Fashion Genius Collects Stars - Chapter 105



Only Noblemtl

Episode 105 Breathe, Breathe

“There is a problem.”

In the exquisite harmony of beef, sesame oil, and salt, Dongwook’s brother’s voice suddenly slipped into my ears.

“What’s the problem?”

Rather than answering, I just asked the question reflexively, as if I was poking someone and making a “pop!” sound.

With his eyes and hands, he watched the grill like a hungry eagle, aiming for the most deliciously cooked piece of beef.

Sasaat!

But my chopsticks were a little faster than Baek Dong-soo’s.

Scary guy. He knows the fattest beef.

But I was faster, right?

Baek Dong-su, whose face was distorted with regret, put a piece of freshly slaughtered beef in his mouth as a side dish.

I heard Dongwook hyung’s words amidst the savory taste that was sticking to my tongue.

“60% to 70% of our sales come from collaboration products with .”

“What is that?”

“In reality, the customers who are driving our sales are not those who came to us after seeing our brand, but those who were originally interested in .”

“ah.”

Come to think of it, the guests yesterday also talked about that a lot.

‘There is no store in Korea, so I really wanted to come and see it.’

‘Wow! The day has come when I can buy products before my American friends!’

‘Has there been any talk of a store in Korea?’

Although not all of the customers who said such things bought the collaboration products, the power of the brand could be felt.

Most people have probably never heard of the name , but there are fans who come here on purpose after hearing the news.

In contrast, how shallow is the fan base of ?

Where have all our comrades gone who used to set the Internet ablaze, cheering for us to succeed, and asking us to put a stop to Japan’s pride?

Dongwook hyung looked at me and said while putting beef in his mouth.

“Do you know what I’m trying to say?”

Me too.

You’re throwing out such a problem and eating beef all by yourself.

Dong-wook’s brother’s intentions in eliminating his rivals were not ordinary.

widely.

I put down my chopsticks and stroked my chin.

“In the end, it’s the same problem. Our brand image hasn’t taken root in people’s minds yet.”

“Yeah, it’s become an issue, but that’s it. There are no solid fans.”

“Is it not working even though we sold 400,000 pieces of clothing last season?”

“Because we entered a completely different market than back then. And even back then, not all of those customers were our fans. It was more like a trend that became a hot issue.”

“That’s true… … .”

Creating a brand is such a difficult task.

You can tell just by looking at the restaurant.

How many times have YouTubers or celebrities with hundreds of thousands of influence opened restaurants or cafes only to fail?

They start out with an overwhelming promotional opportunity compared to just any neighborhood store, and even have their own fan base to support them.

And yet, most of them fail.

It’s like kneeling in front of restaurants and cafes that have been quietly running their neighborhood businesses for five or ten years without a single opportunity like that.

If people are the most generous when it comes to restaurants and cafes, how much more so when it comes to clothes?

After all, a business built on a one-time, flashy issue cannot beat a business that has become a habit.

A brand that I habitually look for when I think, ‘Ah, I need to buy clothes.’

A brand that you naturally head to when you come to a department store or stop by Gangnam Street. The power of such brands. We didn’t have that yet.

Dongwook also put down his chopsticks and spoke.

“Eventually, the collaboration effect with will end. At most, this season. If we’re unlucky, the effect may wear off before the season ends. I don’t know how many fans has in Korea, let alone in the US.”

As the atmosphere between the two of us became serious, Baek Dong-soo’s chopsticks, which had been moving busily, also slowed down.

But he never stopped, just taking the meat carefully while keeping an eye on the situation.

‘That son of a bitch.’

I spoke a little faster, conscious of the guy.

“Ultimately, we need to increase our fan base. How do we do that?”

“We have to do it like this.”

“Like now?”

“Yeah. Our sales today were 120 million won. All together.”

“yes.”

“After deducting department store commissions, labor costs, cost of goods sold, and other miscellaneous expenses, the profit is just under 50 million won, right?”

I was a little surprised by that.

“Huh? The profit is lower than expected? Didn’t the margin increase significantly because the price was raised?”

“The margin compared to the cost price has increased. But the department store commission alone is 25%, the rent for the Gangnam store is no joke, and if you also consider the depreciation of the interior, then this is right.”

“Ugh… … . It’s not easy.”

“But this is okay. Do you know what percentage I’m estimating the operating profit margin of my department store in advance?”

“How much is it?”

“25%”

“That’s all there is to it? So out of 50 million won in sales, the profit is 12.5 million won?”

“yes.”

“why?”

“That’s actually a lot. Usually, department store stores have a margin of around 10%.”

“That much?”

“Yes. The department store doesn’t just take a 25% commission. We also have to pay all the promotional costs.”

“omg…….”

“But it’s still a blessing. We need to be in a department store so that our brand power, which we so desperately desire, can grow.”

Dongwook said with a frown.

“But how did we manage to make a profit of 25%? What is the secret behind this overwhelming operating profit rate? That’s the story I’m trying to tell.”

“What is the reason?”

“What is it? It’s because we barely do any marketing.”

“uh?”

Dongwook laughed, his big face distorted in an ugly way.

“There is a really great designer who keeps creating issues, so our brand keeps getting exposure even without us doing any separate marketing.”

“… … Is this my story?”

“Of course it’s your story! So. Keep making issues like you are now. That’s it. If we save on marketing costs and continue to establish ourselves and make our name known, we’ll be able to have our own fan base. So what if it’s a flash in the pan? If it continues, it’s just a flash in the pan. Okay?”

You want me to create an issue?

I just got a little dizzy.

“How do you do that?”

Then Dongwook hyung hit me on the back and said, “Bam! Bam!”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing now. Just keep doing what you’re doing now. Don’t stop! If you can’t create an issue, our won’t be able to take root and will wither away! Be prepared for this!”

No. What… … .

Are you putting this much pressure on me to do it like this?

I took a deep breath and looked at the grill.

And then I was faced with an empty grill.

Baek Dong-soo, this bastard… … .

You ate it all by now?

I couldn’t hold back my boiling anger and shouted.

“Boss! Here, add three servings of sirloin!”

* * *

The next day, when I went to work, I felt like there was a rock on my chest.

“Haa… … . Hyung, you’re talking nonsense.”

Dongwook hyung gave me a special mission yesterday to keep creating issues.

The problem was that I didn’t know how to do it.

I am well aware that many of the things we have done so far have all become issues.

But that was all just because I moved around as my heart desired at the time. I never had any intention of doing so.

“What should I do? Should I invite a celebrity from Dad’s YouTube channel? Or should I go on TV again?”

But I didn’t feel like it.

It felt so artificial that I felt uneasy just thinking about it.

If I do something even though I don’t feel like it, will it become an issue?

‘I don’t think so… … .’

There were no guests today.

It felt twice as deserted as yesterday.

My heart became even more anxious. I made a hasty phone call.

“brother.”

– Uh. Why.

“You’re telling me to create an issue.”

– uh.

“How do you do that?”

– What? You were thinking about that?

I was so stressed I could die, but my brother’s voice was so peaceful.

– Yongwon, I didn’t say that to make you feel burdened.

What are you talking about? I’m feeling incredibly burdened.

– Just do what you’ve been doing. Just do what you’ve been doing. Your role is that important to our brand. I’m always grateful. That’s what I meant.

“No. That’s why it’s a burden! What should I do to become an issue when you see it, hyung?”

– I told you to just do what you’ve been doing. You’re a machine that creates issues just by breathing. I believe you.

What the heck!

“So, it’s because of you that I’m conscious of my breathing now! It’s so uncomfortable!”

– Oh, sorry. Sorry. I have a guest, so I’ll stop here.

Dongwook hung up the phone, joking around, not knowing how anxious I was.

Ah. I really don’t know.

While I was standing there anxiously, a guest came in.

It turned out well.

I quickly shook off my distracting thoughts and approached the guest.

‘Let’s focus on work.’

As I approached, I quickly scanned his style.

“The shoes are a famous limited edition Nike, and the pants are… … a designer piece with beading? The T-shirt is… … a red primary color with a low neckline… … .”

The clothes were all expensive, but when I put them all together, it looked very awkward.

It’s like a honey-pork porridge made by boiling caviar, sirloin, and the best sushi together.

And I saw his face. Mask, sunglasses. Hat.

A strange atmosphere.

I was very used to this kind of atmosphere.

‘You’re an idol.’

Male idols. I don’t know much about male idol groups, so I don’t think I would recognize their faces even if I saw them.

“I… … I heard that they recommend clothes well here. Well, I… … I’ve heard a lot that I’m bad at dressing… … .”

This was an issue that came up a while ago, but yesterday, a customer came to me often and told me this story.

I smiled brightly and guided him.

“Yes, sir! I’ll make you a dress that fits you perfectly!”

A moment later, he stood in front of the mirror.

Since there were no customers in the store, he took off his mask and hat and felt comfortable.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“I love this!”

Man to man with jeans.

It may be a common combination, but it is filled with the luxury that I have put into it.

I think he likes bright colors, so I prepared the man-to-man in indie pink, and I washed the pants to make them gray.

The length of the pants was just right, without any hemming. The pants were slightly wide and fell enough to cover the instep, adding a sense of space.

The guest turned his body around several times, looking into the mirror to see if he liked his appearance.

“Our goal for this product is to create a fashion that is not flashy, but looks good no matter how you wear it, and still looks cute. Want to try something else?”

“yes!”

Since there were no customers at the time, I was able to dress her in various clothes at my leisure.

“I like cute fashion, but I think fans will also like this mature vibe.”

“Huh? Do you know me?”

The guest, who was presumed to be an idol, was startled by the one word I said.

Actually, I only guessed that they were idols and had no idea who they were, so I just responded with a mysterious smile.

Somehow the guest seemed touched.

After sending that guest off, strangely enough, more and more guests started coming in.

As if that guest had brought good luck.

In the end, we were able to close today with similar sales to yesterday.

Right after I finished the deadline, I got a call from Dongwook.

“Uh. Why. Hyung.”

– Good job! You’re breathing well! Our Yongwon!

huh?