Ex-marketer succeeds as owner of Label 31

“It was a big decision at the time to shift from being a marketer to become a fashion designer. It was a tough but rewarding decision. 
“[Climbing the] corporate ladder as a marketer in large corporations like IBM and True Move, I start to realise my real passion: to make the corporate world look prettier, one lady at a time. 
“Office dresses need to be appropriate and project the right perception to those we work with, but that doesn’t mean [they must] be boring or traditional. Dresses can be pretty and elegant, with a twist that is not too fashionable. I started my journey from this thought and it has been enjoyable ever since,” Mitthida said.
“One of my first steps was to gain an education in fashion design, and I was fortunate to have a school like Chanapatana International Design Institute that allowed me to enter the world of design without any prior background. 
“Equipped with the right skills, I decided to open my own label rather than joining an established brand. I like to craft the dresses one style at a time so that I can be sure the ladies who wear them are in their best style. 
“At this stage, as we are still a start-up, I am very proud to be a good drop of colour to help make the whole picture of the fashion scene look beautiful.”
Mitthida added that as she used to work in large corporations, she understood this target group the most, and knew how to launch her products and services to accommodate this group of working women. 
She said Label 31 derived its strengths from the diverse mind and skill sets in the company. Mitthida herself is a fashion designer and a business driver in the same person. 
“Last year, I teamed up with my business partner, who was a US civil-engineering graduate and also a pattern maker and fashion designer. The company also has an in-house product-development team to strengthen its brand identity and quality.
“We are still small, however. Gaining economy of scale is our challenge. Therefore we have to control our operating costs. We are not doing much for PR, so now we are depending on word-of-mouth among our target group.” 
Mitthida said her fashion-design business could comply with the government’s “Thailand 4.0” initiative to promote innovation and a creative economy in many business sectors throughout the country.
“This is a great period for our brand … this ‘creative economy’ era. It not only makes the overall market more aware of high-quality and sustainable products, but also provides more opportunity to get support from the government sector. 
“In our long-term plan, we are seeking innovative materials and product development rather than competing with price. To do this, collaboration is needed. I hope Thai brands can … penetrate the international arena with this initiative together. We will get the world’s attention and pave the way to the real 4.0.
“In my point of view, promoting local fashion brands is a long-term process and needs real collaboration. The priority at this moment is to create quick success. 
“There are many [high] potential designer brands in the local market but some of us lack commercial skills and funding. It would be great if the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Commerce and other [government agencies worked] together as a fashion incubator, finding experts from each [of their fields], merging the needed competencies in the whole supply chain from material sourcing to commercialisation. 
“If Thailand has some brands, [even if] only a few, that can |achieve international attention |and become commercially successful, we can replicate the approach on a wider scale,” she said.
Unlike big fashion brands and major online players, Label 31 says it is positioned as a provider of “designer clothes”, representing semi-formal, unique, urban dresses with a stylish twist that can reflect the buyer’s own character. The outfits are appropriate enough for work and fun enough to express positive vibes. 
It says the secrets behind every piece are the structure, silhouette, and tailoring techniques that lead to a comfort while still shaped to a woman’s body with style, not too loose, and not too tight. 
“We have an in-house pattern-developing team to make sure of the perfect fit of every items, especially when it is on a real human body. With a Label 31 dress, you don’t have to have a model-like figure to look pretty. 
“Moreover, Label 31 is focused mainly on Facebook and social-media channels, on which we currently have a base of more than 70,000 real customers. We are doing well on this,” Mitthida said.
For the short-term business plan, she said, the company will focus on online strategies with expansion into the official e-commerce channel, which will be more automated than the existing social-media channel and casual e-commerce. 
“We are constantly re-evaluating the potential of the official e-commerce channel to see if the Thai consumer is truly ready,” she said, adding that an omni-channel strategy and international expansion were her medium- and long-term plans. 
“Innovation in materials and product development are also among my interests. I believe those will bring a sustainable competitive advantage and enhance our brand, especially in the international market,” she said.
The company will pursue expansion into the international market, aiming for Asia first, since women across the region have similar fashion tastes. Singapore and Hong Kong are the easiest places to start because of low barriers to communications and logistics. “However, the China market is our prime long-term goal – it’s huge and they love Thai brands,” she said.