Pek Lay Peng ”
Pek admits that online sales have not been able to offset the decline in physical retail, which contributed to 70 percent of sales before the circuit-breaker.To remedy the situation, she has improved the online shopping experience—changes include more seamless navigation and an online chat function—as well as expanding post-sales services.The store is also beefing up its personalised shopping experience for VIP customers, curating pieces to their tastes and delivering it to them.
Initiatives to reach out to customers wherever they are, especially when they can’t come to you, are more imperative than ever. Pek says,“This situation has made it clear that e-commerce should no longer be optional or seen as a secondary platform. It’s a necessary and equal partner to brick-and-mortar.” Like so many others, Pek also feels the industry needs to rethink its approach to creativity and consumption post-pandemic.“Designers were churning out collections at such a fast pace that there weren’t many new ideas. Post-Covid-19, I feel that brands will focus even more on their unique DNA and that customers will curate more carefully, hopefully connecting more with stories so that they are buying with awareness.”
That return to slowness and an embrace of thoughtfulness are championed by almost all designers—no matter how big or small, global or local. “I hope the industry will move towards a fashion calendar that makes more sense,” says Silvia Teh. Moto Guo and Kinder Eng of motoguo agree, saying “When the dust settles, the industry will have to go at a slower pace.” For Lai Chan, change is never a bad thing. He says, “Fashion in itself is always about change. Now, it needs to change again and operate with more sensitivity, integrity and honesty.”
Perhaps Alessandro Michele, the man who has been reshaping fashion since he took over at Gucci in 2015, sums it up the most poetically and powerfully. “We have to think about what we would not want to be the same as it was. Our history is littered with cr ises that taught us nothing. This cr isis represents a fundamental test for us all. It’s a test, because there is sorrow, exertion, danger; but also because there is an evaluation and a judgment.Through sorrow we can look at our recent past with a critical eye. Now we know that too furious was our doing, too insidious was our ride.” ■