As an agency that values inclusivity and diversity ourselves, we were very intrigued by local label, Perk by Kate’s commitment to creating pretty lingerie for every lady.
The homegrown label, established in 2012, is known for quality lingerie pieces that are not only fashionable and functional — they fit well, too.
I recently caught up with Kate, founder of Perk by Kate, for a quick chat over coffee.
Putting together Perk By Kate
Kate spent nearly 10 years honing her craft as a digital marketer. During her career, she was full of ideas, yet felt the majority of them never came to fruition.
She aspired to have her own enterprise — “I thought to myself: if something good comes out of it… I can actually quit my job,” she recalls, as she smiled at the memory.
Kate had always been interested in lingerie, possibly fueled by her own struggles to find pieces that fit her well.
“I love lingerie, but it’s always been hard for me to find well-fitting ones.”
When she decided that lingerie was something she was keen to explore, Perk by Kate was born.
Beyond The Bralette
Perk by Kate, which started out by retailing small overseas lingerie labels, eventually evolved into Perk by Kate the label — offering original designs and quality pieces curated by Kate herself.
Kate stumbled upon the bralette during the early years of her business, a style that used to be quite unheard of in Singapore.
No more shitty terms and conditions, no more harsh return policies. Everything has to be done as humanely and politely as possible. Our philosophy is simple — if there’s something we can do to help you, we will.
After she consulted a handful of friends who were professionals in the fashion industry, she decided to bring the bralette, in various styles and colours, to Singapore.
A brilliant idea struck her when she identified a gap in the lingerie market.
“The padded bralette idea came to mind — it was supposed to meet the market demand for soft, wireless yet padded lingerie.”
For those of us that may be a little lost at this point – a bralette is a piece of lingerie without wires and moulded cups, and typically have minimal to no padding.
According to Kate, it was the invention of the padded bralette that “catapulted Perk by Kate into the business it is today.” The launch of the Perk by Kate label had a substantial impact on the branding aspect of her business.
“Back when I was just retailing other brands as a wholesaler — there were smaller margins, and didn’t give me much room to brand myself.”
“Now I’m able to come up with styles that customers want, instead of relying on other designers. It is much easier to market your products when you already know what your customers want.”
The Perk Promise: Perking Up Every Customer’s Day
The Perk promise is quite simple. Kate and her team are dedicated to delivering quality products and quality service.
“No more shitty terms and conditions, no more harsh return policies. Everything has to be done as humanely and politely as possible. Our philosophy is simple — if there’s something we can do to help you, we will.”
“We want to perk up your day,” enthused the passionate founder.
Perk by Kate also prides itself on being inclusive and aims to stock lingerie for all bust sizes, and aspires to be a label that caters to every lady.
“Perk by Kate is made for everyone who likes pretty lingerie — our aim is to have something for every lady.”
Quality and Brand Image
Thanks to Kate’s attention to detail and focus on quality, Perk by Kate has managed to successfully position themselves as a luxury lingerie label in the minds of consumers.
“Our customers think we are a luxury lingerie brand and that has given us good brand positioning and image – customers often say we feel like La Perla, but much more affordable.”
“On the website, it’s clean, simple – nothing too complicated. No pop-ups or gifs, we don’t like that. Branding is also present in the way we communicate with our customers – our emails are usually written in a more personal and relatable manner.”
On the website, it's clean, simple - nothing too complicated. No pop-ups or gifs, we don’t like that. Branding is also present in the way we communicate with our customers - our emails are usually written in a more personal and relatable manner.
The Perk Experience
At Perk by Kate, everything has to be really on-brand.
“Branding is definitely important and has affected the way we run Perk by Kate a lot. It all boils down to the little details — packaging wise our ribbons and colours, everything has to be consistent.”
Apart from their product packaging and colour scheme, the Perk by Kate brand trickles down to the customer experience as well.
Because they believe in a customer-centric approach, Perk By Kate trains their team to receive customers warmly and make them feel as at ease as possible. Their store manager, Stacie, has received an outpouring of positive reviews on Instagram for her stellar service and hospitality.
Interactions with customers are governed by the brand’s tone of voice — warm and welcoming, and never hard-sell.
“We always recommend pieces we feel would suit the customer’s body, rather than forcing her to buy lingerie pieces we’re trying to sell,” says Kate.
The brand experience doesn’t stop after the point of sales. Kate sends gifts to customers during the year-end festivities, to thank them for choosing Perk by Kate.
Our customers don’t feel like they’re stepping into a shop.
In the months to come, Kate is focusing on developing more collections to cater to her wide range of customers.
When she speaks about what customers can expect from future collections, she sums it up in a statement that couldn’t be more congruent to the brand promise — “every collection has to be an improvement from the last.” TOC
If you liked this article, check out our story about Unpackt, Singapore’s first zero-waste store.
