PHXFW Rewinds: Kiss The Girl Clothing believes, “All girls are beautiful”
After working in Mexico for several years with his cousin’s screen-printing company, James Ross decided he wanted to start his own clothing line in 2006.
Just as Ed Hardy and the “bling, bling” trends were gaining momentum, James knew his line needed to fashion in the exact opposite direction. He believed that if he lead and set his own trend, rather than follow the crowd, he would have a better chance of success. So with his eldest son, Adam and Adam’s wife, Elizabeth, the trio created Kiss The Girl Clothing Company and did just that: succeed.
The phrase, “Kiss the Girl” may bring you back to that blissful Disney melody in The Little Mermaid or maybe even to Katy Perry’s infamous song, but the truth behind the clothing line is much more organic. James asked himself, what does every girl like? Within seconds he pegged kissing as number one. Thus, Kiss The Girl Clothing Company was championed.
From the very beginning, James knew he wanted to create designs for women that caught eyes in storefronts. Yet, he also wanted women to be able to easily spot his work and relate closely with the designs. While some of Kiss the Girl’s t-shirts may not be especially unique, James said, the unmatchable details and personality in each design sets them apart. Using appliqués and embroidery on super soft tees and thermals, the quality of these garments are outstanding and they’re clearly identifiable without ever having to sneak a peak at the tag.
With a winning label and an ingenious design model, James, Adam and Elizabeth built a bulletproof business plan and went to work. Instead of making hundreds of t-shirts and trying to push sales, the team conducted trial runs, a process completed over a couple of years. Trial runs included taking the t-shirt designs to local farmers markets or outdoor festivals and willfully submitting to the voice of the crowd. At the end of the day, as James said, they knew which designs “sucked” and which ones “rocked.” The trio learned their customers by watching facial reactions and listening to feedback.
After years of trial and error, James, Adam and Elizabeth accepted the most popular designs and
replicated their style. Instead of debuting a clothing line, Kiss the Girl debuted a brand with more than 25 pre-tested pieces. Those 25 rock-solid t-shirt designs attracted 24 boutiques around the country. Today, more 500 retailers across the globe carry Kiss the Girl Clothing Company.
We at Phoenix Fashion Week are proud and honored to have Kiss the Girl Clothing Company so close to our hearts. In 2008, Kiss The Girl caught PHXFW’s eye and was invited to be one of the featured designers.
“It was a great experience, and we used photos and videos and everything learned during our first Phoenix Fashion Week as a tool to start our own verbal story board,” James said. “We gained more respect in the industry, no matter what part of the country they may be in.”
Kiss The Girl Clothing garments are produced locally in the Phoenix area, including all embellishments. Garrett, James’ other son, manages the Scottsdale Fashion Square store; making this fashion line a star-studded family business.
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Article by Alex Valenzuela for Phoenix Fashion Week
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If Kiss the girl clothing ever need aninternational model im behind them 110percent. Im loving the clothes. Much love.
Thanks for the shout out, Matshidiso, we will let KTG know! Team PHXFW