My Purple Journal

Blogshop Name: Phat Culture
Blog URL: www.PhatCulture.com
Owner’s Name: Liz and May

1. How did you come about online shopping and mostly, what inspired you to own one? We’ve always been very intrigued with the whole online shopping industry ... we felt that it was a very refreshing alternative to shopping, and that it’s becoming increasingly popular! And we’ve always loved fashion. (even more now, if I may say so!)

2. How did the name come about? Well, it’s a pretty random story ... but one day, someone called one of us ‘fat’, to which our jaws instantly dropped ... and then, he quickly grinned and piped up “not fat ... p-h-a-t! It means pretty, hot and tempting, did you know that?” It was a good laugh, and we decided to use it as our blogshop name. J Of course, we changed ‘tempting’ to ‘trendy’ to make it more apt!

3. We absolutely LOVE your stuff. What do you have in mind when bringing in stuff for your shoppers? We always try to get stuff that we ourselves would wear ... we firmly believe that style is subjective, and that everyone has their own individual style, so we try to get a bit of everything for everyone. And of course, we do try to keep updated with the current runway trends and etc.

4. Describe your fashion style. Any fashion obsessions? I (Liz) have a strange fascination with the bondage / fetish trend that’s all the rage these days ... it may not necessarily be something that’s really practical for everyday wear, and some people find it downright outrageous but I think that it’s very intriguing and I love checking out all the designs from different designers! I thought that Katy Perry’s fetish-inspired photoshoot from Complex magazine was very interesting ... My partner (May), however, loves Kate Moss and Topshop. She really keeps herself updated with whatever Kate’s wearing!

5. Which fashion trend that you think is absolutely ridiculous and why?

There’s this new trend going around, called the Swine Flu Chic, and I find it kinda odd! I mean, the idea of designer face masks inspired by the whole swine flu fiasco is just quite inappropriate and not really necessary, in my opinion.

6. Have you dealt with fussy customers and what do you think about them?

Yes but as a shopper myself, I do understand why it’s sometimes important to be very particular about sizing, cutting, and whether it fits well or not.

I find endless queries fine ... but what’s annoying are those who ask endless questions via SMS or email, confirm their order, and then back out last-minute after I’ve reserved it for some time!

7. Do you shop online yourself?

Yes :)

8. What should we expect in your next fabulous update?

Well, we’re going to bring in another set of fab shoes that we really adore! And of course, there’ll be clothes ... we’re really trying our best to get goods that are eccentric, trendy and also retains a tinge of practicality.

9. Any future plan for your webstore?

We’re planning a major revamp soon, and we are reconsidering to get a good hosting package! And we’ll be going overseas to source for more goodies in August, so we think that our customers (both new and returning) will have a really massive update then to look forward to!

10. Random request, show us a piece of garment/accessories you would buy from an online shop and why?

http://mezzaninetime.blogspot.com/2009/05/gold-studded-straps.html

I adore this pair of killer heels! I really love its studs and I think that its price is completely reasonable. :)

Before we end this little fun interview by MyPurpleJournal, any shout outs to your loyal customers?

We have nothing but appreciation for those who have stuck through with us ... it’s been a tough journey, with a lot of hard work, but it’s all worth it in the end to read the SMSes / emails and calls from customers who love their purchase! It really never fails to make our day!