The new Y21 Flagship
Stepping into the next chapter of our rebranding journey, we're thrilled to announce the grand reopening of our flagship store at Suntec City on 7 October 2023. With this, we unveil a fresh retail concept embodying our brand's new identity as a label specialising in urban resort wear for the modern woman leading hybrid lifestyles.
Beyond featuring our full collections and nylon bags by Malaysian brand WES Studio, our flagship store will also spotlight items from Y21 Fam, our first family collection, launching on 26 January 2024.
The Suntec Store marks the initial phase in the revamping of our three stores, aligning them with our refreshed branding. Additionally, we refurbished the Wheelock Store by introducing an extra changing room to minimize wait times. Renovation and expansion at the Bugis Store are scheduled to commence next year.
Designed by local design company Studio Gin&G, the refreshed flagship store embodies the vision of our brand as an urban resort wear label for the modern women with simple, functional and elegant features that are reminiscent of Danish designs. This marks a shift from the nature and resort concept that our brand had previously as a cruise wear label.
Cobalt blue and pops of light pastel blue and green colours inspired by our new colour palette were woven throughout the store and echo its spirit of vibrancy and energy. These were incorporated in key architectural elements and accents, as well as in furniture and fixtures such as the playful designer hand-blown glass bubble coat hooks that were specially curated for the retail space.
Throughout the renovation process, we were mindful about wastage and sought ways to improve circularity in our retail stores. Key design strategies for this include using alternative materials such as ethically sourced and stained timber veneers.
Working with Studio Gin&G and local research and design material studio Tesign, we created Singapore’s largest countertop that was made from 100% high density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste. The recycled plastics were collected locally, which contributed to a lower carbon impact as compared to importing materials. These include approximately 751 Meiji milk bottles gathered from local food and beverage outlets, as well as shampoo and detergent bottles from fast-moving consumer goods companies.
In total, nearly 50 kilograms of recycled plastic were turned into more than 62 counter panels. Each panel features a unique speckled pattern of blue, orange and a dash of pink that complemented our new store concept.
Where possible, old furniture such as hangers, mirrors, storage racks and pedestals were given a new lease of life by reusing or repainting them.
The new retail store concept marks a new milestone for us as an urban resort wear label. We wanted to create a welcoming environment for our customers - this has been a top priority for us. We hope that everyone who visits us can genuinely feel as if this is a place where they can slow down and take their time at our stores.
We recognise that Y21 is far from being fully sustainable, but we are focusing on becoming better. By sourcing for good quality fabrics, improving our workmanship and creating versatile designs, our aim is to create even better made pieces that last different trends and seasons.
By taking small steps, we can change the way we do things and ensure that our waste can be recirculated back into the economy. We will continue working with local companies to find innovative ways of using alternative materials such as recycled plastic in our stores.