Funky Tights in the Her Business Magazine, May 2007 Issue
The country that produced the Rubik’s Cube, goulash and Zsa Zsa Gabor is now better known for one of its people selling some of the best sexy stockings in New Zealand.
Bernadett Csaszar’s company, Funky Tights, is fully stretched keeping up with demand for her Italian-imported hosiery including pantyhose, stay-ups, kneehighs and ankle socks. Women are buying her brand from more than 60 stores around New Zealand. This winter, they are going to be a big winner.
She exhibited Funky Tights at Auckland’s recent Girls Day Out. For Bernadett, moving into the world of pantyhose is a substantial lifestyle change from early childhood life behind the Iron Curtain.
Apart from the fact that there was a Russian military camp just outside her town and she had to celebrate the Soviet national holidays - life wasn't much different from what it could have been in NZ in the 70s.
She emigrated to NZ four years ago because she wanted a more relaxed lifestyle and to enjoy New Zealand’s natural environment. `I had heard a lot of good things about the country and it sounded like a great place. Over the last 10 years Europe has become very competitive and life is very fast paced and stressful over there.
"I said I wanted a more relaxed lifestyle, yet I actually work more now than I ever have in my life. But I'm enjoying every moment of it and that's a huge difference. And I do things I've always wanted to do. I took up art classes and I do sports on a regular basis.
It wasn't very difficult for Bernadett to adjust to a Kiwi lifestyle. She went to school in England when she was 17 and she worked for international companies, so she had no difficulties speaking English.
But she has struggled to realise the vast distance between her home country of Hungary and here. She gets homesick from time to time and it's not that easy to "pop back" to visit.
"I went back last August after three and a half years and I had a fantastic time. I was there for three weeks and after that it was also great to come back "home" again to NZ. People here are so friendly and helpful. It's easy living here.’’
"About a year after my arrival to New Zealand I was out shopping for a pair of patterned tights to replace the ones I had before and that got ruined. When I left Europe they were becoming very popular so I didn't think it would be a problem replacing them. I couldn't find anything. Immediately I saw that there was an opportunity to carve out a market.’’
She approached various Italian manufacturers and ended up negotiating with three of them. She decided to import the brand OMSA, which is one of the best and most prestigious Italian brands. They are very well known and popular all over Europe and in many other parts of the world.
Bernadett says women tell her they used to wear patterned hosiery when they were younger. They used to be very popular in the 1950 and 60s. But they stormed back in fashion in Europe about five years ago and when she was back home in August she saw them in all the shops.
"They've definitely become popular in New Zealand over the last couple of years, too. They are a bit of a fashion statement really. We've got more than 60 customers all over New Zealand from department stores, fashion, lingerie, shoe- and gift shops. Ballantynes, the big department store in Christchurch, has been a customer for two years and Smith and Caughey’s are on board now too.
”They are great to wear in the office with a plain two piece suit or at a party with a nice dress or skirt. They just dress the legs up so nicely. One of my customers wears them to work all the time and she cannot stop raving about them, how comfortable they are, how long they last and how many comments she gets on how nice her legs look. They are great fashion accessories. And it's not true that you have to have perfect legs to wear them. We also stock knee-highs and ankle socks which are great to wear with pants.”
“I sent a couple of samples to a lingerie shop in Pukekohe. The manager phoned me up the day she received them and asked for some more. She was actually opening her mail and two of her customers saw the products and insisted on buying them there and then. So the manager needed two more pairs to show the shop owner. Having sold them before they made it to the shelf convinced her that they were going to be popular. That shop has become one our best customers.’’
The Italian manufacturer brings out a new fashion collection (patterned hosiery) every six months.
Bernadett’s five tips for good business.
1.Go with what the market demands, but pride yourself in providing the best quality products and service you can.
2. Build strong relationships with your customers.
3. Go out and talk about your business with great passion whenever you can.
4. Be persistent and dedicated, the results will follow.
5. Constantly keep looking for opportunities and improving yourself in every aspect of the business.
- Kip Brook
