While Perk By Kate has been in business for the past five years, its founder Kate Low only started work on it full-time last February. One year prior, she launched an in-house brand of padded bralettes ($49 to $69), which has since come to be its signature offering.
Low (above) may not have been design-trained, but she was a digital and brand marketing professional at multi-label retailer Club 21, a role which has helped her to hone her creative eye. We find out more about the brand and what to expect from it this year:
Delpozo and Valentino are amongst its inspirations
“I love Delpozo for its feminine pieces and the way (creative director Josep Font) mixes colours and constructs the looks, while I like Valentino for its amazing lace work. Alexander McQueen’s designs also have a hip, sensual quality.”
Its pieces may look delicate, but they’re actually sturdy
“While all our products are made without the aid of industrial lingerie machines, we do our best to keep to industry-standard manufacturing techniques. For example, we stitch bra straps twice to the cups for better hold, use zigzag stitches to sew the cups firmly to the elastic bands, and overlock stitches to strengthen seams as well as keep ends from fraying. We also started making our own removable cotton pads last year – they are slightly thick to provide a push-up effect, and are lined and seamed at the edges.”
The padded bralettes are its bestselling style
“(Some of our most popular designs include the) Bella, which has two front straps; the Victoria, which fits well and is machine-washable; the Candice and Charlotte, as the lace (on these pieces) is soft and stretchy; and the Alexis, because of the “eyelash lace” that looks delicate and can give a peekaboo effect with a low V-neck tee or a camisole.”
Other designs are more fashion-forward
“Bralettes are now a big trend. (Tops or dresses with low, plunging backs) are in right now, so we make our bralettes show-worthy (i.e. with lace trims on the band or a T-back strap design), or have a “no show” look (where the straps can be hooked to the front). Another trendy design are bralettes – such as the Kendall, Mia and Dylan – that double up as crop tops. These are more long-line pieces that can be layered under a jacket or worn with high-waisted pants.”
Custom orders are also available
“Only European lace is used (unless there are alternative requests), and you can choose the colours and type of lace. It costs $89 for the top and $59 for the bottom, and takes about two months to complete.”
It’s introducing silk for the first time
“We bought a bunch of silks last year and we’re planning to make bras and loungewear with the material, which are launching in April or May. We took a while (to come up with the designs) as we wanted to see how to make them value for money. For example, we’ve designed a bi-colour convertible bra which can be flipped inside out (for added versatility).”
It’s now branched out into leather goods
“Last month, we launched a convertible clutch ($189) made of lamb leather. It was very well-received, with a lot of our customers saying that the leather felt really soft to the touch. We’re hoping to expand this into a more complete range with different bag styles, especially ones in larger sizes that are good for travel.”
Shop the pieces at www.perkbykate.com or at Trixilini (#03-08/09 Scotts Square).
Runway images: Showbit.com
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