Designer brands’ appetite for F&B

BUY a handbag, grab a hotdog. Or a pain au chocolat. Thinking of buying a car? Check out the specifications over a coffee and doughnut. Or even a full-blown Korean set menu.

The way to a customer’s heart is through his or her stomach, so luxury brands believe, as more of them roll out casual or upscale fare in addition to the apparel, shoes, bags or sedans in their boutiques and showrooms. In this week’s BT Lifestyle, we talk to brands such as Coach, Prada, Audemars Piguet, Audi and Hyundai about how opening cafes and restaurants have become part of their branding strategies, as they try to reach out to a younger and more demanding clientele who want more than just a new addition to their wardrobe or wrist.

Meanwhile in Design, we visit a multi-generational home in Bukit Timah which was built for a couple and their adult son who love cooking and entertaining. And in Dining, the recently revamped Cherry Garden by Chef Fei at the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore now features a completely new menu designed by its Michelin-starred consultant chef Huang Jinghui – also known as the eponymous Chef Fei. Join us for a taste.

For all this and more, don’t miss BT Lifestyle this week.