The Metamorphosis of YACHT 21

The pandemic hit the fashion industry especially hard. Even though we saw our online store picking up during the crisis, we did not do any better than pre-pandemic. Especially during the Circuit Breaker period last year when all of our retail locations had to stay closed for months, we were gripped by doubt and fears that our brand might not survive the pandemic. Fortunately, we managed to pull through as a team and everyone’s job was saved. None of our shops had to close indefinitely during the crisis, thanks to supportive customers and our team's hard work to keep things going. 

Covid-19 disrupted travel plans and everyone's way of life. Inevitably, our business had to move away from promoting travel-friendly collections meant for vacations. Since traveling will not be possible for awhile, we had to pivot towards designing functional fuss-free pieces to help our customers adapt to a changing lifestyle brought about by the new normal. Working from home changed the way people dress for work. Restrictions on social activities would surely cultivate a new lifestyle and bring about a new form of mindset that might be irreversible.

Since last year, our design team had to work on creating smaller collections to reduce risk of dead stocks and it enabled us to stay sustainable by reducing wastage. We took the chance to engage with our customers on a personal level, experimented on new fabric and refined our designs. The pandemic gave us a chance to reflect and we believe it is for the better. 

As we start to see some light at the end of the tunnel, we are stoked to share the news that Yacht 21 will be rebranding. Embark on a new journey with us as we metamorphose from YACHT 21 to Y21 on 23 September 2021, refreshed with a brand new purpose and perspective. Exciting times ahead!

Left to right: Toh Wanteng (fashion designer), Jarenis Ho (founder & creative director), Ruth Tan (chief operating officer)

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