A Q&A With Designer

Toni Francesc

By Richard Collings

Published: June11, 2009

   I conducted a Q&A with designer Toni Francesc, who heads a family-owned company based in Spain carrying his name. The collection offered for the fall seemed particularly sharp, literally and figuratively. I was curious to get this designer’s perspective on going global in terms of sales, but staying local in terms of production, which seems a bit counter-intuitive in this day and age. Here is that interview, conducted via e-mail, lightly edited.

Q: What was the inspiration for, the driving ideas, behind the collection for fall 2010? I noticed that some of the garments had a 3-D quality, there were the small, sharp, structured shoulders, and a number of other appealing elements that could take a woman through her week, from day into night ... this last round of collections focused more on sportswear, shifting away from a focus on evening gowns and cocktail dresses, did that at all play a role in the design of this collection and its presentation? What is the woman Toni Francesc hopes to appeal to, or has appealed to? How would you describe it to a potential customer, either a wholesale or private client, to get them/her to understand it, to want to buy it?

A: The name of the collection is “Artificial Life.” The concept is a metaphor relating to man and machine, offering a critical perspective of the future without overlooking the roots of the past and the world of handcrafted creation. Train tracks and electricity cables are a key aspect of this collection, given that they provide a panoramic perspective in the move. The collection is based on an androgynous image, one in which man and technology combine. All of man's failings are solved by means of mechanical and electronic objects.

The colours that are featured in the collection refer to rusted metals and industrial elements. The textiles consist of cotton, silk and wool, featuring textures and shades that are modified through fading processes.

The shapes and volumes of these clothing items are based on a combination of pieces that protrude from the figure in parts of the body such as the shoulders and the hips. Angular forms and projecting parts of these clothing items play a prominent role, endowing the whole with a dynamic sense of speed.

We appeal to the same woman as in our previous collections, which is a mysterious girl who likes to be different, with personality, practical, functional, feminine and sophisticated.

As a designer I evolve and mature in every collection I propose each season, intending to improve and adapt better to the market where I sell but always being true to my own style.

I think the best description of my collection would be to be different, to try to present each season something distinctive to the other designers, genuine, and that my clients can feel, while trying on the clothes, that all the garments are designed to be worn and not be hung on a rack, and must make them feel good inside, pampered inside seams as well as create a world of comfort within each piece of my collection. The outside of each model speaks for itself.

Q: In which stores is Toni Francesc distributed, such as department stores and such, and could this expand for the fall? Does Toni Francesc sell clothes online, either in partnership with someone such as Neiman Marcus, or on its own? What are the opportunities, the challenges, the difficulties of selling online? How is the wholesale business faring during the downturn and does Toni Francesc hope to see an increase in its business this year? How did sales fare last year? Were you affected deeply by the recession? Does Toni Francesc hope to open any stores this year or next, to take advantage of a drop in the price of commercial real estate?

A: Toni Francesc is distributed in multi-brand stores, designer showrooms and we are actually dealing with department stores, but each country has its own peculiarities and you have to adapt to markets and the type of sale or distribution without losing the core of the brand.

So far Toni Francesc does not sell clothes online, but the website is ready to put this option into operation with an online store which retailers can access easily and purchase both seasonal and outlet discount products.

We intend to sell online not only clothes, but also accessories, which are easier to choose and buy online as current product complexity requires that customers have to try them on. We do not sell t-shirts or basic pants.

We are now entering some new markets such as the USA, but to raise the market share in the short-term is difficult due to the economic situation; we try to find out exactly when we must be patient and conservative and when we must be more active.

The recession has affected all of us, but it also helps to improve, renovate and gives you the possibility to face new markets, new challenges you cannot assume in times of overwork.

We have in mind to open our own stores, but in view of the current economic scene we have chosen to be calm and wait for the real business opportunities, we have given priority to promotion efforts. New business opportunities are appearing and we prefer to ensure a sustainable economic structure, more flexible and keep the company capitalized. Now more than ever, our main focus is to promote the brand, and I hope after recession our customers can buy normally our brand, being aware they will have a high quality, timeless and unique product.

Q: Where does Toni Francesc produce most of its clothes, which countries, and how might this stay the same or change? Increasingly luxury designers are now sourcing to places such as China, for example. What kinds of fabrics or textiles were utilized in this collection? What kinds of fabrics are you finding interesting, relevant, fresh, right now? What kind of relationship do you have with the factories that produce your clothes, and is this a long-standing relationship? Could you elaborate on how you produce your clothes, the quality, and the price, and how your clothes stand a part from other lines of clothing in terms of quality?

A: All my production is located in Spain, it has always been this way. Probably my production would be cheaper if I took it to other countries, but this is not a concern. I consider my designs like my children. I do not intend to take them to other places just to save money in maintenance and education. So Spanish manufacture is more expensive, but I can pamper my products and I know at all times the status of each of my models. The price-quality ratio is optimum. I think most customers can afford to have a piece of Toni Francesc even though it is not manufactured in Asia.

Our fabric suppliers are based in Europe, Spain, France and Italy. I like fresh and natural fabrics and also, to combine (natural fibers) with other high-tech (fibers), opening a large field for research and unique combinations.

I do not like to compare with other brands, neither the style nor any other quality. The fact is that I produce 100% in Spain and that is a luxury. Other designers produce outside their country.

Q: How do you view markets such as Brazil, China, etc., and in which countries do you currently do business and to which countries do you hope to expand to in terms of distribution? Which product categories other than clothes do you sell in, license in, such as fragrance, footwear, accessories, and which product categories do you hope to expand into in the near-term?

A: Both China and Brazil are emerging countries, are the future consumers, but for now my interest is in the USA, Europe, Russia, Mexico and some Latin American countries.

In the future, I expect to expand the product line of Toni Francesc, but right now I'm focused on my collection, which is the higher priority before selling patents or franchises, as other brands have done.

Q: What was your inspiration for starting the Toni Francesc label, what did you do before starting the label, and what void in the marketplace did you hope to address when you started the label? How much experience does a designer need before starting a label on his or her own? What have you learned over the years as a designer concerning the business side, the design side, that you didn't know when you first started out? What attracted you to fashion design?

A: My mother is a dressmaker; I guess I have a genetic predisposition. You can love or hate what you have lived since childhood, but in my case it is love. As a child I helped my mother sewing buttons, threading needles and things like that, it was a game for me. So since I was born I am related to fashion.

I studied design, and immediately after I created my own brand, already 20 years ago. Time has given me experience, calmness, better understanding about women, but I still learn new things every day. I'm still a novice (concerning) many things and this (helps) me keep the enthusiasm, to continue learning and growing as a person and as a designer. 

 Q: Does Toni Francesc have any investors in the company to date? Is it primarily owned by Toni Francesc or family members? What's the ownership structure? Could Toni Francesc bring on board additional investors, raise outside capital to further expand the business? Could the company entertain a sale of itself at this stage?

A: Toni Francesc S.L. is a family company. We have developed two brands, Toni Francesc and Veneno en la Piel. All the shareholders are family.

So far we have not even considered extending investors. Maybe in the future, if we have a need to grow we will have to adapt to new circumstances, but up to now the shareholders are family and also friends, and this is very important for us.  To sell the company has never been in my mind, I am devoted to my job. In case it would be necessary any time, I would like to keep on working in the company. 

 Q: In conclusion, what is the vision for the label? What are your goals, what would you ultimately like to achieve with the Toni Francesc label? What would you like to add, or discuss that I haven't asked about?

A: Toni Francesc is a young brand in progressive and continuous growth, with identity and concerns. As a person and as a designer I like to go unnoticed, the most important for me is to show my work and my brand. My job is like a haute cuisine chef, who stays in his lab, trying to compose, design, test; harmonizing, combining, and most importantly, create a new illusion to my customers every day without expecting to be the focus of everybody, but hearing that my clients feel good wearing my clothes.

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