The heart of SoHo just got a lot more stylish, as Love, Bonito, the renowned womenswear brand from Asia, has made an exciting leap with the opening of its first pop-up store This significant milestone signifies Love, Bonito’s global expansion beyond Asia and brings its purpose-driven fashion to the American market.
As the the largest vertically integrated, omnichannel women’s fashion brand in the region, Love, Bonito is dedicated to designing clothing that celebrates the key moments and milestones of a woman’s life. With a comprehensive assortment of stylish and comfortable pieces, the brand caters to the modern Asian woman, offering fashion options for her daily life at home, work, and play.
Founded proudly by Asian women, Love, Bonito aims to cater to the growing demand for fashion that embraces the needs of diverse women throughout the world. The brand aims to not sacrifice style for functionality, and it’s well-known for its thoughtful features, such as dresses with pockets, padded styles, and elasticized waistbands, which seamlessly blend practicality with aesthetics.
“I started Love, Bonito because I struggled to find clothes that fit my body type,” said Rachel Lim, Co-Founder of Love, Bonito. “A decade ago, the available options from popular brands didn’t cater to my proportions or lacked pockets. It was disheartening to feel misrepresented by the styles and outfits marketed to me. So, I decided to change the narrative by creating a brand that represented me and my community. With our official U.S. launch, we hope our message resonates with diverse, Asian American women, empowering them to feel confident in what they wear.”
Love, Bonito aspires to empower women through their mantra of “Come Into Your Own,” which celebrates each woman’s journey of self-discovery and finding her community. The pop-up store is designed to be a welcoming space for women of all backgrounds to gather, attend events, and build meaningful connections. Stephanie Seow, Head of Love, Bonito USA, emphasized this intention, stating, “Just as we aim to be more than a fashion brand, our pop-up is meant to be much more than a retail store. Throughout its duration, we hope to reach out to local communities and partner with them to host events, mixers, and much more!”
The Love, Bonito pop-up store provides an immersive experience where customers can explore the brand’s offerings and experiment with different styles at their own pace. Shoppers can browse through the brand’s Summer collection and popular staples, gaining a deeper understanding of the quality, design, and fit of Love, Bonito’s clothes.
On Thursday, the pop-up was unveiled with a lively celebration featuring a pink carpet, fashion show, followed by a fireside chat by founder Rachel Lim and CEO Dione Song on Friday.
“It kind of makes sense,” Said Dione Song when asked about the journey to get to the pop-up and why how decided that New York City was the perfect fit. “There is a huge community of women who are underrepresented, in a way, when it comes to brand offerings, and so on. Where products maybe don’t really fit that well. That’s when we started saying, hey, I think that makes sense. The US market is a huge market, of course, a very exciting market. Let’s start exploring this. And thereafter, in 2019, we started shipping across borders to the US. And then of course, we started seeing a lot more orders coming in right from New York. And then we were contemplating, I still remember, we’re debating internally, like, Hey, where’s the right state to start our first store? We’re very excited about New York, because it’s also a walkable city. It’s easy to discover new brands, and of course, everyone’s coming in right to Soho, just to shop and discover and be really open to exploration.”
To be open to exploration is a key part of embracing your own style, and with Love, Bonito, you won’t have to give up your versatility either. Furthermore, Love, Bonito recognizes the importance of community outreach. Through dedicated initiatives, the brand actively engages with its customers and creates meaningful connections. Love, Bonito’s approach extends beyond the realm of fashion, seeking to inspire and empower women to embrace their individuality and confidently navigate their unique journeys.
Visitors to the pop-up store will not only have the opportunity to try on Love, Bonito pieces in a thoughtfully-designed space but will also enjoy exclusive promotions, giveaways, gifts, and lifestyle perks from partner brands. To stay updated on weekend events and experiences, customers can visit the Love, Bonito website and follow the brand on Instagram and TikTok @lovebonitousa.
The Love, Bonito pop-up experience is located at 465 Broadway, New York, NY 10013, and will be open from now until December 31, 2023. Hear more about the brand here!
