IORA: A Singaporean Brand Fit For You
You know how it is when you enter a clothing store and all you see are skimpy clothes designed for women who weigh less than 100 lbs? You ask to see the XL size and you’re handed what looks like your shirt when you were 12 years old when your waistline was 22.
At a department store, the salesperson points you to the plus size section where the clothes are too large for you. You’re not rail thin like a model but you aren’t in the double Xs category. You’re just normal. Okay, maybe you’re a bit heavier than what they call “normal.”
Singaporean clothing brand IORA, surprisingly, is a store for real women who want real sizing. It’s not a plus size store but the clothes weren’t designed just for women with doll-like figures.
“If anything, the sizing is a bit big than usual. This is probably why we’ve done well since we brought IORA here in 2006,” said co-managing partner Monette Garcia, who discovered the brand when she lived in Singapore.
Garcia and co-managing partner Anabelle Cuazon and their business partners have at SM Megamall, Glorietta, and Trinoma, with branches at SM Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu.
IORA is undergoing a rebranding. In the Philippines, the Megamall branch is the first one to sport the new store design. Aside from the new look for the store, IORA also launched a new label called LALU for younger women and a more affordable price range.
Aside from the affordable opening price point of PHP499 (the most expensive you can buy in the store is only for PHP2199), shoppers can also enjoy a bundle sale offerings like two pieces worth PHP799 for only PHP1399, and two pieces worth PHP1199 for only PHP1999. The brand promises that the high quality clothes that it’s always known for will still be evident as it moves forward.
“The clothes are of good quality and that hasn’t changed despite the lower price points,” said Garcia.
IORA has always been known for its stylish office separates and cocktail and dresses. Young professionals will love the new stylish work blouses matched with pants, skirts or culottes, to dreamy lace tops with high-waisted, knee length skirts.
Lalu, IORA’s newest casual line for those 16 years old and above, has smart casual pieces such as plain t-shirts and those with patches, t-shirt dresses, overalls, stretchy skirts and joggers.