Images Magazine June 2018

BRAND PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 24 images JUNE 2018 O nce they print on it, they love it. It’s like printing on a fine quality piece of paper instead of a piece of cardboard,” says Lawrence Railton, founder of New Zealand brand AS Colour. It’s a bold claim, but the evidence stacks up: since launching 12 years ago, the company has supplied countless printers and retailers, opened eight retail stores in New Zealand and seven in Australia, successfully launched in the US two years ago and is now looking to break into the UK market – both wholesale and retail. Lawrence had been working as a sales rep in the surf and skate clothing industry for 10 years when a friend said he was struggling to find a good quality, blank T-shirt for his band. Lawrence did some research, came across Alstyle Apparel in the US and became the New Zealand distributor. “I realised that the woman’s T-shirt wasn’t very good, however, so I designed my own one, and that’s how AS Colour started,” he explains. “I made different samples and spent three months getting the shape right, getting lots of people to try it on to see how it fitted on different people. When we finally released that T-shirt it did extremely well, and everything evolved from there. We only dropped it from our line last year.” Initially Lawrence targeted screen printers, clothing brands and the music industry. “When we started though, the industry was very price- driven. Everyone just saw the T-shirt as a commodity. The industry that I had been in was very competitive and more about branding, marketing and design, and so I applied that methodology to the way we made our T-shirts. Every product has got its own name and personality. “Also, we pay attention to things that we think our competitors don’t, which is the fit, the finish and the fabric: the three Fs. A lot of the big guys haven’t really changed their blocks in a long time. We’ve applied a more modern, more youth- orientated take onto the design, fit and look of the brand.” Retail stores The range now encompasses more than 100 products across a wide range of categories. “We were originally just T-shirts and sweatshirts, but now we’ve developed jackets, pants, headwear and bags, and we’re just moving into socks and accessories as well,” says Lawrence. The approach to developing new products is simple: make clothes that the staff at AS Colour want to wear. “We’re a pretty youthful company, so when new samples come in we all try them on. Everyone gives feedback and we make slight adjustments. We spend up to five months getting the fit right. We’re not in a rush to release new products, we want to make sure we get the three Fs right. That’s what we focus on.” The bestselling product is the Staple Tee (5001/5001B), a 180gsm combed cotton tee available in 24 colours. “I think we were the first to really hone in on the 180gsm T-shirt,” says Lawrence. “Everyone was doing 150s or 200s, but no one was doing a 180gsm combed cotton. We’ve had that tee for about ten years. It fits 80-90% New Zealand brand AS Colour is launching in the UK this month. Already used by T Shirt and Sons, its garments are fresh, fashionable and designed for decoration “