'Found' it: location is not everything

FOUND is a clothing boutique that favors exclusivity over the mainstream.

While most business owners seek prime locations for showrooms or retail outlets, Found's owner chose to do the contrary, placing his clothing boutique in the most unlikely of places.

Although located in the commercial heart of Kiulap, Found only takes up half a shop lot in a building directly in front of Bakerlyn Cafe a place that is easy to miss as it counts an electronic store, a tailoring shop, a convenience store and restaurants as neighbours.

For a shop that stocks international fashion labels imported from Australia, the United States and United Kingdom, Pierre is often asked why he did not set up shop in more accessible, prime locations such as The Mall.

"I don't find the location at The Mall exclusive. It is different here and I like it here," said Pierre, explaining that he wants to concentrate more on walk-in customers who stumble upon Found by chance.

"I like people coming in surprised to find this shop here. The size of the shop now is also good for one or two walk-in's," he says.

Albeit the small size of the shop, the limited space inside gives off an intimate vibe, with the addition of soothing music playing in the background. The interior design of the shop adds on to the effect with rustic and retro decor.

Pierre prefers talking to his customers and getting to know them personally. Often, he is on hand to recommend the best fashion finds for his customers.

On the origins of Found, Pierre points out the small fashion scene in Brunei, which makes it a challenge for the fashion-conscious to find anything worth buying in the Sultanate.

"At first my friends did not encourage me and said it won't work in Brunei. But I went ahead to prove them wrong. So far, business is okay," he says.

"In fact, I like clothing a lot. That is why I have this shop. It was my plan for years to open up Found," said Pierre.

"And whenever you buy clothes in Brunei, there is always more than one piece. At Found, there is only one piece per item we stock," he said.

Another selling point for the shop is its range of original vintage clothing, which Pierre considers rare in Brunei.

Pierre, who regularly goes travelling to source his fashion finds and updates his shop's collections every month, said: "I travel a lot and I bring in things I like whenever I am abroad."

"I usually go empty-handed when I fly and come back with things that caught my attention the most. Most of the brands here are international brands that are quality and reasonably priced."

"I also have a friend in the States who is a stockist and always sends me items for Found," he says.

Found's route to exclusivity has struck a chord with likeminded customers who help him spread the word without Pierre having to do much advertising.

A description of Found in The Borneo Insider's Guide (BIG) magazine reads: "the store itself is a delight to visit, with its designs a throwback to the independent fashion boutiques of Carnaby Street in London".

In addition to word-of-mouth advertisement, Pierre uses social media media to his advantage, having set up a Facebook page and an Instagram account to spread the word.

"I think it helps a lot with Instagram. It is effective where I have some customers saying they saw Found on Instagram," he said.

Pierre may have carved a niche market with the 'one piece per item' policy, but he faces a big challenge in getting the right sizes for his customers.

"The thing is I only have one item and they only come in one size. I have some customers who make special orders for certain items they want, I can't guarantee them anything in case I can't find it."

"Another thing is, people always ask me why they have to buy in my shop when they can buy elsewhere? So I always tell them, first of all, they can try it here, to feel and touch," he says.

While he is content with Found for now, Pierre has bigger plans for the future.

"In the future, I might have my own clothing line. When I have enough customers, I may also feel more confident to open a new branch."The Brunei Times