Cue the squeals. From clicks to bricks, Love, Bonito the Singaporean premier online fashion brand – is now also available offline; the label now has a brick-and-mortar flagship retail shop in Mid Valley, following the strong support for their pop-up store in Publika last year.
The 1,314 sq ft store is a style haven; featuring cool, clean lines, white is the keyword here: white countertop, table and stool, white wardrobe, white walls. To the left of the boutique is where a few cosy black sofas sit – these, we presume, are for tired spouses, boyfriends and shopping partners. Candles, photo frames and fresh flowers - lilies, last we saw – accent the brightly-lit space. A modern, minimal atmosphere, it accurately encapsulates the brand’s aesthetic, which, for most of us, didn’t exist beyond the digital: chic, sophisticated, tasteful.
Founded in 2010 by Rachel Lim and Viola Tan, Love, Bonito is a team of 35. Hundreds of in-house designs are released monthly under the Love, Bonito umbrella of house labels, including Basics by Love, Bonito, Bridesmaids, COVET by Love, Bonito (a line of exquisite, straight-off-therunway designs), Outerwear, and Swimwear; a Maternity line is also in the works, set to be launched later in the year.
The Love, Bonito woman is feminine, fashion-forward and impeccable; think high-street, on-trend crop tops, culottes, midi skirts, and the Kim Kardashian-staple of pencil skirts, as well as the classic, sleek silhouettes of maxi dresses, playsuits, shift dresses and tailored pants. It’s all in the details: cut-out sides, mesh, neoprene, pleats and off-shoulder sleeves are familiar, repetitive themes. Mostly, it’s a neutral palette of blacks, whites and blues, but there’s the occasional pop of brights – like canary yellow, fuschia and vermillion red – as well as prints and patterns, such as floral, marble and stripes.