Love, Bonito co-founder, CEO awarded alongside BTS, Margot Robbie for global fashion contribution

MANILA, Philippines — Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Love, Bonito, Rachel Lim and Dione Song, have both been included in the 2023 edition of The BoF 500 which is a live index of highly-recognised influential individuals shaping the global fashion industry created by The Business of Fashion (BoF).

While there have been ongoing nominations from the region, the duo’s listing this year is a major comeback for Singapore after an eight-year hiatus, where the Executive Chairman of FJ Benjamin was last listed in 2015.

“It is such an honor to be part of a diverse group of individuals that is fiercely passionate in creating change within the fashion industry,” said Rachel Lim, the 36-year-old co-founder who had just delivered her baby girl, Keira Lee, last September. “While my co-founders and I started out selling pre-loved clothes for pocket money, over the years, it became apparent that we are ultimately in the business of women and fashion is merely the vehicle. We do not exist merely to sell womenswear, but more than that, through the brand, the aim is for women to be empowered, and to have the confidence to become the best version of themselves.”

The prestigious list includes leading international powerhouses like Pharrell Williams, reggaeton superstar Karol G, Gucci’s new Creative Director Sabato de Sarno, actors Margot Robbie and Anne Hathaway, as well as notable Asian names like BTS, groundbreaking K-pop boy band and Valentina Li, a renowned Chinese makeup artist whose futuristic editorial and runway work has taken the Chinese fashion industry by storm and caught the attention of European luxury brands.

Dione Song, CEO of Love, Bonito added, “We are deeply honoured to be listed alongside renowned global changemakers in the fashion industry and this marks a significant milestone for us as a brand! The acknowledgement from a global industry authority gives us immense confidence to do better for Asian women worldwide as we double down on our expansion plans and omnichannel offerings to serve our growing community. I also hope that our nomination will inspire change and push for more Asian representation across major industries where we’ve been severely underrepresented.”

Ever since its Series C funding in 2021, Love, Bonito has been supercharging its female ecosystem dream through category and international expansion. In 2022, the brand acquired butter., a women-led activewear brand, which has since been rebranded to cheak. In the same year, the company also made a minor investment in Moom Health, a natural healthcare company that specialises in expert-formulated natural remedies for the modern Asian woman. On the international expansion front, the brand realised its global expansion dream with its first pop-up outside of Asia in New York City, and has recently opened its largest flagship outlet in the retail heart of Hong Kong at Causeway Bay.

To date, Love, Bonito has 21 stores across Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia and ships to 20 countries worldwide.