ArtTECA goes in-depth on women's fashion in the workplace

As the modern workwear attire for women emerges as a trend, artTECA prides itself as a professional, office attire brand. Wrapping up this month with the focus of "Work in Fashion," FashionUnited tapped into this workwear-motivated brand that highlights workers in the industry. Founded in 2014, the Miami-based label offers kinetic tops, silk blouses, pants, and accessories. Known for its intricate prints and subtle designs, FashionUnited chatted with the company's co-founders Claudia and Flavia Giardinella about artTECA's main mission in the fashion workforce.

Tell us a little about the history of artTECA and its origins as a brand.

Flavia: artTECA was founded by us, two sisters who love both fashion and art. We grew up in a very art and cultured oriented family. Our parents are avid art collectors since we were very young. Visiting museums, galleries, and traveling on vacation to new places was always the norm. Fashion has always been a genuine interest for us too. We follow fashion and designers and were always on top of latest trends, etc. Working with artists was the first reason that sparked the idea. We wanted to create something new that involved art and at the same time could help the community and empower women. That’s how artTECA came to life.

How would you describe the apparel you retail?

Claudia: Our collections are born out of passion, creativity and artistry. We have a very all-women talented team we fuel each other from our creativity and passion for all the arts. And our collections resemble just that: the joy of living a colorful life, being unique individuals, and feeling beautiful, confident and empowered. All the pieces in our collection are of the highest quality materials and manufacturing.

What makes artTECA stand out from other 'modern working woman' apparel brands?

Flavia: artTECA uniqueness speaks for itself. We have very unique exclusive prints, we work hand in hand with the artists and create those unique prints based of an artwork in their roster. Not only is the print unique on its own but in many cases those artworks are part of private collections or public collections: like museums, etc. At the very least they have been exhibited in Museums and/or Galleries around the world. We find that fact to be the most interesting and fun of an artTECA piece. How many brands can say the same?

Another feature that makes us stand out is that every collection we make is limited edition. Once the edition of that print is sold out, it will never exist again. With that being said, each piece is practically a collector piece and not many people can buy the same item. And at the same time you help a child benefit from art educational programs. We find that to be pretty cool for a ready-to-wear women's brand, don’t you think?

In which cities/markets are you hoping to expand to with artTECA?

Claudia: We are looking to expand in several markets. We are starting to visit Texas (cities like Houston and Dallas) Also, the west coast, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Also, we are starting to visit many Latin American countries.

Do you find that you attract a certain customer?

Flavia: Our customer base varies. We sell to young professional women as well as middle age women who are more entrepreneurial and have a family life. They buy artTECA because they really fall in love with the concept, the quality of the piece and they get to help early art education. Also we get a lot of comments of how good it makes them feel, how comfortable our pieces are, and how versatile they can be.

How do you think artTECA emcompasses the style of 'working women in fashion’?

Flavia: It gives them the perfect option to have a beautiful garment that they can wear all day long. The are not only really comfortable but help you look elegant, fashionable, sophisticated and confident. From a business meeting, to a PTA meeting, and finally a dinner date. Our pieces style perfectly with any basic your have in your closet without having to change through out the day. Maybe just your shoes :) Working women are always on the go with a million things to do a day. Every minute counts for getting on time to events, or simply having more time with your family.

In which cities currently is artTECA the most popular?

Claudia: That would have to be Miami. We have lived in Miami for over 14 years. So we are as much home as we were in Caracas, Venezuela. We have felt an amazing support from local boutiques, designers, influencers, and of course customers. Miami is a hub for so many cultures and that fuels our business and helps us be more creative and grow. We love Miami.

How would you describe the typical artTECA customer?

Flavia: The typical artTECA women are professional/entrepreneur women who have very busy lives: family, work, etc. they juggle many things in life and they are always looking to wear clothes that make them feel great but also stylish, elegant and sophisticated while being comfortable. With artTECA they don’t need to compromise style for comfort, and they really love that.

What would you say are the most current trends in womenswear and apparel right now?

Claudia: One would definitely be over the top and oversize garments which in the end gives the design comfort. We see more and more that women want to feel comfortable yet look sophisticated. This oversize applies to both tops and bottoms. On our latest Collection: The Pinta Kimono Collection. We created four styles of kimonos with oversize features making them really comfortable yet on trend and sophisticated at the same time.

How has your e-commerce business grown since artTECA started?

Claudia: Our online business has been evolving since we started. Today we can say we are extremely happy with our e-commerce site. The look and feel and how friendly it is to navigate and shop. Also, it looks and works great in both desktop and mobile, which is a very important feature in an e-commerce site because more and more people are buying through their mobile device, while they are waiting at a station, or for coffee, or having a lunch break etc.

Do you have any retail stores?

Flavia: Our showroom is in Miami, FL which is also our retail space, office, and warehouse. We have a multifunctional space and it works great for us. We find it very convenient to have it all at the same space that way is more manageable. We host lots of meeting in our showroom for business as well as have customer visit us and buy directly from us if they are local and want to come try on anything from our collection.

Do you think it's necessary to open a brick-and-mortar store, with retail's declining climate?

Flavia: That is the million dollar question. I think there is still no straight forward answer for this. The retail industry is definitely shifting towards online. Everyday more people buy online, but when it comes to fashion is a bit more complicated. People tend to buy more fast fashion online store like: Zara, Gap, JCrew, Banana Republic, Anthropology and big brands and retail stores like those. Why? Because they find more variety, they already know their size and they feel the safety that is I don’t like or it doesn’t fit I can visit the store and return or exchange. Then there is Gilt, Poshmark, Amazon and those type of e-commerce where customers are looking for high fashion bargains and those can only really be found on the internet. Plus those store have easy and straight forward returns so they feel secure when they purchase.

Now, for a emerging designers boutiques are key, they help you on brand awareness and reaching a wider audience. Also the customer wants to get to know your brand, try it on, etc. It is hard because the retail is declining, but we find that really good boutiques who have great emerging designers and really special pieces have an enormous following and do really well. But we do highly believe in e-commerce and that is why our main focus is our online boutique and getting customers to our site. Also, selling in other online platforms both wholesale.

What trends do you see when it comes to workwear fashion?

Claudia: We see having pieces that are easy to style with basics any women has in their closet. For example: Black trousers, Jeans, white pants, little black dress, etc. And also prints and patterns are the new black. Women are taking more “risks” by using bold color and prints, which also speaks to their individuality and makes them feel more confident and empowered.

What is the current price range of your product and where is it available?

Claudia: Our current prices range from 80 to 200 dollars. Our prices reflect the time, dedication, artistry and a very high quality production that ultimately creates a collection piece. Just like a work of art. Our collections are available at our online boutique: www.artteca.com

Upcoming future events/pop-ups/collabs?

Flavia: We are constantly participating in pop-up, trunk shows, and charity events. We also have exciting collaborations with new artists and we are looking to collaborate with other designers and brands.

Photo Source: artTECA