Candy crush

MANILA, Philippines – Love, Candypie is set to cater to a different, more discerning sort of shopper in Manila.

LCP (or @shoplcp as handled on Instagram) broke ground on a newly-launched showroom. Initially conceived as an e-commerce tech start-up by founder Pie Alvarez, the online boutique concept took a turn towards a more multi-platform approach to retail—the idea for a brick and mortar shop suddenly in the cards. 

LCP began as an online-only concept sometime last year with a flagship set of cult Australian brands. Made notable for delivering upscale clothing of not-quite-trendy yet forward design sensibilities, the multi-brand boutique has grown to amass a good mix of brands from New York (Mara Hoffman, Milly), Greece, South America, Hungary, and more.

“The idea for a store space came about after our first successful pop-up in Rockwell,” shares Alvarez, “and it was a surprise for me. We did well, and I couldn’t have expected the reception we got—our existing clients came in for a physical walkthrough, we had a lot of surprise walk-ins—all from word of mouth or from our Instagram and social media.”

Nestled on the second floor of a Frank Gehry-esque corporate tower on the northern side of BGC, the warm-lit space is bordered by tall glass windows. Clients are received and welcomed by a divider of gold bars and a fully-fitted onyx bar (stocked and ready with a VIP client’s choice of libation).

The overarching mood is modern luxury with white wood paneling fixed with gold fillings and roccoco-esque moulding. With poufs and ottomans, framed Balinese paintings and a display of only the most fashionable books (faux or otherwise)—Love, Candypie’s physical retail space does a fabulous job of meeting the exacting standards and fancies of its founder.

On the needs of the discerning shopper on providing a different retail experience for Manila’s ever-globalized customer, and Love, Candypie’s aspirations to become a global e-commerce platform, YStyle sits down with LCP founder Pie Alvarez.

YSTYLE: Thank you for having us at the Love, Candypie showroom. Having established a brick and mortar retail suite, has your focus shifted away from online?

PIE ALVAREZ: I’m still really excited about online. I think opening the store enabled us to really discover who we are, who our clients are, and who we could be in the future — instead of just establishing an online presence. I really think LCP is going to be both an online and in-store platform for shopping — innovation for both is our goal.

Innovative in a way that we offer services that come second nature to your typical brick and mortar stores. We deliver your orders, we pick them up for alterations, we give styling services, and we could also help you with gift ideas. Anything, basically. We’re out to give you that extra personal touch that gets lost in this digital world.

What is the ideal LCP experience for the customer?

Definitely, we want the shopping experience to be different. When I say LCP is a retail platform that has a personal touch—it’s more than just delivering personal service, but it’s giving our clients access 24/7.

The whole business idea came from being frustrated with what was available locally. Also because I was always on the go and I need something that I could access on my phone via e-mail or on Instagram. I want my clients to know what arrives in-store by way of look books and custom emails. If we know what you like, expect a tailor-made selection for you in your phone.

You don’t have to be here in our showroom — you can be in your car, on your phone, and you’ll hear from us. After the website, an LCP exclusive shopping app is our next goal. 

Tell us about your retail space.

I was talking to my friend Liza Crespo—green architect, interior designer, jeweler, and a longtime LCP client—and we were trying to figure out who I wanted to design the store. I was thinking of what was available in Manila, even though I really didn’t have a solid plan. It was more of like, my gut instinct, what I liked and what I wanted. It revolved around the idea of a space that feels like someone’s sala — a library-slash-house where you can sit down, have coffee or tea.

A nice place to hang out and shop. Liza suggested the idea of putting in a bar. “You like to drink, and you serve champagne, so you should have a bar.” Next thing I knew, we fitted in an entire bar made of onyx.

The whole thing is onyx?

The whole thing. I get the rest of my custom pieces from Moss Manila. Our couches are from them, our books, our fixings—Cyndi (Fernandez, interior designer) designs everything and she’s also a good friend and LCP client. The whole experience of designing the store has been a collaboration. I tailored everything to what I like, what my team likes.

I have a whole team of 28 people behind me, it was them, Liza, Cyndi, our friends — all shared to dream this space to life.

LCP has been around for a year but you’ve only just moved into this space this past January — which brands would you say have been your best performing?

Our bestselling brands would be our Australian labels, the labels since the very beginning. We’re one of the biggest retailers for Australian Fashion Labels, a company that houses Finders Keepers, Cameo Collective, Keepsake, The Fifth and so on. They move really fast. It’s a combination of forward design but not very trendy, of quality and being really well-made — but at a price that is upscale but won’t break the bank.

These Australian labels have become your flagship brands.

We started with those, yes — having gone down Paddington Street in Australia and knocking on doors, seeing which labels would sell in the Philippines — we’ve branched out into brands from New York, Los Angeles, Peru; brands from South America, Hungary, Brazil, our suppliers come from all over the globe.

What are your new favorites?

I’m in love with our new Mara Hoffman range of activewear and swimwear from New York, made in New York. I like to think that’s one of the core things LCP is about — it’s not just about sourcing low-priced items, but also just quality and a sense of premium fashion.

New arrivals come in the form of Taj, a line of premium caftans and resortwear from Miami, Fella swimwear from Australia, and American sportswear brand Milly from New York as well.

Do you have plans of stocking Filipino labels down the line?

Of course, it’s been in our goals to stock Filipino labels but it comes after we’ve taken the time in establishing the trust of our international clients and global customer base. My plan is to develop LCP as a platform, and then curate from Filipino labels to ship all over the world.

So the plan for, LCP to go regional?

Global. Our goal is to go global. I want LCP to be known worldwide as a new online retail start-up and a retail destination. We want stores in New York, in Hong Kong — but for now, the website comes first.

I want LCP to be known not just as retail, but something a little different — not too commercial, a shop that caters to women first and foremost; empowering them through dressing.

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LCP will be available online at shoplcp.com at 2/F MDI Corporate Center, 10th Ave. cor. 39th St., BGC