Boss Lu: A reborn life is destined to be without regrets!
Chapter 185 - 152. Masters draw pies using closed loops_2

Chapter 185: 152. Masters draw pies using closed loops_2

Golden Stone swiftly transformed during the intensifying "counterfeit vs. authentic" phase and began to do original domestic uniform design.

The composition and competitiveness of these stores were immediately clear to insiders like Xie Yujia.

"Is there a possibility that it’s only a matter of time before JK uniforms break into the mainstream?"

Lu Jincheng said with a smile.

Fashion is a grand stage that continually innovates to meet the consumption levels and tastes of different people.

The images of girls in anime with flowing hair and pleated skirts, napping on their desks in the afternoon, frolicking on their way to and from school, running on green lawns, or standing forlornly on lonely railway tracks...

These fleeting, beautiful snapshots of youth were imprinted on these seemingly ordinary skirts.

In fact, many people were not so unfamiliar with JK uniforms.

But to go from an unknown concept to a trendy fashion statement, all that was missing was a successful breakthrough to become a phenomenal event.

This day was just a question of time.

The spread of niche markets like JK uniforms mostly relied on the internet, building natural social bridges.

Platforms like Bilibili and Weibo were the main battlefields for JK dissemination.

The common methods of promotion were to post videos and pictures on social media platforms.

The models in these promotional materials were referred to as "planting goddesses" within the JK uniform circle.

[Sisters, turn one.]

In plant-the-seed videos, girls in gentle and refreshing, sweet and dreamy, or elegant and dignified pleated skirts often turn in circles, their sharp pleats fanning out.

Youthful vibrancy is the most distinctive footnote of JK uniforms.

To recount the growth journey of JK merchants from zero to one is simply to find different internet celebrities and various planting goddesses.

In later times, models with their own following became even more favored by merchants.

With their help, skirts could gain more adoration from girls and even spark buying frenzies.

These promotional resources, which others would have to accumulate bit by bit, were precisely what Mr. Lu already possessed.

"Anyway, you are the boss, whatever you say, I can only believe you."

Xie Yujia stuck out her tongue, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"But hey, I think your overall approach is really awesome."

In the video, Xie Yujia’s eyes shone as she gave Mr. Lu a thumbs up.

Ever since Tanhua Customization was established and registered, she and Lu Jincheng had met many times before finally determining JK uniforms as their entry point.

Moreover, Lu Jincheng did not follow her advice to knock off Japanese brands like other stores at the current stage.

He insisted on creating originals, Chinese brands, and his own thing.

But the effort put into original creation was incomparable to copying Japanese brands.

As a niche but exquisite branch of the apparel industry, what ultimately persuaded Xie Yujia was the complete, distinctive industrial chain that Mr. Lu had personally planned.

Original JK uniforms, from the choice of illustrators at the design stage to factory manufacturing, merchant marketing, planting goddesses, and finally connecting to a vast consumer base, formed a smooth closed loop.

Surprisingly, he seemed to have made ample preparations at every stage.

The first step in the birth of a JK uniform came from the "drawing" of the designer.

In the circle, JK uniform designers were generally called illustrators, and some influential top illustrators were respectfully known as "Mistress."

Typically, merchants would initiate calls for submissions in groups and social media platforms, inviting third-party illustrators to participate.

Communications between illustrators and merchants in the circle were often conducted through groups.

Illustrators uploaded their designs to albums or platforms like Weibo for personal promotion and to await merchant commissions.

Interested merchants would simply direct message to negotiate.

Certainly, some merchants also adopted calls for submissions, directly contacting top illustrators.

Xie Yujia had no idea that before they even started selecting products, Lu Jincheng had already found Tanhua Customization’s own dedicated illustrator.

There was no help for it, Mr. Lu had a myriad of skilled people under him, a team brimming with talent.

Who made him run an MCN?

From the perspective of the boss of Golden Stone, signing a little artist from Weibo was a piece of cake.

Dan Jing was just like that, lured into signing by Lu Jincheng’s promises and sweet talk.

Her drawing skills were exceptional and she had a good reputation, with tens of thousands of followers on Weibo.

But in the end, her ability to monetize was ultimately limited and couldn’t compare to Golden Stone’s top-selling artists.

However, what made her decide to sign with Lu Jincheng was the enticing promise he offered.

"In the future, I will have a popular JK uniform shop, and I need you to design the drafts."

"Before it becomes a hit, the company will guarantee your income with a buyout contract. If sales exceed expectations, you can opt for a revenue share, and we’ll discuss that when the time comes."

"At the same time, Golden Stone’s resources will be fully dedicated to promoting you, ensuring that you become one of the top artists in the industry, second to none."

After the artist and shop finalized the design drafts, most would engage in a buyout, meaning the business pays a commission to buy rights to the design upfront, with very few opting for revenue sharing based on sales.

The price for a single design draft generally ranged from 300 to 500 yuan.

Regular draft collection at this rate was enough for Dan Jing to live decently for a while.

The second phase was manufacturing, which Xie Yujia was in charge of.

Currently, there were clothing factories capable of producing JK uniforms in Hang City.

The supply chain in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions was already mature, and the factory Xie Yujia negotiated with had even previously made school uniforms for schools.

They were capable of producing uniforms of comparable quality to others at the lowest price, with a certain level of experience.

Given the fully developed supply chain in China’s clothing industry, the differences among JK uniform businesses on this front were not significant.

The third and fourth phases were marketing promotion and coordinating with influencers, Golden Stone Media’s specialty, naturally no need for concern.

So the final question was, how to connect with the vast consumer base?

"But if you want originality and produce so many, what if they don’t sell? How do you counter this risk?"

When Xie Yujia raised this question during their discussions, Lu Jincheng responded once again with a forward-thinking strategy.

The new store would adopt a presale system.

Under the presale system, JK uniform businesses wouldn’t start mass production right after releasing sample garments; instead, they would collect deposits and confirm quantity before batch production.

In other words, there was some time between placing an order and wearing the clothes.

Presales were a common sales model adopted by future JK uniform businesses.

This was the primary reason that businesses could reduce costs and risks in the early stages.

Specifically, after releasing sample garments, businesses would initiate presales, also called "group buying," where buyers had to pay a deposit of 20-30 yuan within a set period.

After closing the group buy, the business would start mass production based on the number of deposits and estimate the delivery time from the factory, which would also be when the consumer would pay the remaining balance.

Once the mass production was complete, the business would notify customers to pay the balance.

But, if the number of deposits didn’t reach a certain threshold, the business would cancel the group buy and refund the deposits.

This approach effectively minimized initial costs for the shop and controlled the risk of failing to sell mass-produced items.

Lu Jincheng had calculated every step meticulously, combining extensive production with refined operation.

"Then, shall we agree to this?"

After countless meetings, and once Dan Jing finished the initial draft, various steps such as fabric samples, pattern making, revisions, and producing sample garments were gradually finalized.

At this stage, the key factor affecting sales was whether the physical product could replicate the original design.

Today’s version, which Xie Yujia wore, was nearly flawless and closely matched the hit product in his concept.

Lu Jincheng, who was always striving for perfection, finally expressed satisfaction.

"Alright then, we’ll prepare the links and illustrations on our end, get fully ready, and wait for the good news of your promotion."

Xie Yujia smiled and nodded, her teeth shining white.

"No problem."

Mr. Lu hung up the phone and took a deep breath.

After such a long period of preparation, Tanhua Production was about to launch its first product.

What followed was a grand promotional performance.