Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Benny Domino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Benny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

The Savou brand has evolved tremendously over the years. When I began designing, I would shop fabric stores to choose material & patterns and construct garments myself. The profit margin was greater but the reach and inventory was limited. Now, the brand is largely hinged on the drop shipping model; relieving me of inventory limits and offers the freedom to design things I never could before like shoes and duffle bags.

The biggest challenge to profitability with drop-shipping is setting the retail price at a figure that allows for a net return but that is also appealing to buyers. The value of the product is determined by ensuring the brand is trendy, colors and styles are in season, designs are fresh and original and the garments are made of quality but practical materials…all the while being mindful of the overhead costs inherent to drop-shipping. It’s a balancing act, but I enjoy it because it allows me to connect with a much broader audience and pushes my creativity to higher limits so that I can offer stylish designs, with a high-end street feel, that are relatively affordable.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I began designing, before even realizing what fashion designing is; I was always into comic books and Marvel characters and I’ve always been able to draw well. I would adopt the “comic style” when drawing but would sketch female figures with elongated limbs & emphasize details on their clothing and buckles. Once day, in a high school art class, my teacher noticed my sketches and told me they looked like fashion illustrations. From that point, I allowed myself to get lost in Vogue, Essence and W magazines and I “studied” looks and editorials and cultivated a passion for creating my own. Savou was born soon after and I went on to pursue a degree in fashion after graduating high school.

Now, almost 2 decades later, Savou is not the same hand-constructed brand as it began. I’ve curated a small business using a drop-shipping model, that I feel competes with any of the big names in the industry in terms of style and innovation. Savou presents a myriad of ready-to-wear garments and other products under the label including blankets, shoes, phone cases, pillows and bags. Savou is a fledgling, but a lifestyle brand none-the-less and creatively offers unique and trendy styles and patterns at competitive costs. What sets the brand apart is that I personally design every aspect of every product that I offer; down to choosing the source materials & thread color. I consider every component including feel and weight of a fabric, how moisture will wick, seasonal trends, and durability. Every logo, print, shade, color block is uniquely created by Benny Domino; I simply design things that I too would wear and use.

I am most proud to have crafted a brand deeply rooted in Black American culture and arts but that everyone can enjoy. My mission with Savou is to offer fresh, innovative high-end designs without the high end designer price tag.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

For me it’s been marketing and promotion. We are soaked in the digital age, and it feels like everyone is utilizing some kind of social media app to connect. The most effective strategy for me has been to simply utilize social media apps as well; really getting creative and shooting promo videos and campaigns each time I launch a new collection. Building campaigns around tried and true commercial blitz’s like holidays and special events and staying relevant by posting more frequently across multi-platforms. This strategy seems to be helping me increase viewership and interest in the brand.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I learned of the drop-shipping selling model through a friend and she connected me with my current vendor. At the moment, all of the products offered by Savou (excluding custom pieces) come through the same vendor. I chose our vendor after ordering sample products to test color saturation, DTG printing outcome and source material durability from a few different options. I also read reviews on customer satisfaction and return users. I’ve learned along the way to pay attention to what the buyers want and to know how certain designs/colors are going to “behave” on different source material textures. The last thing you want is something fading too soon, or not appearing as vibrant as intended.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shopsavou.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savou_brand/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/bennydomino

Image Credits
Benny Domino