Style Labels opts for sustainable children’s fashion
Quapi and Levv, they are two children’s fashion labels, each with its own face. The parent company of both brands is the Dutch Style Labels, which is working hard on the international scene and collaborates behind the scenes with TCOG. A new milestone is that Levv is the first children’s clothing brand to launch a newborn collection that is completely fair trade, at an appropriate time, during the Fairtrade Cotton Week.
Ten years ago Monique van der Staay started Quapi Kidswear, a children’s fashion brand that stands for comfortable, high quality clothing. From the desire to introduce multiple labels to the market, Style Labels was born in 2017. Suzanne Bays, co-owner and sister of the founder, explains how the company has already outgrown the company three times. “Hence, we picked our current headquarters in Hendrik Ido Ambacht four years ago on growth,” she says. “When we moved into the large premises, we thought: now we can add a brand.”
Strong and close-knit team
And so in 2018 Levv Girls was born. The girls’ label quickly grew into a full-fledged children’s brand for girls and boys with a large size range. Quapi also now has three collections: a newborn, mini and children’s collection. “Both brands really have their own face,” says Bays. “Where Quapi is very colorful, Levv is characterized by quiet colors and prints. From our headquarters we complete the entire process: from styling to sales, marketing and distribution. My sister and I complement each other perfectly: she is the creative brain, I am very businesslike. Over the years we have gathered a strong, close-knit team of 24 people, all with a lot of experience and passion for fashion. We work closely together to realize and sell the collections: we really do it together.”
Good basis for further growth
With the growth of the company, Style Labels needed a good ERP system in 2015. After discussions with several parties, there was the best click with TCOG. “We were looking for a partner who can offer a complete package, with which we can control our entire company. From production to warehouse,” says Laura Stolk, Online Business Developer at Style Labels. “TCOG has a lot of experience in the fashion industry. We benefit greatly from that, because they know exactly what’s going on in the market. ItSuitsFashion, TCOG’s fashion total solution, offers all the functionality a fashion company needs, including sizes, colors, seasons and collections. It really is the foundation of our business. A big advantage is that all product data only needs to be entered once, after which all data is seamlessly synchronized with other applications.”
Visibility is key
Style Labels’ brands are sold at various children’s clothing stores, multi-brand stores and online shops. Step by step, the company is also expanding its e-commerce activities further, in collaboration with TCOG. “In the current market it is impossible for a brand not to have its own webshop,” Stolk states. “It is a business card and also a good promotion. The better known our brands are, the better our customers also sell them. We believe in that.” TCOG, together with partner Tinx-IT, provided an integrated e-commerce solution. A partnership with ChannelEngine provides Style Labels with access to international, online marketplaces. “It is important to be visible on these channels as well,” continues Stolk. “Very nice is that TCOG not only knows how to realize these kinds of steps quickly, but also thinks along with us about cost efficiency.”
Fairtrade baby collection
Sustainability is an important pillar in the children’s fashion market. “We are therefore very proud that with Levv we are the first Dutch children’s clothing brand to launch a newborn collection that is completely fairtrade,” says Bays. For this collection we use organic cotton that feels wonderfully soft. It’s the very best thing available at the moment for both people and the world, and how wonderful is it to start with babies? Our goal is to use organic cotton for all newborn collections of Levv and Quapi in the future, and in the future for all collections of our brands. This is already a very nice first step.”
Dedication and enthusiasm
What the future holds for Style Labels? “We don’t plan too far ahead; we’ve never had a five-year plan,” says Bays. “But of course we are thinking about where we want to go with the company. Growing further abroad is definitely our ambition. And I don’t rule out expanding the brand portfolio further in the future. We are always looking for new opportunities. However, the world changes so quickly that many things cannot be planned. So far, dedication, enthusiasm and hard work have brought us a long way. Growth and progress come almost naturally to us. Of course, it is important to be surrounded by the right people and partners.” Entrepreneurship with her sister Bays calls “the best thing that ever happened to her. “We leave each other very free, but all the important decisions we make, we make together.”
