Tatiana Zatravina: "Our cardigans have become a legend"
The MM platform begins a series of publications dedicated to answers to the most pressing questions that help partners and customers make the right choice.
Today, the creator and inspirer of the brand Free Age, which produces the most exquisite cashmere in Russia, Tatiana Zatravina will tell you which of the things of the brand should be chosen by the buyer in the first place.
There are thousands of brands in the world, and dozens of them specialize in high-end knitwear and cashmere clothing. Why should buyers pay attention to the Free Age?
The buyers who come to us work in the "medium+" and "premium" segments, a priori requiring a deeper approach. At the same time, some choose for monobutics, others for projects that represent only Russian brands, others may well put Re Vera, Max Mara and little-known European brands next to each other.
I travel a lot for work, because just sending a lookbook for a long time does not give anything. Yes, we send a lot of samples, but nothing can replace personal communication with partners. Well, the indisputable advantage of Russian manufacturers for buyers, in addition to the quality that can already be found today, there are no problems with sorting during the season, a short shoulder in terms of logistics, customs, and this is immediately minus 30% of the price from European brands. In addition, Russian brands capture the desires of their customers literally on the fly, they are well versed in fashion and style.
– If only one of your things had to be put in this buyer's basket, what would you choose?
Of course, our cardigans. They have already become a legend. In winter we make them in cashmere, in summer in silk. This is a magnificent elongated classic cardigan with a two-thirds sleeve, an elegant slit at the cuff; a thing that emphasizes everything that every woman dreams of emphasizing: a thin wrist, neck, lightness and smooth lines. It is so incomparable that those who bought it once, without exaggeration, wear it without taking it off.
– You have returned to the premium segment and angora, which most customers of the middle and older generation associate with unkempt sweaters and shedding bonnets from the 90s.
Yes, it is. And it all started by chance: a client came to us, admired the clothes for a long time, and then sighed: well, why is everything gray and beige, I want color, luxury, softness. And at that time we had a bobbin of pink angora in our samples. So we connected the first model, which turned out to be just a bomb: everyone who saw her fell in love once and for all, and Instagram was filled with clients in our pink cardigans. Now we have a lot of angora: jumpers, cardigans, sweaters, and all this is selling great. Any client, when she sees a thing from angora, first of all picks it up. So I heartily recommend that buyers pay attention to it, especially since in the coming seasons we will work very closely with this yarn. At the same time, angora is really a complex raw material, and things from it, like from any natural raw materials, require special care.
– If the so-called average buyer asks you to describe in a few words which client you are doing your stuff for, then you will answer…
– It's very simple and complicated at the same time. My designers often say: "We want to dress you. You are our model and the ideal of a client. To this, I always answer that they are wrong, because when I come home, my 23-year-old daughter meets me, who also loves our things, happens to be in about the same places as me, but, for example, her income is significantly lower. Therefore, our task is to create clothes that combine the concepts of style at any age. We are not on hype, our style is classic with elements of luxury. We pay special attention to the relevance of the model, planting, raw materials, finishes and accessories. In short, our client is an educated resident of a big city who appreciates comfort, travels a lot, loves life and herself. Our trademark, by the way, is a wolf in one of the most difficult yoga poses. He is calm, purposeful, loves himself and takes care of himself and his loved ones. He is a philosopher, an observer, but – when needed – and an active figure. Style, confidence and comfort are what we most want to convey to partners and customers through our collections.
Photo: Free Age