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New Iron Heart Website - Live Now - Feedback and Bug Report Here Please!

Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything

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  • J
    jordanscollected
    啓蒙家
    Joined: 13 Nov 2018

    The business I work for is a small business (10 people) started by the father in the late 70’s and taken over by the son about 5 years ago. I don’t think a bank vault would have been sound proof enough to keep us from hearing the screaming matches coming out of their offices when the transition was happening. I know at least @Giles if you are eventually less present on the forum, we will still find you on the “catch of the day” section.

    G: order 1000 pairs of straight leg double knee hickory stripe pants
    A: but they want slim tapered denim
    G: ORDER THE HICKORY STRIPE!!!

    world tours:
    888 Fat guy chocolate WT
    Mad Red x2
    Wabidashery

    last edited by 21 Nov 2020, 00:33 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • J
      jordanscollected
      啓蒙家
      Joined: 13 Nov 2018

      1. When you buy Iron Heart from a retailer, how does it differ from buying direct from Iron Heart? Say both places have the exact item in the same price and size, does your team benefit more when we buy direct? I’m assuming SE works different than others since they have some of the same products, and some proprietary as well, correct?

      2. How does the Stockist relationship work? I noticed that Canoe Club in Boulder, Co no longer listed you as a stockist. Do they sign a contract with you? What can you share about the way the system works with stockists?

      world tours:
      888 Fat guy chocolate WT
      Mad Red x2
      Wabidashery

      last edited by 26 Nov 2020, 02:27 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • G
        Giles
        IHUK Crew
        Joined: 22 Sept 2009

        Firstly, you need to understand that the margins in this business are not large.  We make tiny margins from our retailer (or wholesale) business, and they make much smaller margins than is normal in retail clothing.  So when we work out costing and pricing, we have to juggle these 3 dynamics 1) Does the wholesale price make it worthwhile for us to sell? 2) Will the retail price be acceptable to the customer? and 3) Will the retailer make enough money at those wholesale and retail prices to make it worth his or her while stocking the product.  Sometimes, it is simply impossible to get a yes to all 3 of those questions, if that happens, we either do not stock the product period, or we do not offer to retailers.

        Retailers are a vital part of our business because they spread the love and expand Iron Hearts physical presence.  But as a stand-alone business, it would not be viable, the margins are too small. None of our retailers carries more than 20 or 30% of our SKU's (Lot numbers or unique products), so we see the retailers in some way as fuelling demand for the products we sell online, which is where we make a more acceptable margin. Look at it this way, someone goes into a retailer, buys some IH, falls in love with it, Googles Iron Heart and finds IHUK. The weekend that Mildblend launched Iron Heart, we got 7 direct orders from the Chicago area, the same weekend.  I'm certain that was not a coincidence.

        All business outside of Japan comes through IHUK, many retailers have unique products or collaborations, they all come through us.  The majority of retailers like IHUK to sell their collaborations because typically we have a greater reach than them, so they see us selling their product as a way of reaching an audience they could not or would not touch, that is why for instance we carry most of the Pronto collabs.

        All retailers are treated the same, we do not have contracts with any of them and they all pay the same price for product nevermind what their volumes are.  I want them to stock and sell Iron Heart because they want to, a signed piece of paper makes no difference.  However if they do things that they should not, like dump stock or have frequent sales which undermine other retailers, they just don't get supplied again.  We're a family and I won't have some black sheep wreck things for everyone.

        Finally, I have no contract with Haraki.  It's simply not needed.

        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

        last edited by 26 Nov 2020, 08:12 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • J
          jordanscollected
          啓蒙家
          Joined: 13 Nov 2018

          Thanks for all the info, it’s a very interesting read. You talked about Mildblend, and before you had I was thinking of a follow up question to ask. I’m assuming they wholly own the products? I ask because on their website, they have some very old Iron Heart skus from past collections, and a coaches jacket that I have never even seen before. Do you ever reach out and discuss moving product to get new items in?

          world tours:
          888 Fat guy chocolate WT
          Mad Red x2
          Wabidashery

          last edited by 26 Nov 2020, 15:50 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • G
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
            Joined: 22 Sept 2009

            Not really.  They buy the stuff from us, they own it.  We don't make large enough margins from our retailers to bail them out of their buying mistakes. And frankly, if we did have a "you-fucked-up-we'll-buy-it-back-off-you-policy", then what would stop them taking purchasing risks (with our money), that they would not otherwise take?  Retailers make much higher margins on selling product than the wholesaler (us in this instance), they have to own their own issues.  However, if we see that a retailer has some good stuff that they can't shift, but we know we can, we'll take it back from them, but it has to work for us as well as them for us to do that.  When Iron Heart Vienna had to stop trading, although we had no financial interest in the shop, we bought everything back off them, some of it was golden, some of it we really did not want, but by doing so, it helped them out, and it also stopped Iron Heart product being dumped onto the market, therefore pissing off all our other retailers. And keeping a retailer community that is happy, does not worry about being undercut and knowing exactly where they stand, is one of our key goals. We have had retailers buy from us, who think they can do what the fuck they want and not give a shit about other retailers.  When that happens they get asked politely to play by the rules once, we never ask a second time, we just stop supplying them.

            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

            last edited by 26 Nov 2020, 16:43 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • D
              dinobarnesberlin
              啓蒙家
              Joined: 28 Mar 2020

              @Giles I woke up to a problem this morning.
              Last night I wore my new white 1600 T-shirt tucked into my 666-21s as it was pretty chilly here in Berlin.
              This morning I see there is basically a ring around the lower part of the T that were tucked into the pants.
              Any chance of that indigo coming out in a wash or am I looking at dying the shirt in another color?
              yikes.

              last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:11 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • G
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                It should come out with a wash.

                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:27 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • D
                  dinobarnesberlin
                  啓蒙家
                  Joined: 28 Mar 2020

                  @Giles:

                  It should come out with a wash.

                  Thanks for the quick reply Giles.
                  Last time I tuck the t shirt in. ive soaked the 666s twice now and didn't think they would shed that much blue indigo still.
                  Live and learn

                  last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:30 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • T
                    Tiro
                    Joined: 19 Aug 2011

                    @dinobarnesberlin:

                    @Giles:

                    It should come out with a wash.

                    Thanks for the quick reply Giles.
                    Last time I tuck the t shirt in. ive soaked the 666s twice now and didn't think they would shed that much blue indigo still.
                    Live and learn

                    U soaked twice and thought they wouldn’t bleed anymore? [emoji2357]

                    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

                    last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:33 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • N
                      neph93
                      見習いボス
                      Joined: 18 Aug 2014

                      @dinobarnesberlin:

                      @Giles:

                      It should come out with a wash.

                      Thanks for the quick reply Giles.
                      Last time I tuck the t shirt in. ive soaked the 666s twice now and didn't think they would shed that much blue indigo still.
                      Live and learn

                      A treatment with this will ensure it comes up clean:

                      “Some of those that work forces
                      Are the same that burn crosses”

                      • Virginia Woolf
                      last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 10:35 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • D
                        dinobarnesberlin
                        啓蒙家
                        Joined: 28 Mar 2020

                        Yea, I don't know what I was thinking. I will probably give them their first wash next weekend.
                        Thanks for the tip @neph93
                        I will pick some of that up this week as well.

                        Love the 1600 so much for its warmth and comfort now that its cooling down.
                        its perfect under my UHF.
                        Ive heard of " ring around the collar" but this was my first case of  “ ring around the waist".

                        last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 11:04 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • SeulS
                          Seul
                          Joined: 24 Nov 2009

                          neph93, brought to you by Vanish. The best oxi action you'll ever get.

                          last edited by 29 Nov 2020, 12:08 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • Z
                            zeuloa
                            Raw and Unwashed
                            Joined: 11 Dec 2020

                            I have a curiosity…

                            Just received a 526PJ, and can’t seem to find anywhere the proud “Made in Japan” label...

                            From what I understand all IH products are manufactured in Japan, is this the case?

                            last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 16:10 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • G
                              Giles
                              IHUK Crew
                              Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                              Everything Iron Heart except the Simmons Bilt collabs and the IHC-18 (which is made in America) is made in Japan.

                              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                              last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 16:29 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • Z
                                zeuloa
                                Raw and Unwashed
                                Joined: 11 Dec 2020

                                @Giles:

                                Everything Iron Heart except the Simmons Bilt collabs and the IHC-18 (which is made in America) is made in Japan.

                                Thanks Giles! You just re-confirmed my suspicions!

                                Additionally as I just remembered heheh… I see that some jackets have the jacket and sleeves bottom hems chainstiched, even some department store ones and IH doesn’t... Any reasoning behind this if it make me any difference at all?

                                Thanks!!!

                                last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 17:29 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • G
                                  Giles
                                  IHUK Crew
                                  Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                  Haraki will use what he thinks is the best/most appropriate stitch for each constructional detail.  Chain-stitching, whilst old-skool cool and pretty, is a fairly crap stitch to be honest…..

                                  "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                  last edited by 17 Dec 2020, 17:43 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • S
                                    Snowy
                                    Joined: 15 Jun 2012

                                    If you had your time again, what's one (or more :)) thing(s) you'd do differently?

                                    last edited by 18 Dec 2020, 09:03 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • G
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined: 22 Sept 2009

                                      I think my response may disappoint and, if it does I'm sorry.

                                      The simple answer is nothing.  And I do not say that out of any sense of arrogance, because boy have I made a lot of mistakes and there are plenty of things that I could have done better.  But one of my fundamental beliefs is that everything you do, every choice you make leads you to be the person you are and the place you are.

                                      I'm happy where I am, I have a lovely loving family, I have great friends all over the world, I have a successful business and I enjoy what I do and who I am.

                                      In reality, everything I have done in life has led me to where I am.  Had I done almost anything differently, then I would most likely now be in a different place.  It may have been a better place, it may have been a worse place, but it would certainly be a different place. But, I don't waste my time on what-ifs.

                                      A friend of mine went fishing on his own recently, he caught a fish of a lifetime.  He phoned me up to tell me and say how much he wished I hade been with him.  I told him I was glad that I had not been, because had we gone together there is zero chance that his lure would have been in the right place at the right time and he would not have caught that fish.

                                      I don't believe in fate, but I do believe that whatever you do, wrong or right dictates the rest of your life.

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by 18 Dec 2020, 10:10 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • ROmanR
                                        ROman
                                        Haraki san Prodigy
                                        Joined: 5 Jan 2015

                                        An exceptional statement. ^^

                                        last edited by 19 Dec 2020, 01:13 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • S
                                          Snowy
                                          Joined: 15 Jun 2012

                                          Thanks for the answer. It did not disappoint at all :).  😘

                                          last edited by 19 Dec 2020, 04:11 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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