The arrival of the royal baby Prince George has got the whole world talking but here in Singapore, another George has been making waves. Also hailing from the UK, George, one of the UK’s most popular fashion retailers has made its Singaporean debut in one of the country’s well-loved department stores, John Little.
George offers a range of apparel, footwear, accessories and even lingerie that is both stylish and reflects the brand’s core values of quality, style and value – offering the perfect marriage of both affordability and fashion. It’s a one-stop fashion shop for the whole family as menswear and kidswear are also stocked.
Singaporean shoppers won’t be shortchanged – the 8,000 square feet of retail space houses the same collections sold in the UK. This includes G21 – an on-trend line that younger fashionistas will revel in – and Moda – classic pieces with a twist that will fit right into an executive’s wardrobe.
We sit down with Jo Whitfield, Retail and International director at George, to find out more about what we can expect from the clothing retailer.
Can you give us an introduction to George?
George has a 23-year history – it’s one of the best known and well-loved brands in the UK. George was founded on delivering three key principles: quality, style and value. These key principles are what sets us apart from our high street competition in the UK – customers recognise the great value and quality and appreciate how fashionable we are.
We understand George targets the smart value consumer. Who is the smart value consumer and how has George innovated its product lines to cater to her?
The smart value consumer is someone who recognises that great value is important but that doesn’t mean they have to compromise on style. She is also looking for solutions for her family and herself and she knows that when she comes to shop at George, all the different elements of her wardrobe and family can be bought in one store.
We have our own in-house design team that focuses on product development. First we spend time talking to our customer to understand her needs. We also watch the runway make sure the right trends are interpreted into a look that will resonate with her and gives her what she needs.
George wants to bring affordable solutions to the shopper. We have very affordable shapewear – that can typically be pricey – and have incorporated shapewear into our swimwear too for that smoothing and slimming effect. Plus, we have also worked similar techniques into our denim and have developed great Magi jeans that we have dubbed the “Bum and Tum jeans” that magically slim the butt and tummy at 20 percent of the price of other shapewear denim in the market.
What can we look forward to for Autumn Winter 2013 from George?
Looks from George's Autumn Winter 2013 collection
The key trend focuses on the ladylike silhouette – pencil skirts, blouses, feminine prints, lace and floral details. The collections will also see darker colours like berry tones, metallic and shimmer elements, and textured fabrics like jacquard that has a baroque feel – great for the festive season.
Can you tell us more about the G21 Talent Collections?
George is the title sponsor of the Graduate Fashion Week in the UK and our Brand Director Fiona Lambert is also a mentor and judge for the event. During this period, those students who have been talent-spotted will be given the chance to work in George and build a collection with us – this collection will be highlighted as a talent range that we will actively promote to the media and public. For instance, Claire Acton is one of our first student designers and we launched her G21 Talent range to great success. In fact, she was such a great fit in the team, we offered her a permanent place in the team!
Ed’s note: Claire Acton’s designs were spotted by Lady Gaga’s stylist at Graduate Fashion Week and two pieces were requested for her world tour collection!
John Little and George are now open at #01-10/22 Plaza Singapura.
For more information about John Little and George, go to www.johnlittle.com.sg and direct.asda.com/george/clothing. Follow John Little on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JohnLittleSingapore and George on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JohnLittleSingapore and Twitter @Georgeatasda twitter.com/ Georgeatasda