「志在創業– 設計與創意工業」2009課程 - Hong Kong Design Centre

The Road to Become
an International Brand
走 國 際 品 牌 之 路
“Branding starts with a clear direction. Without that, your loss can be miserable.”
「 做 品 牌 首 先 要 定 好 方 向 。 方 向 不 清 晰 , 隨 時 令 你 損 失 慘 重 。」
Koyo William, Creative Director of Koyo Jeans
Koyo Jeans 創 作 總 監 — 張 國 威
Fashion designer Koyo William knows very well
that it takes focus and clarity in positioning to build
an international brand. To make himself stand out in
the fashion business, he has to devote all his resources
into making the best jeans.
Ten years ago, when Koyo William was still a fashion
design student, he had already opened his store at
Union Square on Prince Edward Road, selling man’s
fashion. Initially, he did not care much about profit, being
more interested in showcasing his works. Gradually, his
business started to grow. In 1999, he partnered with
a Korean designer to found the M&G brand. Also, he
received an invitation from the Korean government to
attend the “Who’s Next” exhibition held during the Paris
Fashion Week.
With his design well received in China and his consulting
services highly regarded by his mainland clients, he was
full of confidence when attending the event, taking
with him and his partner two big cabinets of jeans and
clothing for the show. However, the experience was
devastating. Brand name exhibitors occupied glamorous,
multi-story booths featuring musical entertainment and
world-class design, fabrics and cuttings that made him
feel totally out of place.
He was so discouraged that he almost decided to give
up the European market to retreat to the PRC market
because of that. But Koyo William ultimately rebounded
from his grief, spending the next two years in research
to find out how to produce the best jeans. He would
take apart a few thousand dollar pair of D&G jeans to
study and search for any factory that would do a sample
for him. “I was like being possessed during that period. I
didn’t care about the business operation. The only thing
that occupied my mind at that time was how to find the
right fabric and method to produce a pair of jeans that
would match the quality of an international brand,” said
Koyo William.
Before
the debut
of Koyo Jeans in
2003, Koyo William was very clear that he had
to position the company as an international
brand with exceptional originality and quality.
He frankly admitted: “I did all my best with
every collection. I would do extensive research
to enrich the product, giving people a sense
of power. This is the only way to make a brand
last!” When Galeries Lafayette in Paris invited
Koyo Jeans to open shop there among other
international brands, Koyo William was thrilled.
Harbour City, which declined his tenancy
application many times in the past, has finally
extended a welcome to him as well.
Koyo Jeans has more than eighty specialty
stores in Europe and fifty franchised outlets
in Mainland China. For business development
in China, Koyo William has a clear strategy. His
early career as a fashion consultant gave him
the knowledge about the PRC market. When
he started to develop his own brand, he further
built his manufacturing capabilities in handling
complex production requirement of high-end
jeans.
Since the outbreak of the financial tsunami,
SMEs around the globe have experienced a
very tough time. Some even went bankrupt.
But Koyo William has taken this opportunity to
expand instead, leasing retail spaces at Harbour
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