42 ~ Sunday. November 18 , 1990 ~ North Shore News AFFLUENCE & INFLUENCE Local duo take on international clothing market JUDY OSBURN and Jane Frazee’s business venture has been a rags to riches story. But don't Iet them hear you refer to their pro- duct as rags. Far from it: the pair create fashionable, ultra-bright, trend-setting clothes for children. By Evelyn Jacob News Reporter Bravo Children’s Wear has grown up to become a major Ca- nadian manufacturer serving the national, U.S. and Japanese children’s clothing market. The company is now earning close to $3 million in sales — up 30 per cent from the previous year. Don’t be surprised if kids around the world start popping up in bright (urquoises, hot fuchsias and yellows — Osburn and Frazee - are in the midst of mntroducing a new line into Asia and plan to go after the entire European market in the New Year. Their ultimate goal is to outfit kids in Bravo from Beijing to Rio de Janeiro. Bravo has grown exponentially since Osburn, Frazee, and _part- ner/designer Anna Gustasson first began cutting up bits of fabric and taking turns on a single sew- ing machine six years ago in the dim light of Gustasson'’s China- town basement. None of them envisioned that tneir fledgling one-room operation would, in just a few short years, be leading a new North American trend in children’s clothing. They didn’t anticipate their name being splashed across fash- ion magazines or that their gar- ments would one day be sported by a child-star of the most popu- lar TV series of the past decade — The Cosby Show. Today Osburn, a former West Vancouver resident, and Frazee, Custom fit Krom rags to riches { { ‘ | | | i NEWS photo Mike Wakelield FGUNDERS OF Bravo Children’s wear Judy Osburn end Jane Frazee check over a new batch of garments at their Powell Street fac- tory outlet. who still fives in West Vancouver, sit comfortably in their 10,000 square foot Powell Street factory as a legion of employees busily crafts clothes amid the electric ‘buzz of sewing machines. Osburn, whose official title is director of sales and marketing, owned and operated a women’s retail clothing business for 10 years before getting involved with Bravo. Frazee, the company president. holds a communications degree from Simon Fraser University. Ironically both women are casu- ally dressed in black, navy and off- white — not in the cherished, bright, bold colors of Bravo's signature look. With their inauspicious days behind them the pair feel confi- dent about their expansion plans, especially since the North Ameri- § window coverings custom fit your :-. . budget fe Blinds a° Draperies Specialty Treatments Bedding Upholstery Call for a free in-home consultation Las Sherry 929-7298 can market was quick to embrace their product: over 300 retail outlets now stock the Bravo line and the company has en- joyed a steady year-to-year growth, But success isn’t something they take for gramed. “We've learned from our mistakes,’’ says Frazee, ‘‘but this industry is a hard industry. You’re so pressed for time all the time...cash is always tight, you're always juggling a hundred things. There’s no sitting back and say- ing, ‘we’ve done it now, it’s easy.” I don’t think it ever will be. It’s the nature of the garment in- dustry. There’s always somebody See Clothes page 43 WE AT LONSDALE RENTALS ARE OUT FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN A BIG WAY PARTY REN 986-5651 Hi TOOLS & EQUIPMENT Come in and visit our great new location 105 Fell Ave., North Van WEST VANCOUVER VILLAGE RENTALS 1483 Clyde Avenue West Vancouver 926-5404 985-9321 “THE NORTH SHORE'S MOST COMPLETE RENTAL STORE” LYNN VALLEY LYNN VALLEY RENTALS 3022 Mountain Highway North Vancouver 986-2338