An Evangelist Driving Innovation in Fashion & Retail Industry

In an exclusive interview with Terence Yow, Managing Director at Enviably Me (Melissa brand of fashion footwear) walks us through the changing market dynamics and his take on the fashion and retail industry:

A fashion leader is an evangelist who is in charge of many important aspects of running a fashion-related business. Fashion leaders must use a wide range of abilities and exhibit several crucial leadership and management qualities, from driving the needed innovation, overseeing their staff and staying abreast of the changing trends.

Terence Yow started the Enviably Me Group of Companies, with a sole distributor of Melissa brand of fashion footwear in Singapore, Malaysia, and India. They are also the official retailer of the Zaxy, Ipanema, Rider, and Freedom Moses footwear brands in Singapore and Malaysia. Terence Yow started Enviably Me to pursue his ambition of creating a business that is not only commercially viable but also creates a positive influence and a real difference in the social and physical places in which it operates.

It will be great if you could share about yourself like, such as what you're handling and about your experience and

So I began my corporate career with Ernst & Young, where I worked as an auditor for a year. Following that, I changed careers to pursue a sales marketing function, where I spent the following 14 years with Procter & Gamble. After 15 years in the corporate sector, I decided to strike out on my own to create my own business focusing on retail and distribution for fashion labels. Enviable Me was founded in 2009, and it has been steadily growing over the last 14 years. We created a very solid business representing and retailing the Melissa brand of stylish shoes for ladies, young children, and toddlers during that time. My focus has been towards growing and expanding the business beyond footwear into fashion and lifestyle.

What are the implications and benefits of developing innovations on the retail/footwear business, in your opinion?

Innovation is everything, especially in the fashion industry, which is fast-paced and dynamic, with buyers and clients constantly on the lookout for new fashion trends. So driving overall innovation from product design to marketing and branding of products is imperative. In today's post-pandemic world, brick-and-mortar retail has developed in tandem with shifting consumer behavior. As a result, having a thorough understanding of the digital environment and technological changes is essential. We must be agile enough to accept and sustain the necessary innovation in order to set standards and stay ahead of the curve.

What is the consequence of diversity and inclusion in a retail firm, and what is its future potential?

My approach to the topics of diversity and inclusivity may be a bit different from how I see most people are thinking about it. For me, the most important thing is the diversity of thought and quality of thinking. An organization that has a shared vision and values but with diverse opinions that can steer the business forward constructively is what I focus on building upon. We want to be as agile as possible so as to stay relevant with the changing market dynamics.

What some of the go-to-market strategies are for advanced, quickly developing global retail enterprises in today's post-pandemic world?

When it comes to marketing and retail, I believe that in order to be sustainable and long-term, you must embrace both the digital and physical worlds. Obviously, following the pandemic, digitization and e-commerce have expanded and evolved at a rapid pace. So, without a doubt, brand owners and business owners must have the proper capabilities and plans if they want to debut in new areas and embrace both marketing and retail from a digital standpoint. Having said that, the trick up the sleeve can be on understanding how to integrate your expertise in digital marketing and digital retail with unique and relevant brick and store channels and marketing methods.It is beneficial to embrace new ideas and philosophies in order to foster an environment in which a business owner can have strong leaders with solid credentials to steer the company's growth bandwagon.

"The future of the retail and fashion industry looks very positive with a lot of opportunities as people will always need to wear clothes, shoes, and other accessories."

What are the main requirements of the footwear Retail business from client organizations?

I believe that COVID has had a significant impact on our customers and other retail partners in the footwear industry. People were used to being much more dressed up before COVID, I believe. We were used to going to work every day and carrying ourselves more formally. Work-from-home and lockdown settings have undoubtedly pushed fashion towards a much more informal, comfy, and relaxed look. So, the good news is that our brands and products are more in that category of client's desire. So that's what I see as the key changes where customer preferences for fashion footwear.

What is your preferred way of marketing the business through essential partnerships?

I believe that brand marketing necessitates both direct to consumer and indirect to consumer interactions. However, we live in a time when collaborations and partnerships bring a lot of excitement to products. Most fashion consumers or customers are aware that brands that collaborate, form, and create co-creations with one another. Brands that partner with other celebrities and designers, as well as issue one-of-a-kind items for special limited editions, do well and establish the kind of engagement and relevance with customers. As a result, I believe that collaborations with other companies, designers, influencers, and social media agencies are critical in today's fashion retail.

In your opinion, where is the industry heard going forward?

The future of the retail and fashion industry looks very positive with a lot of opportunities as people need to wear clothes, shoes, and other accessories. As the world's population is only growing, especially in the ASEAN region. I’m extremely positive about the market potential. As long as business owners and brand owners stay agile, stay innovative or willing to collaborate and help each other, I think that's a lot to look forward to.