An Inside Look at What Aztex’s Doing With Custom Denim
Today’s consumers are keen to get their hands on something that’s unique and just for them—particular where their denim is concerned.
It’s a demand Mexico’s Aztex is working to supply, and so far, things have been going well for the company.
Carved in Blue caught up with Aztex’s Patricia Medina Cortes to find out what’s new and next for the company.
Carved in Blue: Can you tell us a little about Aztex?
Patricia: Aztex is a company that has over the past 25 years specialized in denim, starting from denim sourcing (Aztex started as the sourcing agency for Liz Claiborne, DKNY Jeans and Jones NY in Mexico) and developing denim products. We have developed for over 20 years complete collections for our customers working hand in hand with the major denim mills and denim producers in Mexico. We select and develop products in eight countries, not only following trends, but creating trends. These products are exhibited in the Denim Trend Display of Sourcing at Magic in Las Vegas and other shows.
We manufacture denim products in small minimums and in a quick response basis in Mexico, and manufacture denim products in big volumes out of Pakistan. We provide the full service to our customers, from research and development to logistics. We ship to all the world and offer
DDP to our customers in USA.
Carved in Blue: Can you tell us a bit about your custom denim program?
Patricia: Our custom denim program brand is “DenimbyU” This brand will be launched in November in our web page DenimbyU.com. This brand is focused to serve small manufacturers, retailers or e-tailers, as well as start-up brands that cannot buy the big minimums of denim nor have access to the latest washes in an affordable price and in a small minimum. The customers of DenimbyU will be able to have access in minimums of 198 pieces to premium denim products and customize the color, the wash, the trims, the finishes and brand the jeans with their own brand. The customers will be able to have access every three months to a new premium denim. For February, we will launch a collection TENCEL™ Denim. In order to achieve the big challenge of selling premium denim garments in very small volume, we had to work hand in hand with mills, store fabric for the customers, and develop small modular lines to produce the garments.
Carved in Blue: Why did you think now was the right time for this offering?
Patricia: In all the shows that we present, 80 percent of the customers that approach the booth and the Denim Trend Display are up-and-coming brands, designers that want to add denim to their collections, e-tailers and bloggers that want to offer denim to their followers and small chains of stores that want to buy products with their brand, that want to be able to select the color they want, the wash they want and the trims they want.
We are seeing the decline of the big retailers, the move of the consumers to buy from their home by internet. And at the same time, we are seeing a move toward personalization, the consumers want to belong to a group, to follow somebody that relates to them. They do not want to be “mass-ified.” This new group of brands that are servicing these consumers need a different kind of supplier to service their needs.
Carved in Blue: What has been the customer response?
Patricia: Very good, we have had response from customers both in USA as in Mexico, from the designer that wants to paint or embroider the products, to the ones that have already a T-shirt line with concept and want to increase their product line.
Carved in Blue: What’s your ultimate vision for denim by U?
Patricia: We envision DenimbyU as a platform in which virtually the designers could design their denim products, in which they could create their own virtual sample and in which they can send the order to the factory in such a way that the factory will cut, make and wash their products in a very quick way with special and sustainable technology that will allow it.
Carved in Blue: What’s next for Aztex?
Patricia: Coordinate supply chains of textile mills, manufacturers and laundries, both in Mexico and Pakistan to be able to provide the full service DDP in their warehouse to the customers. Add PDF garments and with the support of the new technologies, be able to create new surfaces, new colors and new effects into the finished products, offering in this way new options of personalization to our customers.
Carved in Blue: What inspires your denim creations?
Patricia: The creativity of the world supply chain. Every season we get amazed and inspired by the creativity of the fiber companies creating new fibers, or re-creating their fibers in new ways, of the creativity of the spinners, developing yarns with new characteristics, of the textile manufacturers that combine the yarns in unique ways, finish with new technologies and never give up creating. We get inspired by the machinery companies, that never stop to develop new machines to dye, print, sew, bond, wash or finish in new ways, creating wonders that we never even dreamed. And with the chemical companies that never cease to create new sustainable chemicals and new ways to apply it. But most important, we get inspired on the people, the people that dares to combine clothes that belong to different ages, in such a way that their outfit represents three generations and at the same time represents the new and unique generation.
Carved in Blue: What’s your favorite denim style this season?
Patricia: Wide leg pants. I think that skinnies have being around for a long time, and when the consumer tries again a wide leg, she, (and eventually he) will realize how comfortable it is.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Patricia: It means to me a community. A place I belong, where I feel I am part of a group that has the same philosophy of business, that has common interests and needs. It is a way to be close to what is happening in different parts of the world, but at the same time in our same denim world.