WHAT'S THE STORY 071 RETHINK
ONE FOR ALL… …and all for Club Homeboy. Jürgen Wolf has pulled off quite a coup. He managed to gather the “who-is-who” of the right retailers around a table and conceived a collection that bundles the experience and expertise of all participants in a joint concept. From an economical point of view, no other (private) label can compete with this approach. Text: Isabel Faiss. Photo: Club Homeboy
Jürgen Wolf has already done pretty much everything one can do. He started his career in sales, practically founded the Homeboy brand on a return flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, acquired the largest action sport publisher in 1998, and lost just about everything overnight due to a failed IPO. He used the unexpected break for activities outside the industry and was therefore able to look at the street wear market from the outside through the eyes of an insider. It was an exciting change of perspective which showed him that there is a large target group of men around 40, who grew up with skate and street wear in the 1990s, but have now literally outgrown that particular fashion segment. Jürgen Wolf could write many books about the cultural roots of skate and street wear; it is also the story of his own youth. In 2013, the idea of re-launching Homeboy as a grown-up brand for a new customer type seemed pretty obvious. “I believed that the gap between street wear and menswear was simply too big and the more I considered the topic, the more I saw the demand in the market.”Thus, the idea for Club Homeboy was born. “I wanted to sit down with a handful of multi-brand retailers and design a collection together; a collection that gives all parties what they need. I already knew all the partners I wanted, so I casually called them and invited them to meet up. Among those present were - among others - Reischmann,
Yeanshalle, and Wöhrl. We exchanged opinions and I presented my thoughts on the market and the target audience.” After three hours it became very clear that we all had the same problem and that the idea was excellent.
10 PERCENT CLUB FEE There are six collections per year. During the first meeting, Jürgen Wolf presents his collection idea for the next six months, but he only showcases the top range items to be discussed. Then he and his team analyse the feedback and incorporate the commercial element. “The ultimate result is a sample collection that has been developed and sharpened together. It is subsequently delivered eight weeks later, which means that the order is very close to the delivery date. The implementation of fashionable rush jobs is part of the concept. I pass on all items to the club members for the production price. This means we can launch products with an incredible margin that is higher than that of any other private label. As a reward, I take 10 percent of the retail price as a club fee, which includes the costs for design, production, and marketing.” At the end of this year, Club Homeboy will face its baptism of fire when it has to prove itself in the retailing world for the very first time.
“WHEN WE AGREE WITHIN THE CLUB TO ALL REDUCE THE PRICE OF INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS ON THE SAME DAY AND NOBODY ATTEMPTS A SOLO EFFORT, THEN THAT IS ONE OF THE MANY BENEFITS THAT CLUB HOMEBOY CAN OFFER THE RETAIL INDUSTRY.” – JÜRGEN WOLF
style in progress 415
