I must say the truth. I started to see images of Containsonly few months ago on the net. And I was intrigued by this strange and original name. Then Michele, the founder of the brand, contacted me for more information on the new project by Wait, we had just launched the showroom online Wait Order. So, before talking to him, I deepened my knowledge of the brand and I realized that I was standing in front of something big, very big.
A brand that was founded less than a year, without partecipating to any fair, no traditional advertising and no ‘fashion bloggher’ as ambassador, joined about 100 stores with sales results exceptional by whant all the stores confirm, with a captivating product, made in Italy and the crazy price. Perhaps we are faced with the phenomenon of the year.
And speaking with Michele I was impressed by the clarity and simplicity of his ideas. In short: an original product, made in Italy, with a super price, ready for delivery: to seize trends and to serve customers in real time according to their needs.
All that seems to require the market today is present in the brand and in fact the results are extraordinary.
Today Containsonly officially joined to Wait Order, and all the stores that will access the platform will be able to order the brand and receive it in 3 days in store. Not bad right?
But first of all she should do a nice interview with Michele Bottiglino, founder of Containsonly, to present to everyone, even to those few who still do not know the brand.
Hello Michele, tell us the story of the brand. Why and how did everything started?
Hello Marco. Containsonly born from deep rooted love for this work and from a simple concep: produce and offer stylish fashion garments with quality and high standards but the best possible price on the market.
Idea that seemed unachievable but that with so much research and work now resulted in a healthy reality.
everything and ‘started by some shops on Lake Garda, this family-owned, where I started to put the brand as a new proposal.
At the beginning the production was linked only to our store but word of mouth and ‘was very fast and a little later came the first customer to take the product for distribution finding competitive and attractive.
Unlike many other competitors have not begun to produce a basic line at low prices with some garments most wanted but we started garde and research in the field of fashion and made it accessible to everyone at both both level of prices and fit .
Why this name?
“Containsonlyclothes? ®”, later shortened to “Containsonly” and ‘was a challenge even in the name. We idealized the store as a container, a box, which of course “contains only clothes”.
A long and complicated name that everyone pronounces a little as he wants, but that in his being difficult and not very catchy us still marked.
Even our logo has no recall tied to clothing, but they are simply two characters inspired by street art in Paris.
They are called upon in any way by our customers these “characters” but remain well imprinted and not confused or imitated.
We did a lot of choices considered crazy for both the name and for the logo but that led us to distinguish ourselves in the crowd of brands more or less strong today and ‘on the loyalty of our customers and the market by tying them with the brand.
What is the philosophy of the brand?
Our philosophy, as I said a little earlier is all linked to fast fashion and the concept of “price & quality”. The best quality ‘and price competitive to the end user. The all it brought within the context of a “brand” and a recognizability for the end user.
If you were an agent in front of a potential customer, what are the strengths of the brand to which you advise him?
I often turn to our agents so I know the impact of customers and fellow traders who are often bewildered and dazed in front of our sample and to our proposals.
They are often incredulous as they have always been accustomed to believe that the designation “Made in Italy” is always followed by very high prices.
So if I had to list the strengths would be: price, quality, made in Italy linked to clothes of strong trend and inspiration.
Another strength, more than anything technical, is the lack of purchasing obligations imposed as a box or minimum. We believe this type of sale dated and forcing.
A bit like going to the restaurant you were asked to eat compulsorily appetizer, first and second, even if you wanted just a salad.
A project that has over 80 stores in Italy. in less than a year. Without investment millionaires.
How could you do it? Is it a miracle?
A small miracle :)! Our communication is based on healthier and simple principles: word of mouth! It’s the oldes advertising method known but which always brings great results.
If a customer is fine with us he will talk ‘with a colleague that 90% think he’s closer to our brand.
The sell-out of our brand in the store is always very high, and then talk.
The average and ‘a sell-out of 80% in the short term, with a percentage of flawed items delivered under 0.7%. (Flawed which also are always replaced at our expense) and this and ‘the best advertising you can do.
To say also that Internet, Facebook and all social have helped us a lot because we have allowed to get into our customer’s home to show our collection with very low investment.
So I can tell you that working with humility, seriousness and professionalism without being greedy markups on business you can still get good results on the market.
Spiegaci come è possibile realizzare un made in Italy ancora con questi prezzi?
Tutto questo è possibile ed il segreto non è poi così nascosto ed inarrivabile.
Produrre una t-shirt made in italy ha lo stesso prezzo per noi come per tutti i nostri competitor ma la differenza sta nel fatto che noi siamo un azienda molto “leggera” dove tutti fanno tutto.
Io sono il titolare ma fungo anche all’occasione da rappresentante, magazziniere, art director, uomo prodotto e questa teoria vale per tutti i miei “preziosissimi” collaboratori.
Siamo tutti giovani e con tanta voglia di fare ed il lavoro certo non ci spaventa, ma il fulcro sta nel concetto che nella nostra azienda siamo, come si dice, “tutti sulla stessa barca” e tutti devono saper fare tutto per sostituire o aiutare al momento necessario il reparto più intasato in quel momento.
La sovra-strutturazione ha un impatto sul prezzo finale elevatissimo e spesso ingiustificato.
Quindi ti posso tranquillamente dire che noi non facciamo miracoli con qualche trucco nella produzione ma riduciamo molto l’incidenza dei nostri costi e ricarichi.
Quale feedback sta ricevendo dal mercato la nuova collezione autunno-inverno 2015?
Direi ottimi. In questo momento i nostri laboratori sono intasati di lavoro perchè stiamo vendendo leggermente sopra la capacità produttiva tenendo sempre un magazzino dell’azienda molto leggero.
Come pensi che si evolverà la linea negli anni?
La linea si evolverà rimanendo fedele al suo concetto minimal e black seguendo sempre in parte le tendenze del momento e proponendo comunque sempre qualcosa di nuovo.
Abbiamo iniziato un anno fa con qualche t-shirt e qualche felpa e nel giro di una anno siamo arrivati a proporre un total look uomo e donna: quindi posso dire che le idee non ci mancano.
Siamo sempre attenti a mixare le meravigliose idee legate all’avanguardia con la loro possibile reale fruibilita’ e comprensione da parte del mercato senza perdere d’occhio i trend del momento.
Explain how you can make a Made in Italy even with these prices?
All this is possible, and the secret is not so hidden and unreachable.
Produce a t-shirt made in Italy has the same price for us and for all our competitors, but the difference is that we are a company very “light” where everyone does everything.
I am the owner but also to the occasion by fungus representative, storekeeper, art director, product man and this theory is true for all my “precious” collaborators.
We are all young and with a great desire to do the job and certainly does not frighten us, but the core is the concept that in our company we are, as they say, “all in the same boat” and all should be able to do everything to replace or help to when necessary the department more clogged at that time.
The supra-structure has a high impact on the final price and often unjustified.
So I can safely say that we do not do miracles with a few tricks in the production but reduce the incidence much of our costs and markups.
Which is receiving feedback from the market the new autumn-winter 2015?
I would say excellent. Right now our laboratories are clogged work because we are selling slightly above production capacity keeping a stock company very light.
How do you think the line will evolve over the years?
The line will evolve while remaining true to its concept minimal and always in black following the current trends and always offering something new.
We started a year ago with a few t-shirts and some sweatshirt and within a year we got to propose a total look man and woman, so I can say that the ideas are not lacking.
We are always careful to mix the wonderful ideas related forefront with their possible real usability ‘and understanding of the market without losing sight of the current trends.
Why did you choose Wait Order, while you have never invested in fairs and traditional communication?
Because Wait Order represents us all.
Trade shows are expensive for companies and are part of those costs that would make our collections more expensive.
Fairs are already old and limited.
Wait with Order think we better reach our customers allowing them to buy from us without moving from his store.
You told me that you already have your stores in Italy. Do you plan to open more stores?
Yes. But not in Italy. The various Italian let them available to our customers.
We plan to open a store in Ibiza for the summer 2016 in a location in the commercial area.
If you had to choose another foreign country, in addition to Spain, where open the next store Containsonly and move you to live what would it be?
For reasons of the heart, because I lived there for two years, I would choose London where they work and live as if I base myself on the picture
probably I would open in the Marais in Paris or Berlin.
Where do you find inspiration for your collections?
Our inspirations come from all over. By the media, social, from travel, from workwear.
From research and collaboration with young talents. In all our work there is ‘research and re-interpretation without ever falling into the copy that we find are sad and demeaning.
You have a fashion reference?
Yes, of course we have many. But the most ‘influential’ born in Porterville in 1962. Rick Owens. We like him in everything.
Obviously his collections are very niche and not border on wearability in some cases and the inaccessibility to the prices, but it is a beacon for us to learn from and take inspiration.
Here, we could say that our “mission” is to make accessible and understandable some type of fashion at all not distracted from our goal still trading as ” with poetry you do not eat.”
Who is your typical customer?
Good question. We have many clients type at this time.
We who already sells dresses or with certain standards and find in us the ability to access the product not emptying your wallet.
We who “has heard about new trends” and want to experience on itself or in your store brand new and new ways of dressing.
We who buys from us only certain articles characteristic to complete the image of the store or own.
We have those who believed in us so that could almost be called as a mono-brand shop.
I could mention other 3 or 4 types of customers but to be brief, I can tell that unintentionally we reach to settle almost everybody always with great humility and professionalism.
At a time of great difficulty of Italy, a successful brand like yours, with certain characteristics from all of us represent a reason of hope.
What about you: have you a little hope in Italy or you considered yourselves heroes in a bad system?
The ‘hero in a wrong system has always been a way of thinking that we’ ve never liked because often people will mourn him using that excuse.
We believe in certain way of working and serving the customer we carry out every day.
It ‘s not that we came to revolutionize the system because the system don’t let you much revolutionize; we offer a different opportunity. Simply this.
Here I talk to you in person as the holder who is from 2 generations in business and I always saw what worked or did not work from all points of view. As a customer, as a trader and as a producer.
I just tried to unite the needs of these three figures on the trade of fashion and meet the needs of all three always with seriousness and professionalism.
Of course I do not do miracles, but I try to get involved with my brand and my valuable staff every day not sitting down and never feeling never arrived. I am a person enthusiastic about life and then not stop me is part of my being.
If then you have to make a note on Italy I can tell you that as we all know we have a wonderful country only very, very badly used and badly maintained with lack of several initiatives by the unfortunately retrograde world that administer us.
I see around me many “friends” of other companies and other brands that are doing good steps and we help and compare all. So we have high hopes !! The rivalry serves healthy but also the cooperation between companies helps.
OFFICIAL SITE: www.containsonly.com
OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE: HERE
IF YOU HAVE A STORE, YOU CAB BUY CONTAINSONLY ON www.waitorder.com
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