An online fashion consultant

Remember the opening scene in the movie, "Clueless", when the teen-age heroine uses a computer software to determine what to wear for school that day?

Raffco International has installed a similar software in its Plains & Prints chain of ready-to-wear outlets.

Called Fashion Rx, the software requires each customer-user to open an account. The software then identifies the customer’s problem body parts and comes up with recommendations on what cut, design, and color best suits the customer.

"The next time the customer walks into the store, all she has to do is log into the software and she is given a clear picture of what clothes she should wear and what designs to avoid. The customer can also freshen up on previous fashions do’s and don’t’s," said Raffco co-founder Roxanne Ang-Farillas.

Raffco paid P200,000 for the custom-built software.

"It’s a worthwhile investment in marketing our label. By offering our customers this added service, we hope to attract first-time customers and to keep our repeat customers happy," she said.

Enterprising

Ang-Farillas has been involved in RTWs since her university days, selling clothes to her classmates. "A friend of mine invited me to co-operate a garment factory where she would manufacture the clothes and I would take of selling them," she said.

In November, 1994, Ang-Farillas, only 22 years old, opened her first Plains &Prints outlet in Greenhills with a capitalization of P200,000. Today, she has 17 stores, four of which are franchised. She also employs 150, of which 70 work in a factory Raffco now owns.

Last year was a busy one for Raffco, which began to franchise its label in the provinces.

The franchise fee of P400,000 covers the Fashion Rx software and the periodic monitoring of sales and market trends. The construction of an outlet in a mall costs another P500,000.

The initial investment adds up to between P1.5 million and P2 million, including the clothing inventory of the franchisee’s choice.

"The average return on investment is two years. The fastest we were able to do it was in six months," said Ang-Farillas.

To market the Plains & Prints label, Raffco opted for celebrity endorser, Gretchen Barreto. "She represents grace and timelessness, which is the trademark of our brand," she said.

Raffco was also asked by the Bureau of Export Trade and Promotions to participate in the Las Vegas Magic Show, which regularly draws 80,000 visitors.

"There is a market out there. We just have to be competitive and offer good quality products," said Ang-Farillas, who is already busy planning the export of the Plains & Prints label, initially in countries where there is a large concentration of Filipinos.