Jakarta. Luxury fashion distributor and retailer GCG Asia Designs has appointed Dewi Gunawan as its new chief executive officer to helm the expansion into the US and East-Asian markets, the company announced in a recent statement.

“We are proud to announce the appointment of an esteemed trailblazer in the fashion world who has shown her expertise, panache and mettle throughout her career in the fashion industry," GCG Asia Designs Group Chairman Martin Yaw Foo Hoe said. 

"She has been a well sought after fashion guru and consultant and we are confident she is the best person to take the group to the next level as GCG Asia’s chief executive officer,” he added.

In her statement, the new GCG Asia Designs CEO said she was thrilled to lead the company.

"The group has always been more than just about luxury fashion and retail. I have always dreamed of being a curator of beautiful fashion pieces and my passion for this hasn’t waned. I’m encouraged that GCG Designs Asia Group is supportive of my vision for the future of this esteemed company,” Dewi said.

For almost two decades, GCG Asia Designs Group was a pioneer in distributing high fashion designer wear in South East Asian markets particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

GCG Asia Designs Group now distributes and retails over 100 designer fashion and lifestyle in six countries mainly in capital cities in Asia.

In 2020, GCG Asia Designs Group branched into the food and beverage sector with the launch of a high-end café chain in Kuala Lumpur.  

However, a planned launch in Singapore was withdrawn due to pandemic conditions. Dewi admitted the GCG’s withdrawal was a set-back.  

“2020 was a challenging year for GCG Asia Designs Group. We had to hold back on a lot of plans but with 2021 now in the third quarter, we are taking perspective," Dewi said.

"We took it as an opportunity to review and pivot to areas where we had neglected. We made a big push into online sales, e-commerce and digitalised our services including transforming our customer service. We are in a stronger position now than before 2020. As CEO I will cement this transformation for the next decade of growth,” she added.

As GCG Asia’s CEO, Gunawan has plans to push forward to modernize the luxury shopping experience by incorporating the latest technology into its operations, including artificial intelligence. 

“Today’s customers are very demanding and emerging markets like Vietnam and Cambodia offer us an incredible opportunity to stake a claim and lay the groundwork. Our calling card is a highly personalized style and choices, and I believe that using data and intelligence will give us insights into customer needs and will identify relevant buying trends that will be a key driver for sales,“ Dewi said.

The group also has plans for expand emphasis into up-and-coming designers in the region such as brands and labels like LATEST NEWS, MoNeyGame, Legit Asia, #Broker, and SCAM.

“From the very beginning of my career, I have always looked for new and fresh designers and talent. I look forward to championing new creative forces in the region and talent and bringing that to the US,” Dewi said.

According to Dewi, the group will launch an upcoming online fashion AR experience to highlight Indonesian-based sustainable fashion brands under their stable.

“The showcase will highlight Indonesia’s continued innovation in eco-friendly and sustainable textiles and fabric development," Dewi said.

"We want to show how textiles and fabrics can be used to create new concepts and raise awareness, demonstrating how the link between the local textile industry and fashion designers can write a new chapter in Indonesian style."