Images Magazine June 2018

www.images-magazine.com JUNE 2018 images 25 BRAND PROFILE We pay attention to the fit, the finish and the fabric: the three Fs of the population, whereas if you’re a big guy, a lightweight T-shirt doesn’t look very flattering, and if you’re a little guy, a big tee just looks like a baggy tent on you. This T-shirt has mass appeal, and people love printing on it.” The company’s production is Child Labor Free-accredited, and it is currently undertaking a supply chain mapping to get that side accredited as well. Fifty percent of the company’s products are made in Bangladesh, and the other 50% in China; AS Colour has a strict code of conduct that all factories it works with must abide by, as well as undergoing regular audits. Lawrence reports that the company is also looking at using more organic fabrics in its range, with seven of its bestselling products coming out in organic fabric this year. “We’ve had really good success with our current organic products, and the demand is getting higher and higher for them. In the next five or 10 years I want to convert 50- 70% of the range into organic fabrics. We see it as a good point of difference between us and other suppliers.” Alongside the product and fabric development has been the establishment of a retail base. “The shops are a big part of our strength in that they act as a very strong marketing tool for the brand by building awareness,” he explains. The shops all sell blanks and, unlike many retail businesses at the moment, AS Colour’s bricks and mortar shops are performing very well. “I think it comes down to providing a really good product at a really good price. People want something a bit different to the mass market; we stand for something a bit more independent.” AS Colour supplies a number of Australasian retailers with colour blanks to sell, which, along with its own retail shops, has boosted the wholesale side. “People ask printers for AS Colour because they know the brand and they want a high quality product to put their logo on.” The aim is to open a store in London’s Shoreditch early next year, as well as another also in London. As Lawrence points out: “We’re very different from the rest of the T-shirt industry, which is predominantly just wholesale. We’re probably 25% retail, 75% wholesale. The stores are a big part of our point of difference, and are the most successful part of our business.” Next day delivery Its approach seems to be working both at home and overseas, with the business doubling in size over the past two years as demand grows. AS Colour has been shipping its garments direct to Westbury-based printing giants T Shirt and Sons for the past six months – “They really like the print face for digital printing,” comments Lawrence – and have been getting an increasing number of requests for its garments from other businesses in the UK and Europe. “It’s just not economical to ship from New Zealand so we wanted to get a footprint here so we can supply the European market,” explains Lawrence. AS Colour will be supplying 80% of the line currently available in New Zealand and Australia direct to UK and European garment decorators from its 1,700sq m warehouse in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, from mid-June 2018, with next day delivery promised. “We’ve invested heavily in a lot of technology to run our warehouses,” he adds. The UK market is similar to the New Zealand market, believes Lawrence, with his research suggesting that there is increasing demand for “more premium-type products”. Pricing for the products is expected to be similar to Continental, he reports, and reflects the use of “the highest quality yarn, combed cotton and a really good, tight print face”. For those UK businesses considering adding AS Colour to their product lists, Lawrence suggests trying the garments on themselves. “That generally converts most people. Once they wear it, print on it and wash it, they love it.” www.ascolour.co.uk Lawrence in the newwarehouse in Marlow, UK The Mali Tee (4008) is a fashionable style with a feminine fit The Staple Tee (5001) is AS Colour’s bestseller The AS Colour retail stores are a big part of the brand’s point of difference