“We confirm quality by our own name”. Interview with owners of Cvetkov Family Mark (Ukraine)

When being a child, Alla sewed doll clothing, dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and changing her last name for Cvetkova (Flowery). When being a student, Alla fell in love with Igor whose last name appeared to be Cvetkov. In the late 1990s, the couple started a family business as Cvetkov Family Mark and focused on manufacture of children’s clothing. Igor and Alla have told us about their path to success and family values.

- How did you start your business?

Alla: We started our business 20 years ago, when clothing quality was not given enough attention. It was a spontaneous decision. We started to manufacture own-designed clothing for adults, kids and babies. We implemented modern quality standards and became popular with wholesalers.

When being a child, I wanted to be either a nursery school teacher or a fashion designer. And I ended up with two in one. Love for the little ones led to design of baby clothing.

Igor: We both graduated from the Moscow State University of Design and Technology. I specialized in machinery for the light industry.

Alla: And I specialized in shoe design and construction. We didn’t make shoes because we couldn’t ensure high quality in those times. There was a terrible shortage of everything: machines, raw materials... Manufacture of clothing was much easier; we needed only sewing machines and professional seamstresses. Nevertheless, my cherished dream is to make shoes under Cvetkov TM. In fact, there are few children’s fashionable shoes in Ukraine.

- What was the hardest thing to do – build a team, find high-quality fabrics, endure bureaucracy?

Igor: The hardest things were shortage of cash and almost no access to credit. We grew gradually. Many competitors were rising and falling rapidly, and we were rising slowly. We were afraid to take risks, because we had a family behind us and no reliable partners. We exhibited at BABY EXPO only five years ago for the first time! Now, when we have a lot of partners and friends, our children fault us for being hesitant and modest. They make no allowances.

- How many times has your staff grown since then?

Alla: About ten times. Plus children have grown up, and today two Cvetkov generations are involved in our business. Plus we often cooperate with other businesses in preparation for the hot season.

- And they’re really good at it! What have your sons brought to your business?

Igor: Our elder son Andrew led the company on the way towards progress. Then he placed it in trustworthy hands of our younger son Antony and organized manufacture of Design for Fitness sportswear. He is ambitious, like all young people of the present generation. He created a brand and its logo. He insisted on participating in trade fairs, but we hesitated.

Antony followed in the footsteps of Andrew. He stimulated us to make ambitious efforts and sank quite a lot of money into promotion of our brand. He created a modern sales department from scratch, changed the concept of our brand, and ensured our participation in every edition of BABY EXPO and Chidlren’s Fashion Fair. We used to do everything well but quietly. Now we do everything even better and loudly.

Alla: The older one created the brand, and the younger one developed it. The kids lend us wings.

- Your brand name is your family name. Is there any story behind?

Alla: There is a very interesting family story. When being a child, I dreamt of changing my last name to Cvetkova (Flowery). Igor and I met in my first year at the institute; it was love at the first sight. A month later, I asked Igor about his last name, and he answered it was Cvetkov! I understood that he was the man I had been dreaming about from over ten years! Kids are the flowers of our lives, so we decided to use our family name Cvetkov (Flowery) as our brand name.

Igor: We confirm quality and safety by our own name and enjoy customers’ confidence.

- You offer a large assortment of children’s clothing. What particular clothing do you focus on?

Alla: We focus on outerwear. We’ve achieved perfection in this area. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, children’s clothing has changed greatly: new fabrics and insulators have appeared, and the size standards have changed. No one makes research, analysis of fabric quality. We have to do everything ourselves. We have our own measurement base, our own design methods. When I retire, I will publish a manual on children’s clothing design using our best practices.

- How do you select fabrics for outerwear collections?

Alla: Outerwear requires water-resistant, waterproof fabrics, so they cannot be 100% natural. Now we use a lot of membrane fabrics that are great for children. Viscose, fleece and cotton are used for linings. Modern materials are improved every year. Unfortunately, they’re all imported, which affects cost of the goods.

Igor: We pay great attention to insulators, and use only those that are certified and suitable for children’s clothing.

- What is the main difference between children’s and teenagers’ clothing from your point of view?

Alla: For children it’s about comfort and design, and for teenagers it’s about fashion.

- You are regular participants of Fashion Defile, runway show that takes place at every edition of Children’s Fashion Fair. Is this investment effective?

Alla: Yes. The Defile is an excellent opportunity to show rich look and perfect fit, reveal all beauties of your clothing. Many partners, who have not paid any attention to particular items showed at our stand, return and order it after the Defile.

- Your latest school wear collection was a great success. Tell us a little about your path to success.

Igor: We started manufacture of school wear five years ago. It gave us a lot of trouble though we took it very seriously.

Alla: Frankly, it was our second attempt. Our first attempt made ten years ago was unsuccessful. I had no deep knowledge and understanding of school wear but truly believed that it would sell well. European style was not in trend, and my clothing seemed too minimalist and simple. The larger half was sold for pennies, the smaller was given away, and something is still gathering dust at the warehouse. But I don’t dwell on defeat.

- What is your price segment?

Alla: Average+. Our clothing is affordable to middle-class people who like distinctiveness.

- Do you control retail prices?

Alla: Yes, we have recommended mark-ups.

- What do you do with returned and unsold products?

Igor: We offer them at discounts and often make giveaways.

- When you see your clothing in the streets, do you rejoice or look for flaws?

Alla: More like the latter. Unfortunately, parents often buy clothing “to grow into”, one or two sizes too large. So when it fits well, it already shows wear. But now the trend is changing, because our clothing is available in high-class stores and bought by better-off people not least because of BABY EXPO.

- How do family relationships affect business?

Alla: In our case, we have to subtly feel the edge. Building family relationships through the prism of business is never easy.

Igor: Of course, there are its pros and cons. The problem of parents and children is a con, and the fact that our children move us forward is a pro.

- Did the birth of a granddaughter stimulate new ideas?

Alla: Due to the appearance of this flower in our family, I have designed baby and toddler collection. It’s very difficult to find a baby or toddler model, and our Sofia is always at hand. I have perfected all complex constructions with her help.

- Your stand at BABY EXPO 2019 was amazing. Was it of much interest to visitors? Did it attract customers?

Igor: It was an idea of our son Anton. At first, we didn’t really support him, but then we relaxed and decided to help him. The stand was designed by him and his wife, who is an excellent painter and often provides our fashion designers with advice. I helped them with assembly solutions. So we created the stand by working as a family team.

Alla: Our son wheedled money out of our budget and rented far more square meters than other exhibitors. It was expensive, but we could show all product range (including newly-designed fitness line) that was really huge. As a result, our stand sank into visitors’ minds as luxurious and comfortable.

- Was BABY EXPO 2019 an interesting and useful experience?

Igor: Any trade fair is useful. It provides an excellent opportunity to assess ourselves as compared to other manufacturers, to analyze and correct mistakes. Even if visitors just learn about us without making an order, it will be a “memory node”. Face-to-face contacts, real-life communication, partners’ emotions after taking a closer look at newly-designed clothing are also very important for us.

- You started your business 20 years ago. Have you achieved your dream?

Alla: Yes, we have achieved even more. We have never dreamed of what we have today.

Igor: We are the children of Soviet times, when it was useless to dream. When I worked for a state-owned enterprise, we could not purchase a single machine and launch a single new product without approval of the Ministry of Light Industry. Today I can buy any equipment and manufacture any products.

- What else would be useful for your business?

Alla: State protection of entrepreneurs. Minimal business risks.

Igor: Improvement of business climate.

- When we look at your designs, we feel that they were made by happy people. What is happiness?

Alla: Happiness is love. Happiness is to do what you love and to live in love.

Igor: Happiness is harmony and confidence in tomorrow.

Prepared by BABY EXPO and CFF team