Mondetta revisits its old global theme

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This article was published 31/07/2009 (5886 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mondetta Clothing is taking a high-profile page from its past to tap into the patriotic tidal wave expected to wash over next year’s Winter Olympics.

The Winnipeg-based clothier is relaunching its world concept, two decades after its T-shirts and sweatshirts adorned with flags from around the globe took the Canadian market by storm.

Prashant Modha, Mondetta’s chief financial officer, said since the company mothballed the flags in the late 1990s, its staff have been inundated with questions about a possible return. Now, with the Vancouver Olympics less than 200 days away and excitement building around Canada’s medal prospects, he felt the time was right for the 23-year-old firm to go retro.

"The world concept was first launched around the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the Summer Olympics in Seoul," he said.

Mondetta officials are quick to note the company is not an official sponsor of the Olympics or the Canadian Olympic team — Hudson’s Bay Co. is the primary outfitter of Canada’s athletes — so it steers well clear of using trademarked symbols, images or words on the garments or in promotion.

Mondetta is, however, the official apparel supplier to the Canadian Curling Association, which will name its two high-profile teams later this year. The curlers will be allowed to wear Mondetta Performance Gear during the competition, but not in the Opening Ceremonies parade or on the podium.

There will be some changes in the clothing relaunch. Instead of white T-shirts, the flags will be featured on hoodies and track jackets with zippers. And they won’t be available at your neighbourhood retailer. The clothing will be sold exclusively at Costco’s 80 warehouses across the country, but only two stores at a time for two-week periods. The blitz at the Regent Avenue store has already begun and wraps on Aug. 9. Promotions at the St. James and Kenaston stores begin Aug. 11 and Aug. 25 respectively. The garments will also be available on Mondetta’s website, but Modha said customers will get a better price in person.

Tony Laville, Mondetta’s director of brand image, said the idea behind a limited run is to create a sense of urgency about the return of the flags. (Once the Olympics are over, the flags will once again be taken off the market.) The company’s arrangement with Costco also permits a unique display — an Olympic-like podium featuring the phrase "Show your pride in 2010" — which is in stark contrast to the row of shelves and tables typically used to showcase clothing at Costco.

Countries to be featured on the hoodies and track tops include Canada, the U.S., England, Russia, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Japan and Germany. The criteria for selection included must-haves, such as Canada, "fun-haves" such as Norway and whether the company fields a competitive Winter Olympics team. The latter ruled out any clothing featuring Brazil’s flag, one of the bestsellers during the initial world concept run.

Laville said the new products also feature deliberately mismatching hang tags. (The label identifying the size of a Canada hoodie, for example, features the flag of another country.)

"We did it in the spirit of unification, but our customers keep telling us, ‘the label is wrong.’ We need to get the message out," he said with a laugh.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

 

Mondetta: Around the world in 23 years

IT might seem odd for a company that only got its start in 1986 to be going retro, but that’s what’s happening with Mondetta Clothing. Here’s a quick snapshot of the company (its name means small world) from then to now.

1986: Mondetta is launched by four teenaged employees with capital of $200 and parents willing to co-sign a few bank loans.

1991: Sales of the world clothing line take off and quickly run into the millions of dollars.

Late ’90s: The company stops selling the flag clothing to turn its attention to corporate wear.

2009: Mondetta relaunches the flag concept to complement its athletic-wear gear, casual sportswear and private label production. It has 40 employees and offices in Winnipeg, Hong Kong and China.