail down a proudest moment as the brand was built on celebrating small successes along the way, and all of them have made me proud at different phases of its life.”
One of the successes included being featured internationally in two publications: Winning In Asia – Strategies For Competing In The New Millennium by Peter J. Williamson, and Asia Brand Strategy – How Asia Builds Strong Brands by Martin Roll.
However, it wasn’t all a bed of roses for Liew, as in these 25 years, she lost two of her most valuable design directors, Alex Chan and Phuah Lay Bee, who passed on within two years of each other in 2017 and 2019 respectively. They were her closest colleagues and friends, who co-founded Britishindia with her.
To stay relevant and maintain its position in the marketplace, Liew says her challenges on managing Britishindia include the constant need to educate and raise the level of brand awareness.
She says Asia is frowned upon for its reputation for low-cost and low-quality items, but a strong country brand image can change that perception. Then there are also rising rental costs and securing suitable locations, and identifying and attracting creative talents of a certain calibre required to develop and grow the brand.
“Developing a brand from ground zero takes more than just time; it takes incredible
Liew says the brand was built on celebrating small successes along the way and she is proud of all of it.
commitment to nurture its growth. We need to keep motivating and renewing ourselves to stand among the best, and we have invested huge sums to keep us updated in product development, store image and protecting our intellectual property trademarks.”
She says the company has survived some of the worst recessions and experienced several economic crises.
Aside from its elegant Colonial-inspired interior, Britishindia is also known for its window displays that reflect Malaysia’s multi-racial ethnicities and traditions with a modern twist.
The window display is also a space which the brand cleverly uses to make a statement.
Liew believes that as a business, it is part of their duty to contribute to society.
“Many shoppers are attracted to our window displays and they look forward to every festive change and events of our country. So we use them as a platform to promote social awareness and to reflect the beauty of our racial and cultural diversity.”
In 2014, Britishindia set up its CSR project, the “White Elephant – Retail for Charity” with UEM Sunrise, which carries old styles, rejected product pieces and leftover pieces from their sales.
All the proceeds from the sale of these items were then distributed to charities, such as Hospis Malaysia, Pusat Penjagaan Kanakkanak Cacat Taman Megah and Lotus
Charity Care Centre.
“For the future of Britishindia, I have to strengthen our foundation before we accelerate expansion into export markets. We believe that it is critical to pay attention to the details of our work, be prudent and have substance.
“Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. But I believe in learning and evolving with the times to remain relevant always.”