Crocodile launches 2016 F/W collection show in Seoul
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Managing Director of Crocodile International Trisno Kemat Leono, left, talks to the brand’s model Lee Jung-jae, center, and the CEO of Dawnfield Alpha Seo Soon-hee during the fashion brand’s press presentation at Ban Yan Tree Club and Spa Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Crocodile Internationa
By Kim Jae-heun
The fashion brand Crocodile has long been sought as a home grown company by many Koreans who know the local founder copied the brand logo and concept from French clothing company Lacoste.
However, the Singaporean brand held a press presentation last Wednesday to promote the fashion brand’s history and its achievements as a global clothing company which holds over 50 licenses worldwide, making a five hundred million dollar profit every year.
“Definitely we are different,” said Trisno Kemat Leono, the managing director of Crocodile International during an interview with the Korea Times at the Banyan Tree hotel in Seoul. “Some people say we are similar to Lacoste but if you look closely at the product, in style, and in pricing, it’s different.
“We focus on customers in each country. We customize every single country’s taste while Lacoste, for example, has uniformed products across all the countries. You see the same product in Korea that you would see in Africa,” said Leono.
During the event, Crocodile held a small exhibition at the venue for visitors to learn about the 70 years of the company’s history led by the founder Tan Hian Tsin, who started the business in 1947. After opening its first factory in Hong Kong in 1953, Crocodile grew to own nearly 3,000 stores in 14 countries and last year it was recognized by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore as one of the top five corporations in the country in boosting the city-state’s economy. In Korea, the brand first opened its doors for menswear in 1993 and a women’s line in 1980s.
The fashion company held a 2016 Fall/Winter collection show as part of their promotion in men’s and women’s appeal the product’s design and quality.
“Where I see this brand’s strength is how it relies on its licensing partners. Of course our brand started off as fashion business in Singapore, but then when we grew, we knew it cannot grow without resources. We found licensing partners in each country…who adjust the product to the local market taste,” said Leono.
“Our founder believes since the beginning of the crocodile expansion, the sharing profit is the best way to grow the business. So what he means is instead of growing the business by itself, we find good partners in each country, who are experts in its field, specializing in its field,” added Leono.
The managing director said the system particularly plays an effective role in Korea as Korean customers are more fashion forward than other Asian customers and it is important to bring the trend to Seoul quickly. He pointed out the dwindling outdoor gear market in Korea as one example that were once the best selling items in the fashion industry in Korea up until two years ago.
“I feel like fashion trends always move fast anywhere in the world. But how it is different nowadays is how to get the trends to market a lot faster than before and making it affordable. For example Zara and H&M are the largest retailers in the world. They do not create the trend. They bring the trend from the catalog to the store within the weeks and make it affordable.
“How we feel we can compete against these brands is by providing more value to our customers and what I mean by more value is not making things cheaper but providing better quality at the same price. We make better products, but maintain the price. Cost effective but not cost cutting,” said Leono.