Then & Now: Meet Tyrone
Every edition Ragtrader catches up with a previously profiled brand to see how it has evolved in the intervening period. Here Tracey Porter talks to streetwear label Meet Tyrone.
COMPANY Meet Tyrone
DIRECTOR Bill Chen
What were the key issues or challenges for your company five years ago? What are they now?
Five years ago I believe we lacked experiences and industry contacts, so it was hard to find unique trims and fabrics to incorporate into our clothes. Today I believe we have overcome this problem and have also built up our own individual design style to become a unique brand that offers quality product and innovative designs. The down turn in the retail economy for middle market and street brands is not helping, with retailers not willing to risk taking on new designers at this time, therefore orders are still limited to small production runs. We are currently working on this challenge by employing a pr firm to gain brand awareness and maximum exposure in the market.
What was the range like five years ago? What is it like now?
Five years ago, the range was very small, it consisted of six different screen-printed graphics, on both men's and women's styles of T-shirts. There were two ranges a year, spring/summer and autumn/winter. The designs on the T-shirts didn't have a seasonal theme, they were individual graphic artworks. Today the graphic T-shirts have shrunk to only around three to four pieces, and the range has expanded into more cut driven pieces such as jackets, collared shirts, hoodies and sweat tops. We started small with only two T-shirt styles and now have more than 20 different designs today.
How many stores/wholesale accounts did you have five years ago? How many do you have now?
Five years ago, we stocked only one or two retail stores, the online stores and had lots of friends eager to buy our T-shirts. Today we have 10 in Australia and two in New Zealand. We also have continued our online store.
What was the retail climate like for your business five years ago? How has it changed?
Five years ago, I believe the country was in an economy boom, which affected street fashion. There were only a few graphic style T-shirts in the market are these were selling like hot cakes both in retail spaces and online. Retailers and shoppers were also exploring new labels. Today, the T-shirt market is saturated and online shops are more accessible than ever. The support for new labels in retail is not as good as before. Consumers are also more picky and conscious about the quality of garments. There is a lot more variety available, and people want different styles of garments rather then just plain T-shirts. I think fashion is a bit dressier now.
What was your approach to marketing and promotions five years ago? What is it now?
Back then, it was mostly through word of mouth and websites. Today the website is still available but we also have ongoing marketing campaigns to distribute news to the retailers and shoppers. We also have constant showings through art galleries and design markets.
What was your approach to staff training five years ago? How has it changed?
It was very much a one man show, from design to public relations and calling stores. But today, we have a great PR team and a sales person, each of who focuses on different areas.
How many staff did you employ five years ago? Now?
Five years ago, it was just myself. Today we have around two to four people working together in different areas and in remote locations.
What was your approach to retail technology five years ago? And now?
We don't have our own retail store but from when we first started we now have an online store with credit card capability.
What was your greatest moment/most significant development in the past five years?
We shifted the production to overseas. By doing this we were able to take the quality to a higher lever for a lower price point. We are also able to control the process of production more closely, by using the factories two times a year and working very closely with the patternmakers. This has increased production and design knowledge. It also aids for a faster production process. With our ongoing relationships with our factories overseas we are able to use different distribution networks to find more unique and interesting fabrics. We are excited that we can create our own trims to specification, including custom-made buttons with designs etched on, this has featured strongly in the last two ranges. We have just launched an accessories line this season to complement the range.
What has been the worst experience of the past five years?
Just the usual anxiety of waiting in a showroom for buyers to turn up and they didn't show up or were very late. There was also a few last minute cancellations on orders which stock has already been made for. However, these are all just learning experiences and part of the fashion game.
By Tracey Porter