Staying in step with trends
May Kong's customers come to her shops for the latest fashions, which means she has to stay updated.
May Kong has a couple of boutiques that sell clothes and accessories. She tells us how information literacy helps her to make decisions about what to buy and sell.
What are your boutiques like?
The boutique environment is interesting. If you were to walk into Singora, you would see clothes that we have carefully selected to display. As my shops are in the shopping gallery of a hotel on Orchard Road, many interesting people drop in every day. We always get new people coming. At the same time, we also have a very steady and loyal clientele base of shoppers who keep coming back to us. To me, both groups of people are a joy to serve and get to know.
How do you decide what to sell?
I choose what to sell by keeping my customers in mind. When I chat with them, I get to know them and can figure out their tastes. Some shoppers tell me what colours and designs they like even before they start to look around.
Then, while they are trying on clothes, they often point out what they like (or dislike) about each outfit. The bits of information they share are my clues because I can then picture the kinds of clothes that they are likely to buy.
I also rely a lot on my own gut instincts. Even as a kid, I liked trying out new styles. Fashion magazines are another important source of information for me. In fact, I actually plough through many fashion magazines regularly to study the fashion trends.
Which sources of information do you trust the most?
I usually follow the lead designers themselves. Lead designers often set the worldwide trends. Such designers are very creative and the best ones can come up with new designs for a whole line of clothing, footwear and accessories.
I go abroad three to five times a year to do the buying. I usually fly to Paris and Milan because they are fashion hubs where lead designers release their new collections.
Why do you have to fly abroad to select your merchandise? Can't you shop online?
No, I can't shop online. That is because most collections are too big to make the right judgment by simply looking at pictures of them at websites. When I am there in person at the fashion shows, I can see much more than what is shown on a computer screen. I can also talk to the suppliers about changes I may want, what my plans are and how we can work well together.
When you are dealing with suppliers abroad, how do you know whom to trust?
I trust suppliers that have been around for many years. Missoni, for example, is a supplier that has been around for 60 years. I have been working with them for some years and I know I can trust the company because I have developed long-term relationships with the people there.
Learning from May KONG
If you want information that everyone else can get easily, Google and Wikipedia may be good enough. But, what if you want to stay one step ahead of the crowd? That is the challenge that boutique owner May Kong faces. She needs to display fresh items that will excite her customers - not make them yawn because they have already seen those fashions months ago. To keep up with the latest, Ms Kong zooms in on people and places that are trend setters.
A super site to visit:
SURE CLUB is a fun-filled programme for you to learn about information literacy. To find out more, visit http://sure.nl.sg/students/.
May Kong has a couple of boutiques that sell clothes and accessories. She tells us how information literacy helps her to make decisions about what to buy and sell.
What are your boutiques like?
The boutique environment is interesting. If you were to walk into Singora, you would see clothes that we have carefully selected to display. As my shops are in the shopping gallery of a hotel on Orchard Road, many interesting people drop in every day. We always get new people coming. At the same time, we also have a very steady and loyal clientele base of shoppers who keep coming back to us. To me, both groups of people are a joy to serve and get to know.
How do you decide what to sell?
I choose what to sell by keeping my customers in mind. When I chat with them, I get to know them and can figure out their tastes. Some shoppers tell me what colours and designs they like even before they start to look around.
Then, while they are trying on clothes, they often point out what they like (or dislike) about each outfit. The bits of information they share are my clues because I can then picture the kinds of clothes that they are likely to buy.
I also rely a lot on my own gut instincts. Even as a kid, I liked trying out new styles. Fashion magazines are another important source of information for me. In fact, I actually plough through many fashion magazines regularly to study the fashion trends.
Which sources of information do you trust the most?
I usually follow the lead designers themselves. Lead designers often set the worldwide trends. Such designers are very creative and the best ones can come up with new designs for a whole line of clothing, footwear and accessories.
I go abroad three to five times a year to do the buying. I usually fly to Paris and Milan because they are fashion hubs where lead designers release their new collections.
Why do you have to fly abroad to select your merchandise? Can't you shop online?
No, I can't shop online. That is because most collections are too big to make the right judgment by simply looking at pictures of them at websites. When I am there in person at the fashion shows, I can see much more than what is shown on a computer screen. I can also talk to the suppliers about changes I may want, what my plans are and how we can work well together.
When you are dealing with suppliers abroad, how do you know whom to trust?
I trust suppliers that have been around for many years. Missoni, for example, is a supplier that has been around for 60 years. I have been working with them for some years and I know I can trust the company because I have developed long-term relationships with the people there.
Learning from May KONG
If you want information that everyone else can get easily, Google and Wikipedia may be good enough. But, what if you want to stay one step ahead of the crowd? That is the challenge that boutique owner May Kong faces. She needs to display fresh items that will excite her customers - not make them yawn because they have already seen those fashions months ago. To keep up with the latest, Ms Kong zooms in on people and places that are trend setters.
- In every field, there are experts who sense things before everyone else. Ms Kong goes directly to "lead designers" to understand fashion trends. Similarly, if you are passionate about something, seek out the leading thinkers and listen to what they have to say.
- Some places are "hubs". They are like magnets, attracting the best and latest. Paris and Milan are examples of fashion hubs. London is a hub for soccer, Tokyo for manga and Hollywood for cinema. Following the events and media in these hubs help you keep in touch with the latest.
Ms Kong also depends on relationships with suppliers she has known for a long time. Even in the internet age, such ties still matter. A website may suddenly disappear overnight. People and businesses who have been physically around for a long time may be more trustworthy.
A super site to visit:
SURE CLUB is a fun-filled programme for you to learn about information literacy. To find out more, visit http://sure.nl.sg/students/.