CHAPTER 469: CHAPTER 469: MEN’S CLOTHING STORE

Zhao Jinmin immediately quit his job at the restaurant and didn’t even take his salary, showing that he was truly ready to burn his boats and fight one last time. As a young man, this is how it should be. To never admit defeat. One failure means nothing—it’s all about embracing the pressure and demonstrating boldness.

Qin Xiangnuan grew more and more appreciative of Zhao Jinmin.

She brought Zhao Jinmin to her studio, a two-story building she had rented, where machines were currently operating, but not many people were around. Since they focused on high-end products, they prioritized quality over quantity. The female workers’ sewing skills were excellent, and the machines were all the latest models. In this regard, Qin Xiangnuan always spent generously. Whenever there was a need for new machinery, she would buy it straight away. Cafe’s clothing requires a lot of handwork, such as buttons which are all handmade, and while they utilize the latest technology, certain parts still had to be fashioned by hand.

There were already a few people working here, operating on an eight-hour shift and taking one day off per week, with a meal subsidy, making it quite relaxing to work here. However, absolute delivery of results was required. Cafe’s clothing was unique — each piece was a masterpiece. Consequently, while they paid high wages, it was also a significant test of the workers’ skills.

Qin Xiangnuan oversaw the final touches herself, often dealing with tasks requiring handwork. The Cafe brand focused exclusively on quality and high-end products without branching into mass production or opening franchise stores. If it were just about making money, one store was enough—and the money she and Jian Zhiqing had earned in recent years from internet cafes had been invested in real estate, ensuring they would never be short of cash in the future.

She had never considered starting a large clothing company; she liked to run a small store, make the clothes she wanted, and follow a high-end, luxurious route.

There’s always a buyer if there’s a seller. Cafe’s positioning was very high, often costing several times more than ordinary clothes, yet it sold well, even her handmade clothes could sell for thousands of yuan per piece, and there were always customers ordering and buying.

She discussed the idea of separating the men’s and women’s clothing lines with Zhao Jinmin. He thought about it for a long time and felt it was feasible, particularly since men’s clothes had a higher positioning than women’s. Men and women are different; women may look at style, but men wear taste — stability, success, and sophistication. Pricing can be higher than women’s clothing, and men will still spend the money because, unlike women, they’re not constantly unable to find something to wear.

With just one seasonal visit to the store, the men’s clothing store would do quite well.

Qin Xiangnuan felt the same way. In fact, she preferred designing men’s clothing to women’s. It couldn’t be helped—who would’ve thought she would have a husband who was perfect for trying all her designed clothes on after she arrived in Capital City?

Since they were making ready-to-wear clothes, why not open a men’s department? Then, the men in her family wouldn’t have to worry about what to wear; she could just pick something for them. And then there was her father-in-law—well, better left unsaid, but he did prefer to compete with his son over clothes.

After Zhao Jinmin joined, he was very confident about what he had to do. His expertise was in marketing. With a clear vision for managing the men’s clothing store, he believed that by following his plan, the store would make a name for itself and business would keep coming.

Qin Xiangnuan handed over all matters of the men’s clothing store to him, practicing the principle of "trust in those you employ and do not employ those you cannot trust." She wouldn’t interfere with the men’s department; her task was to draw designs for Jian Zhiqing every day, visualizing each piece on him, which naturally brought incredible dedication.

Once the design was complete, the studio would start the production.

Being a man, Zhao Jinmin had a male perspective, and looking at the designs, he couldn’t help but sigh, wondering if Fenghua Fashion Company would have occupied an indispensable place in the domestic market by now if they had chosen Qin Xiangnuan instead of Liu Xiaohua, who could only draw abstract art. But that was a fleeting thought—as given Qin Xiangnuan’s temperament, she likely wouldn’t have joined Fenghua, possibly feeling like a novice pushed into deep waters by her mentor.

Although their acquaintance was brief, he felt that Qin Xiangnuan preferred the high-end route. The quantity of clothing didn’t matter as long as the quality was assured. In both design and production, she was extremely demanding about every detail. Some processes had to be done by her, which made sense since Cafe had only been open for less than a year but had already built a good clientele.

Currently, Cafe’s main focus was women’s clothing, and the men’s line was less prominent. Now, separating men’s and women’s clothing was indeed the right choice.

The domestic fashion market was just starting anew. Although various international brands had entered the market, there was still a gap in domestic men’s fashion. If Cafe were to launch a men’s line now, he felt they could compete with these major international brands—it was still uncertain who would win or lose.

While international brands might be more famous, the style and quality of Cafe’s clothing were top-notch and particularly suited for Eastern people — he believed Café’s target consumer group would definitely not be small.

This thought boosted his confidence further, and he rubbed his hands together, ready to make a big impact.

The Cafe men’s clothing store was located next to the women’s store. The women’s side was originally quite large, and now they had split it in half to open the men’s store, yet the space was still impressively large.

The men’s section was designed with simplicity in mind, without too many complex elements. The light gray walls gave a stable and sophisticated atmosphere, and the white geometric counters were angular, not smooth, but showcased character. Inside, several male mannequins awaited to be dressed in the new clothing.

Qin Xiangnuan also planned to spend a substantial amount on advertising.

For the models, she didn’t seek celebrities but chose people of various ages: a teenager around seventeen or eighteen, a young man in his twenties, a successful man around thirty, and middle-aged and older men in their fifties.

The shop had not yet opened, but the advertisements were already well-known throughout Capital City.

Just before the new year, the men’s clothing store opened, and clothes filled the entire showroom.

The shop assistants were young girls newly recruited, wearing the same uniforms as those in the women’s shop next door. Selling clothes was one aspect, but their uniforms were identical too.