Traditionally clothes were regarded only as a way of covering oneself from the environment. The contemporary era, however, has changed the way people look at clothing. Now clothing is highly viewed as a form of self-expression, and people are doing their best to make this road to self-expression smooth for others.
Nick Romero had a similar feeling towards clothing. He felt that the time when brands dictated a person’s identity was gone. Each person can now be a brand and designer of their clothing.
Nick had first observed how this form of self-expression happened through clothing on his Chicago trip before 2010. He came across a printing company that was an expert in printing custom designs on T-shirts, sneakers, and other clothing items. Nick, originally from Venice Beach, California, decided to bring something similar to his hometown that had an artistic vibe to it anyway.
Nick established the company The Ave Venice, now also known as The Ave Los Angeles, in 2010 at an old tattoo place. Nick started by printing artistic designs on T-shirts and then moved on to sneakers, a rare sight in those times. When people got to know that they could bring their art to the store and get it printed on their clothing, it attracted a huge crowd around.
Eventually, Nick started receiving offers for celebrity collaborations and was asked for prints by big names in the Music Industry, such as NAS. This surge in demand also attracted Shark Tank, and Nick appeared before the sharks in Season 3. He wanted a financial investment and a shark’s business savvy skills to help Nick reach new levels of success.
Nick presented the idea behind The Ave Venice to the sharks and asked for a sum of $125,000 in exchange for 15% equity in his business. Sharks inquired about the company’s valuation, which was at $800,000. One by one, each of the sharks started announcing they were out.
Daymond didn’t trust Romero’s “cool” vibe, while Robert didn’t believe the business model was worth his investment. Kevin makes an excuse that he’s not into retail while Barbara laughs it out and withdraws from the discussion alongside Kevin. Mark fails to see the drive and hunger that Romero should have for running a business to success; he’s out too.
Nick returns home empty-handed, but that doesn’t deter him from his vision. He wanted to allow people to use their artistic voices to express themselves, and clothes were the best way to do that. Hence, Nick persevered and got The Ave Venice to new heights with the newly acquired fan base of Shark Tank viewers.
Our Review of The Ave Venice
The business has now had major celebrity endorsements and several campaigns that have added to the popularity of The Ave Venice. Besides that, Nick had also managed to patent his shoe design printing technology, getting him license deals from different parts of the world.
The combined profits have now resulted in an e-commerce store for The Ave Venice and a facility in Los Angeles that produces products for mass distribution to other retailers.
Nick is now regarded as a designer of his time since he now produces his designs for clothing well received by the customers. However, many still come to The Ave Venice to get custom designs on their sneakers. Customers can also have their tattoos printed on clothing items, making a person a walking brand.
People now also have the option of buying pre-printed T-shirts from the store. The quality of the T-shirt’s fabric has already appealed to the masses. The Ave Venice is a beloved business in different parts of the world.
As of 2022, the company’s valuation stands at $3 million.
Pros of The Ave Venice
The Ave Venice has a unique customer base of people who love custom designs. Not many brands offer that; therefore, the customers of The Ave Venice are obsessed with the brand. Here are some other aspects that people love about the company:
- people find the pricing of products and printing at The Ave Venice affordable
- customers love how fast-paced the deliveries of the company as many have received their orders mainly before the time
- The thing that keeps a loyal customer base going is the sense of value a brand creates. The Ave Venice has succeeded in doing so by providing the customers with exceptional customer service
- even if people come unprepared with a design and still want a custom piece, they can choose the colors and fonts right then and there and order their design for print
Cons of The Ave Venice
The Ave Venice has grown over the years through its customer’s word of mouth and other marketing strategies. However, here are some of the things that customers have faced or experienced from the brand:
- While famous for its fast-paced deliveries, some customers have received their parcels relatively late, leaving a bad taste in customers’ mouths for the brand.
- Newly hired staff isn’t the most professional as people have often been misled, wasting their time and effort and making them turn their back on the brand.
Who is The Ave Venice For?
If you believe clothing is a form of self-expression and can be used as a personal brand identity, you will love The Ave Venice. The unique designs and the possibility of printing said designs on almost any clothing item made the brand famous in the first place. If you’re looking to get sneakers printed for yourself or a cap printed for a friend, whether you want to add photos or create a design on-site, The Ave Venice is where you’ll feel most welcome.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Though numerous brands now offer print-on-demand (POD) services for selling E2E, there aren’t many companies that are professional clothing brands. Soulsfeng is the only brand that comes close to The Ave Venice, thanks to its POD T-shirts.
Though initially known for its unique running shoe designs, Soulsfeng now offers customers some basic T-shirt printing designs mainly regarding the message customers want on the T-shirt.
Soulsfeng, however, doesn’t have the unique sneaker printing technology. Hence, The Ave Venice remains unmatched.
Our Final Thoughts
Nick had a vision of shaping the way people see clothing. He wanted apparel to be a way of expressing oneself. Despite facing rejections from all the five sharks, Nick has been able to bring his vision to life.
The Ave Venice is still in business. Seeing how it has made its place in people’s hearts with its excellent service and quality products, it’s not running out of business anytime soon. The million-dollar company is promising and will continue to soar high.
