WOTTONCOOL

“Taking the world by storm” often connotes a great deal of fan fare and publicity, an outbreak of some sort, going about in a frenzied, much talked-about whirl, but is more often than not, short-lived.

A little school excursion to (….drumroll please!) Charles & Keith, no not one of the twenty-something outlets very strategically located around this little island, or the hundreds all across some of Asia and Middle-East, but C&K HQ, YO! – made me realize that this locally born shoe and accessories label is taking the world by storm, one after another and another, and another.. and another…

Here’s a picture of the glowing reception because I was too busy ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the rest of the building and its furnishings to take photos of them.

Charles Wong, the director of C&K spoke us – a handful of undergraduates doing a module in marketing and retailing – very candidly and personably about how C&K was formed just when he was just about… 22 years of age? (He’s 34 now, and C&K started in 1996, so correct me if I’m wrong.) He spoke about how partners met, deals were made, C&K went overseas, accessories and bags were added, Pedro came into place – with all sorts of delectable details and humourous anecdotes.

My friend and I were gushing about this awesome opportunity we had, meeting someone as successful as him in the flesh (albeit not making an impression, asking for his namecard and a possible summer internship(!!!) OR taking any photos of him -_-), and taking a look at the hugeeeeee showroom with I think what were unreleased designs?

Room full of shoes and bags. Girls. Squealing. Can you blame us?

But we managed to pull it together for a shot in front of the glorious shoes.

Pity we spent a total of three. friggin. minutes. in the showroom, but good that we did because I think we might have gone even more hysterical, fangirlish and (insert other embarrassing adjectives).

C&K in numbers

• C&K has been around for over a decade.
• Two new shoe and one new bag design are added to the product line-up everyday.
• There are twenty plus stores in Singapore. Click here for full list of stores
• One new shop is opened every week somewhere around the world. (!!!!!!!!!!!!)
• C&K plans to about 500 more stores in the next 5 years.
• C&K products will always be cheaper in Singapore. If it is priced at SGD36, it will be priced USD36 overseas and converted to the local currency. (YAYNESS!)

For more stories about Charles & Keith, click 1, 2.

And since I know for sure that C&K will always be cheaper from our sunny island, allow me to share with you some pictures from their Autumn/Winter 2008/2009 collection!

This pair will certainly be coming home with me.

Hmm. Taking ideas off Prada/Miu Miu. I’ve seen a little Chloe in the collection as well.

I recently read a blog entry somewhere about the whole (insert high fashion label)-inspired phenomenon that high street retailers are guilty of. It isn’t very ethical, but I wouldn’t be one launching a campaign against it! Rip-offs don’t draw away the target market of these labels. They’re rich and they’re loyal. Anyway it makes new ideas and styles (note: I didn’t use trends! Scary/sensitive word.) available and accessible to the average Joe (me! me! Jo!).

I think I’ll succumb to rip-off at times, but not without feeling immense guilt at cheating the effort and genius of a designer (albeit getting a much better deal ). But don’t quote me on that. Don’t quote me on that either!

Pictures from Charles & Keith.

I think I’m a little too fond of digressing, hence my delinquent use of parenthesis.