Greyhound stays out front

GREYHOUND’S “BASIC with a twist” approach to clothing and food has become a standard for thousands of wardrobes and diners. That’s quite an achievement for the four friends who founded the business in 1980 with no formal training, just similar tastes and interests.
The clothes come in neutral tones and both the clothing and the food are street-smart, creative and contemporary. “Our white shirt is never simply a shirt and our crab fried rice is never just fried rice with crab,” creative director Bhanu Inkawat said at the brand’s recent 35th-anniversary “Happy Birthday to Me” celebration.
“We like to turn around what’s merely routine and make something enjoyable, something that’s never boring, and that’s what people identify Greyhound with. Our core value is that, whatever else changes with time, we’ll always be cool, fun and presented with a twist.”
Bhanu recently turned 60 but shows no signs of slowing down. The other day he was still at the office at 2am working on the autumn-winter clothing collection. The brand has a new co-owner, with listed company Sub Sri Thai acquiring it last year, yet that hasn’t left him any less work to do.
“More than 35 years in the fashion business has taught me that, in order to build a successful brand, you have to be doing something all the time,” he said. “We began with styles we liked in men’s wear that we hoped buyers would like too, and in 1990 expanded into women’s wear, leather goods and accessories.
“And then in 1998 we set our sights higher and introduced the Greyhound Cafe, and in 2002 we launched a second line of apparel – more flamboyant clothing for younger, more modern tastes. Ultimately, Greyhound wants to be a lifestyle brand covering all aspects of life.”
Throughout its evolution, Bhanu said, quality has remained the No 1 priority, and that’s ensured customer loyalty. “We can do different styles and trends, but quality is always a must. It represents value for money.”
The Greyhound quartet began by seeking out well-made material for their first basic cotton T-shirt, an attention to quality that became an obsession. At the time, what was available from local manufacturers was relatively shoddy. Then they discovered two-ply bedding fabric with a high thread count, and that became their staple wardrobe material.
The 100-per-cent-cotton T-shirt quickly became a Greyhound signature and an industry standard. Countless manifestations have appeared over the past 30 years – screened, treated, dyed, slashed and sewn.
“It used to be that people would buy whatever was available, but these days the market is full of choices,” Bhanu said. “There are many mass-marketed clothing brands that offer lower prices with higher quality, so the market is much more competitive nowadays. So, to establish a successful brand, we needed a third quality to create a bond with the customers.”
He cited British corporate adviser Simon Sinek as saying people don’t buy companies’ products so much as what the company represents – they come to trust the brand. And, as Apple founder Steve Jobs said, you have to “think outside the box”.
“We don’t have to be a fashion-industry leader,” Bhanu pointed out. “What Greyhound offers is lively, creative, enjoyable and with a twist.”
The “Collage History” autumn-winter collection unveiled at the brand’s birthday party is true to its heritage – cool, charming and as ready for a race as a Greyhound dog. It draws on different aspects of “Greyhound Culture” seen in previous lines.
“Collage Silhouette” uses various shapes from its signature pieces blended with currently popular street wear. “Collage Materials” fuses various types of fabrics, such as acrylic wool with cotton polyester, feathers on silk, satin with chiffon and leather teamed with fur.
The main print among the outfits is an applied “torn-paper effect”, utilising all of the brand’s characteristic symbols, embroidered on lace, screened on other fabrics and even knitted. The materials range from silk, leather, satin and lace to neoprene, wool and fur.
Underlying the customary black, white and grey are red, pink, green and blue.
There are 12 Greyhound standalone stores and shop-in-shop boutiques in Bangkok, plus 13 cafes and restaurants, and the brand has expanded abroad, setting up outlets at department stores in South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Russia and Israel.
Hong Kong has five Greyhound cafes and China another four. Still more are planned for Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan, as well as "a big project” in London.
“You can’t always be running around following fashion,” Bhanu notes. “It’s better to run less, do your own searching, be strong and be very clear about your core values.
“To me, building a brand is like riding a bicycle. When you stop, you fall over, but when you ride fast, you can lead.”