The Asian Advocate
Prestige Singapore|July 2017

By establishing what is perhaps the world’s first omnichannel platform for Asian designers, Pek Lay Peng is set to make waves in the fashion industry.

Suhana AB
The Asian Advocate
ON THE THIRD level of Ngee Ann City, nestled among international luxury names is one of the mall’s latest retail additions, SocietyA. Spacious and kitted out in pastel tones,the multi-label fashion boutique emanates a quiet luxury akin to its neighbours. Its offerings are well-made and feature designs that entice the eye.

While bearing all the hallmarks of a brand-name boutique, SocietyA at the same time is different from its neighbours — it stocks only labels that are founded and created by Asian designers. This concept is something that Pek Lay Peng, its founder, takes great pride in.

“In recent years, there has been an emergence of talented Asian designers. Some have been trained at prestigious design schools such as Central Saint Martins or Parsons School of Design. It is about time someone champions them,” she says with unbridled passion.

SocietyA — where A stands for Asia — was started by Pek in 2014 when she spotted a gap in the market for ready to-wear by designer labels at reasonable price points. Determined to fill this gap, she started the multi-label store as an online portal, with 17 brands such as Ti:Baeg. It now owns distribution rights for 30 brands.

“When I started, I had to spend more effort and time to explain the concept of SocietyA to designers I met at events such as Seoul Fashion Week. I found that coming from a family business background helped boost their confidence, as some of them also come from similar backgrounds,” Pek, whose family owns Shingda Construction Pte Ltd, says.

This story is from the July 2017 edition of Prestige Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 2017 edition of Prestige Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PRESTIGE SINGAPOREView All
Youthful Bloom
Prestige Singapore

Youthful Bloom

From evocations of horseback rides to anti-ageing formulas, this month's selection of beauty products shaves off the years.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
Private drinker
Prestige Singapore

Private drinker

Whisky and jazz bar Maduro finds its niche in Sofitel Sentosa.

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
A QUIET SPACE
Prestige Singapore

A QUIET SPACE

The Mercedes EQS 450 4MATIC SUV is one of the most luxurious cars to be driven in.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
IN THE KNOW
Prestige Singapore

IN THE KNOW

As part of well-known names in the hospitality game, these hotels are so much more than places to lay your head for the night. The Prestige team checks in to these newcomers to find out why they're the talk of the town.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
ESSENCE OF THE TERROIR
Prestige Singapore

ESSENCE OF THE TERROIR

Martell introduces the Single Cru collection in a tribute to the distinctiveness of the region's varying terroir. Prestige visits the brand's home in France to immerse in the savoir-faire of the house and beauty of the spirit.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
STATE OF THE ART
Prestige Singapore

STATE OF THE ART

With Art Basel Hong Kong, Frieze Seoul and ART SG in full swing once more, the region is back on the world stage. But how is it rebounding? Prestige quizzed the industry's top experts.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2024
A CASE OF GREATNESS
Prestige Singapore

A CASE OF GREATNESS

Prestige dropped into the Australian Open to check out Louis Vuitton's latest trophy trunks...and caught the making of tennis history.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
THIS IS HER ICE SONG
Prestige Singapore

THIS IS HER ICE SONG

Prestige Singapore meets ZARIA FORMAN in Niseko to find out why the artist-activist-explorer from Vacheron Constantin's \"One of Not Many\" collective pursues glaciers and icebergs.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
THE SHINE FROM MIAMI
Prestige Singapore

THE SHINE FROM MIAMI

LVMH Watch Week kicks off the year's calendar of watch events in sunny Florida. Here, Prestige's watch expert talks about her top picks from the show.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024
Prestige Singapore

ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024

Each year, we identify the Asian artists on the rise, shining a light on the exciting and provocative works enriching the region's artistic and cultural landscape. Here are 19 upcoming talents to put on your radar, from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2024