Type Private Founded 1996 Headquarters Singapore | Industry Fashion Founders Charles & Keith Wong Area served Worldwide | |
Charles & Keith (stylized CHARLES & KEITH) is a Singaporean fast fashion brand specialising in women's footwear and accessories. It was founded in 1996 by brothers Charles and Keith Wong, under the Charles & Keith Group which also owns the brands Charles & Keith Signature Label and Pedro.
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Founding
Charles & Keith opened their first store in 1996 in the Amara Shopping Centre. The store originally sold women’s shoes made in China and Malaysia. In 1997, the company then started designing their own shoes with feedback from customers, with Keith designing while Charles managed the sales. The brothers bought materials directly from China, which was more cost effective and allowed the company to expand, with more outlets opening in major shopping centres and suburban malls.
In 2004, the firm became the first footwear retailer in Singapore to introduce an e-commerce site.
In 2005, Charles & Keith launched a new line of men's footwear under the Pedro brand. In 2007, both Charles & Keith and Pedro expanded their range of products to include women’s and men’s accessories such as bags, belts, ties and sunglasses, with the introduction of the Charles & Keith Signature Label, an extension of the brand, offering products at a higher price range.
Expansion overseas
In 1998, Charles & Keith began to expand their operations overseas where they ventured into Indonesia, where by 2015 they had 40 stores. In 2001, Charles & Keith opened an international venture in the Philippines, where by 2013 they had 33 stores. They debuted in the Middle East in 2004 with a store in Dubai, and another in Saudi Arabia in 2005.
In 2011, the brand had over 230 stores across the world mostly based in the Middle East and Asia. By 2013 this had grown to over 300 stores worldwide, including locations in Africa, and in Japan, where they opened a flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo and other stores in Yokohama and Osaka. All the stores are company-owned unless local legislation forbids this, in which case the stores are run through a joint-venture arrangement.
In 2011, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) invested in a 20 percent stake. At the time LVMH stated that they intended to expand Charles & Keith's presence with 40 or 50 new stores across India.
Brands and output
By 2009, the Charles & Keith design and development team was annually producing over 750 designs for footwear and 300-plus designs for accessories, many tailored specifically for consumers in certain locales.