Today we’d like to introduce you to Evita Chu.
Evita, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In my previous interview in 2018 with Voyage LA, I detailed how PDR Knitting was started at the end of 2006.
A lot has happened since the interview. We grew our business, invested in more machinery, lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, and participated in dressing our beautiful former First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama (with designer Sergio Hudson) for President Joe Biden’s January 20, 2020 inauguration.
More celebrities, stylists for music videos, and movie companies had also commissioned us to work on their brand and/or entertainment production.
It’s been fruitful!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no, and I’ll tell you why.
Since the last interview, business-wise, it has been quite a smooth road. We learned so much from many mistakes, and now we are committed to a very small yet strong client base. We’d like to nurture them and grow together with them.
However, COVID-19 was a very scary time! Pandemic closures, the whole world was hit with so much uncertainty, and for a few weeks, we did not know what to do. We were forced to close abruptly, almost overnight, after the announcement from Governor Gavin Newsom. We did not have any jobs for weeks, development and production were stopped indefinitely, and we had no income at all. Thankfully, we had reserves that could extend our business livelihood for at least six months.
If there is one thing we could learn from this experience, it was the fact that we can always overcome everything if we can view life positively and with optimism.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are known as the “Luxury Boutique Manufacturer” that caters mainly to the luxury market. We’re very hands-on with our clients, and we do not expect clients to come from any knitwear background. We love working with small, private brands rather than big box humongous names.
We like doing business in a very personal level: by knowing the designer/artist’s vision of the brand, understanding the artistic direction of the collection, learning about their inspiration, getting to know their lifestyle and life in general, and putting ourselves from their point of view.
By doing so, we can understand where the artistic direction comes from and this will help us execute their vision more accurately. Basically, they have a dream and we are the dream interpreter!
This is what sets us apart from other knitwear manufacturers. We must step into their world in order for us to do a good job.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I have a few that I must abide as my life principles:
1. Humility: we must never forget where we came from. A lot of people, once they achieved success, they strangely changed their whole demeanor….it’s almost like, they changed from sweet, humble people into divas.
I hate that. Until now, I’m very reluctant to call myself “CEO”, “President”, “Founder”, and any of that high and mighty titles like that. I just want people to know me as Evita. Of course, on some formal/legal paperwork, I must put my formal position title. But, casually, I’m very cringed about that.
2. Perseverance: everyone must persevere to survive! Never give up! Pandemic was awful, but in hindsight, I learned some positive things from the experience. We learned that a lot of things can be done remotely. Of course, because we are a factory, the main work still has to be done on-site (operations). But management can be done remotely, as well as things that I never imagined would be possible, such as meetings and garment fittings with clients.
3. Positive mindset: I don’t want to sit in my comfort zone and throw myself a pity party during the pandemic. My brain kept on working and I came up with 2nd, 3rd backup plan should the pandemic last more than six months when my reserve ran out. So, yes, some stuff are in the cooking as we speak, but that’s for a different interview at a different time when the time is right for me to talk about it.
4. Being flexible with the way you do things is another lesson that pandemic taught me. Pandemic really changed the way consumers spend their money and the way fashion designers run their business.
Speaking of running a production factory and working with high-end designers, traditionally, fashion business was mainly manufacturer-wholesale-retailer-consumer model. Now, more and more small, private, young brands utilize DTC (direct to consumer) model. I, too, must shift my focus to reach more DTC accounts, more so than the traditional accounts.
5. Gratitude: I’m always grateful that we survived the difficult 2.5 years of pandemic! Where did the time go??? As if 2.5 years flew by unnoticed! I’m grateful that I’m still very healthy and working. Money is not everything, health is. I don’t want to chase money and neglect my health. I used to!
Now I prioritize my physical and mental health, first and foremost, for the sake of my family, my employees, and my clients. This is why I strive to control my growth. I don’t want to grow too big, to the point I won’t be able to handle. I don’t want to bite more than what I can chew. If this is my portion, and my portion is enough that I can handle, I’m very satisfied.
6. Appreciation: I appreciate my team so much for sticking with me for a long time. I love my co-workers! We operate like a family, we have a lot of laughter while working, to the point my face hurts from laughter. My team always calls PDR Knitting as a “happy clinic” because the atmosphere here is always fun and bright, yet very serious and dedicated. I am nothing without my teammates!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pdrknitting.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pdr_knitting/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pdknittinglosangeles/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evitachu/
- Twitter: @pdrknitting
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbr37T4O0hWpbRuOQFiPffg
Image Credits
BW personal Pic: Sachiko Studio Image Credit: Jakarta Post (newspaper article) Image Credit: People Magazine (Mrs. Obama photo) Lady Gaga photo: Baja East Baja East photos
