Over time, I’ve typically come throughout a bag brand referred to as F.timber, sometimes in shops corresponding to Parkson. Lately, although, the brand has been popping up on my social media feed too. Curious, I made a decision to look it up.

Nevertheless, upon doing so, I realised there wasn’t a lot about it on-line. Aside from the brand being established in 1995, I had no concept about who based it and what its development story was.

Contemplating its elusiveness, I didn’t anticipate to obtain a immediate response from its director when messaging F.timber’s Instagram web page. But, that’s precisely what occurred.

A brand new technology

Introducing herself as Christine, I later learnt that this director is definitely the daughter of the founders, Richard and Nancy.

In accordance with Christine, her dad travelled excessively when organising F.timber to supply merchandise starting from ladies’s purses to high school luggage and even males’s equipment.

“Together with his robust willpower and thru trial and error, he constructed this firm from scratch,” the daughter proudly shared.

A number of years after its inception, Christine’s mom joined. The brand F.timber’s identify truly comes from her mum’s love for nature. F.timber initially was Forest Timber, in any case. In accordance with Christine, many purchasers nonetheless keep in mind them by the unique Forest Timber identify.

Again then, they got a chance to have a short-term consignment at Sogo KL, a well-liked division retailer. As a short-term settlement, although, as soon as the promotion ended, they would want to pack up and depart.

However issues should have labored out, as a result of Christine shared that at one level, the enterprise was working greater than 50 retailers nationwide. She recalled her dad and mom working laborious each single day to make sure their enterprise was heading in the right direction.

“Again then, I dreaded college holidays and weekends as a result of it meant serving to out within the warehouse work,” she defined. “I’d slightly be at college!”

“I keep in mind vividly if we would have liked to make deliveries of merchandise to shops on weekends we needed to sneak into the shops at clients’ entrances (illegally) as a result of the loading bays had been closed throughout the weekends. It was very tense work and a variety of perseverance,” she additionally revealed.

Issues have modified rather a lot, although. At simply 21, Christine determined to affix the corporate as an govt. Now 30 years outdated, she’s the director of the corporate.

“My dad and mom determined to retire earlier final 12 months; good for them,” she mentioned. “They completely deserve it.”

A aggressive trade

Again when F.timber first obtained its begin, there have been already just a few notable bag manufacturers regionally. Nevertheless, the brand believes it managed to set itself aside by specializing in delivering inexpensive luxurious to its clients.

“We wish everybody to own wonderful high quality merchandise with out burning a gap of their pockets,” Christine summarised.

In accordance with Christine, the brand had minimal advertising efforts then, relying merely on the phrase of mouth of loyal clients.

Immediately, F.timber nonetheless preaches the identical ethos of offering inexpensive luxurious to Malaysians, although its advertising ways might have modified a bit of. I personally have come throughout fairly just a few adverts on social media from the brand.

The digitalisation of the enterprise was hastened by the pandemic, as many older companies would relate.

Maintaining-to-date

F.timber provides quite a lot of completely different bag designs, from extra informal totes to extra female purses. Most of its merchandise draw back from any garish patterns and designs, as a substitute choosing a extra delicate and stylish look to replicate a extra “luxurious” aesthetic.

Aside from luggage, F.timber additionally produces card holders and wallets.

For its luggage, costs vary round RM100, with its most costly product being RM258, although that could be a particular collaboration merchandise.

In comparison with luxurious manufacturers, the pricing is, as Christine emphasised, slightly inexpensive. Some comparable manufacturers may embody one other homegrown brand, Tracey, which additionally has comparable pricing.

Each manufacturers are additionally 100% vegan, which could contribute to the cheaper price level as leather-based is usually costlier. 

Whereas the designs are F.timber’s, the merchandise are literally manufactured abroad. The group works with factories that completely produce for them.

These days, Christine works together with her group to check the present vogue developments and create samples appropriate for the native market. Then, they work with their R&D to make the ultimate tweaks earlier than sending it to manufacturing.

F for future

There’s little question that this homegrown bag brand has modified rather a lot because the early days.

Change of arms apart, F.timber used to function as a buying and selling firm, which means it handled giant orders to bodily retailers.

Whereas its merchandise can nonetheless be present in choose retailers, the group is focusing extra on its on-line presence by way of its web site in addition to its Shopee web page. 

The group additionally goals to deliver this Malaysian brand onto the worldwide stage by opening up for worldwide orders quickly.

“So as to fulfil our imaginative and prescient of being certainly one of Asia’s high manufacturers, we must be seen extra,” Christine shared. “We have now plans to take part in numerous exhibitions throughout Asia and showcase our merchandise to the remainder of the world.”

• Be taught extra about F.timber right here.
• Learn different articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups right here.

Featured Picture Credit score: F.timber