We run a slow fashion business.
In our catalogue, about 10% of products change each year. The longest product life cycles are up to 10 years. Of course, our product turnover has increased since I first joined the collection team. But it’s an advantage to be able to admit when you’ve made the wrong decision, when you haven’t thought things through enough – and when you’ve overthought them. For example, we’re now bringing back the detachable-sleeve jacket. This time its looks are on the same level as its functionality.
The world has become more hectic, and fashion cycles have shrunk to just a few weeks. We still do things with care. It’s a definite competitive edge that we can make quick changes to product details. We have this legendary “next sensible batch” way of thinking. We can do this partly because we’ve invested so heavily in near-shore production, and partly because we have product development in Leppävirta. We keep fine-tuning a product until its functionality is optimal in relation to its price.
At Dimex, we look for long-term partners. It’s easier to find and demand high quality when you work in a long-term way. Our cooperation with YKK and 3M is a good example of this.
In terms of design, however, we belong to the slow fashion school. In our view, a garment can look good for more than one season. Certification requirements make product design more challenging. Companies want continuity in their workwear. A good-looking garment strengthens their brand, and new guys need to get the same jacket as the rest of the crew. When the constraints are tighter and the cycle is longer, creativity and innovation become even more important.
The sales team and the people in production/product design sit close to each other. It’s important to keep the threshold for asking questions and sharing information low. In the sales team we often say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” We try hard to stick to that.
Once a product has been designed and gone into production, the same slow fashion continues in sales. You have to dare to propose deals and present new products. We still want to serve the customer in a way that lets us work together in the long term, only promising things we can commit to tomorrow as well – and that we can definitely deliver. We’ve received excellent ratings for our customer service, surely at least partly thanks to this approach. We know we still have to improve, and we must learn from our mistakes.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Keep the pulse up, keep the energy high, keep the pace going – but stay off the shoulder of the road!
Tuire Krogerus
Partner – Sales and Product Development
Chair of the Board
tuire.krogerus@dimex.fi
