Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Carlos Vidal-Mayr.
Hi Juan Carlos, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Santiago, Chile in the difficult eighties. At the moments, the country was going through very difficult times and also with a very complicated economy. As I was growing up, I watched my mother make clothing and alter clothes with her rustic Singer sewing machine.
It is in this environment with my mother at home that was the best place for me to learn as she also was my full-time instructor. I was able to develop sawing and creative skills in making clothing. With time, I learned that with minor modifications, such as a dart, a pleat, an extra seam, or a simple detail, could improve the fit and appearance of any garment.
Thanks to my place of employment is that I had the opportunity to go and visit different countries. It became a great source to be inspired by new designs ideas and learn about fabrics and such. This is how that in one of my trips, I fell in love with this city of San Diego and without thinking too much about it, I ventured to migrate to this country in pursue of my dreams.
Based on my mother’s advice, I began working on my own garments; structurally modifying my jeans exploiting its physical qualities and applying what I have learned during my travels. My designs that I was developing did not go unnoticed. Many people begun asking me about the origin of my “modified jeans”, without knowing that they were a product of my own works. As a result of this experimentation, it is where the concept of CZECH EVAN was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The first challenge was finding a manufacturing plant that would be willing to specifically develop and later produce the concept that I was developing. I had started creating the first designs on paper, the ideas and concepts for each model. It was very difficult as we felt that the manufacturer would have to grasp and embrace our ideas and designs to develop them into a final product. We started in Chile, which turned into a complete fiasco. We moved the project to Peru where we did find a manufacturer that was not only willing to work with us but also grasp the concept from the root up. Working along the way with all the challenges that came as each model was being developed, the final product begun to emerge.
The second big challenge that we were faced with was the quantities that we needed in order to place the order. As there are many components, each component/vendor had to be met with quantities requirements. What we thought in the early stages that we could produce 200 pairs with the first order ended up being 1,3oo. That meant a big financial challenge in order to be able to make it.
It has been a very bumpy road specially during covid times, But I have had some incredible people supporting this project. America is a country of very loving and helpful people. I have a great partner who is my number one support.
Being unknown is the most difficult part as you have to knock on many doors,
Not having the connections in the fashion world has been difficult to help build bridges and find stores that want to display your product line.
Other challenges that we have faced and continue to face are:
• Financial challenges
• Logistic challenges when outsourcing some of the products in different parts of the world
• Finding vendors in other parts of the globe which meets the company standards criteria
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I sensed a genuine interest in tailored cuts and designs, so with CZECH EVAN I matured the idea of a structural jean, establishing a style that achieves a tailored fit with precise cuts and seams, which accentuate a man’s best features. In a market where jeans are focused on female demand and without so much interest and options in pants for men, CZECH EVAN designs are able to reach a segment that largely has been ignored.
The creation of this product led me to the need to carry out different analysis of the logistics and manufacturing process since the standards I was looking for were high. Potential suppliers had to meet the brand’s standards. At CZECH EVAN, quality and attention to detail are never compromised, to such an extent that many of the elements of each product such as denim fabrics, buttons, rivets, velvet patches and thread, are sourced from different regions of the world and are chosen to meet our high-quality standards.
This meticulous process embodies CZECH EVAN’s values: producing high-quality jeans for the modern man who seeks to look and feel good in a comfortable and natural way; for that man who travels around the world, getting to know new cultures, for that man who works and studies or who simply enjoys a few beers with his friends.
What set us apart:
*** Long lasting products – our clothes are made from high-quality products
*** Attention to details
*** Not massive production, only a few in existence. Few specific styles per collection, which are released twice or maximum three times per year, or a permanent seasonless collection.
*** You will look good in a natural way
**** CZECH EVAN it’s an American company with a European vibe – we combine elegance with comfort for a fashionable garment.
**** Our jeans are more timeless than trendy.
**** We cater to smaller (local) stores.
**** Often made-to-order to reduce unnecessary production and not contaminate the planet.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Instagram
Photoshop
WhatsApp
Books: House of the Spirits Isabel Allende
Marc Jacobs Masterclass
Recently I have been captivated and inspired by Netflix biography of the American fashion icon Halston.
Pricing:
- 187.00
- 197.00
Contact Info:
- Email: j.vidal@czechevan.com
- Website: www.czechevan.com
- Instagram: czechevan
- Facebook: CZECH EVAN
