Chapter 313 Embroidery Workshop Layout
Lin Changning didn't think that much about it; she felt it was already very good that he was willing to give her money to tinker with.
Lin Changning, still chewing on his pen, began to ponder his grand business plan again. These clothes were just one way to open up sales channels.
If this business is to continue in the long run, it needs to have some unique skills that others don't have. Moreover, these clothes are not copyrighted these days, so it's very easy for other embroiderers to copy them.
Buy a set and study the design; you don't even need to buy it. Those master craftsmen can just look at it and they can replicate it for you. So, to stand out, in addition to opening up sales channels, you also need to be able to do something that no one else can do or has.
Lin Changning frowned, somewhat worried. After all, she wanted to do this business partly to help the girls in Ciyoutang who were of marriageable age but had nowhere to go, and partly to make money.
After all, she was prepared to invest all her savings this time, so she couldn't be careless.
Thinking this, Lin Changning sighed slightly and muttered to himself, "If only there were a way to make everyone only recognize this one family."
Qi Rong didn't hear clearly: "Huh? What did you say, Xiao Liu?"
Lin Changning didn't know how to explain patent rights to the commander, so he thought for a moment and said, "If we can make customers only recognize our products and not buy clothes from other stores, that would be fine."
At this point, Director Lin realized that he might have misspoke and quickly tried to correct himself: "It's not that we don't buy clothes from other stores. The only thing these clothes have is that they are novel and unique. The master craftsmen in other embroidery workshops and fabric shops can probably make similar clothes to ours with just one look. We sell them at high prices, and if they start a price war with us, they will definitely not be able to hold out."
After listening, Qi Rong chuckled and said, "Little Six, do you know why noblewomen rarely wear the same style of clothes?"
Lin Changning blinked and clasped his hands in greeting: "Why?"
Surely there can't be a patent system in this world too, right?
Qi Rong shook his head and said with a smile, "Every embroidery workshop has its own patrons. If they find something they like in the shop and the style they adopt suits the patron's taste, they only need to send the design to the respective mansions. The patron will then select it, make it into a garment, and send it in. Generally speaking, the styles that each embroidery workshop keeps hidden away are not something that ordinary people can see."
Lin Changning suddenly realized, "Isn't this just VIP service? In that case, there shouldn't be too much of a problem in doing this business. All I need to do is build up my reputation in the early stages, find out which mansion will order the clothes, and then have them made and delivered to the mansion."
This was quite convenient for them. The low-end items were sold daily in the clothing stores, with more common styles available. The mid-to-high-end items were targeted at VIPs and boutiques. The mid-range custom-made items were delivered to the mansions for the women of each household to choose from. After purchasing mid-range clothing to a certain amount of silver, they could then go up to the third floor to choose high-end ready-made clothes.
In just a short while, Lin Changning had figured out how to continue the business. He glanced at Qi Rong, unable to hide the smile on his face.
"Thank you for the advice, Second Brother."
After saying that, he started writing furiously with paper and pen again, and spent the whole day drawing with his head down. When Lin Changning looked up again, Qi Rong lifted the curtain, and it was already getting dark outside.
"Xiao Liu, it's getting dark, stop drawing now. You can draw it tomorrow."
Lin Changning replied without looking up, "There's only a little bit of the skirt left, it'll be finished soon."
Qi Rong gently shook his head, no longer trying to persuade him. He could clearly see that Xiao Liu was very concerned about this matter. After sighing, he took out a candle from a compartment under the table, lit it with a tinderbox, and placed it in front of Lin Changning.
By the dim candlelight, Lin Changning finally finished his last stroke and handed the twenty drawings to Qi Rong:
"The top four are the Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum series, which are high-end ready-to-wear garments. You need to save up 10,000 taels of silver to buy them. The next twelve are what I call the Twelve Flower Goddesses series, priced from a hundred to several thousand taels. They are mid-range custom-made garments. The designs for the Twelve Flower Goddesses series will be sent to various mansions for pre-sale. The four below are the ordinary ready-to-wear series, which will be divided into twelve months. They are not finished yet. They are all ordinary ready-to-wear garments that anyone with money can buy. Second Brother, what do you think?"
Qi Rong hadn't heard Lin Changning use some of the words, but he could roughly understand them. He nodded silently as he flipped through the exquisitely detailed pictures in his hand.
It's like nobles have to spend a certain amount of silver at Lin Changning's embroidery shop to buy the most expensive and gorgeous dresses. So, the custom-made dresses from various mansions will definitely sell well. Although the ones below are not as good as the custom-made ones, they are still quite witty and ingenious in his opinion. All three types should sell well.
However, he was a man after all, and women should have the final say on things that women use. After placing a stack of drawings on the table, he looked at Lin Changning and smiled: "Call my third sister over. She is a woman and should be able to understand women's perspectives better. Moreover, before she got married, Ashu was the epitome of a noble lady from a prominent family in Taiyuan. If she thinks it's okay, then it definitely is."
Lin Changning nodded. Indeed, she should ask the princess. After all, the market needs to prove the quality of the clothes. Although she thought they were fine, she was a modern person, and for them to sell well, the wealthy people of this world had to accept them.
Thinking this, Lin Changning was about to get out of the car when Qi Rong grabbed Lin Changning's wrist: "No need to get out of the car, just let Shu'er come over. Xiao Liu, you are a man, and men and women should not touch each other. You are already seventeen years old, and you should avoid suspicion when you are with women."
Lin Changning: ...
How come I never noticed before that the commander was such a slowpoke? Why didn't she say that men and women shouldn't touch each other when we asked her to rescue people? Now that the people have been rescued and have been in a carriage for who knows how many days, she suddenly knows that men and women shouldn't touch each other.
Speechless, Lin Changning held back for a while, but finally couldn't help rolling her eyes at the commander.
Qi Rong naturally saw Lin Changning roll her eyes at him, sighed, and said again, "You're not young anymore. Has your mother arranged a marriage for you? Many men in the army are already married at your age. Aren't you in a hurry?"
Be careful when you go out in the future. You're at least a commander of a thousand households now. If you run into a woman with ulterior motives who tries to get you to marry her, you'll be crying your eyes out.
Although Lin Changning explained that he understood this was a well-intentioned suggestion from the commander, he still felt there was something more to it than that:
"Commander, a true man stands tall and upright, establishing his career before starting a family."
Qi Rong could tell from his appearance that he was clueless, but he was unlikely to stay quiet for the next few years. Xiao Liu didn't plan to get married now, and it would probably be several years before he did.
However, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Xiao Liu is clever and has now caught his uncle's eye. If he climbs the social ladder a bit more, it would be good for him to marry a lady from a prestigious family.
Qi Rong leaned out and knocked on the carriage. Hearing from outside, a rider on horseback lifted the curtain: "Commander? What are your orders?"
Qi Rong glanced back and said, "Please invite the princess and young lady over to this carriage. I have something to ask them..."
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