Biography
Jappy Gonzalez is the founder of H&F Retail Concepts, which owns multi-brand stores Homme et Femme, Univers and a number of monobrand stores including Comme des Garçons, Balenciaga, Lanvin and Y-3.
The fashion retailer opened the concept store Homme et Femme in 1995, after spending 10 years as a designer and operations manager for a local Filipino brand. Today, the store carries labels including Acne, Margiela, Marni and Dries Van Noten , and is one of the top luxury destinations in Manila, Philippines.
Subsequent years saw Gonzalez diversify into franchising by opening a number of monobrand boutiques under H&F Retail Concepts. He was responsible for bringing Balenciaga, Lanvin, Comme des Garçons and other high fashion brands into the country.
In 2011, he opened a second Homme et Femme store, Univers, in shopping mall Rockwell Plaza, designed by architect Eduardo Calma. As well as featuring up-and-coming labels and mixing streetwear and luxury together, the store includes lifestyle elements, with waiting lounges, a fragrance collection and a Comme des Garçons Black shop-in-shop concept space.
In 2015, Gonzalez opened the first Ladurée store in the Philippines. And, on August 8, 2018, he opened the country's first Off-White store — the 27th globally — in Manila.
In 2021, Gonzalez opened Officine BULY store.
He has also collaborated with APC, KOLOR, ALYX, John Derian, Off-White and Fred Perry for exclusive merchandise to commemorate the 10th year of UNIVERS.