Asked to define the Bonia’s most enduring brand value, group managing director Albert Chiang immediately replied, “Quality. We know leather.”

Bonia Corp Bhd was founded in 1974 by executive chairman Chiang Sang Sem, at the time a leather goods wholesaler. He was inspired by 16th century sculptor Giambologna on a trip to the Leather Trade Fair in Bologna, Italy — so he registered the name “Bonia” in tribute. Since then, he has turned the business from a wholesaler to a leading fashion house renowned for its quality leather handbags, shoes and menswear.

Since moving its headquarters from Singapore to Malaysia in 1978, the brand has metamorphosed from a bag-making company into a Malaysian fashion label. Today, the group has a network of over 700 sales outlets and 70 boutiques worldwide in countries that include China, Indonesia, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

“We have menswear and accessories, but the heart and soul of our business is leather,” says Albert Chiang, the younger brother of Sang Sem, during an earlier interview in conjunction with Malaysia’s Most Valuable Brands (MMVB) 2009. Bonia, which debuted at No 30 in 2007, fell off in 2008 only to return again at No 30 in the 2009 rankings.

The group’s stable of brands comprises Bonia, targeted at the affordable luxury segment; Carlo Rino, which features cheerful colours and pocket-friendly prices for young adults; and Sembonia, the more affordable version of its sophisticated older sister, Bonia. It also holds the licence for the distributorship and dealership of Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club, Austin Reed, Valentino Rudy, Carven and Jeep.  

More recently, Bonia Corp announced the purchase of Singapore-based Jeco Pte Ltd, adding brands Pierre Cardin (in Singapore), Renoma, Bruno Magli and Braun Buffel to its brand portfolio.

Following the appointment of Geoffroy de Drouas as business development general manager, the group started a business strategy of targeting travel retail to transform Bonia into a leading international label.  “It’s a way of going beyond Malaysia and giving the brand an international image. By having a presence in international zones, we build a cachet for the brand, associating it with the luxury of travel,” said De Drouas in an interview last year.

Currently, Bonia has stores at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Singapore’s Changi Airport and the SkyPlaza at Hong Kong International Airport. “We are also members of the Tax Free World Association which promotes travel retail in locations like Hawaii, Guam and Fiji  — destinations we aim for in the long term,” said De Drouas.

Another method the group has used to raise its brand value is the presence of luxuriously appointed Bonia Boutiques, the largest of which was launched in Sogo, Kuala Lumpur, last year. “It is 5,000 sq ft in size and on a street corner with high amounts of traffic. Its presence generates brand awareness of Bonia as a luxury brand,” said De Drouas.

A new Bonia Boutique was opened in Terengganu two months ago and the group is planning a “complete facelift” for the boutique in Melaka which will be moved to Mahkota Parade, said De Drouas. In Singapore, a new Bonia concept boutique is scheduled to debut at the Marina Bay Sands in December. The group is also expanding the presence of its Carlo Rino and Sembonia brands with a new Carlo Rino outlet to be opened in Terminal 2 of Changi Airport, and new Sembonia outlets in Pavilion KL and Berjaya Times Square. While the group is not launching new brands, it has extended the Carlo Rino brand to include CR Exchange (trendier fashion) and CR2 (more affordable fashion).

Bonia will also be launching fragrances for men and women in December. “Bonia eau de toilette Pour Homme and Bonia eau de parfum Pour Femme will be initially exclusively available throughout Bonia boutiques in Malaysia and Singapore. It will be the ideal product to position ourselves through travel retail channels,” said De Drouas in a recent email interview.  

For the next three years, the group plans to focus on its strengths — namely, fashion and accessories. “Our expansion plan both vertically and horizontally is within our core businesses. The acquisition of Jeco, which has Braun Buffel, Renoma & Pierre Cardin brands in its stable, augers very well for our plan to further uplift our brand image to a higher level and [increase] overseas exposure.  

Moving forward, our strategy will remain focused on brand building, increasing our market share via expansion of existing brands with more outlets and higher same store sales growth. Our overseas focus countries are Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Middle East,  especially Saudi Arabia,” said Bonia’s director of corporate finance, Chong Chin Look in a recent email interview.

This article appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, October 11, 2010.