Growing up did you expect to work in the family business?
In the holidays I worked in the warehouse and factory. It was an easy way for me to earn some pocket money. I wasn’t pushed into it. I worked in Germany for two years as an apprentice in a manufacturing company where I learned about imports and exports. I lived in Canada for a year and a half working for a great jewelry company, Mappins, where I learned about retail. Then I spent 4 years skiing semi-professionally. But there came a point where my father asked me to make a decision about whether I would join the family business or not. And I made the choice to join.
Why do you think your Father believed it was time to make this decision?
At 26 years old it was time! I think he was right; I had had a lot of time to explore my interests but it was time to get a little more serious and consider what I would do as a career.
How did it feel to begin your career at Ettinger?
I was very happy and I knew I’d made the right decision. My father and I spoke, and I didn’t need to think about it very long. In less than 24 hours I told him that I’d be in at 9:00am on Monday morning.
Fast forward to today, how do you maintain a good work/life balance?
I’m very strict with myself. It’s something I learned from my father. The office is in central London but I live in the country, in Kent. I the love open space and the woods. I leave home at 5:00am to arrive in London by 6:00am. I swim for 30 minutes and am in the office by 6:45am so I can work with Japan/Korea who are 8 hours ahead of us. I leave work in the afternoon to beat traffic but also to get home in time to enjoy a walk or run.
What is it about fashion, and in particular leather, that you care about?
It’s a craft. It takes a great deal of skill and training to be able to do well. When new apprentices join our Birmingham factory they must work for 3 years before their skills are the right quality and speed for us to meet additional market demand. It’s a lot of commitment but once they’ve developed their skills it’s very satisfying. It’s a mindset to find continued enjoyment in your craftsmanship.
How do you develop this level of pride in workmanship?
We’re quite tough on the interviews. The factory manager, foreman/forewoman, and I, all interview applicants. We look at whether leather-working is a real interest of theirs and that generally works. The young people are beginning to take a greater interest in craftsmanship because it offers an alternative to working in a big retail or office environment. We have a close-knit work environment; many of our craftspeople in Birmingham work with the sample people they have grown up with.
You need to be involved. Although we’re in the same factory we built in 1890, we’ve updated it to be more comfortable. There’s new heating, double-paned windows, updated kitchens, new recreation areas, and outdoor seating in the garden. We make a 3 hour drive regularly from London to Birmingham to visit the factory and we bring our craftspeople down to London to show them the products on display. Some of them have never been to London before until we bring them to see the product displayed in Fortnum & Mason.
How do you maintain your British heritage as you grow the brand?
We are British, we produce in England, and we have a Royal Warrant with the Prince of Wales. We’ve been asked in the Middle East or in Asia to move the logo to the front of the product and make it gold, but we had to say, no—that’s not British. In the banking sector of London the business-people have to wear sensible, dark suits, but when they open their jacket the lining is a bright color—that’s very British. We do the same thing with our products. On the outside they’re conservative but have some wonderful colors on the inside. It says that we’re British, we’re sensible, but we’re not boring.
Do you feel like there has been too much commercialization and now there is a renewed interest in quality?
Yes. 15-20 years ago if a competitor suddenly brought in a product from China and sold it at a quarter of the price that you were selling it for, you’d go out of business unless you also moved production to China. It was all about price. That is slowly turning around. More people are wanting products made in England, that are more beautifully made, will last, and can be repaired. We see a trend of more people saying, “Let’s repair it and not just throw it away.” For example, old stitching can be replaced in as little as 10 minutes.
Do you have plans to expand into other product categories?
Ettinger has been a predominately male brand, but next year we’re introducing a women’s collection. We’ve just designed a new luggage collection for next year as well. We are expanding in things made with leather. We’ve decided that for the moment we’re not going into areas we have limited experience with. We run the risk of diluting what we do so well now.
What type of talent will you be looking for in the future?
We’re building up the manufacturing and sales teams. We’re building relationships with new partners in other countries. We have in-house graphic designers, photographers. You’ve got to do it all together. You can’t build up your sales team without having the manufacturing capability, and there’s no point in doing it the other way around either. It’s a careful balance of everything.
What has been key to Ettinger’s longevity?
We’re careful with our growth. We haven’t licensed our name—you lose control of your brand. We’ve kept complete control of our design and manufacturing. When you license your name, you run the risk of brand and quality inconsistency. Particularly today with the internet consumers can engage with us online so licensing does not have a big appeal for us.
Do you ever fear that you’re limiting yourself?
It’s better to grow steadily and surely. It’s the best way to maintain the integrity of the business and the quality of the product. The hardest aspect of fast growth is the need to supply the shops with products. You’ve got to train people and that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a minimum of 3 years.
What do you feel is currently missing in the fashion accessories market?
We go to London Collection Mens each season and I don’t think there is much missing. A lot of new people are getting into the accessories business and designing high-fashion, high-tech products. There are some brands that are very traditional. Then there are brands like Ettinger which has both very fashionable and traditional products.
With his pre-traffic commute ahead of him, and an evening stroll to look forward to, Robert and I ended our call. You may enjoy the very British, very colorful leather products made by Ettinger on their website and on instagram. Thank you Robert, and I wish you continued success!
0 comments:
Post a Comment