From the Citizen’s Army in the Philippines just six years ago, to fashionista and manager of boutique store Cram Fashion in Chicago today, immigrant Martin Torres has defied odds to become one of Chicago’s newest up-and-coming heavy hitter of the fashion scene, all by the age of 23. I sat down with Torres to talk about his journey to America, the rise and fall of boutique stores, and the bustling Chicago fashion scene.
What made you decide to come the United States?
Well, I lived in Manilla (capitol of the Philippines) for the first 18 years of my life. Some of my family had moved to America, and they gave me the option of moving to the country. I wanted a better life, so I moved to New York City.
What got you interested in fashion?
When I moved to New York City, I was surrounded by fashion. I would walk up and down 5th Avenue and look in all the store windows. My aunt worked at Century 21 Department store and was able to help me get a job as a sales specialist, which interested my in fashion even more.
What made you decide to move to Chicago?
The answer to that is in two parts. First, I wanted to be able to spread my wings in the fashion industry and it is very hard to do that in New York, especially as an immigrant with hardly any fashion background. Coming to Chicago, which I had heard had an up-and-coming fashion scene, just made sense. The second reason was money. It is way to expensive to live in New York on a just retail salary.
What do you like most about the Chicago fashion scene?
I like that here in Chicago there is still room for genuine creativity. In other cities, like New York, it's easy to get lost in the bustle. But here in Chicago, it's like a clean slate for fashion. One can create, style, or wear new creations and the scene gives it a chance instead of shutting it out.
What do you like most about the Chicago fashion scene?
I like that here in Chicago there is still room for genuine creativity. In other cities, like New York, it's easy to get lost in the bustle. But here in Chicago, it's like a clean slate for fashion. One can create, style, or wear new creations and the scene gives it a chance instead of shutting it out.
You have been working for CRAM for about a year and a half now. Tell me about the store.
CRAM is primarily a Men’s boutique store located in the heart of Boystown. We also have a CRAM Woman’s section as well as a detached CRAM Kid’s store down the street. We carry such high-end labels as Ben Sherman, Diesel, and Lacoste. The store gets its name from its owner Marc Engel, whose first name spelled backwards, is cram.
As Manager of CRAM, what are your main duties?
As the Manager my duties are multi-pronged. I check the merchandise everyday to make sure everything is accounted for, I check emails and respond to vendors who are getting merchandise to us, and I do marketing as well.
Marketing during the recession. How does that work for a boutique store?
It has definitely been interesting since I started working here. We used to have some stiff competition with Universal Gear down the street, as well as His Stuff. They all went out of business. What we do differently is connect to the locals here. You have to build a base with the community, create a niche market. One of our main targets are gay men. So, we go out into the community, to Halstead, and sponsor parties as well as lend clothes to fashion shows in the area free of cost, in order to get our name out there.
What has kept CRAM open when so many other area boutique stores have closed?
Customer service. Customer service. Customer service! We take great pride in knowing our customers. That’s what keeps them coming back. We have free champagne for all customers. I know many by name, also key. Besides that, this business is all about the connections you make. We have taken every step to know all the business owners in the area and have collaborated with most of them in order to co-promote as well as cross-promote our store.
What is something that people don’t know about you?
I was part of the Citizen’s Army in the Philippines. It’s basically like the ROTC program here. I got to carry a riffle and everything! Imagine me with my Pan-Am bag trying to do that now? I look back at that and laugh at how much things have changed.
What do you hope to be doing five years from now?
Well right now I have some investors and together we are working on an e-commerce site. The future of all fashion lies in the internet. What people are surprised to hear is that I love business just as much as fashion. I am going to the Philippines in January to get some samples and do a trial run of the website. Basically I will sell clothes from Hong Kong, Manilla, and Jakarta for a discount price from what you would pay at many stores in the US. Where a shirt will cost $50 dollars here, will only cost $10 in Hong Kong. There is quite a profit to be made in this business.
What do you hope to be doing five years from now?
Well right now I have some investors and together we are working on an e-commerce site. The future of all fashion lies in the internet. What people are surprised to hear is that I love business just as much as fashion. I am going to the Philippines in January to get some samples and do a trial run of the website. Basically I will sell clothes from Hong Kong, Manilla, and Jakarta for a discount price from what you would pay at many stores in the US. Where a shirt will cost $50 dollars here, will only cost $10 in Hong Kong. There is quite a profit to be made in this business.
With everything you have accomplished in such a short amount of time, where does your drive come from?
Definitely my family. I have a very tight-knit family back in the Philippines. My parents taught us to do things on our own from a very young age. They taught us to always do your best and to not take anything for granted. All I want to do is make my family proud while doing what I love.
