Sassy. Fabulous. Stylish. In. These are some of the words we use to generally describe the clothes we would want to purchase, and eventually wear. Moreover, with our advancing technology today, it is an undeniable fact that we seek for the comfort of home as much as possible. Shopping in the comfort of our own homes is now possible with online shops. And here's one online shop I have been wanting to feature.
If you're a Boholano, then I bet you have heard of the famous online shop Rose Paul Bangkok. Quite a unique name for an online shop, you say? The shop's name is a combination of two names, Rose and Paul - the lovely couple who owns the said shop.
I did an online interview with Miss Rose to find out more about her shop. Well, I would've wanted to meet her in person, but I'm here in US now, and she's been travelling to and from Thailand. So read on and learn more about Rose Paul Bangkok, or simply RPBkk.
FROM BANGKOK
It all started with Facebook. Miss Rose, the shop owner, is a university lecturer in Bangkok, Thailand. Every time she posts her OOTDs or "outfit of the day" (since according to her they do not have teacher's uniform), a lot of her FB friends would ask for her dresses and ended up giving them away. Until, one of her former students suggested an idea saying, "Why don't you turn it into a business?" It was when she realized, "Yeah, why not?" And so came the birth of RPBkk, October 1st, 2009.
The first collections featured on the shop was of Miss Rose's pre-loved clothes and new ones which were her personal choices. Later, they opened to more variety -- such as jumpsuits, maxis, long gowns, cocktails, prints and everything new in fashion -- to cater to everyone's needs. "The clothes we have now are not just what I prefer to wear but what others might want to wear," Miss Rose states.
When asked about their clothes and if they design some of them, Miss Rose answers, "90% of our clothes are RTWs made and bought in Bangkok. However, we also design for special occasions like debuts, weddings, beauty pageants (production number, playsuit, casual wear segments)."
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| Rose, Paul and their kids Huey and Harl (plus a baby girl on the way!). They usually model the RPBkk clothes. |
TO BOHOL
Rose, or Roseth Mascariñas Ranara, hails from Booy, Tagbilaran City, Bohol. And while their online clothing shop business was taking off, she, together with her husband Prince Paul Ranara, decided to build a customer lounge right in front of the Mascariñas residence. "We call it RPBkk lounge where the customers can claim their orders personally," she marks.
And even if they already have the RPBkk lounge, they basically are still doing online transactions. They just cater to offline clients by way of appointment basis.
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| RPBkk customer lounge at Booy Dist, Tagbilaran City. And yes, it is Thai-inspired ;) |
BEYOND BOHOL
I asked if they have a lot of customers outside Bohol and asked what places they are from. This was Miss Rose's response: "In fact, 90% of our clients are from outside Bohol. Locally we have clients from almost all parts of the Philippines. Internationally, the bulk of our clients are from Norway, Denmark, Spain, New Zealand, Iceland, Italy, Canada, Qatar, Dubai, Taiwan and Japan." Now, this makes RPBkk world-class! :)
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| One of their profile photos, which I find very creative. |
However, like many other businesses, they too have teeny-tiny trials on their way to success. According to Miss Rose, every now and then, there are joy reservers and bogus buyers but she accepts these as part of this kind of business.
Of course, I also asked her about their secret/s to a successful business (which is no longer a secret now. hehe). And she gives me this list:
• up-to-date stocks• reasonable prices
• family owned and managed (her mom, dad and sister manages RPBkk Bohol)
• high quality photos
• lenient on delayed payments
• no bogus buyer album
• accumulated orders until one month or so (so that customers can save on money transfer charges and shipping fees)
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| Of course, I also purchased a RosePaul dress myself! Worn last January this year (explains the boots, it's winter season). Photo by R. Saria |
So what are you waiting for? If there's a dress you've fallen in love with, just say "mine" and it's yours! Happy shopping! <3
Photos of RPBkk were grabbed with permission.
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