Lafayette Hill Man is Sittin' on a Goldmine

When Frank Sciarra first started driving a delivery truck for a record company early in his life, he never thought he would one day get to work with Stevie Wonder and Phil Collins.

After 21 years as a record promoter for Warner Brothers, Atlantic and Motown Records, he never through he would be in the clothing business.

That’s exactly what the Lafayette Hill resident is trying to do now with his Sittin’ on a Goldmine line of clothing for women.

“I never thought I would be in the clothing business,” Sciarra said. “I broke so many successful acts in my life (as a promoter), but I never expected to be doing this.”

It wasn’t until one of his former business contacts told the would-be clothing mogul about a name he owned, “Sittin’ on a Goldmine,” that Sciarra got the idea to start up a clothing line.

“Women today can be anything,” he said, explaining the philosophy behind the line. “They can be career women, they can be single mothers, they are sitting on a goldmine.”

Launched at the end of 2011, Sittin’ on a Goldmine currently offers sweat pants, yoga pants, shorts and hooded sweatshirts for women and girls in a variety of colors via its website. The road from concept to product, however, was not an easy one for a man without experience in making clothing.

“The first six months were a nightmare,” he said. “They were the toughest of my life. We made prototypes so I had an idea of what I wanted things to look like, but then I had to buy the fabric separate and the zippers separate and the ribbon separate. Everything we did at first, there seemed like there was a black cloud hanging over it.”

Despite the growing pains involved with getting his clothes made, Sciarra is confident that his clothing line can be successful. He has begun an advertising campaign that includes radio and print ads, as well as a contest across college campuses calling for students to enter to be the next “Goldmine Girl;” a model for the company.

“Girls can sign up and then people can vote on our site for who they want to be the next Goldmine Girl,” he said. “The first place prize is a one-year modeling contract with a New York City agency, and second place is an acting contract with a Philadelphia talent agency.”

Sciarra thinks that his line can serve as a way for aspiring models to begin or further their careers. “Lots of girls, they want to become a [supermodel],” he said. “That might not happen, but they can be the next Goldmine Girl.”

Another difference between his line and his competitors, according to Sciarra, is where his clothes are made.

“Everything is completely made in America,” he said. “That was very important to me, I was adamant about it and I paid more because of it, even though I keep the price the same. I think that will help our sales, it’s good for the economy and it’s good for everybody.”

While Sciarra has plans to potentially expand his line to include sleepwear and romantic wear, for now he it just getting used to the idea of being a clothing man.

“I just want to be a successful company,” he said. “I want to make clothes in America and I want to expand on this because I think it’s a great idea.”

Take a look at Sittin' on a Goldmine's products here.