In the heart of Taipei’s Da’an district, the flagship store of Onefifteen exists as somewhat of a florally-infused oasis within a metropolitan backdrop. The luxury multibrand retailer sits in the foundations of a historic 1950s building, renovated to both retain its background and modernise this antiquity for a string of dedicated consumers that perceive the store as somewhat of a second home.
Iris Hsu established Onefifteen upon opening the flagship in 2013. Here, among an interior heavily adorned in flowers and pastel hues, rests a highly curated selection of premium and luxury fashion, homeware and beauty brands. This identity flows into an adjacent café that bears resemblance to a decorative greenhouse, and where, among other things, customers can feast on in-house-made baked goods, courtesy of Chu Bakery.
The opening of this flagship store was followed by other locations throughout Taipei, an expansion that is reflective of Onefifteen’s overarching mission to position itself as a multifaceted lifestyle “group” of sorts. This is only emphasised by the company’s role as the exclusive Taiwanese distributor and operating partner for Abercrombie & Fitch and Maison Kitsuné, as well as in the recent opening of the YMS by Onefifteen hotel. Located in the mountains of Taipei, the resort houses a spa, fine dining restaurant and art galleries, offering a further extension of the brand’s lifestyle.
On the back of this opening, FashionUnited sat down with Onefifteen buyer, Sharon Tsai, to talk about what it really means to be a “lifestyle” brand in Taiwan, how this translates into a personalised retail experience for the high-end consumer and how her role as a buyer for a multibrand store has evolved.
Evolution of the brand from a fashion store to a multifaceted lifestyle group
Walking into the Onefifteen store feels as though you are stepping into a new world; a one rife in whimsy and romance, as flora and fauna surround the senses. This immediate impression is countered by a second level with a more industrial edge. While this would typically mark a division between womenswear and menswear–one floor appearing more “feminine” in comparison to the other–Onefifteen prefers to mix and match categories. Such a decision aligns with a growing trait among female consumers, who are not only seeking out menswear products for themselves, but also for their partners, Tsai notes.
The turnover of the store reflects this; womenswear makes up 65 to 70 percent of sales, while menswear contributes 25 percent. Lifestyle takes up the remaining 8 to 10 percent, yet Tsai plans to raise this to 12 to 15 percent as demand for the category increases. Indeed, lifestyle has become integral to Onefifteen, which ensures it remains flexible when buying for this area.
“The current economic climate, with duty wars or inflation, is not beneficial for fashion retail, so we want to emphasise sustainability and thoughtful spending,”
Seasonality, for example, is one defining factor, and applies to brands like Italian glassware company Ichendorf, which regularly offers appealing Christmas collections that Onefifteen orders every year for the holidays. Starting 2025, the retailer also expanded into books to further emphasise the lifestyle atmosphere. When asked why this category was increasingly important, Tsai said: “The store’s philosophy is to have a beautiful life. Though our main focus is ready-to-wear, we want to cover everything you can use in your life. This isn’t only a fashion retail business, we also invite visitors to have a coffee with us. It’s a very ambitious project.”
Market uncertainty is also motivating Onefifteen’s push on lifestyle. “The current economic climate, with duty wars or inflation, is not beneficial for fashion retail, so we want to emphasise sustainability and thoughtful spending,” Tsai noted. “That’s also the reason we aim to raise the portion of lifestyle products, to encourage the joy of everyday life.”
Long-term partnerships with both local and international brands, some of which extend as far back as the store opening, underline this philosophy. These close ties can even be seen in the actual fibres of the store, which has been kitted out with decorative elements gifted from those it considers friends to the business. Cushions from German brand Anke Dreschel, some made exclusively for the retailer’s anniversary year, for example, can be spotted throughout the location. “We really value this kind of, not only partnership, but also friendship,” Tsai said. “It’s not just for work, but also for mutual support. Nowadays, even for independent labels, it can be difficult to survive in this fast-changing retail market.”
Market shifts force Onefifteen to rethink expansion and inventory plans
Onefifteen’s understanding of this rolls into its own experience in the current market, which has forced it to rethink its own operations. The retailer, which had previously operated a store in Suzhou, China, had decided to return to the country with a new location. Said plans were postponed, however, when it became evident that China’s luxury environment was not on the way to recovery anytime soon following the impact of the pandemic. This last minute change has put Onefifteen into a precarious position in terms of stock, much of which had to be transferred back to Taiwan where it must be absorbed, leaving inventory levels high.
Luckily, its close relations with various brands means there is a general understanding and acceptance of the matter among certain partners. “We have explained to our partners that we likely need to cut the buying budget or drop some amounts for the coming season, and they do understand and support us. Some have even agreed that we can skip one season and continue for SS26,” Tsai said.
These stock issues have naturally impacted the budget for the AW25 season, influencing decisions Tsai has made when visiting various fashion weeks. That hasn’t stopped her in pursuing new brands, however. British label S.S. Daley is one Tsai intends to trial for the coming season, initially starting out with womenswear. When introducing a new brand to local customers though, Tsai says she approaches with caution. “You have to be quite tentative as Taiwanese customers can be slow to pick up new and upcoming brands. You need to give the brand some time to push and promote,” she noted.
Global labels bring loyalty, but emerging talent sparks new curiosity
Typically, the Onefifteen customer favours the more globally recognised Italian and French luxury brands, which they are more familiar with in terms of the level of luxury offered. Stocking such labels ensures a certain loyalty among consumers, who are more likely to return upon the launch of new products from established names. However, Tsai has noticed a growing openmindedness from customers, more of whom have come to accept emerging designers from different countries, like Wales Bonner from the UK or China’s Shushu/Tong.
Korean and Japanese brands are also having an impact, particularly among younger consumers who consume media from these countries and therefore find inspiration from their trends. Korean labels stocked in the store like JuunJ and Juntae Kim have grown in the ranks, while Japanese names like Doublet cater to both evolving tastes and current fashion trends, such as animation prints and upcycling.
This differs from the sometimes negative perception consumers can have of local brands, despite Onefifteen initially building its foundations on the idea of promoting homegrown talent. “When customers find out a designer is Taiwanese, their reaction can be interesting,” Tsai states. “Compared to international brands, they generally expect the pricing to be lower. They can often be unaware of the difficult creation process. The quantity from Taiwanese designers isn’t as big, so it’s difficult to have a fair production cost and therefore friendly prices. I have spoken to some about lowering their prices, but they struggle to keep them down. Sometimes we try to lower our markup to make them competitive.”
This hasn’t swayed Onefifteen from stocking and working with Taiwanese brands, however. The retailer has previously held pieces from LVMH Prize finalist Chiahung Su and London Fashion Week regular Claudia Wang, as well as collections from Just In XX, the designer for Chinese Taipei’s 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony uniform, who has also worked with the store on repurposing and upcycling old, off-season stock to make new designs.
This multi-way collaboration feeds into the aforementioned mindset of Onefifteen about mutual support, which is particularly in the present landscape. “It’s hard for a retailer like Onefifteen to get financial support from local organisations, as we have to pursue our own survival and margin to maintain the business,” Tsai noted. “But we are more than happy to collaborate with Taiwanese designers to grow their brand awareness.”
Local intimacy, global reach: Understanding onefifteen’s diverse clientele
Of course, the customer remains front of mind, particularly at Onefifteen, which prioritises a personalised retail experience over anything. Alongside VIP events, many clients use the store as a location to meet with friends or to simply receive company from store staff, who often establish personal relations with regulars. Tsai notes: “Many of our colleagues say their loyal customers are almost like friends. They will chat with them via instant messaging, share outfit ideas or give opinions on items they try.”
Retail staff then garner more specific information about what certain customers are looking for, which in turn helps inform buyers, who regularly review sales records to gain a further understanding of personal preferences. This is, of course, less integral when it comes to international customers who shop via Onefifteen’s online site. The platform shares the company’s focus with its physical stores–the latter contributing 75 percent of sales, while online contributes 25 percent. What the online store does provide is an overview of what customers in each region are seeking. In Russia, for example, customers lean towards glamour, while in the Middle East they are more flexible on price compared to those in the US, who are typically driven by trends.
“Many of our colleagues say their loyal customers are almost like friends,”
Onefifteen also meets customers at Farfetch, which it has been working with since 2016 through the sale of both current and off-season merchandise. For Tsai, such a partnership is largely about sustainability, allowing Onefifteen to avoid complications that come from throwing away remaining stock and continuing the product lifecycle elsewhere, maintaining their visibility for a longer period.
Curation over trend-chasing in a market shaped by uncertainty
This is particularly important as the product cycle gets shorter and shorter, a significant cause in any changes to Tsai’s role as a buyer, with new products now having to be sought out every one to two months. The pandemic was another shifting factor, digitalising much of the process in light of showrooms closing and related travel restrictions. This, however, came with its own challenges; particularly when sussing out minute details on products, making buying decisions somewhat of a gamble.
Another challenge is Onefifteen’s base in Taiwan, which often doesn’t fall into the proximity of brands’ global expansion strategies, sometimes making retailers in the country less of a priority. Despite these obstacles, Tsai said she enjoys the “flexibility” that comes with working for a multibrand store, after previously working for a number of mono brands for quite some time. “When I approach brands, it’s easy for me to understand the message they want to convey,” she noted. “My training also makes me sensitive to our customers’ preferences and values.”
Such a trait aids Tsai’s buying decisions, on which trends have only a small influence. Unlike other markets, it can be hard to distinguish fashion trends specific to Taiwan, particularly as key opinion leaders in the region tend to follow international trends. “[Onefifteen doesn’t] just follow trends, we curate and generate. When we visit a brand, we find the most distinguished pieces and extraordinary design, but we also collect the seasonal direction from each brand and set up our buying tips,” Tsai stated.
Tsai must also consider sizing and seasonality. “For brands from Europe, Asia and the US, we have no issues with seasonal structures. We encounter this only with Australian or South African ones. Since most brands are now focused on the global market, their designs consider all these factors already,” Tsai points out. While many international labels can now easily adapt to different markets, Taiwan has a long summer, often with tropical weather. This is followed by a short, yet warmish winter of just four months, providing only a small window to sell outerwear. These products must also be a lighter material in the realm of windbreakers and trench coats. “You have to then be cautious about buying quantity and delivery time,” Tsai notes.
Looking ahead, market uncertainties paint a tricky picture for Onefifteen and Tsai, with inflation, trade wars and the increasing prices of luxury goods all playing into how the business fares. This gloominess contrasts any fashion trends Tsai sees having an influence in the coming seasons. When asked, she cited pearl or crystal embellished clothing and accessories as items that were selling increasingly well, showing customers are still seeking out goods that represent the epitome of luxury, even in trying times.
