Electric Love Army: How a PR Maven and a VC Got Into Fashion
When should a venture capitalist and a PR maven start a fashion design/retail business? When the partners are Kelly Cutrone and Chris Burch. Cutrone, proprietress of the PR shop People's Revolution, author, and scene-stealing reality-show star hooked up with Burch (a venture capitalist and designer Tory Burch's ex) to form Electric Love Army, a sportswear collection that will be sold in eponymous boutiques beginning next year.
Given Cutrone's controversial persona, at first blush, the plan sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen. However, pushing past on-camera drama and digging into Burch's background shows why it just might work.
The lady has balls
Having thick skin in an insidious industry like fashion is a definite plus. Cutrone's proven time and again on television that she's no shrinking violet (her outspoken attitude has gotten her into plenty of hot water and even fired by certain clients).
It's something she's cultivated in her 20+ year career. Cutrone landed in NYC in the 80s armed with a nursing degree and a lot of chutzpah. She's lost half her business, battled drug addiction, and seen the cancellation of her show Kell On Earth. Still, she keeps on trucking, even dispensing such advice as, "gather up your courage like an armful of free clothes at a McQueen sample sale" and "celebrate the magic inside of yourself" in her book If You Have to Cry, Go Outside.
The dude's got cred
In addition to accumulating acumen as a venture capitalist (think investments in Aliph Jawbone, Voss water and Color Kinetics), Chris Burch is still at the helm of ex-wife Tory Burch's successful atelier. Tory Burch was launched in 2004 as a lifestyle concept with multiple product categories, including ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes and jewelry. Tory Burch boutiques have since expanded across the country and into Europe and Asia and branded apparel and accessories are also sold in all manner of high-end shops and through an eponymous e-commerce site.
Not content to leave such an important thing as sourcing to others, WWD reports that Burch stays very much in the manufacturing trenches with his management team. Together they visit about 1,000 factories a year, sometimes for up to six weeks at a time:
I try to visit every factory that we use to form a relationship with the manager or owner to make sure they understand how important they are to our company. I'm not sure that's normal for most people in the fashion industry.
Maintaining relationships with key suppliers can mean the difference between a razor thin margin on a silk blouse, or one that has a built-in cushion.
Strong concept
Perhaps even more compelling than clothing priced between $30 to $300 is Cutrone's concept for the collection. Rather than reference disproportionately diminutive bodies or the current craze for uber-feminine silhouettes of the 50s, Cutrone is focused on empowered women. As such, she's touting a variety of daring design muses such as Cher, Debbie Harry circa the Blondie era, and bad girl rocker Joan Jett. In other words, something stylishly strong for every body. Can you say ka-ching?
Image via 123Nonstop CC .0