Brand Profile : Sixxa

05 Mar 2008

Company Name: Sixxa
Owner’s Name: Kathi Macheiner
Int’l HQ Address:
Mollardgasse 85a/3/124
1060 Vienna
Austria
Tel: +43 660 243 1007
Web: www.sixxa.com
E-mail: kathi@sixxa.com
Employees: 1 employee, 4 freelancers


Give us the low-down on your company?
Kathi Macheiner: Sixxa started in the 2003/04 season as a side project to my job as graphic designer with hand-printed T-shirts and handmade fleece jackets. That was just because I couldn’t get the clothes I’d like to have – most companies do similar stuff on cuts, colours and style – so I worked on my own things. And I met other girls who thought about it the same way, and they help me to set it up. So I basically sold stuff to friends in the first three years, but demand grew quite fast and I turned it into my business and “real job” in 2007.

Who is on the management team and what are their backgrounds?
It’s basically me with my knowledge as designer and snowboarder (competed on European level) and the help of some friends from different fields (marketing, art, design) for events, shows and style/fits. It’s quite important for me to work with girls mainly, because that way it stays female. The only exception is my boyfriend who was a pro rider and magazine editor so it’s quite good to get feedback from him. He’s not a fixed part of the company, but involved in some projects for Sixxa.

What was the company philosophy when you started? How has it changed from then till now?
Keep it as local as possible! There’s no reason to go overseas if someone can make it here with better quality for about the same price. Things have changed in the way that [our products] were first screen printed in Austria by myself, but right now most of the stuff comes from Portugal. But still the stuff I’m working on is made in Europe, with suppliers in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal. And I’m really happy with that!

Why did you focus on the girls market?
Mainly because I am one, which makes it easier! It’s not for a marketing reason, and I’d never make something that I’m not 100% confident with. And of course I was sick of that “perfect girl” image a lot of brands and media created over the last few years. That’s also why you won’t find professional models in the Sixxa catalogue and fashion shows. I wanted to make clothes for everyday activities, no matter what it is or who wears them.

What are some of the most important lessons that you’ve learned about running a company that you didn’t know when you started?
I think I was quite prepared for it when Sixxa started, though the really tough thing was to move from unique, handmade items to the small runs we’re producing right now. Producing everything for stock messes up my other marketing activities budget-wise. And my eighty-hour week changed into a hundred-hour week.

What’s different about your company, both in product and the way the company works?
All the things going on around my character-based work happens because I like it to be that way. And I’m not part of just one scene: Sixxa is a reflection of all the things I like – boardsports as well as graphic design and illustration, street art and vinyl toys. So, new products like puppets, cushions or the Punk-Dirndl come up as short-term decisions, and it’s never certain which direction Sixxa will go. It’s true it started as a girls’ streetwear thing, but it’s growing and developing in the same way that I’m changing. I think that’s just natural progress though.

Why should retailers sell your brand?
I don’t think there’s a why... the answer would be “just because they love to!” I’d rather have just a few shops selling Sixxa because they are 100% sure about it, than 100 shops that sell it because of the margin. That’s not quite right economically, but the current shops are carrying my products for the right reasons.

What is the sales spiel retailers should use when telling customers about your products?
That’s somehow the same question, it’s not what they tell the customer, it’s how they tell customer. I wouldn’t like to be reduced to “good cuts”, “top quality”, “looks good” or “fair price”... that’s common for the top brands anyway. But because they like Sixxa for what it is – cool! In any case the best way to tell the customer [about Sixxa] is by wearing the clothes, and I’m really happy that the female staff in some shops even ordered Sixxa for themselves.

How does your company support athletes and boardsports?
I do have some opinion leaders I’m working with, and for me it is important to know the people I support, or even better to become friends with them. So, the Sixxa team is growing slowly but constantly. The things that really help are smaller events in collaboration with shops or other brands to get more girls involved in sports. We are touring with a small transportable mini-ramp, and are sponsoring girl’s contests. This year we supported the Girls Skate Jam in the UK. There’s more to come, but it’s all a matter of time.

What other marketing are you running?
Doing a lot of collaborations with other brands like TSG protective gear, Atomic, Merchzilla, shops and magazines like Sixty-nine. And of course doing some fashion shows at events with the team and some friends – that’s real fun.

What do you foresee for the future of the industry?
The horizontal vs. vertical line expansion will be more and more interesting, as the market gets larger so will the profits but more and more smaller independent brands are starting, it’s great! Some companies are doing a really good job by collaborating to reach new markets.

What companies in your opinion are doing it right?
Addict has really nice graphics, and I like the quality of Fenchurch and Zimtstern. And Nikita does a great job of supporting girl’s boardsports.

What does the future hold for your company?
I’m too busy at the moment working on the new lines to think about prospects ;-) Hopefully I’ll meet the right people to work with, it’s just not possible any more to do everything as a “one woman show” on my own. I have plenty of ideas for line-expansions, and hundreds of characters are waiting in my head to come to life and be part of the Sixxa world.