{ . Sunday, November 18 , 1990 - North Shore News - 43 net JUDY OSBURN, director of marketing and sales, was frustrated with the lack of good quality and innovative clothing available for kids, so she decided to make them herself. Bravo Children’s Wear AFFLUENCE & INFLUENCE now supplies over 300 retailers with bright, bold clothing for kids. Frazee and Osburn on being, bold Why did you decide to get involv- ed with the children's clothing in- dustry? Frazee: ‘‘Judy and Ann were fecling frustrated about the lack of good quality and in- novative children’s wear that was available.’’ Osburn: ‘The one thing that [ noticed in Europe was the fact that kids were not dressed in pastels and browns, but in bright colors. And here everything was white or brown or grey or navy blue... The shapes of the clothes were wrong: you’d get a very square shape to fit a very round body, and the kids looked ridicu- lous. They tried to make waists for children who dian’t have any. The whole look was wrong.’’ What is unique about Bravo? Clothes cost From page 42 out there who will take your look or come up with a new look.”” Some manufacturers have responded to the success of Bravo with the sincerest form of flattery. Although they may have imitated the Bravo look, Osburn says they haven't yet been able to duplicate the things that have made Bravo so successful: the hand-designed, natural fibre, the unique dye pro- cess that produces a rainbow of brilliant colors, and the baggy, casual cut that is comfortable and allows room for up to two years’ growth, Needless to say customers should be prepared to shell out plenty for that unique look. The line is expensive — any- where from $45 to $60 for a single pair of pants — but the price hasn’t. dissuaded parents from scooping up matching pants, sweaters and skirts for their litte ones. According to Osburn, some even buy Bravo in bulk. Besides, say the pair, children receive a lot of attention wearing Bravo's bold colors. They've received letters from parents say- ing that their kids are so enthrail- ed with the clothes that they can’t get them to cake them off before going to bed. As for the originator of the Bravo name — bravo was one of the first words Gustasson’s son uttered as a baby — he wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything else, Frazee: ‘One of the main things was really bright, bold colors, and we achieved that by a unique pro- cess called garment dying. We purchase the fabric in off-white, and once the clothes are made in- to patterns, they go through the dve process which produce bright ycilows, fuchsias, and so on. ‘The beauty of it is that you can coordinate a hat with socks with suspenders with shoes, so you get a full Bravo look. Whereas if you went to a depart- ment store, that would be im- possible. We also hand-design all of our fabric, so it’s exclusive to us. You won't see it anywhere else. *” How did you manage te make in- roads into the U.S. children’s Fall Chec from S 79 95 pilus sales tax. Winter is on the way. Let us get your Volkswagen ready now. Our thorough ServicePlus Check-up includes: e New set of 4 Spark Plugs * New Air Filter ¢ New Oil Filter 4 litres of quality Autobahn Motor Oil e New set of Points ® Altemator charging fate * Operation of glow plugs (diesel models only) * Operation of heater valve and adjust control cable ¢ Tension and condition of V-belts * Operation of rear window defogger (where applicable) ° Block heater (where applicable) * Engine performance and emissions electronically analyzed ¢ Engine idle and fuel mixture adjusted « Engine compression tested and written report provided (gasoline engines only) Clutch adjusted (where applicable) « Check radiator coolant strength ¢ Battery load tested, electrolyte level and cables checked Fuel filter drained (diesel only) ¢ Door hinges and hood latch lubricated « Windshield washer jets adjusted * The following carefully checked for condition and perforrnance — Condition of coolant hoses, pressure test radiator cap and coolant system, All interior and exterior lights, Wiper blades, Distributor Cap, Rotor, Spark Plug Wires, Radiator Cap and Coolant Hoses, All fluid levels, Brakes: front pads/disc, rear shoes/lnings or pads and drums, All 5 Tires and adjust air pressure as necessary. Ask fordetails Capilane Volkswagen 4151 Marine Drive, North Vancouver clothing market? Osburn: ‘‘The competition (in the U.S.) is huge and they're very fickle. It takes a lot of money to get into it. We got a lot of publicity — the little girl on the Cosby show wears our clothes...We went through the B.C. government and were picked up by a New York importer and then branched off to other agents. **Because we’re not the kind of company that can afford a huge amount of advertising, it was Bravo's uniqueness that worked for us. I think the Americans were looking for something unique at that time.”* Are bright colors just another fad or do you think the demand for them will last? Osburn: ‘‘] think kids always want to'wear bright k-up Sb : : . Me _ cl ‘NEWS photos Mike Wakefield PRESIDENT JANE Frazee: ‘‘We had no idea we’d grow like we did. We thought we'd have a nice little business with five or six of us. colors. {t's more of a fad with What are your plans for Bravo? adults."* Osburn: ‘‘We have a new line : called Bravo in Black and White. How do the two of you work It’s something different. One of together? Frazee: (laughs) ‘Oh we the things we’re doing is going fight all the time. It’s been some- after business in the Orient and thing that’s been interesting. that combination is very popular There’s a tendency to get segre- over there...it’s a vehicle for us to gated and locked into your own test the market without jeopardiz- area. We’re still learning how to ing the entire line...In fact we've operate in a big business, and haven't come close to reaching we're getting better at it all the what we'd really like to do, which time. We have structured weekly is to make shoes and umbrellas management meetings. It's impor-. and toys — a whole range of tant {o set up a system that keeps things. We’re always searching the communication going."’ and reaching and exploring.” 985-0694 aii.