Boutique Bling for Girls
What inspired you to jump into fashion?
I was at a summer party, and someone had this great tee shirt on, that made me laugh. A year went by, and my life changed dramatically. I quit my job as a NYC Event & Wedding planner, and moved to South Florida. I decided to switch gears and thought of that shirt that made me laugh, did some research and started making shirts for my “Sex in the City” type girl friends. With no fashion or marketing experience, just my classes at NYU, and a hunch of what I thought was funny- thankfully, it worked, and the shirts got noticed. 7 Years later, with 6 reps and a nationwide territory, the industry has taken notice. We still design fun girly tees, but mainly for children. My husband, who I share office space with, supports me 1000%, and my daughter, age 4, is my best audience and worst critic.
What makes Flirt Couture different from other brands ?
It seems everyone is designing embellished tees. We started when there we only about 3 companies in 2003. What keeps us in the forefront; we stay current and keep our products at a competitive price point. As for our designs, they start out as drawings from our staff artists. The concept: sweet, positive, bright, and age appropriate. Most importantly, they are mother and grandmother approved. Our goal is to give our buyers the most “bling” and quality for their buying dollars. Our designs are BIG, and to insure boutique quality, we work on American Apparel and Kavio brand as our canvas because they look good today, tomorrow and a year from now. Along with our reps, we were the first to have a fully automated wholesale website, where buyers can use their passwords and order wholesale right online, when they can’t make it to market. They log on and order from their own computer, any time. They have full access to our product’s photos, and marketing tools as well.
As a designer, what are your most difficult challenges?
After the unexpected Ban on Rhinestones two years ago, by the Consumer Product and Safety Commission, we immediately changed every design in our line over to Aluminum studs. Thankfully, as sales prove, it’s not what the design is made of, but what the design looks like that prompts the emotional chord in the buyer. We are in good shape, and all our products safely comply CPSC lead limits, so none of our stores have the fear of getting hit with a devastating fine.
What do you find most rewarding?
Seeing our shirts on a real person. I remember the first time I saw a little girl wearing one of our shirts- I actually purred in disbelief, “you are wearing my shirt”. I automatically grabbed her tag, thinking maybe someone copied our design. Her mother looked at me with wide eyes, and the little girl backed up a step- then I had to explain, and we all laughed. After realizing I had officially lost my mind, it was a wonderful moment. I also remember getting a call from my husband from the airport, “Hon- Just saw one of your shirts”- very cool.
Who is your primary target audience?
Our Target audience is infant through girls size 8, although we offer sizing to size 14, and some matching Mommy shirts. We are currently adding some older designs- I am attempting to understand the mind of the tween. Being in South Florida, I get wowed every day, the little ladies are very hip, here.
What’s in store for Flirt Couture customers in the near future?
We want to stay true to our line- we are a tee shirt company. We don’t want to stray to much away from that, producing things on a whim. We believe it is good to be great at one thing, rather than be mediocre at everything. In order to be competitive in this economy, we just added tee dresses and that has been a key addition to our line at a great price point because it solves the buyer’s/customer’s problem of buying a top and bottom. All of our designs are available as dresses. I think the days of the $100 tutu birthday outfit, for the most part, are a thing of the past. Now a days, customer’s want a garment that is versatile- so we are gearing all our designs, including holiday, to reflect the mood of the whole season, rather than limiting its wear for only one special occasion. Our goal is to be the very favorite shirt in the child’s dresser drawer. As for the future, we plan to keep doing what we love; we enjoy making them, you’ll enjoy selling them.
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