Free Web NovelChapter 432: Chapter 432: Looking for a Model
Adrian Hawthorne nodded and pulled a bolt of fabric from the bag. It had a black background with a small yellow-and-white floral pattern. The colors were vibrant and the design was fresh. Winston Lowell’s eyes lit up. He ran his hands over the floral fabric, exclaiming excitedly, "This fabric is gorgeous! If I make dresses for my older and younger sisters with this, they’ll definitely love it. Boss, what’s the price?"
Winston Lowell was one of four siblings. He was the second child but the eldest son, with an older sister, a younger sister, and a younger brother. His sister worked at the same factory as their father as a crane operator. Her salary wasn’t high, but she had already found a fiancé. Her future husband also worked at the machinery factory, but as a technician with a desk job, and they were planning to get married next year.
"You’re one of my own, you don’t need to buy it. Take a bolt of each pattern home and make some dresses. Use these as a model, and have the women in your family wear them."
Adrian Hawthorne took a few beautiful dresses out of his bag. There were one-piece dresses and some with full, flared skirts. The styles were all very modern—he had bought them at the Capria Department Store, and you absolutely couldn’t find anything that fashionable here in Vessaria.
"These dresses are gorgeous! They must have been expensive, right?"
Winston Lowell grew even more excited. ’If his sister wore a dress this beautiful, she’d be the belle of the machinery factory.’ His sister was already pretty and had a great figure; otherwise, that university-educated technician would never have taken an interest in her.
"You’ve told me before that your sister is a great seamstress," Adrian Hawthorne instructed. "Have her make one of each of these styles. She can take the fabric from here for free, but she has to wear these dresses every day and nothing else."
’You needed a strategy to sell fabric. Even though the patterns were new and the quality was good, how would people know he had it for sale without some promotion and advertising? Winston Lowell’s sister was the perfect living advertisement.’
Adrian Hawthorne had met Winston Lowell’s sister, Orchid Lowell, before. Her looks were pleasant, but her most outstanding feature was her figure. Tall and slim, she was a perfect "clothes hanger." With Orchid Lowell as his advertisement, he was sure to attract a large customer base.
’Of his five bags of fabric, four were for female customers: floral, red, and white cloth. The fifth bag contained blue cloth, suitable for both men and women. He wasn’t particularly focused on male customers; women had the most formidable purchasing power.’
’Men might go an entire year without having more than a few new outfits made, but women were different. As long as they had a little extra money, they were bound to buy new clothes. It was just like his mother, Rosalind Green. Back when his father was still around, her biggest daily worry was not having a suitable outfit, even though her closet was stuffed to the brim. For a woman, there was always one more beautiful dress she needed.’
’Things were much better now than in years past. Dual-income households in the city, in particular, had decent purchasing power. Besides, the fabric wasn’t expensive. A few dollars’ worth could be turned into a beautiful dress, and plenty of women would surely be willing to spend that much.’
Orchid Lowell was the "model" he had selected. He had learned the term from Old Master Tate, who explained that foreign fashion companies had people specifically for this role. Fashion brands like Chanel held shows every year, hiring professional models to walk on a stage and display the latest styles. Although Adrian Hawthorne had never witnessed such an event himself, Old Master Tate had described it to him in vivid detail.
Besides, this tactic wasn’t unfamiliar to him. The Hawthorne family used to have their own "clothes hangers" too—they would select young women with good figures and pleasant looks to wear outfits made from the new floral fabrics and display them for customers. The fabrics they modeled always sold exceptionally well. It was a method his father, Ethan Hawthorne, had come up with, but it wasn’t long before the Chandler family and other textile mills started copying it.
So, he needed to find his own "clothes hanger" now. And Orchid Lowell was an excellent choice.
