Tags: Clothing
By KC Santos
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – Young and short in capital, Joshua Chua recalls roaming around Divisoria convincing textile vendors to loan him raw materials he needed for his T-shirt business and promising to pay them back.
Sorbetes Avenue started out in 2003 when Joshua was still in college. It was a school project to come up with T-shirts that carry the name of various college organizations.
The project ignited his interest T-shirt making. But with limited capital, he had to persuade textile dealers in Divisoria to loan him materials he would need to produce his initial batch of Sorbetes shirts.
With help from a few friends, Joshua’s shirts started to get noticed. But that meant a lot of pressure on the young entrepreneur to keep designing and producing shirts.
“I had to source the materials, enlist orders, pick-up and deliver orders all by myself. That’s how I did it before, and that’s still how I do it now,” he says.
In terms of the design, Joshua wanted to create T-shirts that Filipinos can easily relate to.
“The designs are based on things we see everywhere, everyday things that we tend to neglect but signify our Filipino roots,” he says.
Sorbetes shirts have evolved into hip and urban institutional preambles and school “yells” unique to the university or college these represent.
Joshua says since most of his clients are students, he makes everything at low cost. Shirts cost around P110 and the jackets (depending on the design) sell for about P500.
From having everything done outside wherein quality control was always his problem, Joshua now has his own in-house factory armed with 50 sewing machines.
He also has plans of launching a “souvenir” line and opening the first Sorbetes Avenue store in Divisoria.
Joshua shares his modest success did not come easy.
“I screwed up countless times but I realized that to learn, you have to mess up sometimes. In fact I think a person learns better that way,” he says.
Joshua advises young entrepreneurs to keep their heads up and be prepared to face challenges. “Act on your ideas and take risks. Lots of it.”
(Photos courtesy of Joshua Chua)
Get more information about Sorbetes Avenue
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