Designing menswear can be somewhat of a tricky balancing act. The difficulty often lies in adhering to classic styles, while at the same time, keeping things fresh and innovative.
One local brand is taking on that challenge head-on. Despite being relatively new, Comoddity has been successful in offering guys a little something extra when it comes to dressing up.
Designer and founder Vincent Siow says his choice of going down the menswear path was based on the notion that the market is less saturated. He admits however, that it has not been as straightforward.
“In terms of buying behaviour, it’s hard to gauge. Only a small group of men are adventurous when it comes to fashion. The rest? Well, they shop infrequently, and buy in ‘bulk’ – especially the basic items,” Siow explains.
Comoddity is a portmanteau of the words “common” and “oddity”. Fuelled by the love for textures and intricacies, the brand’s designs incorporate an interplay of fabrics, appliques, patchwork and embroidery.
“It’s modern and more eclectic,” states Siow, when asked about the clothes he makes. “I look for things that you have probably never seen before and use them in my collections.”
Comoddity is also said to define the new normal for the contemporary man. With regard to this, Siow points out that he envisions his customers to be confident and discerning.
“He’s a guy who knows what he wants. He prefers things that are of a better quality. Not just clothes, but in all aspects of living. He’s probably more established in life, as well.”
A learning process
It is worth noting that Kuala Lumpur-born Siow, 26, has never had formal training in fashion design. He studied accounting, finance and computer science, after which, saw him taking up a retail job with Hermes in Harrods, London.
Upon returning to Malaysia, he worked in operations, and later on, fashion buying. During that time, he was introduced to the aspects of design and manufacturing. He also began learning a little bit about how clothes are cut and their fabrication.
It was in 2013 that Siow won the Fashion Pitch, an initiative organised by government investment arm MyCreative Ventures. This resulted with him being awarded funds in the form of a loan, enough to start Comoddity.
“It went very differently than what I aimed for at the beginning. I was initially optimistic about online retail, but it somehow didn’t turn out that way. My price point didn’t work for online,” Siow says.
“The first year was terrible. No one recognised my brand. When people shop online and if it’s a new brand, they want it cheap. Opening a physical store was another headache, with its own set of problems.”
Winning the Fashion Pitch provided more than just financial assistance for Siow. According to him, he was already considering starting his own fashion label, but lacked the confidence.
“The industry had never heard of me or seen my work. And I was competing with many other designers. Being deemed qualified by MyCreative Ventures was a validation.”
If you are wondering how he actually did it, being self-taught and all, Siow reveals: “Read, read, read, and read. I bought so many books from Amazon. Tailoring books, design books, marketing books, even ‘how to start a fashion label’ books.”
I had retail experience so when it came to the business side of things, it wasn’t as foreign to me. However, it still required me to do more R&D. I needed to know what the market wants for example, or where to steer my brand.”
Moving forward
Cooddity has somewhat made a name for itself within the industry. The brand won the Best Menswear award at KL Fashion Week 2015. It also showed during one of the trade events at Paris Fashion Week in June.
Siow lets on that the Paris experience really changed his perspective on menswear. Before that, he actually thought his designs needed to be more conservative. He was worried about going overboard.
“I’ve since realised that people want something new. They look for fresh ideas. But of course, you still need to have a balance of classic pieces in your collection. The challenge is to achieve that balance.”
Siow is currently offering three very distinct lines to his brand. One, simply named Comoddity, comprises casual ready-to-wear pieces. Together with Como, which is streetwear, they are sold in-store and online.
He also has 221BC. Being more “designer”, it is only available by custom order. The line sees more of Siow’s creativity in it, with the upcoming Spring/Summer collection presenting everything from structured shapes to flowy fabrics.
“I’m inspired by art and literature. So it’s always based on a book, something I’ve read. I was inspired by Frankenstein for Spring/Summer 2016. Fall/Winter? I’m taking a leaf out of Dante’s Inferno,” Siow explains.
“Expect full-on drama for the next collection. I’m also learning how to stuff jackets with down at the moment, because you need proper winterwear pieces to enter into an international market – and that’s what I’m aiming for.”
Siow will be showcasing his Autumn/Winter 2016 collection in Paris once again, come January next year. He is also planning to bring it to China and Japan, countries of which he thinks the menswear market is flourishing.
At the end of the day, despite all the challenges, Siow still prefers menswear. Remaining unfazed, he is very much able to joke about it, saying, “I enjoy dressing myself. If I design womenswear, how I can wear my own designs?”
Comoddity’s flagship store is located at Bangsar Village II in KL. The brand can also be found in Isetan, as well as various multi-brand boutiques within KL, Singapore and Taiwan.
For more information, visit www.thecomoddity.com.
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