Introducing cheak, An Inclusive Activewear for Asian Women

Within a year of its Series C funding in October 2021, Love, Bonito, Southeast Asia’s leading womenswear brand, has kickstarted its evolution into a well-rounded female ecosystem with the acquisition of butter., a Singapore based women-led activewear brand, which will be reintroduced as cheak this October. This news comes on the back of Love, Bonito’s investment in Moom Health, a Singapore based natural healthcare startup. This acquisition marks Love, Bonito’s commitment to building a holistic female ecosystem with a house of brands that have been thoughtfully curated for the everyday Asian woman. Its next category expansion in activewear is part of its long-term vision in supporting essential facets of women’s needs.

“This is an extraordinary milestone for us to achieve within one year of our Series C funding. Our long-term vision is to be a true life partner for our community of women, in and beyond fashion, and activewear is a key category we’ve looked to venture into since two years ago,” says Dione Song, CEO of Love, Bonito. “Merging forces with butter. came at the right place and time for both of us, and we look forward to reshaping our evolution into a female ecosystem alongside emerging passion-driven women-led brands.”

Introducing cheak

Commemorating a new era with the coming together of Love, Bonito and butter., the activewear line will be rebranded as cheak. This signifies a new milestone for the next phase of both brands’ journey and further amplifies an aligned passion and vision for serving women on a global stage.

“To celebrate this milestone, we are rebranding butter. to cheak, which was chosen to play on the word ‘cheeky’ and represent our brands’ vibrant personas. Every element of cheak has been carefully chosen to represent the ambitious female active persona – strong and confident, mindful, and knows how to have a little fun along the way,” shares Tiffany Chng, Co-founder of cheak.

A natural fit with butter.

From Left to Right: Dione Song (CEO of Love, Bonito) in BaseFlex® Yin Bra and Flex Leggings (Wink); Rachel Lim (Co-founder of Love, Bonito) in BaseCore® V Bra and Classic Biker Shorts (Pickle); Olivia Yiong (Co-founder of cheak) in  BaseCore® Sweetheart Bra and Classic Biker Shorts (Blush); Tiffany Chng (Co-founder of cheak) in BaseFlex® Piper Bra and Classic Leggings (Potion)

butter. was established in 2020 by Singaporean female co-founders Olivia Yiong and Tiffany Chng, who are avid sports women looking to address a long-standing lack of high-quality affordable activewear with an Asian fit. With their strong sense of strategic thinking and acute marketing and design sensibility, butter. made a name for themselves and quickly established credibility amongst the local fitness community with over 100+ instructors onboarded on their instructor program. 

Their keen Asian sensibility and commitment to fostering a strong female community was what truly cemented Love, Bonito’s decision to onboard the brand. Together, they are driven by the shared Asian-centric design philosophy and brand mission to empower the everyday Asian women with confidence through its thoughtfully designed apparels. With this acquisition, Love, Bonito forges ahead as an industry leader in the direct-to-consumer space and is thrilled to lend  support to another women-led Asian-centric brand as it scales to greater heights across the region.

Activewear with an Asian-centric design philosophy

From Left to Right: BaseCore® Piper Bra and Classic Leggings (Moon) and BaseCore® Duo Bra and Classic Biker Shorts (Moon);
BaseFlex® Curve Tank and Flex Shorts (Wink) and BaseFlex® Asymmetric Bra and Flex Leggings (Blush)

cheak builds upon butter.’s signature design philosophies with an expanded range of activewear thoughtfully designed with Asian-sensibilities in terms of fit, colours, climate and sport activities. The inaugural collection includes a total of 12 styles (sports bras, leggings and biker shorts), seven inclusive sizes from XXS to XXL, and 13 colours, with eight colours available on Love, Bonito.

The activewear collection features signature elevated basics and trendy pieces that are designed with intention in mind. Chosen based on selected sport activities, the activewear apparels are available in two fabrics, namely BaseCore® and BaseFlex®.

The BaseCore® range is optimised for high intensity activities like HIIT, spinning and running, providing enhanced support and sweat wicking properties to stay cool and dry post-workout. Its compressive properties help in increasing blood circulation, enhancing performance and boosting recovery. The V Bra is a bestseller that features thick straps for maximum support, and includes a fun V-back design that allows for unrestricted arm movements. Matched with the Classic Leggings, which is designed with an elastic waistband that cinches in the waist and prevents the waistband from sliding during dynamic movement, she is ready to stretch, squat or run anywhere, anytime.

Meanwhile, BaseFlex® feels ultra-soft and silky smooth, perfect for low-intensity activities such as yoga, pilates and barre due to the stretchier and buttery-soft touch of the fabric. Products within the BaseFlex® range also feature a softer and more feminine aesthetic, with low to mid compression and support. The full-length Curve Tank is a never-before-released style, which features a flattering bustier outline. Pair with the mid-length Flex Shorts for a good stretch with ease.

The collection is available in 13 colours, selected to suit warm to cool skin tones. A more earthy colour palette such as Pickle, Truffle, Sesame and Potion will serve as easy staple pieces. Lighter, bolder colourways such as Wink, Blush, Moon and Green empower ladies to make a bold statement in and outside the gym, to make their mark in achieving new personal bests with striking confidence!*

Early access is available from 20 October on Love, Bonito’s Global Website and Love, Bonito Singapore’s ION store for Gold and Silver members only. Public launch goes live from 21 October onwards, on both Love, Bonito and cheak’s website as well as across all Love, Bonito stores in Singapore from 21 October 2022. Love, Bonito also ships to 20 countries worldwide (free shipping threshold applies). Prices range from S$50 to S$79. Customers can also look forward to a new collection dropping this December.


Images: cheak 

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