The Suitcase - Promoting Asian Fashion Brands
In this video, we interview Johnny Li and Tom Chang, the co-founders behind The Suitcase, an online e-commerce platform that curates & promotes a unique selection of desirable boutique Asian labels and brands from established (as well as) up & coming Asian designers.
As Asian Australians who share a passion for men’s fashion, Johnny & Tom were disappointed to see the lack of awareness of Asian fashion brands in Australia. Many Asian fashion brands are high quality and affordable, yet many people remain ignorant of this fact. They founded The Suitcase to fix this gap in the market and they currently stock brands from Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia & Vietnam.
“Where our consumer choices are limited to either generic styles and labels, mass-produced out of China, or overpriced European designer products, which promotes a culture of hype rather than genuine and practical fashion and styles. As such, The Suitcase pursues a simple vision, to create a platform that connects our customers with a better alternative, to bring about a new dimension to Australia’s menswear offerings, the underrated and undiscovered world of independent Asian designers.” – The Suitcase
Feel free to visit their website or Instagram. Also check out Dappertude (a related media company dedicated to men’s lifestyle, dress and character and their Instagram.
Topics & Timestamps
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 1:12 – Where did the idea of The Suitcase come from?
- 2:20 – How did Johnny Li & Tom Chang meet?
- 3:02 – Criteria for sourcing brands from Asia?
- 3:48 – Men’s fashion advice for young professionals & the importance of dressing well
- 5:30 – Thoughts on growing up Asian Australian. Pros & cons
- 6:03 – What do Johnny & Tom think of each other?
- 6:51 – Future of the company?
- 7:10 – Where to find out more about the Suitcase?
