Silverfly's managing partner Fidel Montoya +

03 Jan. 2013

Fidel Montaya, Managing Partner, Silverfly, North Carolina

Silverfly is a brand new 1,400-sq.-foot (130-sq.-meter) men’s multibrand boutique that had its grand opening on November 3, 2012. Created by managing partner Fidel Montoya and co-owner Keith Alyea, the shop carries brands such as DL1961, Joe’s Jeans, Hudson Jeans, Silver Jeans, Chadburry, Alternative Apparel, Ben Sherman, Penguin, Vince, Andrew Christian, Richer Poorer, R. Cooper, Civic Duty, Shwood and Hex, among others. Here, Montoya discusses how he buys, how he reaches customers and how being the new kid on the block has been for Silverfly thus far. Interview by Christopher Blomquist


What is your background and what prompted you to open Silverfly?
I have a BA from New Mexico State University and have worked in
 business development and sales for over 15 years and for different
 technology and medical technology companies. I like building things 
and saw a good opportunity.

What is the overall purpose of the store?
Simply put, a store for the guys. There are lots of great boutiques 
for women but not many choices for men.  I wanted to bring some great 
lines all under one roof, in a modern and comfortable environment. The 
purpose is to bring clothing to the intentional dresser but also to
 help the guys that may not know a lot about fashion. We help style
 them. Fly defines the style!


What have been your bestselling brands and specific items thus far?
We carry denim and everything to dress up the denim and dress it down.
 Ben Sherman and Penguin have some great shirts, jackets and outerwear
 that has done exceptional. Those are my two major recognizable 
brands. Then I brought in other lines that people are not as familiar
 with–like Chadburry, Vince and others–to expand guys’ options in 
fashion.

Where do you find new merchandise and brands?
I’ve been to the markets in Atlanta, New York and Las Vegas and
 established relationships with several vendors. The other way I
 choose items to bring in is based on what my customers ask for. In 
the first week of business, I had five guys ask me if I was going to 
carry Raleigh Denim. I had established the account but had not placed
 an order. I placed an order with Raleigh Denim Workshop soon after.

What is the retail scene like in Charlotte and who are your typical customers?
We have a lot of bankers in Charlotte. Typically the dress is pretty 
conservative with suits and ties. Even the casual dress is brown 
khakis and blue shirts. I offer khakis and shirts, but khakis and 
shirts with style. I would hope the guys want to get noticed and 
stand out from the rest. Fashion is a great way to help get noticed
 when those promotions come along. There are several stores that offer 
suits, Silverfly offers everything else!


What denim trends or looks are selling the best?
Denim is interesting and very personal. Some like denim they need to
 break in, like Raleigh. Others like a softer denim like Joe’s and
 Hudson. Some like a tapered fit, others like relaxed. It really 
depends when they are wearing them. If used for work, they go with a
 more relaxed darker fit and color. As far as the wash, the lighter 
blue denim has done the best. Silverfly also offers other washes like
 Bourbon from DL1961 and Cigar from Hudson. My favorite is maroon from 
Joe’s. The vintage jeans are coming back in style.

What is the breakdown of the merchandise in percentages?
Silverfly has about 25% denim, 40% shirts, jackets and outerwear, 5% 
shoes and about 30% accessories. The accessories include wood glasses
 made in Portland, iPhone cases, bags by Ben Sherman and Hex and men’s 
grooming products by R. Cooper.

Where does the name come from?
Silver from the zipper of denim, FLY from the zipper or button fly of 
denim, but also FLY as in (Adj): cool in style.

What is the most expensive item in the store? And the least expensive?
Used to be a Plectrum Melton Crombie Jacket for $495, now it’s the
 awesome 2(x)ist watches I brought in.  The least expensive item is the
 underwear by Andrew Christian for $13. I also have very soft cotton
 T-shirts from Alternative for $40.

How is holiday shopping been this season? And are you doing anything special to attract holiday shoppers?
It has been steady. No major rushes but nice and steady. The word is 
getting out that Silverfly has opened.

How do you stay in touch with customers?
We are doing a lot of event marketing. We have an event with Osso
 restaurant planned in January. Our customers can sign up for our b-FLY
customer loyalty program and received 5% off everything in the store
 anytime and also get invited to special events.

You have only been open a few weeks. What have you already learned in that time or what has already surprised you?
I had a guy from Miami come in and told me how much he liked the
 store. I was surprised that coming from Miami I would think there
 would be lots of stores for men. He explained that there are lots of
 designers that have stores, but none that offer many, many different
 lines under one roof. The other thing that surprises me is that
 people ask: Where else are there Silverfly stores?

Store's contact:
Silverfly
1111 Metropolitan Avenue, Suite 150
Charlotte, NC 28204
USA
+1 980 819 7216
www.silverflybrands.com