BusinessWorld Philippines Article

corporate files.

Source: Asia Africa Intelligence WirePublication
Date: 19-AUG-03
(From BusinessWorld (Philippines))

Byline: Jeffrey O. Valisno

It was heartbreaking for Jose V. Enriquez to sell his brainchild Figlia Ladies' Fashion Footwear, Inc. to another company in 1998. Coming from a family of artisan shoemakers in Marikina City, he practically grew up in the industry.

"My father's shoe factory was my playground when I was a little boy. My uncles and aunts were all employees of my father so it was a family thing. I saw how passionate my father was in shoe making. He really loved shoes," Mr. Enriquez said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

After watching his father Ceferino steer his own shoe brand, "Meg's," to success in the 1950s, he came out with his own label "Figlia" - Latin word for "daughter" in 1986.

Mr. Enriquez was just 26 years old then.

"I was young and raring to go. I had the creative juices to make it without much capital. People in the industry knew the quality of work my father was able to make and that assured my customers of my products. I also knew my customers by heart. I would study their preferences and would design lines that would go with their collection," he said.

"I inherited some basic machinery for shoe manufacturing so I started with a very small capital basically with nothing but my father's existing suppliers who were willing to give me credit. All I had was some courage to make it on my own and some innate creativity, which I think I also got from my father," he added.

With hard work and sheer determination, it was not long until Figlia became a leading women's shoe brand in the country.

Figlia's popularity got a boost when it became one of the pioneer concessionaires in the SM chain of malls.

The triumph of Figlia led Mr. Enriquez to introduce another line of women's shoes called Marie Nicole in 1995.

Marie Nicole easily became the best-selling brand in Landmark, Gaisano and Robinsons department stores nationwide.

"The best years in my business have been the boom in 1995 to 1996. During this time I embarked [on] an expansion program of adding new branches in malls. However, the Asian financial crisis happened in 1997," he said.

Because of the crisis, Mr. Enriquez had to let go of his 50 employees and close down the shoe factory.

With the sudden free time, he decided to take up a course on shoe design at Parson's School of Design in New York City to update and build up his skills.

In 1998, he came back to the country and sold Figlia to Chan Kok Bin of Charter International, Inc., a renowned shoe businessman himself identified with the shoe labels "Celine," "CMG," "Little Ones," and "Traffic."

It was difficult at first to give up control of Figlia, but Mr. Enriquez sees the rewards of the merger.

"With the acquisition of Figlia and Marie Nicole by Charter International and its affiliation with Celine Marketing Corp., the company was able to broaden its local distribution network encompassing all market segments," he said.

"I was able to focus on my strength as a designer and concentrated on product development, raw material sourcing and marketing. I have a manufacturing background. I can actually make a shoe from scratch, from cutting, sewing to hand lasting. Mr. Chan has a Harvard business degree. Our fusion is a force to reckon with. That sets Figlia apart from our competitors," he added.

Figlia now has 13 branches in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cavite and Davao. Three additional branches are coming up in Lucena, Baguio and Malolos, Bulacan, before yearend.

The company also exports Figlia shoes to Australia, Japan, France, Canada, and Hawaii, Los Angeles and New York in the US.

"I would say that our company is one of the market leaders in our industry. Our brands dominate the local shoe retail scene and our shoes are all well known for their excellent quality and innovative designs," Mr. Enriquez added.

As an industry trendsetter, the company recently launched "Figlia Couture," an upscale line of fashionable shoes using the finest materials and embellished with swarovski crystals, south sea pearls and the like.

"Initially this will be available via custom-made shoes for weddings, debut, soirees, or just for fun. You just go to our showroom, call us, or text us and we would gladly make a pair that is uniquely yours," Mr. Enriquez said.

The company will also launch in October "F2" or "figlia too - figliarina!" a trendy line of sandals, loafers and fashion sports collection for teenagers in SM stores. Figlia will also relaunch its website www.figlia.biz.

Asked about the secret to Figlia's success, Mr. Enriquez quickly attributes it to the work force.

"Our employees are highly motivated and very keen on facing challenges, we pay a lot of attention to detail in everything we produce. We carry different shoe brands within our company, we share a lot of information and technology although somehow the friendly competition within the company keeps us more on our toes, literally!" he said.

He said the company also keeps up to date about new manufacturing technologies and has hired a shoe expert who studied in India. It also sponsored a scholar in the newly opened Philippine Shoe Academy in Marikina City, the first footwear school in the Far East.

Figlia merchandisers also attend international shoe fairs at least twice yearly to keep abreast with design trends in Europe and Asia.

It also signed a design consultation agreement with a designer from England through the British Council to help Figlia build a collection for the international market.

"Our corporate culture may be embodied with the message being imparted by Dr. Spencer Johnson through his book Who Moved My Cheese? Change is something we must constantly face and enjoy," Mr. Enriquez.

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