"I'm always thinking of
the big picture," Lisa emphasizes.
She is at once working on both internal and external design
projects; what's new and best for
Superior's offerings to its customers, as well as designing directly for
Superior accounts. Not only is she dedicated
to customer support, but she focuses a savvy eye toward growing the business
aspect of her company. While she was with
retail-based Hart-Marx, she was head of design in the women's division of the
primarily men's tailored clothing corporation.
Working with Superior on several projects, she gradually moved over from
one company to the other.
Now, Lisa brings a new perspective to Superior
Uniform Group--the wholesale/retail apparel trade. "I've worked with designers for
Ever," Lisa remarks in her Southern drawl.
"I see things from a business point of view, and I'm very fussy
about fabrics, fittings, and style. I
know what's right. Uniforms can be
attractive for street wear, as well as for identity."
Superior had had several
exciting projects in place before Lisa came on board: Tailored products, eco-friendly recycled
fabrics, and 100% polyesters that are
machine washable and dryable. "There are great merits in these new
fabrics for the consumers and the economy--and the technology is out
there!"
Lisa insists, "It's all
about marketing-generated awareness.
We've got tailored apparel that is good for 30 washings. You don't wash suiting every time you wear
it, or it would destroy the tailored product.
If you clean it once for each of the four seasons, it is good for seven
years! We are tailoring in recycled
polyester, poly and Lycra, and poly wool.
It's unbeatable."
In all categories, Lisa
Stewart is infusing her own background, as she combines with the Superior
focus: Eco-friendly fabrics are emerging in polos, wovens, trousers, and
more. "People are committed to
doing something about the environment at our corporate level. Knowing that Superior will lose customers if it
doesn't, has made a huge
difference," Lisa smiles.
"Caps, aprons, cotton garments--we're doing so many things for both
the retail trade, and for branded companies."
The general trend is for
tailored garments to make a re-emergence, but in reality, it may not
happen. As it is now, Superior is very
big on sportswear. What's fabulous is
that so many other companies, such as Under Armour, Nike, etc., are presenting
with whole new fabric technologies.
Superior is taking advantage of that technology in a big way. "Things like wicking, stain release,
Teflon coating-- these are all processes that used to be new; now, they're just
taken for granted. People who are active
expect SPF protection, anti-bacterial coverage and more, as part of the
garment," Lisa reveals.
Aesthetics? Lisa focuses the tailored garments in
charcoal, black, navy, and brown's. The
accessories may vary with the customer.
Superior is very careful not to date itself. "It's a challenge," Lisa reminds, "to
be fresh and maintain longevity at the same time. We're doing color-blocking with two and three
different areas of bold different hues, contrast stitching, brighter
colors--more creativity with fewer price points. We're doing branding with logos at every
level of the customer's needs: The front and back of the house. We do stores and private customer accounts;
small independent boutique hotels to huge corporations." Superior's catalogues are being completely
re-designed to focus on these changing times.
"Superior has often been
portrayed as being very plain--a brass tacks organization. I wouldn't have joined if that were so. Marketing has everything to do with reality
and how we're portrayed," Lisa comments.
"We have a great marketing team, a tremendous design team, and
we're all moving forward together!"
