Kipling gets a timely makeover

SINGAPORE — Remember the days when nearly every cool teen flaunted a colourful nylon bag from Kipling, complete with the adorable monkey mascot? Everyone wanted a one.

But such is the nature of the fashion market, and in the past few years, the brand has lost its sheen here somewhat, overtaken by more aggressive brands and their expanding range of affordable options.

That, though, might not be the case for long. According to Kipling’s Asia-Pacific managing director and vice president John Gearing, there are already plans to revive the brand and its image, as well as build a tighter definition of its consumer target.

This comes at the back of VF Corporation (which owns several brands, such as Eastpak, Jansport and Timberland), taking back management of Kipling this year. The corporation had bought rights to the brand in 2004, but had previously allowed the distributer to manage it in Singapore. It also manages Timberland and Napapijri for China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

“Singapore is a really important market; it’s a gateway to South-east Asia and beyond,” Gearing told TODAY, affirming how Singapore remains an attractive market, not least because “the Singapore consumer is extremely well-travelled”.

First up on the agenda for the brand is a redesign of its product offerings. Its new collection will be brighter, more vibrant and stylish, yet still practical and lightweight. It also aims to convey a sense of optimism with its new slogan: Make Happy, which he hopes will inspire consumers to “find joy and happiness in the everyday things”.

An example of this move towards becoming more fashionable is its new KAEON collection, which looks markedly different from its usual offerings. These designs are more modern, and includes clutches in block colours, as well as a stylish Life Saver shopper bag with a zipped front pocket and studded feet. Kipling has even gone as far as to create its own eco-friendly fabric for this collection, called the Aires.

Still, Gearing said its rebranding exercise will not turn the brand into something unrecognizable. It is an evolution, rather than a revolution, he noted.

“Kipling has always been a fun brand, it has always been the ‘monkey brand’, it has always been practical ... the DNA hasn’t changed. It’s more about focus and nuancing the brand more specifically to that consumer.”

And it’s a very specific breed of consumers that the brand is focused on; a group it has coined the “imaginista”, said Gearing. “She’s a lady, a mum. She’s someone interested in style rather than trendy fashion. It wouldn’t be necessarily somebody who is slavishly following the catwalks or the latest high-end fashion magazines … they are much more interested in their own sense of individual style.”

This “conscious decision” to focus on a select group of people inevitably means that there are certain confines, and the company is well aware of this, Gearing shared. “There are certain things we are not attempting to be or do. We don’t attempt to be an outdoors brand, we don’t attempt (to make) outdoors products, for example.”

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, the timing of its rebranding could not be better. The brand has even rolled out a collection, specially celebrating the Year of the Monkey, with handbags, backpacks, and purses decked out in hues of purple, and hot pink and playful monkey motifs.

Acknowledging that the market here remains competitive, Gearing added that there are “plenty of opportunities” for Kipling in Singapore.

The brand currently has three outlets, located in 313@Somerset, ION Orchard and VivoCity, with a new outlet in Bugis Junction slated to open soon. Gearing said the company has plans to expand, but declined to elaborate, adding only that the brand is also looking at ways to operate in the online space.

Gearing also pointed out that every brand wants to differentiate themselves to some degree. “Any brand needs to be clear on who its end consumer is, so you should be differentiated to that consumer. You need to be demonstrating attributes that interests that consumer and motivates that consumer to stick with you,” he said.

“We’re very happy with the space that we operate in,” he added. “You’ve got to offer something special, something compelling. And, obviously, we are convinced Kipling does that.”