| Barcelonesa de Cremalleras, or BC, manufactures zips as indispensable items for the clothes-making industry. Their products must keep in tune with the latest fashion trends, serving a double purpose: functionality and esthetics.
Discovering zips
Mr. José García López, manager of this company, tells us about the history of zips and their evolution up until our days. The first zip was invented by American Whitecomb Judson, in 1893. He sought to replace the cumbersome laces used for bindings in his time. Over a hundred years later, his invention has become a major product, featuring a variety of colours, designs, and materials including metal, plastic, natural and synthetic fibers. This evolution confirms zips were widely accepted right from the beginning, and that they currently add value to finished products.
Mr. García tells us that “within the textile sector, zips have always been important. While only functional in its early stages, the product is now regarded as an element of decoration, enhancing clothes and items. In fact, it has become a relevant actor in the stage of the world of fashion”.
New trends
“This season, we find metal zips are re-gaining a leading position, and their size is also becoming important (size 3 is now being replaced by 5, and this latter, by size 8). These changes reveal zips are regarded as an element of decoration for clothes. New technology and materials are adapted to fashion trends, and we are now producing slim zips yielding better performance and resistance. Of course, clothing items require specialization, as is the case with work wear and security wear. BC manufactures waterproof zips and fluorescent zips that are visible in the dark or in unfavourable weather conditions”, he adds.
“Besides these models, we find a growing demand for symmetrical metal zips, with various color finishes for metal teeth; also the metal size-3 with double detachable opening, and elastic size-3 and size-5 models manufactured in polyester, which are ideal for footwear and technical wear, for they provide for comfort and freedom of movements”.
Market de-localization
Market de-localization, or globalization, is an underlying issue which no company may ignore. We ask Juan José García to comment on this, and he says “current de-localization means imported zips manufactures in countries where labor costs are extremely low. This means we need to multiply our efforts and meet the challenge, for we are exporting our products, regardless of the nationality of our clients. BC’s philosophy as a top-level company consists of featuring new products and designs, as are those presented over the past seasons”.
Consistent with the company’s policy, the company continues to open new segments in European clothes-making markets. This means they will continue to take part in European trade shows, in München, Paris and Madrid.
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