Within a year of its Series C funding in October 2021, Love, Bonito, Southeast Asia’s leading womenswear brand, has kickstarted its evolution into a well-rounded female ecosystem with the acquisition of butter, a Singapore-based women-led activewear brand reintroduced as cheak last month, in October. This signifies a new milestone for the next phase of both brands’ journey and further amplifies an aligned passion and vision for serving women on a global stage.
“To celebrate this milestone, we are rebranding butter. to cheak, which was chosen to play on the word ‘cheeky’ and represent our brands’ vibrant personas. Every element of cheak has been carefully chosen to represent the ambitious female active persona - strong and confident, mindful, and knows how to have a little fun along the way,” shares 28 years old Tiffany Chng, Co-founder of cheak.
Tiffany Chng is a former Singapore national touch rugby athlete and the strategic force behind cheak’s brand and marketing strategy, community initiatives, and partnerships. Within two years and only five products at its inception, Tiffany brought the brand to great success in Singapore and was also a guest judge for Marketing Interactive’s Marketing Excellence Awards 2022. Since young, Tiffany has enjoyed being active and she dabbled in gymnastics and cheerleading before finding her love in touch rugby, and blooming into a national athlete representing Singapore at the 2011 Touch Rugby World Cup. Today, she enjoys a mixture of HIIT, yoga and spinning for a balance of cardio, flexibility and strength.
The last couple of years has changed our dressing habits a lot. Turning up for video calls in activewear while working from home became a norm. While they were once considered at-gym and at-home outfits, one school of thought has proven to be sticking around for good: it is always a good time to don an “athleisure” outfit.
Dealing with a large network of influencers, The FLUX Media takes on Tiffany’s views for the activewear industry, particularly for “creative people” in the entertainment industry:
What are some changing behaviours and attitudes amongst SG women which Cheak Activewear seek to liberate?
We noticed a post-pandemic cultural shift in the dress code norms, where consumers are open to activewear as an alternative to casual wear beyond workouts. For instance, we observed more women styling activewear as everyday wear and this served as an inspiration for us to design signature elevated basics and trendy new pieces that look great pre and post-workout.
With cheak, our main vision is to inspire confidence with our versatile activewear amongst women aged 18 - 35 years old. cheak apparels are designed with this intention in mind and it represents the ambitious, female go-getters of today. Wearing our apparels absolutely elevates the concept of athleisure and emphasises comfort and confidence on the move.
With the wider range offered in this launch, we see great potential that even customers who are new to working out will love. Combined with the extensive range of Love, Bonito’s tops, pants and outerwear, our community will have a myriad of styling choices to look and feel chic and confident.
Could you suggest one or two designs which might suit theatre practitioners i.e. female actors and dancers where bodily fluid movements are vital and greatly communicated through their attires?
The cheak collection is designed with an Asian-centric fit, with fit proportions specifically mapped to the Asian body and representative of the ambitious female active persona. cheak is also designed for different skin undertones with seven colourways available, selected to suit various skin colours from warm to cool tones.
Regardless of her role, she can easily incorporate cheak products into her wardrobe and everyday outfit. The general rule of thumb is always to dress for your day’s activities and stay comfortable throughout the day. For theatre practitioners who are engaging in low-intensity activities, we’d recommend the BaseFlex® sets due to the stretchier and buttery-soft touch of the fabric. Additionally, BaseFlex® comes in a four-way stretch and features a softer and more feminine aesthetic, along with providing the right amount of support.
[From Left to Right] BaseFlex® Yin Bra and Flex Shorts (Jam) with Perla Ribbed Knit Crop Cardigan (Nude); BaseFlex® Flex Shorts (Wink) and Fall/Winter 2022 Collection Phoebe Rayon Boxy Top (White)
With versatile pieces, she can choose to match her BaseFlex® with her favourite outerwear. For instance, the Perla Ribbed Knit Crop Cardigan is a neutral-coloured staple that easily complements any BaseFlex® sets yet provides a put-together look. As an alternative, she can also throw on her favourite sweater to match her BaseFlex® Flex Short.
Ultimately, cheak aims to inspire confidence in women with our versatile activewear in bold hues. Made for the ambitious, go-getting women of today, cheak’s collection offers unparalleled support and ease of movement for any activity. For more information on styling ideas, you may refer to our product education guide and lookbook.
On the concept of staying "active" mentally, physically and spiritually as a female, do you have any words of encouragement especially for young entrepreneurs, to lead a healthier lifestyle like yourself, in this fast-paced society?
In this fast-paced society, there is a growing belief that we need to do everything all at once. Whether that’s fitting in a workout every day, drinking enough water, or eating a healthy lunch, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of living a perfectly healthy lifestyle and the truth is that it’s not sustainable.
Sometimes it’s just about taking a step back, tuning into your body and recognising what is your priority for this day or week. For example, some days I focus on being more active by fitting in more workouts, and sometimes I need to mentally and physically rest. Leading a healthy lifestyle isn’t a sprint to the end of the finishing line, it’s a marathon of moving your body, recharging and recovering.
But on another note, if you really need to get something done, schedule it in the morning, before you get on with the rest of your day.
We so totally agree! Designing for the key moments and milestones of a woman’s life, Love, Bonito’s comprehensive assortment features are indeed stylish and comfortable pieces for the modern Asian woman at home, work and play. We look forward to more fashionable and chic innovations by Love, Bonito in their dedicated outreach to the community.
Written by Mandy Tan
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