Brands Just Pret celebrates first anniversary

The managing director of the retail store talks about its achievements and future plans.

KARACHI:

Hardly a year has passed since the multi-label prêt-wear designer store Brands Just Pret came into being. It now has two outlets in Karachi and one in Dubai.

The designer store stocks more than 80 leading and new design labels. It offers not just women’s high-end designer clothing but is also a one-stop shop for accessories such as shoes, bags and jewellery.

Managing Director Asia Operations Somaya Adnan talks to The Express Tribune about the store, its achievements and future plans.

What do you believe makes Brands Just Pret different from other retail stores?

Brands Just Pret has a very clear ideology and is focused on what it stands for. According to our CEO, “The day we forget what we stand for and who we cater to, we lose our identity.”

Brands just Prêt strives to provide every customer who walks in with a supreme shopping experience. From the best location, an experienced and engaging staff, fantastic customer service and a wide array of clothing and accessories, we provide it all. We ensure that every woman walks out knowing and believing that she has spent her money rightly.

What was the need to open up a retail store?

The growing panel of designers and clientele, within the span of eight months, is evidence enough that there was the need for such a retail store. Earlier, there was a big void in the prêt-a-porter retail business that could provide fashion solutions at affordable prices. Hence, the demand led to the creation of Brands just Prêt, which houses promising and established designers.



With 80 designers under the umbrella, how do you engage with the creative minds?

We consider our designers as part of our team. We insist on constructive feedback from them to make ourselves better. We believe that they should grow with us and gain strength as retail brands and for that we encourage and support each other mutually. The designers stocking with us have expressed eagerness to learn from our professionalism and changed their way of working to be part of this larger expanding fashion business.

How do you see retail growing in Pakistan in the years to come?

Retail is a brand new horizon in Pakistan. Designers are being exposed to new avenues with a much larger audience to cater to. Gone are the days when women would stress over buying fabrics and arguing with tailors, now that a much affordable and trendy solution is readily available. With the mall culture making its way to all the major cities of Pakistan the customer has shown their preference for shopping in a safe and luxurious environment rather than a lone high street store, therefore paving the way for retail stores to grow in strength.

With a year down the road, what’s up next in 2013?

The coming year promises to be an exciting new year. We will launch our second international outlet, now in Abu Dhabi, in March 2013. And there are several fashion events lined up too.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2012.

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