Paradiso's Customers Travel in Style
Natalia Castillo spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about what to wear on vacation. But then again, that’s her job.
Two years ago, Castillo launched Bay Bliss Inc., parent company of Paradiso, her brand of updated, moderately priced resort apparel.
“When people are on vacation, they want to have casual-yet-fun, comfortable and unstructured clothing,” said Castillo, a former womenswear buyer for Macy’s.
Consumers are also less likely to be budget-conscious when planning their vacation wardrobes, Castillo said. “People who are on vacation are not as price-conscious because they’re already planning to spend some money on fun items; they’re not really on a budget, and they’re willing to splurge a little bit on themselves,” she said.
This is Castillo’s second manufacturing venture. After leaving Macy’s, she launched her own apparel line, Key Lime Pie, a division of WeBeBop in Berkeley, Calif., and then departed in 2001 to start Bay Bliss in Sausalito, Calif.
A mixture of misses and resortwear, Paradiso blends rayon and knit fabrications with tropical island prints to make a distinctive women’s collection. The long flowing dresses, soft casual shirts, capris and bead-embellished jackets are comfortable but dressy enough for a restaurant or a night out on the town. Each easy-to-carefor piece coordinates with several other items.
Castillo buys her print artwork at Premiegrave;re Vision in Paris and then ships it to the company’s factory in Indonesia, where workers create the company’s one-of-a-kind fabrics.
The sophisticated-yet-casual line offers separates that wholesale from $15 for a casual knit T-shirt to $28 for a rayon dress. Until recently, Paradiso sold only misses and plus sizes, but Fall 2003 marked the debut of Paradiso’s girls’ line, a small-scale version of the women’s sportswear collection. Paradiso’s key to sucess is its formula of repeating primary sillhouettes while constantly changing prints.
More than 700 retailers in the United States and the Virgin Islands sell the line. Nordstrom, WH Smith and Princess Cruise Lines are among its top retailers.
In the first half of 2003, Paradiso’s sales skyrocketed 141 percent over the prior year—from $263,000 to $635,000. The company is projecting sales of more than $2 million for 2004.
Castillo said skilled production and competitive price points contributed to her company’s busy season. About 15 percent of the company’s sales were reorders, she said. Additionally, a large portion of the company’s sales were in resort areas such as the Caribbean and Hawaii, which account for more than 45 percent of the company’s overall business.
Paradiso may be one of many manufacturers staking a claim in the resort market, but the company’s range of moderately priced pieces gives the budget traveler reason to shop.
At Island Trends, a boutique on Florida’s Marco Island, the Paradiso line sold out during last year’s early Spring season.
“We buy over 500 units for the Resort season, and the line sells out every year,” said owner Skip Chustz, whose boutique also carries lines by Tommy Bahama, Nat Nast, Tori Richards and Bamboo Cay. “When travelers come down for vacation, they are looking for something stylish and affordable. Paradiso taps into resort trends at an affordable price.”
Made in Indonesia
Since 2001, Paradiso has increased its offshore workforce from eight employees to 160 employees. Paradiso produces its entire apparel collection at a factory in Palur, Indonesia, where the company employs cutters, garment sewers, dyers and finishers.
Castillo used to travel to Indonesia three to four times a year—until the terrorist attack on Bali.
“It was very tragic,” she said. “I had to cut back my travel to Indonesia. When you’re there, it’s so beautiful and tranquil; you feel like it’s the safest place in the world to be.”
Castillo said she wants to provide benefits to her workers as her company grows. Beginning this month, Paradiso is building an education center adjacent to the factory in Palur. The center will offer reading and English classes to factory workers and their children. If everything goes according to plan, Paradiso’s employee computer resource center will open next summer. It’s a $40,000 project that Castillo believes will go a long way.
“It’s so fulfilling to do something special for someone, especially our employees in Indonesia,” Castillo said. “Their perspective on living is completely different than ours, mainly because they value their close relationships with their families, friends and communities. It’s humbling to see life through their eyes.”
