Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Hovet.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I moved to Chicago from my home state of North Dakota to attend SAIC in 2003. After graduation, I was hired by Kids Headquarters to design layette for Ecko, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, and Target. Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately) I was laid off due to the recession in 2008. In 2009, at the age of 23, I launched my young contemporary knitwear line. Exceeding most expectations, the line was immediately ordered by several boutiques. Soon after, I was soon selected as a Designer in Residence at the Macy’s Chicago Fashion Incubator which helped launch my business. In May 2013, I was selected to participate in The Workshop at Macy’s – an exclusive retail vendor development program for high potential business owners. My business has continued to grow and I have had sponsorship deals with United Airlines, Kraft, Sony, and EFFEN Vodka. My designs can be seen on Jennifer Hudson, Hannibal Buress, and Chance the Rapper. I’ve been featured in several publications including Lucky Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and RedEye. I’ve appeared on NBC “1st Look”, WCIU “You & Me This Morning” and I was a contestant on the Kenmore Reality Web Series “So You Wanna Be A Designer”. In June 2015, I was awarded “Chicago’s Best Local Clothing Designer” by the Chicago Reader. We currently sell to 8 stores in Chicago, additional stores across the country, and online internationally.
As I was beginning to build my fashion company, I needed supplementary income, so I began part-time tutoring high school students in Chicago. After a couple years, my clientele had grown through word-of-mouth referrals and I was tutoring 50 hours per week. I began to realize this was an entrepreneurial opportunity and I utilized all the business knowledge I had obtained through my fashion company to launch my own private tutoring company, Sophic Standard LLC, in 2014. It is a small company with a team of hand-selected tutors that specialize in several areas of high school academics and standardized test prep.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Making a profit manufacturing apparel in the USA is very difficult. In order to pay sewers a decent wage, the garment prices increase significantly so it is almost impossible to compete with fast fashion brands. The key is to find your demographic who appreciates high-quality, local clothing. I’m lucky to have found amazing boutiques in Chicago who understand my brand and have a customer based who appreciates clothing made in America. Here is a cool video showing our manufacturing process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5WdBkzXIHY
Another struggle I’ve had is finding capital to run my fashion line. We have boot-strapped the majority of our company history. As a young entrepreneur, I didn’t have much credit history or collateral to put up for a loan or line of credit and due to vast changes in the clothing business over the last decade, many stores do not offer a deposit on orders even through the garments begin production at least 6 months before delivery. Keeping my company financially lean may have hinder potential opportunities to grow, but with the current demise of retail, I’m happy to have a small, debt-free company that still prioritizes our initial mission of women-owned, self-branded, domestically manufactured fashion.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HOVET Apparel and Sophic Standard – what should we know?
HØVET is an American made apparel company that resonates smart style and ease by fusing modern aesthetics, high-end design and the maximum comfort of street wear. The contemporary sport luxe line incorporates sustainable bamboo terry to give our knits luxury softness and sleek movability. Our high-quality sweatshirts stand out with beautifully draped hoods, clean lines, and strategically placed seams inspired by the natural contours of the body. Known as the “Queen of Comfort”, designer Anna Hovet uses patternmaking as a systematic, mathematic way to transform conceptual ideas into material form, creating distinctive silhouettes and keeping prices reasonable by using few trims and minimal sewing requirements. Hovet ensures high quality and local responsibility by manufacturing all her designs in Chicago, IL USA.
Sophic Standard LLC was created in 2014 to satisfy a demand for quality reliable private tutors in Chicago. We are a small company with a team of hand-selected tutors. At Sophic Standard, we take the time to understand the learning strengths of each student and help them apply these strengths to their homework and tests. We strive to motivate students to show their best effort towards schoolwork and we supply them with executive functioning skills that will stay with them through college.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My direct mentors in the fashion community have been Lara Miller and Kate Coxworth.
There is no guidebook to running a domestically manufactured apparel business in Chicago, so you need to work hard and ask questions to find all the resources. By interning for Lara Miller, I was able to connect with many of the valuable sewing and cutting resources I still use today. She was also the Director of the Chicago Fashion Incubator when I was a Designer in Resident in 2009 and she taught us how to market and distribute our designs. In 2011, I shared a studio space with Kate Coxworth who’s label, Kate Boggiano, was already a big success in Chicago. I studied her as she tirelessly ran her business. Her work ethic and apparel knowledge was very inspiring to me and she taught me valuable lessons about communicating with customers and buyers.
My biggest supporters have always been my Facebook friends/followers. Since the first time I posted a photo of one of my designs, I’ve had endless support from friends and strangers encouraging me to pursue my passion. Though it may seem impersonal, having a digital support system gave me the confidence and the customer base to build a successful fashion brand.
Pricing:
- Joggers $39-$89
- Sweatshirts $39-139
Contact Info:
- Address: 2000 W. Carroll Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60612 - Website: www.annahovet.com, www.shophovet.com, www.sophicstandard.com
- Instagram: @annahovet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annahovetdesigns/
Image Credit:
Ian Merritt
R. Hanel
Bryan Allen Lamb
Craig Seymour
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
