Talent Spotting: SavageSole Fashion Agency

MANCHESTER’S Northern Quarter is a shopping hot-spot for off the beaten track fashions. It’s the area for shoppers who want to get away from the predictability of the high street and take a walk on the wild (and much cooler) side. It’s also where you’ll find the fashion agencies hiding too.

We like to try and support British designed brands as much as possible.

If you’ve seen your dream dress in the window of what appears to be a shop, only to be warded off by a sign reading ‘Trade Only’, that’ll be an agency. One such agency, based on Tariff Street, Manchester, is SavageSole.

Owners, Sam Bush and Paul Savage represent brands such as Eucalyptus, Ruby Rocks, Blend, Friday On My Mind, Hedonia and Dainty Damsel. Lynda Moyo caught up with them to find out more about the agency that brings out the best in brands...

How did you start the business?

SB: Paul started the business it in 2002 and I joined in 2004. Before this, I was a retail manager for  Jones the Boot Maker, Kookai and Warehouse. I studied fashion and marketing at university in Manchester and that’s why I’m into construction, fabrics and prints. It really helps in this job.

PS: I worked for Red Or Dead for five years before setting up SavageSole. We were based over in Ducie House for a while, but it was too far out so we found this showroom.

How do agencies work exactly?

SB: We’re the inbetweenies! Brands that we work with use us to sell their brand to the retailers or shops. We get a commission every time we sell anything. Brands come to an agency because we have so many contacts and know the buyers. We deal with independents up to nationals – a really big range of customers. We also do mail order and special orders.

PS: The boutique side of the business is the most fun. They’re more excited about new ideas. They’re interested in making the shop look good.

Inside the SavageSole showroom

Which brands do you look after?

SB: We’ve got Ruby Rocks which is a print, colours range, Hedonia which is a British based label as seen on Jessie J, Made In Chelsea girls and Kelly Brook. 

We’ve also got Eucalyptus – a London-based dress brand. They’ve got a big following too. The Saturdays wear the younger, sister brand called Friday On My Mind. Kimberley Walsh has also worked with them.

Then there’s a Danish label called Blend – men’s and ladieswear. Roc & Doll is an independent British designer. They are Leeds based and have a very small collection. We also do Dainty Damsel jewellery.

How do you choose the brands to work with?

SB: Over the years we’ve settled down to have the brands we want. We have a brand base that works for us and they don’t conflict with each other. Sometimes brands approach us and other times we come across them and want to find out more.

We’ve been very lucky. Hedonia and Ruby Rocks came to us. With this industry you have to get your name out there and build your reputation. We’re an agency that really works hard – we don’t just out the stuff in a box in the corner! We also try and take brands on that want our involvement and our feedback. We’re not just a sales agency. We’re a bit of everything and try and get involved as much as possible.

Ruby Rocks Tea Dress At Matilda's Boutique

Which shops stock your brands?

SB: We’re mainly in the North of England and the Midlands, although we have dealt with national brands such as Urban Outfitters and Debenhams in the past.

PS: Resurrection and Love Lily in Liverpool, Ace and Therapy in Leeds and Ark clothing across the country.

In Manchester there’s Thunder Egg, McQueen, Fonda and Modiste. Then 25Ten in Rochdale, Miss Matilda’s Boutique in Preston  - a really quirky, cute little shop.

Zoot in Pontefract, Zilch in Blackpool, Beau Boutique in Carlisle and Zebra Boutique in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

There are lots. It’s mainly fashion boutiques on rthe women’s side. There’s also mail order - we deal with Joe Browns based in Leeds plus Littlewoods and Shop Direct.

What’s the price point for your brands in shops?

SB: Ruby Rocks is priced from about £45-50 upwards, Roc & Doll goes up to £200 for retail. With each brand we have made sure it doesn’t clash with our other brands style wise or price wise. That way we can approach different boutqiues. Hedonia is around £70-80 for a dress. Eucalyptus is between £60-80 for a dress and Blend is more high street.

We wouldn’t go much more expensive than these. Someone brought us a brand that was quite expensive the other day and I just couldn’t envisage enough stores that would be able to sell it. Roc & Doll is the most expensive we have.

The body Kelly Brook wore, in the centre of the SavageSole window

You’ve both worked in retail. Do you miss that side of the fashion industry?

SB: No!

PS: The correct response was ‘I love the general public and I miss them dearly.’

SB:  <laughs> It was difficult in retail because you work your way up to become area manager but then there just seems to be more problems to deal with. I wasn’t very good at telling people off when it needed to be done. I’m not that sort of person. Now we go to trade shows, meet designers and I get to give my feedback which is much better for me.

Would you ever consider making your own range/brand?

PS: We had a go at doing shoes some years ago with a retailer we were dealing with at the time. It’s tempting but I like the fact we can sell lots of different things. If we did our own thing we’d get tunnel vision.

SB: Yes. I think there are a lot of people out there who think if they go to the wholesalers, buy something and put their labels in the clothes it’s a brand.

That doesn’t make a brand. There’s a lot of hard work. Just because you’ve got some pretty dresses with your label in them doesn’t mean people will want to buy them. You need to build your brand and get media exposure. The outfit that is in the window was pictured on Kelly Brook and within half an hour it had sold out. If you can get product placement that can be really good.

Do you ever get people coming in off the street, thinking you’re a retailer?

SB: We do occasionally, but not as often as we used to. We can’t sell anything like that. These are our samples and we have to send them back at the end of the season.

What’s it like working in Manchester’s old rag trade district?

PS: There’s a nice sense of community around here. There’s not as many agencies as there used to be though. I think with the recession a few people packed it in. It’s not as busy as it used to but it is picking up again. It’s not easy running an agency.

You need brands, contacts and money to set it up. You get paid commission on invoice. Luckily there isn’t much competition between different agencies in Manchester as each agency deals with specific brands exclusively.

What’s a typical day at SavageSole Fashion Agency?

SB: Half our time is here in the showroom and half is out on the road visiting customers. Paul tends to go out on the road more.

PS: Yes, I’m in charge of the lifting, Sam’s in charge of the thinking.

What are your plans for the future?

PS: We’re looking for more men’s brands at the moment. There’s a new breed of men who have come through and are a lot more open to wearing things that are a bit different. There are lots of new silhouettes for men. Young men should have trends that 40-year-old blokes can’t jump on and that’s what is happening now.

SB: It’s a totally different way of selling to men. I did Jack and Jones for a year. Men know what they want. Women are more particular.

Do you follow trends?

SB: It’s good when you work with a brand that knows how to spot trends. Eucalyptus for example has already completed their A/W 2012 collection. Forecasting colours is always important. In January 2012 we’ll get our A/W 2012 samples sent through.

PS: I think the market is so fragmented now. There used to be big trends that everyone got behind, but now there are people who buy into certain kinds of looks that follow different trends.

SB: And fashions hang on now too. Leggings aren’t in fashion any more but they’re holding on because they’re easy to wear. We do denims too and whilst bootcut jeans are supposed to be back in fashion you don’t see many. Skinny jeans still reign.

PS: In the space of six months we’ve gone from hardly any men being seen wearing chinos to lads wearing every colour of chinos. It’s weird how quickly it changes. Men have been stuck in jeans for what feels like forever, so it’s great.

Hedonia Faux Fur

Do you attend lots of fashion weeks? 

SB: I have been to fashion weeks before but we tend to go to trade shows such as Bread and Butter in Berlin, Pure in London, Moda in Birmingham and CPH in Copenhagen. There are other ones but by that time you’re frazzled. There are so many.

Do the best brands come out of Europe then?

PS: American top-end fashion is very good but their mid-market doesn’t exist. We’ve been approached in the past by lots of hip-hop brands. Brands such as FUBU were amazing over there back in the day. It was the fourth biggest sportswear brand in America. Although hip-hop culture is big over here, the fashion that goes with it has never gained any attraction.

SB: We like to try and support British designed brands as much as possible. But if we got approached by someone brilliant we wouldn’t say no. We’ve done Italian brands before, Dutch too. We’ve got a Danish brand now – there’s a big fashion market over there despite how small it is.

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