Entrepreneur in chief
An enterprising young man finds opportunity in vintage menswear
By Paul Albert PalmeroPhilippine Daily Inquirer
SHORT-SLEEVE chambray, one of themust-haves
“It all started last year, when I was a vintage curator and seller,” shares young entrepreneur Marvin Conanan. “The lack of online vintage menswear stores led me to create one.”
This was the foundation of Conanan’s business, and the rest is history. In an age when style seekers are easily converted into style setters, there is no other sound way of gaining ground than by venturing online. Such is the case of the 22-year-old De La Salle University marketing graduate, who never lost sight of imagination—tied to a single vision—and its vast potential. And so, naming his business came in a flash: “One night, I thought of the name ‘Chief,’ and everything just fell into place.” Eventually, the dream turned into realization, when early this year Conanan finally saw himself building his brand concept, constructing his own showroom and designing his own vintage-inspired clothing line until the April release of his first ever collection titled Beach Pack, in time for summer.
Online Inspiration
Retracing Conanan’s inspiration for Chief Clothing was not really a difficult task. A self-confessed 24/7 netizen, he credits his online exposure to his bottomless creative juices. Like any dynamic individual, Conanan stays on the lookout for whatever may shower him with newer ideas and concepts. “In my estimate, I believe I am exposed to over 500 online images every day.” And like any other creative person, we are no strangers to a folder titled “Inspirations,” which safely houses every morsel of idea and peg within the comforts of our desktop. In this age of social media, the next big idea might just hit you through a swish on your smart phone.
Not exactly a fan of trends, Conanan debunks the myth of bowing to seasonal shifts. He, however, wants his designs to remain “simple, well detailed, well constructed, classic and clean.”
The fashion renegade in him remains powerful more than ever. Conanan strives to offer something different-one that customers will remember to wear and keep forever. Looking beyond, his holiday collection is under wraps and its launch has been set for November. So far, Chief Clothing has mastered seasonal focus.
Summer’s Beach Pack collection brought to life tank tops and beach shorts. For fall, the brand has reinterpreted shirts and jackets in a bold new collection. Innovation is key—and dynamic—as Conanan could ever be.
“I’m trying to mix it up every season, hoping to put a new spin to your regular tees and jeans—as I provide more and more choices.” And just like that, online shopping has just become more fashionably diverse.
Chief Clothing’s showroom is at 1403 Apolinario St., Bangkal, Makati. Call 0917-5248812, e-mail at marvin.chief@yahoo.com, visit www.chiefclothing.com.
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Tags: Business , Lifestyle , Marvin Conanan
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