It’s been 4 years since I was
introduced to a then burgeoning and made in USA brand by the name of LOYDFORD. Since
that time I’ve developed a friendship with both the brand and its designers. If
you have ever read my commentaries/reviews about LOYDFORD, you already know
that Franck Ford is the voice of the brand.
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Today it is Franck and I discussing
the evolution and metamorphosis of LOYFORD during our “relationship” as well as
the fashion business in general. In essence you get more of an insider’s
perspective rather than just mine which is more from the outside looking in.
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What consistently attracts me to this
brand is its constant flux yet always retaining its DNA and to a great degree while
increasing its design vocabulary season after season. It is still all about
“lace n love” and still holds onto its rocker vibe but it is now not just about
dressing to go out to a black tie or a cocktail party; it is more of a wardrobing
or lifestyle concept. I find it interesting that once upon a time accordion or
sunburst pleating was a ubiquitous component of endless collections yet these
guys have adopted it and turned it into a signature for LOYDFORD and that to me is
an example of how fashion and brands evolve. One more time it is all about massaging
and tweaking a brand’s DNA to keep it looking fresh and attracting new business
opportunities and opening more doors … literally and figuratively
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Another aspect to keep in mind, as is
mentioned within the chat, is that LOYDFORD has one secret weapon that most
brands cannot boast and that is actual sales at retail… not the blah blah blah hype…
not the bullshit... but the real deal …. Money in the bank! I continue to tip my hat to the brand and its
designers, Franck Ford and Stefan Loyd ... and now let’s talk branding and
fashion…
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Jeffrey Felner: Last we spoke, spring 2017; the brand was all about lace, all about
dresses and very much a dressy dress collection. Since that time, LOYDFORD has
evolved, transitioned and possibly had a recalibration. Can you explain why and
how this happened?
Franck Ford for LOYDFORD: Lace is still the trademark of the brand;
we actually went deeper into lace treatments, varied qualities and more ideas
for basic shapes giving a more casual chic.
The dressy dress collection was successful but limited for everyday
sales. So, now we added more ways to our lace looks with pieces that are a bit
less dressy but that’s because of less ballerina tulle looks not because of
less lace. We started with solstice laces, even bridal laces and using them for
sporty shells with spikes. That’s our
hidden treasure is that we sell faster
than a stylist could pull it for someone!
We are kind of hidden anyway ... coming to the point here of the
question about transition/ recalibration ... we decided to sign on with a multi-brand
showroom with offices in New York, Paris and Los Angeles. So here we are with
20 mini tulle dresses and some sequin styles going into a very real market!
What’s the transition decision? Well… more and better! More opportunities and
less hand sewn feathers on crazy pieces and doing what we did was "couture
impossible." We keep our hand beaded styles and they even got stronger and
more creative. In true evening clothes you can’t go too funky or too rock n roll.
Now we can and it is evolving the right way for example we did an army jacket
with our lace and embroidery and that finally hit the 500 units in production
and that makes life much easier. Do I talk too much? Well it happened because
we wanted it to happen. We even left Barneys so as not to be pigeonholed as
only being known as an evening or after 5 resource.
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JF: What is your feeling
about the future of fashion in regard to brick and mortar stores vs. internet
shopping … has there been a shift in your business because of how women are
shopping today?
FF/LF: How does a woman shop today ?! I hope they
shop till they drop ... but...
Our business has declined a bit with European
boutiques in high tourist areas but has gotten much stronger with doors in the USA.
We are still not in enough doors for me to give a fully professional answer on
the shopping today opinion. My feeling about the future of brick n mortar vs.
online --- I believe in customer service while the roster of online shops might be growing more quickly they lack the
service and touch and feel of actual stores. There are still the neighborhood
stores where you walk in and have your
coffee and buy a skirt and it’s that "
intime” private kind of shopping " that
will get stronger and draw clients while mall stores and department stores will suffer much more.
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JF:
Do you believe that there is any legitimate media
given to brands other than those owned by the mega conglomerates or those
“blessed” by the so called media elite?
FF/LF: Fake news in fashion? ... Of course!!! The blessed can do anything
without selling any product and still get more press than Jesus from Nazareth!
Was that the question? Not sure but
I think that covers it.
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JF: If you could change how
the fashion business is operating today, how would you change it and why?
FF/LF: I don’t feel anything has to change
about how the fashion business is operating.
I can only adjust our rules and get better at avoiding conflicts with
some issues but in general I am okay with it. Well, I believe in
detaching yourself from surrounding fashion is the best way to design fashion.
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JF: You have managed to
build a core of loyal retailers who have been with you since the very start,
how do you account for that and what do you see as the future of LOYDFORD in
the fashion marketplace?
FF/LF: Yes we did build that but we also
“burned bridges to light the fire” and by that I mean “may the bridges we
burned light the way to the future” but nothing is predictable. Today the
“now" counts and our marketplace is not yet set so we continue to build…
even as we speak …
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