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Castro's upheaval?
"I want society to be perceived as desirable"
As part of Castro's facelift, 32-year-old Noy Dror has been appointed head of the design studio.
In an exclusive interview, she talks about the brand's new strategy, the inspiration found by Kardashian and how they plan to bring back the lost audience to giants from abroad: "To compete in the bazaar you have to be faster."
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Castro
Lehi Atar Bachar
Friday, 19 March 2021, 09:30 Updated: 09:38
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Castro Fashion Show September 2017 (Photo: Avi Cohen)
Fast fashion for the Israeli audience?
The fact that as a leading brand made in blue and white, Castro was quite detached from what is happening on the crazy highway of the fashion chains in the area, is hard to deny.
International Zara, H&M and Mango dominated the market and Castro just couldn't keep up - mainly because it's hard to compare to the Spanish giant, its Swedish company and the like, which manage to translate trends as quickly as possible and allow insane supply both online and in stores.
Something about the Israeli giant is left behind, far behind, so much so that the highlight in recent years has actually been the children's department, which was established in 2013 and was considered successful from day one.
The women's and men's departments, on the other hand, did not always supply the goods, at least that was how it was perceived among style seekers between Metula and Eilat.
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Castro's upheaval?
Motion Collection (Photo: Dudi Hasson)
As part of the change the company is trying to lead, this week Castro announced that it is expanding into the homewear business and intends to launch in the second half of 2021 up to 20 home outlet line outlets.
The model is clear - to compete with Zara Home and H&M Home with various textile and hospitality products, with an investment estimated at NIS 30 million.
Strange, given the fact that in 2017 owner Gabi Rotter was interviewed by The Marker, then announced that he has no plans to enter the home styling field.
In May 2020, the youngest son of Etty and Gabi Rotter, Ron Rotter (35), sat in the CEO chair and is now holding the reins of the family company and working to fulfill a renewed vision for it.
We are also entering the field of home styling, but the real change is growing from the studio.
Sofia Machtner in the denim collection (Photo: Dudi Hasson)
It may be that the same appointment is a key and strategic landmark for Castro to connect with the younger audience, but the change of mind at the fashion level is emerging from the studio.
So it is not surprising that almost a year ago
Noy Dror
was
recruited to the
position of head of the design studio, or in other words, the one who is now trying to bring Castro back to the local fashion hall of fame.
"The beginning of the relationship with Noy began with a personal recommendation from friends," Ron Rotter tells us. "From the first meeting we realized that we perceive fashion and Castro with the same eye. Noy is very ambitious and we speak the same language - it is from the new spirit we put into fashion sails."
Dror, 32, from Tel Aviv, actually came from the high fashion districts of the Factory 54 chain, where she zigzagged as a senior owner among the items of fashion houses such as Barbary, Off White and Stella McCartney for five years and currently manages more than 20 staff members (including three designers Mainly for women, men and children), studio designers and graphic designers.
Noy Dror.
The head of Castro's new design studio (Photo: Sharban Lupo)
"One of my challenges is to place Castro in front of the international competitors," says Dror in an exclusive interview with Walla!
Fashion, "It's just being faster to really compete with Zara. Keep up to date. Inspiration does not come from competitors, but it is important to look at the top fashion designers. Not necessarily great designers like Balenciaga and Chanel, there are lots of little designers who make real fashion and innovate with their own language. "For example, the new designers of LVMH - that's where the sparks come from."
In Castro, years of fashionable boredom have passed.
Did you feel this disconnect before you arrived?
"It may have been felt in the past this disconnect that is being talked about, but the change here in the studio took place even before I arrived. Today there is a very young team compared to previous years. 90% of the designers are new."
Castro is marching to a good place, but what is she missing to really break out and be the local Zara for example?
"I think we have greatly increased the engines of growth and the active field, such as the 'Relax' collection for the Corona period and the latest 'Active' line. There are certain processes that have expanded the design supply, the design response. There is an understanding of where it is possible to innovate. "
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The fashionable detachment begins to crack with the right colors and a different look (Photo: Dudi Hasson)
So where can I innovate?
In manpower it turns out, to be precise in terminology - to refresh.
In the last year since the entry of the young Rotter, many of the departments have undergone a reorganization, a horizontal change in order to bring in a fresh spirit that will eventually be reflected on the hangers in stores and on site.
After parting ways with the presenter, family member Rotem Sela (who is known to be married to Ariel Rotter, Ron's older brother), in recent months they have been trying to convey a different atmosphere in the campaign photos.
The 'Motion' collection, for example, focuses on sexy workout clothes - high-waisted tights, tops and long-sleeved t-shirts with a patented toe and everything in mobile shades, antique pink and gray that correspond with the cleanliness of the genre.
Kim Kardashian's 'Skims' style, is that the reference?
"Absolutely, it's knowing what the right fabric and the right color is. The photography is a joint work with the marketing department. There's a lot of conversation and talk around this thing. How we want to look and to me is very, very important."
"My goal is for society to be perceived as desirable" (Photo: Dudi Hasson)
If you go to the chain stores, you will find that there is a noticeable change in the fabrics, cuts and colors in the newer collections, including the unisex collection that came out during the Corona closure period and offers home clothes for men and women.
In contrast, between the hangers in the store the visibility is still a bit outdated and a bit dusty.
There are stores that have already interfaceed with the 'new spirit' of the brand and some that have not yet entered the loop.
"Castro's chain of stores is undergoing redesign throughout the year," Ron Rotter points out.
"In the last year we have already renovated dozens of stores designed under the DREAM SHOP concept. There are still stores that have not been renovated but we continue the process in an annual plan. The changes and the new spirit will also be reflected in the shopping experience in all of Castro's stores."
Along with this promise, it seems that Castro's sales turnover in the past year stands at about one billion shekels, with about 134 stores nationwide and an online store.
"We all grew up with Castro's iconic commercials," Dror adds.
"I just want to walk down the street and identify Castro. My goal is for this company to be perceived as desirable."
Facelift also for stores.
Castro in the Ramat Aviv mall (Photo: Amy Nakdai)
How do you see Castro's ideal customer today?
"Every woman from every city in the country who loves fashion and enjoys the shopping experience. We do target the 25- to 35-year-olds, exactly the age at which young women are established and established in order to manage their wardrobe over the years. Tastes and line."
And what about women of older age?
No longer relevant?
"One has to focus on a certain decade at the item level. At Castro as a commercial company I appeal to everyone. It may be that in the past the age they approached was older, but I believe it's the right age to approach. That does not mean older women can not wear it."
Since Etty Rotter's statement that there are clothes that do not look good on women over learning 42, what do you think has changed?
"Our measurements are from extra small to extra large and pants up to 44. I must note that I also do not know the affair, but as the one who leads the studio - we are a company that caters to everyone. Diversity is one of our key parameters. What Castro will present is something very planned. For example, at the moment, all the photos are being taken in groups to show this diversity. "
The unisex collection for the home, along with inspiration from Kim Kardashian's brand (Photo: Dudi Hasson)
What about presenters?
Since Rotem Sela is no more, there are no distinct faces leading the brand.
"Look, it's a lot of marketing work and in that sense Castro has always led marketing. The presenters are changing, it's true, and we appeal to a young audience. It's important that the presenter comes with content and is quality. We have Margie that it is natural for us to serve as our face. "Who's the right face? I don't have a specific person that I currently think is a stamp. It's true to the same collection and should come with a certain content. We do not live around one beautiful girl. The presenters must have added value."
We're almost post-Corona.
Sweatshirts and comfort clothing - will continue to be sold as in the past year?
"They will continue in my opinion. But they will renew. We discuss it all the time. The Israeli public did not know before the corona to buy weekend clothes and here it became a crazy niche of need. Fun clothes you do not want to take off. From Thursday to Saturday and drizzle during the week."
Trying to leave the difficult statements behind: "Our size range is from Extra Small to Extra Large" (Photo: Dudi Hasson)
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