Ontfront was among the 13 delegates from Holland which took part at the HKTDC Inno Design Tech (IDT) Expo in December 2008 under the auspices of MODINT. Based in Amsterdam, Ontfront offers chic menswear targeted at creative professionals of the architectural, entertainment and design sectors aged between 18 and 35.
Since its inception in 2007, Ontfront has focused its marketing efforts in Europe and has sold its collections through its own shop as well as via wholesalers which have distributed them at over 30 retail points in Europe. Yet Ontfront has also been keen at extending its market boundary to other parts of the world two years ago.
"One of the directions of our business strategy is expanding into new thriving economies such as China, Russia, and Korea; that was why we came to IDT Expo and used the HKTDC Business Matching Service which brought us tremendous success in realising our market blueprint," said Mr. Tomas Overtoom.
One of the companies referred to Ontfront was Brightex Industries and its retail platform Handsome Hero (HH), a Hong Kong company which eventually becomes the company's sole-distributor of its Ontfront brand in China, taking charge of its manufacturing and distribution.
"We received very precise information about Handsome Hero (HH) from the HKTDC Business Matching Specialist and we already knew quite well what types of retailers they were before we met; and once HH saw our collections, they were also being impressed by our design and quality," enthused Mr. Overtoom.
Ontfront swiftly reached verbal agreement with HH during the IDT Expo and after further emailing to each other fine-tuning details; Ontfront shipped its first collection to HH's retail chains in China within three months. And since the debut collection, Ontfront has been responsible for purchasing fabrics from Italy and France which are then sent to HH's parent company, Brightex, for their manufacturing in China.
"It has been a very smooth negotiation process since HH/ Brightex is a very trust-worthy partner which we can count on. Of course, it took a little time for them to understand our business philosophy, while we also learnt how their operation runs, their aesthetics and quality as they are taking charge of interpreting our design and doing the production," added Mr. Overtoom.
"This is indeed a breakthrough for our business; being able to find such a solid distributor and manufacturer is the essence of running a successful fashion business! And undoubtedly, we expect to establish a long-term partnership with HH/ Brightex," highlighted Mr. Overtoom.
"I must say that the Business Matching Specialist has been very helpful. The contemporary fashion category is very board and Ontfront is in the luxury area, the specialist has been very open to hear our need and make a perfect match," added Mr. Overtoom.
Being very positive in Asia market for further expansion, Ontfront was at the HKTDC World Boutique 2010.
"We are here mainly for building brand awareness, and we are in negotiation with HH again as they are interested in becoming our agents in Hong Kong and South East Asia as well," concluded Mr. Overtoom.
