A New Chapter: & Other Stories expands its reach to Singapore, Malaysia and more
Stepping into the world of & Other Stories through the exclusive interview with the Managing Editor Lina Söderqvist and Concept Designer Shawna Trunk.
True to the brand’s name, & Other Stories narrates fashion stories through its seasonal and timeless must-haves, bringing all wearables into a place as a one-stop styling destination for all.
Designed in Paris, Stockholm, and Los Angeles, each of the design ateliers showcases a unique approach and iconic styles reflecting the based city with great attention to detail and quality.
Owned by the H&M Group, & Other Stories has established worldwide presence from Europe to the US and Asia, along with an online store at stories.com since its launch in 2013.
Now, the brand makes its way to Southeast Asia with the first-ever flagship boutique newly-opened in ION Orchard, Singapore and an online partnership with Zalora in Malaysia and The Philippines, featuring curated collections from its Paris, Stockholm, and Los Angeles ateliers.
L’Officiel Malaysia had an exclusive interview with Managing Editor Lina Södergvist and Concept Designer Shawna Trunk to talk about the brand’s philosophy, design inspirations, and future directions.
Lina Södergvist, Managing Editor at & Other Stories
Congratulations on the opening of the first-ever store in Singapore. What was the motivation behind the venture into this region?
Singapore and Southeast Asia have been on our radar for quite some time and we are so excited to finally open our very first store in Singapore. For us, ION Orchard is a perfect location as part of Singapore’s busiest shopping districts. We can’t wait to get to know our fashion-loving customers in this vibrant city.
For those who aren't familiar with & Other Stories, can you share with us the brand’s philosophy and what the brand is all about?
& Other Stories is a one-stop styling destination for modern-day women with a love for fashion to create their own style. She wears things that feel right to her and reflect her personality.
& Other Stories is about bringing everything she can wear into one place, focusing on the whole look. We believe shoes, bags, jewellery, lingerie and beauty are key for styling and just as important as clothing.
Should we expect a physical store of & Other Stories to be launched in Malaysia in the future time?
Malaysia is certainly a market where & Other Stories would feel at home. We’ve received lovely feedback from customers who discovered our stores abroad and we couldn’t be more proud and happy to get to meet our Malaysian customers through our partnership with Zalora. It’s too early to give more information about potential openings, but we will let you know when we would have more news to share.
What makes & Other Stories unique and different from H&M?
Having three design ateliers in Paris, Stockholm and Los Angeles is one major thing that sets us apart. Thanks to this set-up, women can find a wide range of styles, colours, prints, cuts, fragrances, and gifts at Stories - all captured with different perspectives and inspiration sources. We believe this approach matches the great sense of style and individuality of fashion-loving women who don’t go unnoticed.
Lastly, what are the interesting things that we should look out for?
We have so many fantastic things happening this autumn and winter. We are starting to see the launch of our Autumn 2022 collections from our three ateliers. Later this autumn, we will launch a designer co-lab which our co-lab partner has not been revealed, so stay tuned. & Other Stories co-lab collections are inspiring injections to our current collections. During the past couple of years, we have implemented an array of co-lab collections with an inspiring range of diverse and creative women such as Lykke Li, Rachel Antonoff, Rodarte, and MINJUKIM.
Shawna Trunk, Concept Designer at & Other Stories
For starters, tell us about yourself and how you became the concept designer of & Other Stories.
I grew up in Hawaii and Los Angeles before studying fashion design in New York and Milan. I started my career working at brands such as Calvin Klein, Yigal Azrouel, and BCBG Max Azria. In 2016 I joined & Other Stories when they launched their Los Angeles Atelier, and I have been developing collections with the brand ever since.
How would you describe & Other Stories?
True to our name, we love to tell fashion stories through inspiring collections for the fashion-loving women who don’t go unnoticed.
We aim to create curated spaces as a one-stop styling destination offering women a wide range of long-lasting products including shoes, bags, accessories, beauty, and ready-to-wear pieces.
Tell us about your favourite pieces so far and what makes them so special to you?
We have a beautiful assortment of tailored suits and relaxed wool coats in our upcoming Autumn 2022 collection. Each piece is carefully fitted and thoughtfully designed to be able to wear dressed up or dressed down.
We are all about multipurpose products such as our tailored blazer; it is not only dressed in its matching trousers, we also want you to be able to pair it with jeans and a t-shirt to grab a coffee or wear it over one of our dresses for a night out with your girlfriends.
How do you want people to feel when they wear your designs?
We want people to feel empowered to express their unique style when they wear our designs. We aim to speak to individuals with the ambition to inspire them and hope our collections bring them joy so that they feel the best version of themselves in our clothes.
What can we expect from your upcoming designs?
In early Autumn, we will highlight the classics - sharply tailored suiting, relaxed wool coats, silk blouses, and cashmere knits.
There are also some beautiful highlight pieces showing sparkle and shine mixed in with our favourite soft neutrals and hints of energetic pop colours. Later in the season, we will dig into full opulent femininity in both colour palettes, silhouettes, and fabrics as we enter into the holidays.
Visit zalora.com to find out more about & Other Stories.
