W&E; Today provides retailers and manufacturers with education and ideas that provoke innovation in the Western and English markets.
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Forged in the principles of honesty, the Adiktd brand has catapulted to the pinnacle of the Western denim market through stellar designs and smart business practices from this multi-generational family business. Alana Harrison RIGHT: Jenken Chang, left, president of Adiktd, collaborates with his son Alex Chang, the company's vice president, to maintain the brand's philosophy of honesty. BELOW: Jenken's grandfather, Yen San Chang, unknowingly laid the groundwork for Adiktd's success in early 20th-century China. ehind the sleek silhouettes, satin linings and glitzy details, Kenco Fashion's Adiktd brand originated with one of the most basic concepts of human decency: honesty. An unlikely virtue to associate with high-fashion jeans and chic attire, the principle of honesty, did, in fact, lead Jenken Chang to create the Adiktd brand and foster its immense success. Humble and sof spoken, Chang confesses that he prides himself on being honest — not only with his customers and retailers, but also with his employees, manufacturers and dealers. "Honesty has always been my family's motto," says Chang. "We've been successful because of our honesty. And this goes back a long time." Indeed, the proverbial apple didn't fall far from the tree. In China, during the early 20th century, Jenken's grandfather, Yen San Chang, was about to disembark from a ferry when he discovered a suitcase full of cash. Instead of snatching the suitcase and making a run for it, Yen San waited all night for the case's owner to return. At 42 Western & English Today last the next morning, the owner — a businessman from Germany — returned. Te businessman happened to be vice president of one of the largest material dyeing mills in the world. When the man returned to Germany, he relayed the story of Yen San's good deed to his superiors and they ofered Yen San a three-year training position in Germany. A few years later, the company built multiple distribution warehouses in several major cities in China and appointed Yen San as their China CEO. "Tey put my grandfather in charge of all their business in China, because they considered him the most reliable person, because he was honest," Jenken explains. When World War I began, it was nearly impossible for Germany to ship its inventories back from China, so the company asked Yen San to take over. Afer the war, when Germany resumed distribution in Asia, the company made Yen San the sole agent in China. "Afer the war, my grandfather greatly pospered," Jenken says. "He also invested in many other businesses and did quite well for