Corporate Clothing Designers / Manufacturers - The Style Factory - South Africa

<body> <p>This page uses frames, but your browser doesn't support them.</p> MISSION STATEMENT Chantal Gussenhoven Chantel started her career in Advertising and worked in Client Service for 4 years at Hunt Lascaris TBWA. She then left to join Miss World Fasions where she designed and oversaw the production of the boutique line Anneline Kriel was endorsing . With three valuable years in the fasion industry, Chantel moved on to corporate clothing and started her own firm serving small corporate clients. This She Ran for 18 months before joining forces with Costa in April 1996. Costa Carastavrakis A Johannesburger at heart, Costa studied Business Science, Marketing at UCT in Cape Town, and graduated with honours. His professional career started in Durban where he worked in Brand Management for lever Brothers. Costa then moved overseas and worked in London and Miami before, returning to South Africa in 1995. He moved into advertising and worked at Hunt Lascaris in client service before joining Chantal to form The Style Factory. 3rd Floor Genop House 15 Hulbert Street New Centre Johannesburg stylefactory@zamail.co.za Suite 138 Private Bag X9 Benmore 2010 Tel: +27 11 493 1276 Fax +27 11 493 1276 TRADEPAGE THE STYLE FACTORY DIFFERENCE We are young, dynamic movers in the corporate clothing industry, who are building our company on unvarying levels of outstanding service. We have the edge on our competitors for the following reasons DESIGN We tackle the most challenging design briefs with enthusiasm and flair. Our fresh and innovative designs blend timeless fashion with functional, durable and job-specific corporatewear. OWN MANUFACTURING FACILITY We have our own manufacturing facility in Selby, Johannesburg CBD, where all creative, design, production, distribution and admin tasks are carried out. OPEN PLAN PRODUCTION We believe in an open plan production system. The entire factory is under one roof, on one floor. This allows for close interaction, supervision, integration and monitoring of overall productivity and quality control at every level of the process. EFFECTIVE SIZE ADVANTAGE We are a medium sized firm and are proud to say that our size crates a highly effective forum that enables us to know every detail pertinent to the processing of our client’s orders. This ensures that nothing misses our eye on quality and productivity. DISTRIBUTION CENTRE We guarantee full nation-wide and international service distribution to our clients. All our orders are professionally packaged and dispatched from our premises. Fully insured against theft and fire and secured through the services of a 24 hour armed response company. All road deliveries are undertaken by our own distribution vehicles, with all goods in transit fully insured. DELIVERY RECORD Through the complete integration of our business operation, the effective delivery of all orders on time has become something of a symbol of pride to the company. We encourage you to check this with our clients. EXPERTISE Our expertise in corporatewear is evident in our growing list of blue chip clients who trust us with all their apparel needs; Inter-Continental, Sun International, Beachcomber / Absolute Tours, City Lodge Group, The Don Suite Hotels, Pick ‘n Pay Hypers, Pleasure Foods (Whistle Stop, Milky Lane), to name but a few. SERVICE Our Company orientation is client based. While others may be production driven, we believe that by concentrating on client satisfaction our business will thrive. Our current list of clients testifies that when it comes to service after the order is placed, we come first every time. CLIENT LIST Food Industry Whistle Stop Fast Food Franchise Milky Lane Market café – Pick n Pay Hypermarket Cosmetics Industry Christian Dior SA Yardley SA Justine/ Avon Clarins Hotel Industry South Africa Sun International: Carnival City The Sun City Hotel The Don Suite Hotels City Lodge Group/ Town Lodge SA Courtyard Hotel – Rosebank Courtyard Hotel – Arcadia Courtyard Hotel – Sandton Alpine Heath Resort Best Western Nelspruit United Arab Emirates Royal Mirage (Sun International-Dubai) Intercontinental AbuDhabi Airlines and Travel Beachcomber/Absolute Tours Other Hunt Lascaris TBWA The Document Exchange (Docex) PRESS COVERAGE Cosmopolitan Magazine (August 1999) CHANTAL GUSSENHOVEN, 29, AND COSTA CARASTAVRAKIS, 29 Corporate – uniform manufacturers The Style Factory has savoir-faire. This is the only plausible explanation for its extensive client base, which boasts such names as Christian Dior SA, Edgars Red Square and The Don Suite Hotels. The tenacious team behind the successful business consists of partners Chantal and Costa. Combining Chantal’s flair for designing and experience in production with Costa’s solid background in business science and marketing, the two have managed to punt their company as a leading corporate-uniform manufacturer locally. Costa explains that the service they offer is complete, from designing the uniforms to manufacturing them, culminating in the actual product. The Style Factory’s difference, say the Johannesburg partners, lies in its emphasis on high service standards and customer satisfaction. ‘IN A DEPRESSED ENVIRONMENT, GET SUCCESS WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE.’ Style Magazine (October 1997) BACK TO THE CBD Bureaucrats are once again trying to save the inner city, Who cares? Certainly not the inner city. It doesn't needs bureaucrats. It needs people with vision and people who want to let there hair down. Sunday Independent Business Report (March 1999) STREET SMARTS Chantal Gussenhoven and Costa Carastavrakis of The Style Factory are two young entrepreneurs who have moved back to the Johnannesburg CBD in search of cheap rentals and good infrastructure. SMALL BUSINESS EMBRACE CBDs WHERE OTHER FLEE Gavin Kallman While Johannesburg’s once-glittering CBD has long turned its back on its former heyday, Cape Town and Durban property owners in the city centers are also reaching for the panic buttons as they watch highpaying clients take flight to other areas. But there are others who believe those at the top are mistaking change for decline. With smaller asset bases and shorter cash lines, they don’t have time to wait to be saved and are instead doing it for themselves. Take Chantel Gussenhoven and Costa Carastavrakis, co-owners of The Style Factory, a uniform manufacturer, who believe the City of Gold still has much to offer go-getters seeking their fortunes. Launched in April 1996, The Style Factory is a typical example of young entrepreneurs making the most of (hidden) opportunities. Where others see crime and grime, they see a chance to make money: they reversed the usual trend and moved their business to the CBD from Johannesburg’s northern suburbs in October 1996. Costa described it as a pure business secession: "We decided to move to town as there is tons of space and rent is low. It makes perfect sense as our auxiliary suppliers are here, our staff can get home quickly and infrastructure in the CBD is good. An indication of how well a concern like The Style Factory is doing in downtown Johannesburg is that its turnover has tripled in the past year, while its staff has doubled to 30. The Style Factory is involved in all aspects of the uniform business, from design through to manufacture and nationwide distribution. "Creating a niche for ourselves as a one-stop shop has really paid off," Chantal said Designing uniforms for clientele varying from Milky Lane to the City Lodge Group, the company is small enough to adopt a flexible approach to their clients’ varied needs. Adopting progressive business practice, The Style Factory has seen to it that its staff know all aspects of the trade, and can lend a hand at any stage in the production of a uniform. By working smartly, the two have ensured loyalty among their staff, who feel a collective pride in their craft. – Johannesburg </body>