Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Find Out What Segment of the Garment Industry is Still Going Strong. Meet Steve Steinberg of QST Industries, leading supplier of innovative men’s, women’s and children’s apparel construction components. Part 2
BG: How do you handle companies changing their designs during the entire process?
SS: We get called in after a company does all the initial SPECS. “We like this, but it’s for example, yarn dyed. Can you do this printed, so we can save money?”, “How can you make it look like this, but bring the cost down?” So we’ll go back and see what we can do. You may design a fabric at $9.75/ yard, but they come back with, “In order to fit into our price range, we need it at $6.75.” So you could look at China, instead of 100% wool substitute for a poly-wool. There are so many different ways of making an item similar to what is being designed but what you want to pay. Designers love to see beautiful things but that doesn’t always sell. That’s what the students at FIT have to realize; you’re going to have to compromise, same as in life.
BG: Something I didn’t understand when I first entered the industry was that I would always look for the cheapest price. Now I see that when you pay a little more, it comes with something.
SS: We have higher overhead than a little factory but you get something for that overhead. If you’re dealing with down and dirty sometimes it is just price, but if you want other things…
BG: If something goes wrong, who are you going to call?
SS: Right, that’s what we tell ‘em.
BG: When I was working with QST previously, I remember how efficient the process worked.
SS: Say you design something; we’ll take it and put it on a CAD. Once you approve it, we’ll go into production. We print our own waistbands, our own fabric for the waistbands, so it’s a lot less quantity needed and it works pretty quick. We can usually do something in three to four weeks.
BG: I believe many companies abuse licensees. They bring in a fabric and want your product to mimic that one and they want it for a specific price as well. Therefore to bring them this product for low cost, everyone down the pipeline is going to be squeezed.
SS: Absolutely, we find that all the time. You have to change the fabric, the pocketing, the zipper and you have to find a place that will make it cheap enough. You sort of have to knock it off. It’s like going to the street and buying the Rolex with three Xs. Polo is my biggest account and what I like is that they still demand that they don’t take shortcuts.
BG: You have so much wisdom about the industry, and young designers and fashion industry types could really learn a lot from you.
SS: I belong to an organization called the NY/NJ Designers Club. We meet three to four times a year and we’re trying to put something together at FIT. Our first guest will probably be Joseph Abboud and it will be very informal talking about the industry. It’ll be a take on Actors Studio. We’ll ask him questions and then the audience can ask some too. We’re going to try to do it twice a year, and we’re going to try and do it in a forum like FIT.
Steve Steinberg of QST (left) and Leigh Lumford of PinkyShears (right)
The details are what create more than just a shirt. They transform the basic into the luxurious and someone has to do it. Steinberg could have been a lawyer but there was something in this business that drew him in and has kept him excited. He does not design clothing, and admittedly cannot sew but he is a passionate salesman and appreciates any and all business.
BG: How is it that QST was able to work with beginning designers?
SS: Often it’s as time consuming as working with, for example Polo, but you never know who they will become. I believe we should help other people in our industry. Most of the people I deal with never become big, but what is it to me, just some time?
Tags: advice, FIT, licensing, Q and A, QST Industries, Steve Steinberg, Wal-Mart
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December 18th, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Brandon and Steve, Good article, how has your response been so far?
December 19th, 2009 at 9:31 PM
The response has been good. I received a couple personal emails on this article basically saying they appreciated how this and other fashion articles are more in depth. The following on Facebook is steadily increasing too.