Hey! You’ve just stumbled upon our exclusive interview with the co-founder of Love, Bonito, Dione Song. Love, Bonito is a trailblazing brand that has redefined the intersection of fashion and meaningful engagement. They aren’t just about clothes; it’s about empowering women through style and substance. At the heart of this brand is a commitment to fostering bold and authentic conversations, guiding women through their journeys with grace and confidence.
Love, Bonito’s ethos revolves around three key global pillars: Female For Future, Health & Wellness, and Women’s Rights. Through these pillars, the brand’s social impact program actively collaborates with global and local partners, amplifying the voices of women and supporting initiatives that champion their rights and well-being.
Central to Love, Bonito’s mission is their unwavering dedication to the Asian female market. Their designs are not just accessible; they’re thoughtfully crafted to flatter and uplift, instilling a sense of confidence and empowerment in every wearer. Because to Love, Bonito, feeling good is the cornerstone of looking good and embracing one’s authentic self.
Join us as we delve into the inspiring journey of Love, Bonito’s Dione Song, exploring her vision for the brand, their commitment to empowering women, and their relentless pursuit of creating fashion that resonates across all stages of life.
Interview with Love, Bonito’s Dione Song
In what ways do you believe gender stereotypes have impacted your journey in the fashion industry, and what steps did you take to challenge or break those stereotypes?
My journey into the industry was happenstance as I studied business, not fashion. However, I was extremely excited to be part of the e-commerce world when I graduated from school, as the scene was at the cusp of evolving and transforming, especially in Southeast Asia back in the early 2010s.
When it comes to stereotypes, I would not peg them to just the fashion or retail industry but in general, there is the notion that women are more suited for administrative roles, while leadership positions are associated with men.
On a personal front, to challenge and break such stereotypes, I’ve taken intentional steps to showcase that leadership knows no gender boundaries. One crucial approach has been leading by example – to have an open mind, seize opportunities and be confident.
At work, I am in close partnership with the People and Culture team to ensure that processes are in place to foster a collaborative and inclusive work culture. Some examples are to intentionally hire diverse talents as well as to ensure that we reward individuals based on merit.
Additionally, as a company, we exist to empower Asian women. Through our brand messaging, marketing campaigns, and collaborations, our stance in championing Asian women in the various markets we exist in, not only challenges gender stereotypes but also contributes to reshaping perceptions within the broader community.
Love, Bonito has been recognised for its commitment to empowering women. How does your company actively promote gender equality, both within the organisation and in the broader fashion industry?
At Love, Bonito, our commitment to empowering women serves as the foundation to everything we do and we strive to positively impact our employees, investors, suppliers, community, business partners and the broader fashion industry.
Our hiring and promotion processes are designed to be merit-based, ensuring that individuals are recognised and rewarded for their skills and contributions, irrespective of gender. We strongly believe that change starts from within and internally, we prioritise equal opportunities for career development and advancement. As for our employees, we strive to have a good representation of women in key roles with no gender pay disparity so as to break gender stereotypes and foster a more inclusive and equal society in time to come. We actively encourage women to take on leadership roles, and our leadership team reflects a diverse mix of talents and perspectives, regardless of age!
To address gender imbalances, we have implemented policies and practices that support work-life balance. Flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, and family-friendly initiatives that are integral to creating an environment where both men and women can thrive in their professional and personal lives.
Aside from that, we believe that good products can and should be accessible for all, and this can be seen through our apparels where we take into account Asian women’s physical proportions and ensure that they are functionally crafted to match up with their multifaceted lives. This includes the choices of fabric to hold you in the right places, empathetic cuts such as adjustable straps, an extra button or elasticated waistbands for bloated days as well as thoughtful features like padded busts, pockets in dresses and adjustable blazer sleeves.
In summary, our commitment to gender equality is ingrained in Love, Bonito’s DNA. Through internal policies, external collaborations, and impactful messaging, we strive to lead by example, contributing to positive change within our organisation and the wider fashion industry.
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) models have become increasingly popular. What inspired you to adopt a D2C approach for Love, Bonito, and how has it contributed to the success of your brand?
Unlike many retailers within our industry, Love, Bonito started out as a digitally-native brand since 2010 and we opened our first store in Singapore in 2017.
In this day and age, many of us enjoy the convenience of shopping online but we also understand the importance of brick-and-mortar stores, where our customers are able to try on the outfits and experience the difference in the fabric, cut and features.
Currently, we have a total of 22 stores in key markets, of which, they contribute close to 50% of our overall revenue.
How do you stay innovative in the fast-paced world of fashion, and what role does technology play in shaping Love, Bonito’s direct-to-consumer strategy?
Staying innovative in the fast-paced world of fashion is a core aspect of Love, Bonito’s strategy, and technology plays a pivotal role in shaping our Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) approach.
At Love, Bonito we utilise technology to enhance and better understand our customers in order to provide a seamless shopping experience. One thing that we have started leveraging on is using CRM (Customer Relationship Management). We prioritise building a solid and holistic customer profile across both online and offline channels. This comprehensive approach allows us to understand our customers better and tailor our offerings to their preferences, and ensures a consistent cohesive brand experience
Another way is leveraging AI and machine learning by enhancing our customer’s profiles and providing automated recommendations. This has come into fruition with LBStylist, our first virtual styling assistant, which leverages on over 10 years of customer data to provide personalisation at scale. It is powered by our proprietary styling algorithms, and combines behaviour data with individual style preferences via a thoughtfully crafted survey and insights from human stylists. This tool complements the current size guides we have, empowers women with personalised styling insights before making a purchase online or in-stores and ultimately provides a more holistic shopping experience for our customers.
D2C often involves a closer connection with customers. Can you share a specific instance where direct engagement with customers has influenced a significant business decision or product development at Love, Bonito?
Our commitment to direct engagement with our customers has been fundamental to our brand’s success. One noteworthy instance are our straps on pants and tops for example, are designed to be adjusted to cater for women gaining or losing a few pounds during their time of the month, or across seasons. This Lunar New Year, we also launched family matching outfits and mother-daughter twinning looks in our exclusive-in-house embroidery Opulent Florals, and brocade textiles Heirloom Botanicals and Rekindled Blooms because we know our communities love to take family portraits during the festive season.
This instance serves as a testament to the power of direct engagement with customers in shaping our business decisions and product development. It underlines our belief that by listening attentively to our customers, we can create a brand that not only meets their expectations but also aligns with their values and aspirations.
Reflecting on your journey, what would you consider was the most unexpected or surprising challenge you encountered, and how did you navigate through it?
Reflecting on my journey, one of the most unexpected and challenging experiences was during Love, Bonito’s 2019 data breach. At the time, our team had discovered internally that the personal data of over 5,500 Love, Bonito customers had been stolen.
This crisis coincided with a deeply personal challenge, as I was spending precious moments with my cancer-ridden father in palliative care. Faced with an incredibly difficult decision, I had to choose between being with my father during his final moments or drawing on my inner strength to guide my team through the crisis.
Despite Love, Bonito being in its early stages with a smaller team, I made the challenging decision to rush back to the office. I sat with the teams, walked them through the crisis, and provided the leadership needed to navigate through such a critical situation.
Tragically, during those crucial hours, my father passed away, and I was not by his bedside. While the pain of that memory is undeniable, looking back this experience has shaped me for who I am today. It taught me tenacity and grit, revealing how one can stay emotionally grounded and maintain a calm demeanour even through personal hardships.
The double crisis of the data breach and the loss of my father forced me to confront the question of how to keep myself composed as a leader facing personal difficulties. I realised the importance of having a clear plan, demonstrating a bias for action, and staying composed in the face of challenges. This experience has made me believe that with composure, a clear strategy, and a commitment to taking action, any challenge can be overcome.
Valuable lessons are often learned from failures. Can you share a specific failure or setback that taught you something crucial and ultimately contributed to Love, Bonito’s growth?
I wouldn’t see this as a failure but more in hindsight, I would have placed a stronger focus on establishing strong retail foundations. Be it in setting up the store, training of employees or laying down SOPs to run the business, this helps to provide our customers with a seamless and consistent experience, regardless of which Love, Bonito store you enter around the world.
Being a trailblazer in the industry, what advice do you have for aspiring individuals, especially women, who are looking to start their own ventures and explore new opportunities?
My advice would be to just go do it. First is to have an open mind for opportunities. Often times I think we have an idea of a set path for our future. Instead, you should be open, seize things that come to you. And then, the moment you have seized them and jumped in, don’t regret.
Go in 100 per cent, 200 per cent and give it your all. See where that takes you. Don’t underestimate yourself and just be confident.
Love, Bonito has expanded internationally. Can you elaborate on the decision-making process behind entering new markets, and what unique challenges did you face in the global expansion of your brand?
Love, Bonito’s international expansion has been an exciting journey for us. When considering new markets, our approach has been strategic and thorough, encompassing several key elements.
We identify markets with a cultural fit for our brand positioning and a demand for our products. Understanding local preferences, fashion trends, and the competitive landscape is fundamental. With that, we tailor our offerings to resonate with the local community. We collaborate with local influencers and gather insights to ensure our products align with the expectations of our target audience.
In addition to this, marketing strategies are also adapted to suit the cultural and linguistic nuances of each new market. Localised campaigns, social media strategies, and influencer collaborations help create a strong and relevant brand presence.
Southeast Asia is a very diverse market, which makes scaling and balancing different demographics a challenge. One of our key goals is to ensure that we do not dilute our brand identity, mission and purpose as we continue to grow globally. We are always driven by our mission to empower the everyday Asian woman, and this is a message that is universally relatable and understood regardless of our differences.
