We’ve all been there. While sorting through the clothes we’ve accumulated over the years, we look at them and wonder, “Where will they all go?” Barbara Yu Larsson wants to solve this problem with Pakt, a wardrobe management system using a climate-controlled storage area and a digital inventory programme.
While Pakt just launched in Singapore this year, it was almost 20 years in the making, though the idea wasn’t revisited until she moved to Hong Kong in 2010. “Over there, humidity and space are issues, and the only option is self-storage.” Looking for a solution to the city’s space-strapped problem, the former banker became an accidental entrepreneur.
Introduced in 2016, Pakt combines the popularity of apps and consumers’ desire for convenience and on-demand services. Calling it “a better way to wardrobe”, Larsson says users can store less-used items like occasion wear, seasonal pieces, handbags, shoes, and leather goods in an environment designed to make their lives easier. “It’s difficult to remember or keep track of everything we own, and preventing things from getting ruined by mould or moths is a constant battle.”
Clothing is photographed and catalogued, creating a digital wardrobe that can be filtered, sorted, and planned easily. As soon as the next day, deliveries of stored items can be scheduled with a few taps on the phone. As part of the service, Pakt also inspects each item, provides a detailed condition report, and facilitates cleaning and repairs.
Having always been focused on filling market gaps with her business, Larsson welcomes the current focus on sustainability and the circular economy, something she has seen grow since 2018. “Pakt’s mission has always been to extend the life of garments and accessories. Services like ours play an increasingly important role in promoting better ownership and consumption,” she explains.
“We provide convenient solutions, making it easier to be more aware of what you have, to make more intentional purchases, to own things for longer, to store them better, and to pass them on to continue their lifespan.”
“We provide convenient solutions, making it easier to be more aware of what you have, to make more intentional purchases, to own things for longer, to store them better, and to pass them on to continue their lifespan.”
Barbara Yu Larsson illustrates the positive impact Pakt creates
Pakt’s storage and digitisation solution even helps people shop smarter and consume more responsibly. Through its partnership with Vestiaire Collective, Pakt also contributes to the pre-loved economy, facilitating the resale of items clients no longer want.
Singapore is the brand’s second market after Hong Kong, with more expansion around Asia to come. Larsson cites Bangkok, Tokyo, and Seoul as potential new bases. A wardrobe sharing feature and styling tools are also planned.
She notes that with each new market Pakt enters, local requirements must be taken into account. As an example, the company is working with a prospective B2B client in Singapore that would not have occurred in Hong Kong, but is still part of its archiving and care services.
Pakt even has a frequent traveller service that allows customers to leave a capsule wardrobe in Singapore or Hong Kong and collect it after they return. As part of its role in digitising Asian fashion and shopping, it also complements luxury preloved e-commerce platforms with seamless consignment services.
All of this remains in service of the environment for Larsson. “As we grow, we know that our wardrobe data will be invaluable to our partners. Through the judicious use of this data, we can reduce fashion waste and foster responsible consumption.”
Producer: Adora Wong
Style director: Chia Wei Choong
Videographer: Alicia Chong
Photographer: Mun Kong
Photographer’s assistant: Renjie Teo
Makeup: Keith Bryant Lee using Shiseido
Hair: Aung Apichai
