THE BIG INTERVIEW
We’re moving on up S
ince it was founded in 1994, Continental Clothing has carved a name for itself as a wholesale retail supplier of fashion-led T shirts, hoods and tops via its uber cool Continental Collection. Walk down Londonʼs Oxford Street and you will undoubtedly find Continental lines (albeit relabelled) in most of the shops.
The company also supplies concert merchandise to most of the biggest bands and record labels, including Take That. How cool is that?
But while Continental Collection remains the cornerstone of the empire (its success founded on the unlikely sounding ʻBaby Doll T shirtʼ), the companyʼs 100% organic, retail quality brand, EarthPositive is quickly coming up on the rails – now representing around a third of global turnover. The company actively encourages the manufacture and supply of sustainable product.
Both brands sit well with the young target audience of 15 to 30-year-olds and with a super new webshop, mobile app in development and social networking profiles on Twitter and Facebook, Continental continues to push the envelope.
In addition to stock lines, there is also a Made to Order service, which represents about 30-40% of turnover. To aid customers, the MTO department produces seasonal collections of up to the minute prototype styles which appear on the website under the 'Continental Trends' heading. At the touch of a button, customers can view shapes, features, fabrics and dyes. Offering comparatively fast turnarounds, competitive prices and MOQs from just 150 pieces per size in a colour, the MTO service has grown exponentially over the last 10 years. A major landmark in recent history was the launch, in 2007, of Continentalʼs EarthPositive, which uniquely gave garment decorators a truly organic alternative with its impressive ethical credentials. Climate-neutral EarthPositive is made in factories that use renewable green energy and under a strict Code of Labour Practices, verified by the Fair Wear Foundation.
The awards for this great line of eco apparel speak for themselves, with recognition in the Climate Week Awards, Ethical Corporation Responsible Business
| 34 | August 2012
Fashionable, funky and famously climate conscious, Continental Clothing Company has got the lot. Its new 45,000sq distribution centre and offices in up and coming Queen’s Park, north London, are befitting a global organisation which, frankly, epitomises cool and has brought a much-needed contemporary look to the sometimes frustratingly samey printwear market. Editor, DEBBIE EALES reports.
Awards and Natural and Organic Awards, among others.
According to the companyʼs Head of Product and Sustainable Business Development, Mariusz Stochaj: “It continues to be the fastest growing product line, although new fabrics from Turkey are also showing strong performance. EarthPositive remains the most competitively priced and by far the largest range of certified organic T shirts and hoods in our market sector.” When I catch up with Mariusz heʼs still buzzing after a recent outing to the popular Hay on Wye literary festival, where he rubbed shoulders with a glittering cast of literati, including DJ/TV presenter, Chris Evans; comedian and author, David Walliams; conductor, Sir Simon Rattle and feminist, Germaine Greer. As someone who famously advocates sustainable supply chain management, Mariusz had been invited by the festival to take part in a debate on this subject, sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, together with Safia Minney, founder of fair trade fashion pioneer People Tree and Philip Colbert, the designer behind The Rodnik Band (notable for its wearable art).
Warehouse space
Interviewing Mariusz in Continentalʼs new showroom, he tells me that the move from Neasden was prompted by a number of factors. “Firstly, the opportunity to make a move because of the end of the lease. Secondly, an acute need for more warehousing space,” he told me. “We had 18,000sq ft in Neasden. We now have 45,000sq ft.
“At the moment, we have about a million garments in stock and we have loads of room to grow. The idea was to set it up in a way that allows growth but is also flexible enough and adaptable enough for the future.”
Although the company – which distributes directly – still has a warehouse in Berlin, a large number of European orders will be dispatched from London. Additionally, there are showrooms in Turin and Tokyo. In fact, Continental supplied climate neutral EarthPositive apparel for Tokyoʼs ʻzero carbonʼ Olympics bid. The Turin showroom, now well-established, was a means for Continental to gain a foothold in the Italian fashion market, which had proven difficult to break into without a presence.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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