Club 21 is a company founded by local businessman, Ong Beng Seng. It developed from a men's tailoring outlet to be a high-fashion empire today. Club 21 is currently owned by Christina Ong, the wife of founder Ong Beng Seng. She is responsible for introducing and bringing fashion lines such as Giorgio Armani, DKNY, Calvin Klein, and Prada to Singapore. Club 21's holdings also include Ishop, which is reputed to be the biggest distributor of the Apple brand in Asia. The name Club 21 is coined after the winning numerals of the card game, 21, and signifies the company's winning formula in the world of fashion. Ong is also the owner of a chain of luxury resorts and spas, and was recently ranked 36th in the 2007 list of Singapore's 40 richest personalities. Club 21 has an estimated net worth of S$150 million.
Corporate Background
The original Club 21 was founded in 1972, and began as a humble men's tailor in Tanglin Shopping Centre. It was located on the then highly fashionable Carnaby Street and Savile Row. However, when the shop's only tailor decided to leave for Canada, the company was handed over to Christina Ong, the wife of founder Ong Ben Seng. Ong quickly turned the store into a boutique selling women clothing, and set her sights on bringing in prestigious ready-made European fashion lines. In its early years, the company carried famous designer brands such as Ossie Clark and Jeff Banks from London, and in 1974, became one of the very first boutique to take up occupancy in the prestigious shopping arcade of the Mandarin Hotel.
In the 1970s, Ong made numerous additions to the company, including the decision to enter into an exclusive partnership with the brand Giorgio Armani. Club 21 introduced Giorgio Armani into Singapore. It was the sole retailer of both the A/X Armani Exchange line in the United States, and the numerous Giorgio and Emporio Armani franchises in Britain. It is also during this early period that the company brought several American brands into Singapore, ranging from Anne Klein to Michael Kors. Club 21 eventually ceased its venture into the American fashion industry in the 1990s, with Ong choosing to focus on the European trends instead. In 1977, the company began on a new chapter, as it closed its first and original outlet in Tanglin Shopping Centre, and shifted to the more luxurious ground of the Serendipity Row at the Hyatt Hotel.
Club 21's partnership with Giorgio Armani is built on Ong's desire to provide fashionable off-the-racks clothing for women, as compared to the traditional tailored suits. Despite being highly fashionable, Armani's designs are convenient and practical, for the designer is careful to ensure that his clothes are suitable for everyday wear. The label is focused on creating classic looks, and has vast catalogues of functional but fashionable pieces. Armani's vision is thus similar to Ong's corporate statement, and is the reason why the 2 companies have enjoyed numerous years of amicable partnership.
Club 21 returned to the business of selling men's fashion in the 1980s, when Ong realized that all of the company's designer brands carried male apparel, and that it would be thus more profitable to stock both men's and women's clothing. Ong was also focused on distinguishing Club 21's market image, and believed that a more comprehensive marketing of the company's designs would help towards its brand enhancement.
Currently, the flagship Club 21 store is located in the Four Seasons Hotel, with the company also in charge of a number of other single-brand outlets, such as the 2 A/X Armani Exchange in Orchard and City Hall, as well as 4 CK stores in these same areas. Besides CK and Armani Exchange, the company's fashion portfolio also includes Issey Miyake, DKNY, Emporio Armani, Max Mara, and Jill Sander. In addition, the company runs the Shambhala Yoga Centre, as well as the Ishop, reputed to the largest authorized retailer of the Apple mp3 players and computers in Asia.
Challenges
Club 21 encountered one of its harshest financial years in 1998 during the wake of the recession. This was made worse by the incessant depreciation of the Singapore dollar against the US dollar at that time. The cost of production for Italian and American labels increased significantly in that year as a result. Consequently, the demand for luxury clothing weakened, thus making it difficult for the company to break even by increasing the prices of its goods. In fact, even after the company's reduction of prices for its clothes, business still remained poor. The company was forced to close 2 retail outlets in Melbourne, a signature Club 21 store and a Donna Karan boutique, as part of its budget tightening policy.
Key Corporate Personality
Christina Ong, owner and executive officer of Club 21, is nicknamed the "Queen of Bond Street", a moniker that pays tribute to her prowess and significance within the fashion world. Ong is best friends with the world-renowned designer, Donna Karan, and co-owns the Shambhala Bali, a new-age resort and spa located a few miles from Ubud in Bali with her. Ong is the current proprietor of landmark buildings such as The Halkin, a London hotel that opened in 1991, and the Metropolitan Hotel, founded in 1997, which is today a favourite haunt of celebrities and famous international figures. On top of these achievements, this high-flying business woman is also in charge of the Parrot Cay resort, a 2500-ha island resort and spa in the British West Indies.
Author
Esther Wang Ying Jie
References
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Club 21 Pte Ltd. (1991). Club 21 Magazine. Singapore: Hofer Press Pte Ltd.
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Souza, D.J. (1981, May 26). Giorgio [Microfilm: NL 11158]. The Straits Times, p. 4.
The information in this article is valid as at 2009 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
