Brand consciousness: wearing its Latin heritage on its sleeve, sportswear maker chica hopes to before it tackles the big names. (Small Business).CHRISTOPHER Griffin is dropping names. Guess?, Mossimo, Roxy, Stussy... the litany litany (lĭt`ənē) [Gr.,=prayer], solemn prayer characterized by varying petitions with set responses. The term is mainly used for Christian forms. Litanies were developed in Christendom for use in processions. of brands that are as familiar to junior apparel customers as their own faces. Griffin nurtured a dream of building such a brand even before he founded Chica he. with his wife, Helen Martinez, in 1999. Now, nearly three years into it, the pair have made some headway. Sales are projected to reach $2 million this year, thanks to an agreement with JC Penney Co. to test Chica Tshirts in about 10 of the chain's stores. But even if the test succeeds, Griffin figures it can still take another 10 years to establish Chica among the big apparel names. "Trying to build a national brand is not for the faint of heart," Griffin said. "It's a money pit, and it's a crap shoot." If the phrase, "that was so five minutes ago," wasn't invented in the junior apparel market, it should have been. Teenage girls, the so-called junior customers, are extremely fickle fick·le adj. Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious. [Middle English fikel, from Old English ficol, and Chica's big-name rivals spend tens of millions on advertising to insinuate in·sin·u·ate v. in·sin·u·at·ed, in·sin·u·at·ing, in·sin·u·ates v.tr. 1. To introduce or otherwise convey (a thought, for example) gradually and insidiously. See Synonyms at suggest. 2. their way into pop culture in order to stay on their radar screen. Add to that the fact that San Fernando-based Chica is pioneering a new style category, one that is aimed at the particular tastes and sensibilities of young Hispanic 'women in the same way that lines like FUBU FUBU For Us By Us (clothing brand) FUBU Fouled Up Beyond Understanding (polite form) FUBU Fouled Up Beyond Use (polite form) FUBU Fouled Up By User have attracted young African Americans African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. . It's a tall order on a shoestring budget, but Chica may find an edge in its Hispanic styling, some say. "Chica is an attitude," said Carlos Garcia Carlos Garcia can refer to:
adj. perk·i·er, perk·i·est 1. Having a buoyant or self-confident air; briskly cheerful. 2. Jaunty; sprightly. perk and fun and flirtatious flir·ta·tious adj. 1. Given to flirting. 2. Full of playful allure: a flirtatious glance. flir·ta , and I don't think that needs to be restricted to Latinas. I think it's a great idea." It was Martinez that gave voice to the idea of a clothing line with a Latina flair when Griffin sold his dye house business in 1998 and began looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. another opportunity. He and Martinez met in high school, and have been married for 16 years. "I already had the idea about doing a line, it was which line do I want to do?" Griffin said. 'That's where Helen came in, banging me on the head and saying, 'You gotta do something for this market."' Hispanic teens, now numbering about 2.4 million, represent the fastest growing segment of the junior market, which accounts for well over $44 billion in retail spending. "Every retailer is desperate to bring in Latino customers," said market researcher Garcia 'They're losing a lot of general market customers to the Web. And Latinos love to shop. They go with the whole family and they spend a lot of money." Chica, Spanish for girl, is emblazoned on the company's T-shirts in a myriad of styles. There are short-sleeved T-shirts, long-sleeved versions and a tank top style the company calls the "wifebeater." Some have glittery accents. There are shirts that say "Chica Boxing," shirts that say "Spicy Chica" and shirts that say "East L.A. Chica Track." Among the newest is a T-shirt featuring the likeness of Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo[1](July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter, who has achieved great international popularity. She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as European influences that include , the Mexican painter and wife of Diego Rivera who will be the subject of an upcoming Miramax movie starring Salma Hayek. A hang tag on tag on Verb to add at the end of something: a throwaway remark, tagged on at the end of a casual conversation Verb 1. the shirts espouses the company's Hispanic heritage and philosophy. Chica started out with about $200,000 in financing from the company that bought Griffin's dye business. But the farm soon tired of the time, effort and resources needed, and Griffin had to seek another partner. He found it in Jem Sportswear, a manufacturer that provides the company with office space and the support services support services Psychology Non-health care-related ancillary services–eg, transportation, financial aid, support groups, homemaker services, respite services, and other services it needs, from receptionists to warehouse and shipping. So far, Fred Segal Fred Segal is a Los Angeles, California based clothing boutique. There are two stores, one in Hollywood (on Melrose Avenue) and the other in Santa Monica. In 1976, the Hollywood location was purchased by Ron Herman. , Bloomingdale's, Hot Topic and catalog retailer Delia's have carried the Chica line. But it is chains like Sears and Penney's where Griffin believes Chica's future lies. "This girl, she goes to malls and she'll shop Forever 21 and Hot Topic, and then when her mom's with her, they go into Sears and Penney and they buy," Griffin said. The reluctant fashionistas that are Chica's target market are not risk takers Risk Takers is a Canadian television documentary series, which profiles people in dangerous professions. The show originally aired on Discovery Channel Canada, and also airs on the North American channel Discovery HD Theater. . They're much more likely to accept a style after it has been established. So it is somewhat ironic that the company's apparel has been selling in trendy shops like Fred Segal. But Griffin says those upscale boutiques are a necessary stepping stone to the big chain stores. "If you try and go straight to these guys and your brand hasn't percolated anywhere, there's two things that will probably happen," said Griffin. "Most likely they'll look at you and say, 'Who are you? Your brand's not meaningful. Come back when you are somebody.' Or, if for some reason they like something you do and you get an order, the customer hasn't seen you anywhere and there's a strong chance they'll turn around and walk by you because you have no currency." Filling a niche in the Hispanic marketplace is one thing. Building a lifestyle brand that encompasses everything from apparel to home furnishings and cosmetics, as is Griffin's goal, is something else entirely. To do that, Chica needs the kind of exposure a young, modestly capitalized company finds difficult to buy. So Griffin makes do with the brief brushes with celebrity he can muster. One day he allows a starlet star·let n. 1. A small star. 2. A young film actress publicized as a future star. starlet Noun a young actress who has the potential to become a star Noun 1. to wade through the racks picking T-shirts for her personal use. He schleps shirts to movie sets in hopes they will be selected for the film's wardrobe. And he makes sure events like the Latin Grammys include a Chica tee in the goody bags for celebrities. Chica tees have been spotted on cable shows like "Resurrection Blvd." and "American Family American Family is a photographic artwork exhibition by Renée Cox. See also
Those kinds of things can build much-needed momentum in a business where fortunes seem to rise and fall at random. "We are completely subject to months where we'll ship $200,000 one month and $10,000 the next," said Griffin. 'This is a tough business." Chica Inc. RELATED ARTICLE: Spotlight Year Founded: 1999 Core Business: Apparel manufacturer Revenue in 1999: $22,000 Revenue in 2002 (projected): $2 million Employees in 1999: 2 Employees in 2002: 9 Goal: To become a nationally recognized lifestyle brand spanning the gamut of merchandise categories Driving Force: Growth in Hispanic population and increasing interest in Latin culture |
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