Singaporean brand Love, Bonito will open a physical store in the Philippines this year. Handout 

SINGAPORE -- After two years of opening pop-up shops in the Philippines, Singaporean fashion brand Love, Bonito is finally setting up its first physical store in the country. 

The 14-year-old brand, which currently ships to 20 countries worldwide, takes pride in designing high-quality and practical pieces for working Asian women. According to co-founder Rachel Lim, the first Philippine branch will be launched later this year. 

"We are excited to finally come to Manila and I think for us, it's been a long time coming," she told ABS-CBN News. "The Philippines has always had a special place in our hearts and that is why we always try to go there as much as we can." 

"Through our pop-ups, we realized that wow, there is really such an encouraging response from the community in the Philippines. So we decided to take the leap of faith to open and serve our customers in the Philippines," she added, opting not to reveal the location of their first store as they continue to iron out details. 

Lim finds similarities between Filipino consumers and Love, Bonito's Singaporean market, saying they are both not afraid to play around with different colors and styles. 

She also cited the Philippines' strong mall culture. "We wanted to tap into that," the 36-year-old entrepreneur said.

'Ready to live'

Lim and her friends started Love, Bonito in 2010 after seeing a gap in the market catering to Asian women, noting how most fashion brands in Singapore were created primarily for American and European proportions.

"We decided to start creating pieces for ourselves, pieces that will fit us better well, that will make us confident," she recalled. "And more importantly, I think it won't burn a hole in our pockets." 

"Because we believe that when you look good, you feel good," she stressed. "So that's what we wanted to do, to empower women, to be confident in who she is." 

Rachel Lim, co-founder of Love, Bonito. Handout

Fast forward to 2024, Lim believes that Love, Bonito has "evolved tremendously," but the brand, at its core, is still in the business of making women feel better about themselves. Their collections primarily attract women aged from 25 to 45 who are looking for polished outfits that can take them from work to play.

"She is multi-faceted, she wears many hats, she's a woman on the go," she said, when asked to describe the Love, Bonito muse. "They look for outfits for their first interview, their first job or presentation, for weddings, for motherhood. We feel very much strongly for this segment." 

This year, Love, Bonito has undergone a revamp, placing focus on its Asian heritage and streamlining its offerings, as well as updating the look and feel of their stores and packaging. 

The new campaign -- dubbed "Ready to live, not just ready to wear" -- stars Korean-American actress and singer Arden Cho, a known advocate of Asian women representation in Hollywood. 

Arden Cho is the face of Love, Bonito's revamp. Handout

Love, Bonito Signatures

Love, Bonito now has three key collections: Staples, capsule pieces, and the newly launched Signatures. Unveiled earlier this month, Signatures includes 30 pieces for work, weekend, and dressy occasions. 

They come in crease-free fabric and flattering colors, with thoughtful features such as bigger pockets, bloat-friendly adjustable waists, and padded tops.  

More pieces from Love, Bonito's Signatures collection. Handout

"Signatures is really for us what embodies the essence of what a well-tailored outfit is," said Lim. "One of my favorites is the Rachel ruched-ready blazer, which was born out of the pain point of having to use rubber bands to keep the sleeves of my blazer up. So we decided to solve our own problems by adding elastic bands into the blazer." 

"We think of those things, we want to make sure that our clothes are functional as well," she added. 

The Love, Bonito Signatures collection is available on its website and all stores globally, with prices ranging from P1,459 to P4,190. 

Items from the Staples line will be launched starting in April, while capsule collections will be unveiled on a monthly basis.