The creative brand explores new markets with the world’s best Japanese manufacturing

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 20 September 2021 – Japanese fashion brand Metaphor, directed by Kento Fukatsu, fashion designer and founder, has launched its global e-commerce website with its new brand, Maison Métaphore…. The launch coincides with the release of the brand’s autumn/winter 2021 collection and aims to expand its reach across the world.

Metaphor from 2019 Spring/Summer

“Just like a metaphor, the concept behind Maison Métaphore…is to convey our evolving world through innovative, ground-breaking fashion. By launching our global e-commerce website, we are enabling a larger number of people the opportunity to express themselves through our progressive, gender-neutral apparel,” said Kento Fukatsu, designer and founder of Maison Métaphore… and Metaphor.

Fukatsu’s approach to design is the use of juxtapositions and is inspired by Dadaism, an art movement that began during the First World War in Zurich. This produces clothes that give the impression they are not worn exactly as they were intended i.e., backwards, inside out, or skirts that look like pants. In addition, and with sustainable fashion in mind, Fukatsu’s designs are designed to be worn for a long time by a wide range of people, regardless of gender.

The theme for the brand’s autumn/winter 2021 collection is In the Middle of Change with the brand’s signature sense of incompatibility. With a nod to the world’s circumstances, it was created with a mixture of diverse cultures in mind but still from a Japanese perspective. The collection uses the best materials from Japan and features a combination of a bustier, jacket and a jumper skirt reconstructed from a trench coat.

The collection was supervised by the stylist Tsuyoshi Kurata. The e-commerce website will be available in English, Simplified Chinese and Japanese as well as providing access to a 24/7 live chat with customer support. The site also offers buyers free shipping globally.

Trench Jumper skirt $613.33

Bustier docked jacket $707.69

Trench docked wool trouser $547.28

Vest docked wool coat $1,037.95

About Maison Métaphore…

Founded by acclaimed Japanese designer Kento Fukatsu, Maison Métaphore…is a global e-commerce brand designing unique apparel collections for both female and male consumers. ‘Metaphor’ was selected as one the nine best young brands 2016 by fashionsnap.com. The brand was originally established as a Japanese domestic brand, Metaphor and was renamed to Maison Métaphore… in 2021.

Website: maisonmetaphore.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maison_metaphore_official/

#MaisonMétaphore…

About Kento Fukatsu

Kento Fukatsu founder of Metaphor and Maison Métaphore… is an experienced designer who breaks the rules of fashion. He is inspired by Dadaism and Japanese underground street culture, which is the identity of the designer himself, as well as innovative items that are conscious of diversity. After graduating from the Fashion Creative Department of Esmod Japon, he launched Metaphor… in 2016.

LONDON, UK – Media OutReach – 20 September 2021 – Galton Voysey Limited, an accomplished DTC brand developer, has won both the “Leading Brand Developer, Hong Kong” and the “Young Women CEO of the Year, Hong Kong – Kimberley Woo (Galton Voysey)” awards for the year 2021. The felicitation ceremony will be held at the Palm Jumeirah – Waldorf Astoria in early 2022 in Dubai.

The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognize global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on the branding world’s key trends. Galton Voysey Limited was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development.

Commenting on Galton Voysey Limited winning the awards, Shivkumar (CEO) of Global Brands Magazine said, “Galton Voysey Limited is a driving force in the DTC market, being a front-running pioneer in today’s e-commerce-driven market of disruptive DTC brands. They’re a reminder that the apparent monopoly of the well-known retail giants isn’t as strong as many people think when smaller brands can find gaps and bypass the middlemen entirely. Miss Woo is an outstanding CEO, and we’re excited about what DTC brands she’ll bring to life in the coming years.”

Commenting on winning the award, Kimberley Woo (CEO) said, “I feel very honoured to have received the awards of Leading Brand Developer of the Year and Young Female CEO of the Year. I do not believe that without an amazing team behind me, this could have happened. I hope to continue to grow Galton Voysey to becoming a leading eCommerce company and to add amazing talent to the team.”

About Galton Voysey Limited

Galton Voysey’s vision is to be the leading developer of Direct-to-Consumer Brands. The company has a portfolio of 45+ in-house brands whereby they build, grow and own them 100% internally. From the initial idea conceptualization to building the website, designing the product, finding the manufacturing partner, buying the inventory, managing the logistics, getting the inventory to the US warehouse, creating adverts, selling to the end consumer, and the after customer care, Galton Voysey manages everything in-house. They own 100% of all the brands that they have in their portfolio.

#GaltonVoysey

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 September 2021 – OPPA System Limited, the event management company that provides agile and creative execution through state-of-the-art technology, has achieved ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification for the information security management system that supports the provision of event management and live streaming. This achievement has been granted by SGS, one of the world’s leading certification companies.

“Since 2020, our customers across Asia Pacific have been hosting more virtual and hybrid events,” said Eddie Suen, founder of OPPA System Limited. “They are looking to OPPA as their valued partners to provide access to the latest networking technology and technical expertise. We have finally been awarded 27001 accreditation. I would like to thank our dedicated team for their diligent efforts, and we will continue to deliver secure and immaculate services to our customers.” 

OPPA System is the system of choice for successful virtual event management, providing state-of-the-art technology backed by agile, creative execution. With the recently launched website and branding, every event is certain to be a unique occasion – a RE-INVENTION of the EVENT EXPERIENCE. 

About OPPA System Limited

Since 2018, OPPA System has been adapting and transforming the hybrid and virtual event management sectors across China and Asia Pacific through the latest technologies.

OPPA’s innovative services include event management, webinars and hybrid events built on a virtual event platform. OPPA’s platforms are stable and reliable, serving the full range of local, regional and international clients.

About ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Certification by SGS

ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification demonstrates to existing and potential customers, suppliers and shareholders the integrity of our data and systems and our commitment to information security. It can also lead to new business opportunities with security-conscious customers, can improve employee ethics and strengthen the notion of confidentiality throughout the workplace. It also allows the enforcement of information security and a reduction in the possible risk of fraud, information loss and disclosure.

Partnering with SGS’s ISO/IEC 27001 information security certification means better-performing processes, increasingly skilful talent and more sustainable customer relationships.

Please find below the link for more details:

https://www.oppasys.com/watch-product-tour

#OPPASystem

Hong Leong Bank is looking to partner with startups to create ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions contributing to long term positive impact for our Community, Environment, and the Financial Services Industry

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 20 September 2021 – Hong Leong Bank’s (“HLB” or “the Bank”) Fintech and tech startups mentorship platform, HLB Launchpad is back in its fourth edition. The Bank is calling for Fintech and tech startups to take on the challenge of co-creating and developing breakthrough ‘out-of-the box’ solutions to reimagine a more sustainable banking and financial services industry.

The 4th HLB Launchpad edition seeks to partner with startups to create ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions to build a sustainable future together.

Themed ‘Let’s Build a Sustainable Future Together’, it aligns with the Bank’s priorities in stepping up its sustainability best practices and integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) elements into every facet of its business. This year’s HLB Launchpad is open to ANY startup that has a presence in Malaysia, has a minimum viable product (“MVP”), has generated sales, has been in operation for over a year, and is interested in creating solutions that contribute to a long-term positive impact on our society and environment. 

The Bank has identified over 15 problem statements this year extending over five Sustainability themes, namely Digital at the Core, Workforce Readiness, Socially Responsible Business, Environmental Management and Community Investment. The problem statements range from finding solutions to boost financial inclusivity for low-income earners, to tracking greenhouse gas emissions to create a long term positive environmental impact. Startups are welcome to address one or more of the problem statements.

Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HLB said, “At Hong Leong Bank, as we continue on our journey to build a highly digital and innovative ASEAN financial services company, we are always on the lookout for innovative ideas that will help us bring this vision to life. Aligned with our core value of being here for the long term, we are placing more emphasis on our sustainability efforts to ensure we are doing our part to empower the community with financial knowledge and resources to improve lives and livelihoods as well protect the environment within which we live. HLB Launchpad is a very important collaborative platform to ensure our strategy and product development are refreshed and evolve to capture the ever-changing needs and contribute to ensure a sustainable future for our customers, communities and the environment,” added Fuda.

HLB Launchpad 2021 will be selecting three winners, in which the winner will be awarded with a cash prize of RM50,000 and the two runners-up will receive RM25,000 each. The winners will also be entitled to mentorship sessions with HLB’s C-suite, Business Heads and Partners, as well as a 6-month pilot project with the Bank.

The Bank is also currently collaborating and mentoring the HLB Launchpad 2020 winners – Food Market Hub, Pay:Watch, and ERTH. With Food Market Hub, a F&B ecosystem provider which has streamlined the entire value chain of farm-to-restaurant, HLB is working with them on a pilot project to help businesses best leverage the digital banking ecosystem to run their business on-the-go, while with Pay:Watch, the Bank is currently piloting an initiative to provide gig workers instant access to earned wages before their pay day. As for ERTH which is an e-waste recycling startup, they are helping the Bank manage and recycle its electronic waste (“e-waste”).

Shailesh Grover, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer said, “Embracing our digital–at–the–core strategy over the past few years, has resulted in a significant pay off as it enabled us to quickly adapt to the new realities that came with the pandemic. This strategy enabled us to continuously listen to the Voice of our Customers (VOC) and reimagine the way we design newer experiences to serve and interact with them. This has also enabled us to stay ahead where we leverage our innovation and community labs to create novel digital propositions that have a singular focus – delight customers at every touchpoint.”    

“A big part of us being able to achieve that is the entrepreneurial heritage that is part of our DNA combined with a strong commitment to being a Community bank. We highly value collaboration as it allows us to leverage on each other’s strengths and the HLB Launchpad is a platform that enables us to do that with ecosystem partners, fintech and tech players, all who bring revolutionary ideas to challenge the conventional ways. We welcome all startups who want to be part of co-creating effective and sustainable digital banking and finance solutions that will help shape the future of our society,” concluded Grover. 

HLB Launchpad 2021 is a collaborative setup that brings together our partners – MDEC, Cradle Fund, MaGIC, Malaysian Business Angel Network (“MBAN”) and pitchIN under a common vision to cultivate a vibrant and competitive startup community that will disrupt, innovate and grow together.

Additionally, startups stand to gain immense benefits by being part of the HLB Launchpad 2021 as, among other things, they will have the opportunity to tap into:

●        Hong Leong Group’s regional businesses across financial services, manufacturing, property development, hospitality & leisure and healthcare in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Cambodia.

●        Jumpstart@65, a state-of-the-art community hub with facilities such as event space, co-working space and usability labs amongst others.

●        A suite of banking facilities such as a business current account and micro-financing as well as digital business solutions offerings including an all-in-one POS terminal, cloud-based HR, Payroll, Accounting and digital advertising services.

based on this page: https://www.hlb.com.my/en/business-banking/group-sme-banking/digital-business-solutions.html

To register for or find out more on HLB Launchpad 2021, please visit https://www.hlb.com.my/hlblaunchpad .  Applications are open until 1 October 2021.

About Hong Leong Bank Berhad

Please visit www.hlb.com.my