Ever since I had the privilege of attending the launch of & Other Stories, an H&M brand, in Southeast Asia last week, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to dress freely as you wish to.

The freedom of expression, to live—and dress—by your own rules, that’s when fashion gets personal and gets really fun. As Galliano once said, there is a joy in dressing and that in itself is an art form. As social creatures, we love to tell stories, and one such way we do so is through our personal style. Through fashion, we discover and reinvent parts of ourselves through how we dress and present ourselves to the world. It’s not a shallow matter, either, mind you. Fashion is a tool of self-discovery, too, finding your own power and telling your own story. And sometimes, finding yourself begins with that one life-affirming piece of clothing in your closet that you absolutely love but still haven’t worn. (But what are you waiting for, really?)

So, it is undoubtedly fantastic news to fashion-loving women (and men!) that & Other Stories has made its timely debut in the region, setting up its first shop at ION Orchard in Singapore, and simultaneously online for the Philippine and Malaysian markets through Zalora.

“We are so delighted to finally be able to bring our stories to Singapore, as well as Malaysia and the Philippines via Zalora. It’s been heartening to receive such positive reception to the brand from the local audience, and we cannot wait to bring even more stories and inspiration to Southeast Asia with the opening of our second Singapore store in 2023,” says Lina Söderqvist, Managing Director, & Other Stories.

The Brand

& Other Stories is a fashion brand that launched in 2013 in Europe. “We launched on a big scale,” admits Lina. “In fact, in a two week period, we opened in seven different markets in Europe. We started really with European ambition which has since then developed into a global one.” From the beginning, the brand has always been about inspiring fashion-loving women to express their own personalities through fashion and to create their own stories, showing it through their various collections.

“You might wonder why we are called ‘& Other Stories’ and it is because we love to tell stories! Ever since the start, we have been passionate about telling the stories of the clothes we present, the models we work with, our designers and our design ateliers that we have in Stockholm, Paris, and Los Angeles,” shares Lina.

The brand celebrates a specific woman: “a fashion-loving woman who doesn’t go unnoticed.” Lina is quick to add that & Other Stories simply isn’t about blending in, but it’s really about helping people express their personalities and standing out. & Other Stories is for women, men, women who wish they had more courage to stand out… everyone. “Our goal is to be a leading fashion brand for modern femininity,” Lina quips. With this expansion to Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines, & Other Stories is now present in 27 markets—this is just the beginning and we’re only just getting to the exciting part!

“When it comes to fashion, we are fashion first. That is why we launched, we want to help women express their personalities through fashion. It’s not only in the ready-to-wear, but in everything we do: the nail polish colors, the bags, the jewelry, we are fashion first,” smiles Lina. “But to us, it’s not only important to be fashion forward, we also want to be a part of the bigger scheme [of things] and so we strive to be in the forefront of the contemporary and to be there, you have to understand what happens outside of the fashion world, as well.”

And so, & Other Stories collaborates a lot with other parts of the popular culture scene, in the industries of art, music, and the list goes on. For example, for the Singapore store launch, the brand worked with a local visual artist, Ginette Chittick. Moreover, & Other Stories, as part of the H&M group, puts sustainability high on its list of priorities and makes clear efforts to show that they are part of those that are leading the change. Beyond the different ways they work sustainability into their design processes and retail system, they also create clothes made with longevity in mind. “The way we design our wardrobe treasures, they last a long time, for years, we don’t make clothes that you simply throw away. If you get tired of them, you give them to a friend or you save them for later use!” grins Lina.

The Event

Representing the Philippines, Metro flew in especially to be a part of the brand’s celebration of a massive milestone of opening in Southeast Asia. A celebration of womanhood and of fashion, & Other Stories threw an unforgettable grand opening party in-store ahead of its official opening to the public which was on August 19, Friday.

All 560 sqm of the store was decorated to the nines for this event, with the brand preparing special activities for the evening including an upbeat alternative-indie-pop live set by DJ Amanda Keisha Ang (AKA Sounds) as well as a beautiful foliage-filled photowall and photobooth. There was also a live art demonstration by Ginette Chittick, spinning yarn from self-harvested kapok cotton fiber and latch-hooking. Guests were brought on an exploration into the realms of fashion, art, textiles, and craftsmanship.

Raising their glasses and doing a little shopping, of course, on the side, were some stylish guests in attendance. Fashion mavens Mae Tan, Andrea Chong, Christabel Chua and Rachel Wong, radio DJ Kimberly Wang, and Miss Singapore Universe titleholders Nandita Banna and Bernadette Belle, were impeccably dressed in the vibrant hues of the Summer collections.

Excited to start shopping? Get in the know by signing up for the & Other Stories newsletter for more updates on the latest collections and activities via stories.com. While we wait for a physical store coming to our shores, shop & Other Stories on Zalora with new items being added frequently!

Photo Courtesy of & Other Stories