William Cheung entered the fashion industry in a different manner than Shanghai Tang and Vivienne Tam. He started by working for a modest wholesaler known for its garment and apparel industries. He sharpened his design instincts by creating hit clothing things for the wholesale company. To ensure company, he needed to learn about the whole supply chain, from obtaining raw materials to manufacturing, sales and delivery. The business was flourishing but was not protected to the shortcomings of creative businesses. By opening his own boutique store, while working on reaching the mass market and ensuring a sizable production, his imagination was also examined by Cheung. After initial success, he needed to source affordable although trendy trends to feed customer demand. Opportunity brought him to South Korea, and together with a local designer, they made a name for themselves and chose to attend an exhibition in Paris. Regrettably, the experience brought them nothing but despair. Their products and image were not on level with other European brands. By that time, the manager of Cheung had sold the wholesale company and the manufacturing plant to him.
The setback in Paris induced him to rethink his business. He decided to focus on product innovation and brand-building, and with much effort got the acknowledgement of Galeries Lafayette - a Parisian department store famous for trendsetting. This instance shows how Cheung, in moving his company forward, was capable to beat the weaknesses of being an apparel wholesaler as well as a style retailer. It affords a discussion of Cheung was able to exploit and grow the wholesale company and move into branding and franchising. Research related to ambidexterity and creative business is also covered in the case. As Koyo Jeans strove for international success while Cheung's success was commendable, he confronted a number of challenges.
PUBLICATION DATE: September 26, 2011 PRODUCT #: W11205-PDF-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about LEADERSHIP & MANAGING PEOPLE
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