The Asian Advocate

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

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.