Happy Holidays

Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year!

Thank you for visiting my blog. I truly hope that you find the posts informative. I always welcome your comments or suggestions.

Enjoy,

-Kali

Try these Job Hunting Skills for a Competitive Edge

Here are some job hunting tips that may set you apart from your competition!

Personalize Your Resume
1) Make sure your resume speaks to who you are. Is there room for creativity? Instead of having a static resume that's exactly as a template, add your personal touch as long as it's easy to read and professional.

Follow Up
2) Follow up on resume's and applications that you send out. If you can obtain the hiring manager's phone number, then call. A phone call adds a personal touch. Be pleasantly persistent. Following up can set you apart from those who do not. Don't wait for a company to call or email you back. In this competitive environment you want to do whatever it takes to set yourself apart from other candidates.

Consult Friends and Associates
3) Consult your network of friends and associates. Call or email your contacts at company's that you have worked at before to see if there are any openings that match your skills. If your contacts don't have any opportunities ask if they can refer you to their connections for resources.

Be Confident
4) Be confident in all of your communications especially in interviews. Have your pitch ready. Be able to list your strengths, know the value that you can bring the company.

Be honest about your skills. Typical questions that hiring managers ask are: What are your strengths and weaknesses? How do you solve problems related to your particular job? What was a mistake you made and how did you solve it, what did you learn from it? Practice your pitch to friends or in front of a mirror.

Show that you know your industry's trends and current events by researching online. Review forums related to your industry from both the professional and the customer's view point to be in the know of what's really going on outside corporate walls.

Interview the interviewer. Ask thought out questions as this can catch your interviewer's attention and leave them with a lasting impression.

Follow Up Again
5) Be sure to get your interviewer's business card and follow up with a thank you note.

Good Luck!

Have any tips or suggestions for job hunting? Please share them by posting a comment.


Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Arm Yourself with These Job Hunting Resources II

Here's an update to the article that I published March 11, 2008 titled, "Arm Yourself with These Job Hunting Resources". As I am aware of more job placement agencies and resources, I will publish additional posts.

Websites
fashionjobs.com

clothingindustryjobs.com

Job Placement Agency in NYC
taylorhodson.com





Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Here's to a Profitable Holiday Season!

We're well into the shopping season even though traditionally, it may seem a bit early. Some stores have been posting sales as early as last month. WWD.com has two articles today describing how department stores are trying to capture as many sales as possible this season with secret sales. Sounds enticing.

I hope that you are creative in your efforts and have been in touch with your customers. Hope that you have a strong selling season.


Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Friday's Fab Fashion Quote On Working in Fashion Production

"When you're in production, you're responsible for the [company's] profit and loss, [garment] sample execution, where the collection is made and maintaining production delivery." - Mercedes Kerrison, Fashion Production Associate

Source: NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog, "Behind the Scenes, Fashion Production Revealed" November 1, 2008


Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Happy Friday!

For some reason, I started thinking about this song this morning. It has nothing to do with fashion design careers but, who cares. It's a happy song that I wanted to share this Friday.

Enjoy and Happy Friday!





Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Behind the Scenes: Fashion Production Revealed

While I was away from the blogging world, I caught up with a friend who works in fashion production, Mercedes Kerrison. It was the perfect opportunity to ask for an interview. The production side of fashion is an amazing world of costing, working with vendors, agents and, in house staff of designers, merchandisers and technical designers to make sure that the product that design envisions is executed to meet quality and fit standards and most importantly, you guessed it, the company's margin goals.

Mercedes is a young professional who is taking New York City by storm. She's helping companies meet their margin goals with her expertise in fashion production. She knows the business side of fashion and what it takes to succeed in this part of the industry.

Have you been wondering about the many possible careers in fashion? Enjoy this interview as Mercedes gives her insights as a fashion production associate.

Kali: Mercedes, how did you first become interested in fashion?

Mercedes: I remember wanting to pursue fashion during my senior year in high school. As a teenager growing up in the 90's, I loved hip hop fashion. I have always been interested in the latest fashions as well as just loving to shop overall.

Kali: Did you have a fashion major in college?

Mercedes: I have a Bachelors degree in Fabric Styling as well as a Masters degree in Fashion Merchandising.


Kali: What led you to choose to work in the production side of fashion?

Mercedes: Actually, production is a sector of the industry that had just fallen into my lap. However, I had always known that I had wanted to pursue a career that centered more around product development along with the challenge of making strategic decisions in which production entails.

Kali: 
Mercedes has worked for companies such as Russell Newman/Will Creek Sleepwear Division, Spiegel Brands, Inc. and is currently at Calvin Klein.


Kali: Mercedes, tell us about your role as a fashion production associate. What is it exactly that you do? What are your daily tasks from when you start in the mornings to the time that you leave?

Mercedes: As a production associate, I interface with all in-house departments (merchandising, buyers, technical design and designers) to ensure that all product is being developed in the right place (i.e. country of origin), at the right cost and most importantly is being delivered on time to the warehouse. Daily tasks include working with overseas offices by approving fabric for bulk production. I attend fittings and work closely with technical design to ensure all samples are fitted in a timely manner to meet garment production delivery dates. I also attend fittings to make sure that any changes made in the fit session does not impact production delivery or increase costs to where our margins are not met.

As a production associate, I am also responsible for new seasonal developments, working on costing to determine whether all pricing is competitive to meet buyers current target margin.

Kali: Mercedes, your job seems pretty involved. What hours do you work as a fashion production associate?

Mercedes: Hours as a production associate fluctuate often. However, this is not a 9-5 job. During a busy period I am leaving work anytime between 8:30pm-10:00pm on a daily basis. When there is a slow period (which doesn’t happen often!) I will leave around 6:30pm or 7:00pm.


Kali: How important is the role of the production associate in the fashion design process?


Mercedes: Production/Sourcing is very important within a company overall because we are primarily responsible for making sure that the company does not lose any money. We are responsible for making sure that any fabric or trims that are being developed are affordable for our target customer. It is imperative that a production associate is aware of current events around the world because this affects where we will develop our product as well as determining how cost will be affected.

Kali: Mercedes, do you have any advice for those considering working in fashion production? What's the best way for someone to enter this field?

Mercedes: The best way for someone to enter this field is to pursue product development. There are a lot of companies that are always looking for production associates; therefore, it is not a hard segment to break into. You can also check the classifieds in WWD and also network. Join professional organizations like Fashion Group International.

Kali: Mercedes, what last words can you leave our readers with regarding working as a fashion production associate?

Mercedes: In order to become involved in production, one must have dedication and motivation because it is a very stressful job. It’s stressful because you are basically in charge of making sure that all departments are giving you all of the information needed to maintain on-time delivery of the product to the stores. You're holding the entire company together. As a person who works in production, you must be extremely detail oriented as you will be working on many different projects all at once. It’s also good to build strong working relationships with vendors because it will make the product development process a little easier to manage.

What I love about my job is trying to meet everyone's expectations. I see the business internally and externally. I have a big reputation to keep up!

---------------
Want to discuss further? Have any questions for Mercedes? Leave a comment here and she will be glad to respond.

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Taking A Break

Hey, Thanks for visiting! I hope that you enjoy the articles. I would love to know what you think. Feel free to leave comments in the articles or in the chat box.

I'll have more new posts starting next week. Make sure to sign up for the email list to get new posts immediately.

Enjoy!
Kali

Friday's Fab Fashion Quote On Starting in the Design Business

"When I was first getting started I couldn't afford fancy fabrics, so I bought plain cotton and dyed it. Later, as my business grew, I added silk and linen to my Holiday and Spring lines." -Claudia Robinson, Fashion Designer, Actress

Source: "Threads of Time Fabric of History", page 154

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Send a Survey and Build A Better Product

Designers, are you searching for ways to connect more with your prospects or looking for ways to build repeat customers. Cater your product to your customer by asking for their advice. Ask what do they like about your product or service and what do they not like. This can be done in a survey format. You personally may not agree with some of the answers because, after all you've designed this magnificent fashion product but, the truth can help you more than hurt you.

Get excited about building a better product based on what people actually really want. Don't worry, this will not hamper your creativity as a designer. In order to really connect and achieve more sales we really have to put the customer first and take their suggestions and comments to give them what they want.

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Friday's Fab Fashion Quote On Unexpected Fame

"I'm so blessed to be given this opportunity. One minute I am walking down the street in the Dominican Republic and the next minute I am coming to the U.S. for the first time and working with famous models like Liya Kebede and Chanel Iman and photographers like Steven Meisel and appearing in ads for a major company like Lancome. It's really unbelievable" -Arlenis Sosa, Model

Source: WWD Friday September 5, 2008 pg 14

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

NY Fashion Week, The Frenzy of It All!

Why I Love the Fashion Industry


The scene today outside at Calvin Klein's fashion show.

I was leaving work today and right outside my building was an unexpected surprise. As you may know by now, I am an entreprenuer- fashion accessory designer and creator of www.newyorkaccents.com. I do however; freelance in the apparel industry, most recently in fashion production doing garment cost negotiating and sample tracking with the factories. So, in this particular assignment, I'm working in the same building as some of the Calvin Klein offices. I took the elevator down to the lobby as normal to find paparazzi right in front of me ready to shoot. Oh well, I guess that I disappointed them because, I'm not famous. What's going on I thought? What did I just walk into? Oh! Someone told me it's Calvin Klein's fashion show. It is NY Fashion Week after all. How convenient! I kind of got caught up in the frenzy and excitement of star gazing. The paparazzi's wandering eyes and constant buzz influenced me so, I broke out my digital and played the game.

Why do I love this industry? I know the work that goes on behind the scenes in creating, developing and costing a garment. I appreciate the process of taking a sketch which starts from an inspiration and then communicating this idea to the producing offices, who are located offshore in countries like Asia, India and Brazil among others. The back and forth communication between the offices can be tiring but, it has to be done in order to get the sample in of what the design team and the merchandisers desire. It has to be priced to meet the company's margin goals and it has to be fitted on a model so that it can be graded for production. It's a very dynamic process with many eyes looking at one garment and many hands touching a garment before it is approved to show during market week or in this case, fashion week!

The market week presentation is the result of tons of behind the scenes preparations in order to show (sell), your collection (idea) to buyers and to create industry buzz. I truly love and appreciate this entire process.

Here are some shots that I took. Now remember, I'm not a professional photographer. These are what I call real street shots. Who did I see? Just a few very big fashion icons and celebrities like Anna Wintour, Tyra Banks, Andre Talley, Eva Mendes, Constance White, and a Japanese movie star among other people whom I don't know their names.


Here's the scene in front of my building with people looking out of their office windows.


Someone famous. Do you know who she is?


Constance White, ebay's style director.


A Japanese movie star


Eva Mendes


Someone else famous. Who is she?


The excitement was so enticing!


Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Why Feel Great About FREE Give Aways?

Giving away your fashion product or fashion service is a great way to gain immediate feedback, get referrals and win new customers. If your product or service is desirable, people will definitely want to respond. I love the actual feeling of giving away a t-shirt, bangle, or most recently fine art from the Le Grande Parterre Collection (French Gardens and Abstract Art). It makes me feel that I have something worthy to give. I place a high value on my product and towards the people that I am connecting with. I feel as though they deserve a free gift as a way of stopping by my website and browsing or making a purchase.


You can give away your product or service randomly or offer a limited time free trial. Imagine the joy and unexpected surprise that you give to someone by telling them that they've just been randomly selected to win your product or service. For me, the entire process of emailing the winner, letting them choose the item that they want from the featured category and shipping it to them feels really good. It says that I do have room to spare, to share my product.

To get feedback ask for a direct comment or suggestion or you can create a very short survey. If, the feedback is not as good as you expected, that's great because, then you get to improve your product or service. Really listen to what they have to say and implement it in another version. Test this new version and see if it sells better than your original.

It's all about connecting with the customer and prospect and having them feel comfortable and trusting of you and your product or service.

Go ahead! Brighten someone's day today by sharing your fashion product or service.

Do you already give FREE give-aways? Share what product or service you offer for free and how it is working with you.

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Friday's Fab Fashion Quote: On Becoming Christian Dior's Successor

"I was so nervous, but it was also exhilarating. I was young, carefree and convinced I would succeed." -Yves Saint Laurent

Source: WWD 2002, "Twilight of a Star"

Enjoy Working Two Jobs! Insights on Managing A Business and A 9-5

Working a full-time or part-time job while running your business can be a challenge but, it's well worth it. I'm writing this post from personal experience. I've just started a freelance job doing fashion production work and if you've read my other post titled, "Notes from the Sales Floor", you'll see that occasionally, I'll work outside of my business.

I agree with designer, Lara Shandi. In her interview that I posted titled "Behind the Scenes with L~Shandi", Lara works a full-time job and runs her fashion design business. She enjoys both jobs very much and I must that I'm in the same position. I love my fashion production job and my accessories business.

Here are a few insights that I would like to share regarding working a 9-5 and running your business. Some may seem obvious but, I'm going to list them anyway.

Job Insights:
* Never use your 9-5 job's resources like paper, office phone...etc to run your business.
* Take care of your business emails and phone calls through your own mobile device on your lunch break.
* Be on time to your job. Don't stay up too late working on your business that you oversleep and arrive late to your 9-5.
* The more you push yourself to complete tasks, keep calendar dates, be a team player and simply work you 9-5 100%, the more you will learn and be able to apply to your own business. Try not to think of it as a job just for a paycheck. The experience that you gain is equally important even if your job is not related to fashion at all. Lara of L~Shandi is a HIV researcher, totally not related to fashion. But, I am sure that she has learned skills from her day job that she's able to use in her business.
* Freelancing is great because, you get to work for different clients. You can go through an agency or contract work out on your own.

Your Business Insights:
* Make sure to plan your week as now that you are working another job, you want to make sure that your business is still running and things are not getting left undone.
* Now that your week is planned make sure that your daily goals are attainable and that you are getting enough rest to work both jobs. It's better to do 2-3 tasks (small amounts) on your business daily than to trying to overdo it. You don't want to burn out.
* Can you afford to hire someone to assist you while you're working your 9-5? I did an article on the idea of having virtual assistants to assist you with your business, titled "Is Being A Do-It Yourselfer Holding You Back From Blossoming".

I think that if you want to brush up in a particular area of your business, then working for someone else in that area is a great way to learn the ropes. Just remember the insights above and you'll be fine. It's definitely a challenge but, a good one that you will learn and grow from.

Are you working a 9-5 and running your business? Please share your experiences and insights!

Fashion Design Business Networking

Nolcha Fashion Network is a wonderful organization for designers to join. They highly promote fashion design business networking within all aspects of the industry from designers to manufacturers to stylists. I listed them in my post regarding "Upcoming Runway Fashion Week Dates". I joined this organization about a year ago and besides from being able to attend and participate in fashion shows during fashion week, you can take advantage of their social network site.

Their website has up to date fashion business and industry news headlines, current events and fashion related competition postings. They also have a fashion designer magazine, Metier, that keeps you updated with full articles that covers a wide variety of topics relating to fashion designers. The magazine also has a marketing and pr section with tips for budding designers.

Visit the Nolcha Fashion Network, check out their magazine, Metier and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

Trying to Catch a Show at the Tent During Fashion Week?

If you can't make it in to see a top designer's show at the tent in Bryant Park in NYC next month during fashion week, all is not lost. I came across a show that you just might be interested in seeing.

It's the Academy of Art University in San Francisco's fashion design students. The academy claims to be the only school to show during fashion week at the tent. If you're in the area you might want to check this out. It's a free fashion show!

When:
Friday, September 5, 2008 at 8:00 PM

Where:
Bryant Park
The Tent
6th Ave. (at 41st St.)
New York City, NY

Here's the link to RSVP. Click here to RSVP

Enjoy!

Friday's Fab Fashion Quote On Leaving a Legacy

"I'd like my legacy to be a library of beautifully detailed gowns. When one looks back at all the celebrities I've dressed, [I'd like people] to say that these were certainly some of the most beautifully dressed women of their day." Kevan Hall

Source: Ebony Magazine, September 2007, Style Hall of Fame

Get Noticed: Upcoming Runway Fashion Week Dates

It's that time of season again. When designers and their teams are near ready to present their collections for Spring and Summer. The exciting thing is that in recent years it's become a nation wide celebration of talent with fashion week events spurring across the U.S. There are many fashion weeks throughout the world but, today, I am just focusing on fashion weeks in the U.S.

Most fashion weeks show twice per year in September and February. September collections feature the upcoming Spring/Summer collections and February features Fall/Winter collections.

The excitement is definitely on the runway for apparel designers to showcase their collections but, off the runway there are opportunities for accessories designers to have a table or booth exhibit (check with your local organizer). I participated last year at Washington, D.C.'s fashion week where as an accessory designer, I not only had a table display, I was able to sell my items to a fashion savvy crowd.

Local fashion weeks are great for everyone to see talent that they may have never heard of before this includes designers and hair and make up stylists. Some fashion weeks also draw international designers. It's normally a fun and festive atmosphere where fashion, art and music come together for a spectacular show. These are professional shows with some bearing major advertiser sponsorship.

The grandmother of all of the shows is New York Fashion Week which dates back to 1943 when it used to be called "Press Week" (for more details: Press Week)

Here is a list of fashion weeks that I've researched. Please feel free to add to this list.

Atlanta Fashion Week

Boston Fashion Week

Charlotte NC Fashion Week

Chicago Fashion Week

Fashion Week Cleveland

D.C. Fashion Week

Detroit Fashion Week

Honolulu Fashion Week

Fashion Week LA

Miami Fashion Week

Milwaukee Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week

Nolcha Fashion Week New York

Saint Louis Fashion Week

Fashion Week San Diego

USA International Fashion Shows

Virginia Fashion Week

Marketing Products and Services, The King of Fashion Does it Again

Wow, talk about marketing your product by expanding your business affiliations and collaborating with others, famed designer Giorgio Armani is doing it all. He boldly went outside of his normal niche for apparel and home products and is drawing buzz with his latest design. He designed a bullfighters costume for Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, a famous bullfighter in Spain. He designed the costume for Cayetano to wear at a major upcoming bullfighting event in Spain. Don't you love it?

My idea in sharing this article is for us to remember that marketing our products or services for our business does not have to be a solo effort and it does not have to be boring. We can join forces with others who are perhaps more visible to aid in our marketing efforts. Who knows the strategy behind Mr. Armani's latest move but, it's exciting, and it's drawing a buzz to his already successful fashion business empire.

You don't have to wait until you're rich and famous, see if there are ways that you can join forces now with someone or even another company in your community. For example, if you're an evening wear designer, maybe you can design an ice skating costume for someone that you know who competes on a regular basis and is seen in front of a large audience. It's good to create some buzz every now and then in marketing your product or service.

Here's the link to the WWD article for more details on Mr. Armani's new venture. You'll have to scroll down two articles to read it. They also post a picture of the sketched costume in the slideshow.

GIORGIO, OLE!

I'll bet that Mr. Armani's latest venture draws in a fashion crowd on the day of the big bullfighting event in September, a crowd who would have never had an interest in watching this sport. I'll probably be part of this crowd, watching the fight just to see the costume that Mr. Armani designed!

Enjoy coming up with new ways to create buzz in marketing your products or services!

Friday's Fab Fashion Quote On Defining Style

"In fashion, facts speak for themselves. Attempting to remain faithful to any given style is to live a contradiction. Fashion is absurd. To live it is to take part in its death and perpetual rebirth. Style is the way in which individuals, using their more or less original creative resources, means of expression, and habits, accept and express developments in fashion freely, putting aside any preconceived ideas." Karl Lagerfeld

Source: 2005, Chanel, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Behind the Scenes with L~Shandi

If You're Meant to Be a Designer You Will Succeed!-The Magic Behind Success

O.k. drop whatever pre-conceived notion that you may have about becoming a fashion designer and the lifestyle that a designer lives. I have an amazing interview to share with you today about a young designer who is making strong moves all while juggling a fascinating full-time career outside of fashion.

Lara Akinsanya is the founder and designer of L~Shandi. Her company is based in the Washington, D.C. area. I spoke with Lara by phone and got the chance to learn more about her. She has a very strong work ethic and is enjoying the process of growing her business. There's no need to rush, was one of the themes that she emphasized during our interview. The great thing about fashion is that "fashion is always going to exist. If you can't create a product this year, wait until next year." Enjoy creating things that you can afford to, enjoy the process of creating and sharing your product with your customers and build trusting relationships with everyone that you do business with. This is the magic behind Lara that's made her successful.

Fashion design came as a hobby to Lara, she made her first sample in 1994. She started designing for friends, family and herself.

Lara, when was your first experience with fashion design and how old were you?

Lara: My first experience was at age 17. I started by reworking my own garments to fit my style and personality.

Did you go to fashion design school? If so, where?

Lara: No. I learned everything I know about Fashion by developing great relationships with others.

When did you know that you only wanted to be a designer?

This question is not applicable to me because, I am a public health analyst as well. I have a masters of Science degree in biochemistry.

Lara does research on HIV cases. This, my friends is her full-time job! From our phone conversation, she mentioned that she loves both fashion design and her full-time job equally.

How long have you been in business and where is your company based?

Lara: My business is four years old. I'm based in the Wasington, D.C. metro area.

Her official launch was July 2007. Here are some photos taken of her designs at her fashion show launch.




Lara is originally from Nigeria, west Africa. She shares with us the meaning of her company's name.

Lara: L~Shandi was created from a Nigerian street slang "Lepa Shandi". Lepa Shandi is the term for women whose clothing, outfit, or ensemble has a flattering and sexy fit. So if a guy sees you and says "look at her...lepa shandi or l~shandi", take it as a compliment and enjoy it.

Lara, you normally use Nigerian lace in your collections, correct? What other fabrics do you use?

Lara: I actually use African lace. The other fabrics that I primarily use are African Wax Prints, Guinea Brocade, Hoodin from Ghana and Hand Woven cotton from Nigeria.

What is the difference, if any in style, technique or color in African lace verses European lace?

Lara: The style and color are more bold and the embroidery work is much more elaborate in African lace giving it more depth in texture. This also makes it more durable.



Lara, I love how your styles are contemporary but, have a unique edge. The lace, prints and embroideries are bold but, very easy to wear. Describe your main customer. Where does she live, what is she like?

Lara: My designs appeal to women of different backgrounds, age, marital status e.t.c. My customer is a woman that likes to look different and stand out in a bold but, yet subtle way.


Did you first go into business knowing your target customer or did you fine tune and define your customer as you went along?

Lara: I went into my business knowing who my target customer was and I have been fine tuning/defining what they really want as I am going along.

Lara stated that if you have a good product, the market will tell you, if it's good or not. The market will shape your product if you listen to comments and responses. Lara takes notes of whatever problems arises and fixes them right away. She keeps an open line of communication with buyers from the boutiques she works with. Her goal is to get as much feedback as possible in order to provide a better product.

I've noticed that your designs are in stores nation wide from Florida, NYC, NJ, Washington, DC, MA, CT. How did you get buyers interested in carrying your clothing? How did you build your relationship with boutique buyers?

Lara: I participated in reputable national clothing trade shows that bring buyers and designers together. Boutique buyers are happy if you deliver quality products to them on time.

Being a fashion designer is very unique because, you have to work with a team of people on a daily basis in order to get your samples made, production delivered and market and sell your clothing. Describe a typical day for you and how do you manage to put all of the components of the business together so that you can deliver your product on time to stores.

Lara: I manage my busy schedule (both as a designer and as a public health analyst) by being super organized. I also treat everyone that I work with like a client (even those that I pay to provide a service for me) and believe that if I try to serve others to the best of my ability, they will go the extra mile for me.

While Lara works full-time, she hires freelancers to work for her.

What would you say are your top 3-5 tasks that a designer has to do on a daily basis that are non glamorous?

Lara:
*Alterations
*Shipping/labeling
*Business paperwork including inventory control, invoicing price tagging

What part of your job do you love the most?

Lara: Sketching designs/picking fabrics to go with them.

Do you welcome volunteers to help out at your shows or events and if so, how can they contact you?

Lara: Yes I love to work with volunteers and they can contact me by email.

If a store is interested in wholesale orders how should they contact you?

Lara: I have an online showroom at http://www.belesprit.net. Contact Deborah Pokalus at belesprit@ureach.com

Lara, do you have any inside tips to help budding designers?

Lara: Stay true to yourself, be consistent and build the best possible relationships with everyone you work with.

Lara's website: http://www.lshandi.com/index.htm

------

What I love about Lara is that she gets it. She gets the idea of building relationships and is enjoying the process along the way.

The main lesson that I've gained from Lara is that things don't happen overnight. What people judge as someone's success is their current reality in which they've been building, laying the foundation for years. I learned that it's a slow process in which we should enjoy, enjoy creating your future. Why rush it?

-Kali

Friday's Fashion Quote On Achieving Success

"What interests me is what I don't yet know about it." Issey Miyake

Source: 1997, Universe of Fashion, Issey Miyake

Jack + Bill FREE PR Opportunity

I went to the event yesterday as a candidate. Everyone was so very nice and truly interested in my work. I presented some of my jewelry from the Kali Collection.

The location of the event was in a nice open and airy space down in Tribeca, in NYC. Today's the second and last day of the event. The good thing about their hours is that they're open til 9pm so you still have time to check it out. They have a live DJ and I have to reiterate how friendly the staff was. Everyone was just so darn nice and accomodating.

So if you're an aspiring model, jewelry designer, apparel designer or fashion stylist you have to check out this FREE opportunity to be represented by this public relations agency. You'll have a blast.

Time's ticking! It ends at 9pm tonight so no excuses :)

Here's the link to their site where you can get more details: jackandbillpr.com/casting

Notes From the Sales Floor

I just ended a part-time sales job last week. I was doing a fundraising campaign for a well known arts organization. I did this in part because, I needed the sales experience. I'm a fashion apparel and accessories designer by natural talent but, sales is a process that I have to develop and learn to be better at. I'd love to share with you some notes that I learned while on this job. It was very fascinating to me because, I stepped out of my comfort zone in order to learn something completely new. Some of you may already be great at sales so please do share your experiences.

Here are some quick and random notes that I've gained while at my job as a telephone sales representative:


*Targeting your market (sales 101)
Does not necessarily mean that sales will come automatically right away. You still have to work to gain your customers trust.

*Customers will buy from you because they:
-Trust you (these could be referrals as well as first time customers who trust you)
-Like your presentation or your product

*Gaining sales can be categorized as follows:
-Easy Wins
Those who are sitting ready and eager to buy. No need to convince them. Just close on the sale.

-Soft No's
Those who you have to present your case to firmly and pleasantly to. Let them know the benefits that they will receive of your product or service. The mission of your product or service has to be explained and presented in a way to let them know that without their support the mission could be in jeopardy of not existing and they would not get their benefits. It's about explaining the "win win" situation for all.

As it relates to fashion design, if you have an ecommerce site, make sure your copy is enticing and spells out the customer's benefits of purchasing your product. If you are calling stores, make sure your sales script precisely spells out the stores benefit of carrying your product. If you're face to face in a outdoor market situation and you come across someone who is not sure if they want to purchase now, engage them by asking where do they plan on wearing your product. Engage them on the experience of already owning your product and they will see how it benefits them to purchase it right now. Give them an immediate cause to purchase it now or else the price could increase, you could run out of stock...etc. It has to be a pure and honest engagement in order for soft no's to be converted. People will be able to see right through any type of untrue flattery. So be honest.

-Firm No's
Completely not interested and there's nothing that you can say to convert this type of person. They will not budge but, do keep them on your list only if they are interested because, they may purchase from you in the future.

I've learned that you have to go through a certain amount of firm no's to get to the easy wins and the soft no's. Some designers new to selling may be inclined to give up too soon by being offended of their encounters with firm no's because, these no's can be very abrupt. That's just the way it is. I've had the phone hung up on me countless times within a four hour period just to get 1 or 2 sales. The idea is to not let the firm no's affect your ability to keep going through your highly targeted list. You will connect with the people that you are supposed to connect to. These are the people who will gladly support your cause or your product. Whether you are calling boutiques or building your email list, you have to keep finding ways to target your market and clean up your list so that at the end of the day you have easy wins, soft no's and future prospects. Do not let the firm no's affect you from doing your job. Keep it moving.


Repetition with the desire to improve is key to mastering a skill:
With telephone sales you repeat your script within a matter of minutes, allowing you to get better and better with each call. So, by the end of your day if you've focused on improving you become so much better than when you started your day. Apply this to your communication with your prospects. Evaluate what works and what doesn't. Keep steadily improving.

Selling is really fascinating just as much as designing is to me as well. Selling is definitely a great skill to learn if you will be representing your own work. It's a very important part of business to know how to communicate with your prospects. The reward is their trust in your product or service. You win them with your script or your presentation. They trust you so much that they will hand over their credit card to purchase from you, to support your mission. How cool is that?

Would Love to Have Your FEEDback!

Opportunity for FREE Publicity

By now you probably have figured out that I love posting about selling and marketing your work. As designers, this is the most important aspect of being a successful entrepreneur. You can't escape marketing. So here's cool contest, well FREE offer that I came across from one of my new friends on twitter.com.

Jack + Bill, a public relations agency in NYC is having a contest where they will choose one fashion apparel designer, one model and one accessories designer to market for FREE! Sounds great right?

Here's the link to their site where you can get more details: http://jackandbillpr.com/casting.html

Good Luck!

If you're up on twitter.com, let's connect! I just joined about a week ago. Click the badge below.

Hone Your Skills in these Upcoming Fashion Design Workshops

A fashion industry associate that I know has been doing fashion design workshops for the past five years now in Los Angeles, Atlanta and NYC. Her company's name is Mshop. She also teaches at Parson's the New School for Design in NYC. Her Mshop newsletters will keep you updated with interesting local fashion happenings in NYC and of course give you updates on her workshops.

Tip #1: Subscribe to her newsletters!
Tip #2: If you're in the LA area and could really use some advice on making it in the fashion biz, take one of her courses coming up on July 12 and 13.

Here's a blurb from her latest newsletter:

"Join M Shop NYC in LA for our ultra informative Workshops that have been attended by Chris Stokes (Music Producer and Film Director), Marques Houston (Recording Artist and Actor), and their LA team to gain fashion industry knowledge for their new high end line Christopher Brian Apparel, as well as Colin Egglesfield of All My Children for his Shout Out clothing line."

Here's her link: Mshop Fashion Design Workshops Check it out Now!

Check Out these Super Cool Fashion Exhibits

Hey There,
It's summer and a perfect time to hit the museums! These fashion exhibits are definitely worth checking out.

New York City Museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art


Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
Superheroes and fashion, I absolutely love it! If you can't make it to this exhibit, just click the link to visit the the Met's site regarding this exhibit. You'll gain a lot this way.
through September 1, 2008

The Museum at FIT


Arbiters of Style: Women at the Forefront of Fashion
Want to see a retrospective of what influential women wore from department store executives to models? Check out this exhibit.
through November 8, 2008

The World Financial Center



Amazonai Design, Fashion & Sustainable Economy
Designers from the Amazon region in South America focus on eco-sustainability in this exhibit. The goal is to make viewers aware of the need to preserve the Amazon region. Designers used raw materials from the Amazon for their creations that are showcased.
through July 13, 2008

Upcoming
Just wanted to mention this now so that I won't forget later!
The Museum of the City of New York


Paris/New York: Design Fashion Culture 1925-1940
This exhibit will include the best of fashion, art, architecture from New York City and Paris!
starts Oct 3, 2008 through Feb 22,2009

Other Current Noteworthy Exhibits Around the Globe

London, UK
The V&A Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum)


The Story of the Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection
On display will be "over fifty outfits that chart the changing image of the group, from their dresses in the early days as The Primettes, to the glamorous Hollywood designs worn at the height of their fame."
through October 19, 2008

Montreal, Quebec Canada
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts



I had to mention this exhibit since this very talented and successful designer passed away on June 1, 2008. If you will be in Montreal, check out this exhibit and tell us about it!
through September 28, 2008

Know of any other fashion exhibits? Please post them here!

Sell at Summer Events and Holiday Markets

Hey Designers and Artists, are you looking for events in your area to sell at or are you willing to travel to do shows?

www.eventlister.com is a wonderful resource. You can register as a free member to get access to finding shows such as festivals, fine arts and craft shows up to one month in advance for a free membership. It's a large community that features a forum where people give tons of valuable information on topics ranging from how to find quality shows, booth displaying tips, tips on how to make a reasonable profit goal and much more. Their newsletters are great also. I'm a member of this site and highly recommend it as a great tool for designer's and artist entreprenuers who are looking to find new selling venues.

As a member, you can have your own personal page where you can post pictures of your product and a link to your store. You can also manage your event applications. It's a great source for finding summer fairs, festivals and holiday markets!

Check it out and let me know what you think!
www.eventlister.com

Designers, Are You Up on ETSY?

etsy.com is a cool shopping portal which mainly focuses on all things handmade. They have other categories such as vintage and commercial supplies. It's great for designers of all categories, whether you specialize in apparel, accessories, photography, ceramics or any other category. I've even seen graphic designers with an etsy shop selling their design services.

Tons of visitors go there because, etsy is known for really cool and unique handmade items which is perfect for gift giving. Even though I have my own ecommerce site, www.newyorkaccents.com, I joined etsy about a month ago to test it out. So far no sales yet for me but, I have received tons of interest. I think it's a great way for us designers to expand our prospect base.

Etsy wants you to succeed as well. Their site has a ton of self help materials in an easy to read and fun format. They have forums, online classes, and news flashes of tips from successful etsy sellers. The vibe at etsy is very positive. They do an excellent job at promoting sharing success tips. Best of all their fees are very reasonable.

Check it out for yourself at www.etsy.com. Let me know what you think!

Customer Service Is Always Key

A friend of mine who works at Macy's as a sales representatives informed me that they now have to reach out to their customers by calling them, like a personal shopper. This type of service is normally known to happen in fine boutiques and high end department stores. I also found out the JC Penny's is doing the same as well.

Do you think that this is a good idea? Do you really want these department stores to call you every time that they have a sell which in my opinion seems to be every weekend. Macy's already sends out circulars every week so, the public knows when they are having a sale. I wonder how this new service is working out for these department stores.

As designers and entrepreneurs, this is something that we must and should be doing on a regular basis. Whether it's communicating with our clients through emailed newsletters, snail mail or a phone call once in a while to those clients who allow you to call them. If these department stores feel the need to be on a more personal level with their shoppers then, this is telling us something. They are trying more ways to bring in more sales.

So, lets not forget about providing superior customer service but, not too much frequent contact that it annoys your clients.

Tell me what you think. Do you really want these major department stores calling you?

Enjoy!

Kali

Going Off the Beaten Path to Find a Road of Success and Satisfaction

I came across this youtube video and was excited about sharing it with everyone here. The idea is creative marketing. I love the way the Terry Prince is so passionate about his work. He dispels conventional marketing practices and seems to earn a really good salary from his part-time gig. I was shocked to learn how many CD's he's sold in just one year by not following conventional methods of marketing. He follows his heart and is rewarded for doing so.

As artist and designers we have to be open to explore unconventional ways to market our product. Let me know what you think about this video. I am sure it will put a smile on your face and maybe even inspire you.

Enjoy!

Specialty Items Rein Supreme in Down Ecomony

Today's economy is the perfect time for us designers who specialize in specialty items instead of apparel collections to gain more sales. Items such as accessories, t-shirts jewelry and skirts are fun and easy buys for consumers. The more unique and also salable the better.

Today's issue of WWD posted an article on this subject titled, "Buyers Wait Longer, Scour Harder for Special Items". The article indicates that store buyers shopped at the recent trade shows the way customers shop in stores, very cautiously. This means that the more unique your product, the the more people will notice it. Think about yourself as a shopper, are you purchasing single items or are you buying spring/summer clothes like you normally would in an upbeat economy?

This is the perfect opportunity for designers to showcase their unique items by doing trunk shows at local boutiques. This eliminates the risk for retailers as you would pay them a commission for your total sales for the event. Everyone wins in a trunk show event. You and the retailer make money from sales. You get to test your product and if you get a lot of interest, the retailer may want to place a wholesale order for your items that did well!

So, start making your phone calls to your local boutiques and schedule a few trunk shows for this summer. After all, everyone loves fun and unique summer tees, jewelry and bags!

*Pictured above: The Jenny bag from the Kali Collection. Click here for more details!

A Follow Up Interview Tip that Will Get You Noticed

Everyone knows that thank you cards are a must, right? They show that you really appreciate your interviewer's time and that you have a real interest in the position that you have interviewed for.

Here's the tip:
Buy your thank you card immediately after the interview rather than buying a generic box of cards. When you buy cards individually you get to choose the card based on the company's culture and the feeling that you received from the person who interviewed you. You will be able to pick up on whether the person is conservative or artsy. Buy your card and have a cup of coffee and write your draft. Highlight key points that your interviewer stressed. Also reconfirm the reason why you would make the perfect candidate. Keep your card brief and upbeat!

Forget about snail mail. Now that your card is finished. Go back to the company where you interviewed and drop it off with the receptionist.

Your interviewer will most likely appreciate this quick and immediate attention. In this competitive environment where there are so many people applying for jobs, tips like this can set you apart from your competition.

Is Being a Do-It-Yourselfer Holding You Back from Blossoming?

If you are an entreprenuer who runs the entire show yourself you could be faced with the, "I must do everything myself" syndrome. This in fact could possibly be holding you back from achieving more sales and focusing on the tasks that you are skilled in.

I've had to evaluate my workload and learn how to delegate work out to either freelancers or interns. I've also just found out about virtual assistants whom you can hire from various online companies. You can hire a virtual assistant from different countries not just within where you live. I have not hired a VA yet but, when I do I will let you know how it works out!

If you're an artist, you truly care about presentation online and offline but, try not to do all of the artistic work yourself. Delegate small projects out like creating logos, flyers and catalogs. You can also have them build up your social network pages. This can save you tons of time, even though you may be skilled at doing these tasks yourself. You will now have the time to focus on the more important tasks like designing you product and selling it. The sooner we delegate or outsource work the more time we will have to do the things that we truly want or need to do.

There's always a way to get affordable assistance. Try one of the ways that I listed above (freelancers, interns, VA's) and let me know how it works for you.

Do you already have assistants in your business? What was the tipping point that made you realize that you can't do everything yourself?

Break the Workplace Norm and Take an Excursion

While I was writing the blog for the post below on April 26th, I realized how valuable an experience I had at Jones Apparel Group. My boss who was the design director created an environment that was more than just work. He made fashion design a real life experience by letting his team know about events related to fashion that we should check out. He was big on taking time out of the office once every blue moon and expose us to cultural events related to fashion. We did little excursions to the museum like, going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Chanel exhibit and the Dangerous Liasons, Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century exhibits. I also accompanied him to the Parson's School of Design fashion show. Of course we did the work related trade shows but, the events not directly related to work is what I loved because, it showed another aspect of our industry.

There's always going to be work to do, deadlines to meet and fires to put out but, once in a while it's good to Break the Norm and do a group event with your staff.

I think that if we have the opportunity to enrich someone else's lives then we should. It doesn't matter what industry you are in. There's bound to be some type of event that your staff can benefit from seeing together as a team. These little events around town are fun and of course educational. It gets you out of the office for a few hours to merge work with culture and history.

So go ahead, take the aftenoon off once and a while and treat your staff to a local cultural event that relates to your industry. You'll be looked at as someone who is a true leader, someone who is passionate about his industry while enriching yourself and your staff! If you're and employee, you take the lead and mention to your boss that you want do a group outing for a specific event. If he/or she is not interested, you and your fellow staff can still make arrangements. The whole idea is to grow oneself, to become more knowledgeable about your industry's past, present and future direction and to support this knowledge through engaging conversations. This is how you can become more valuable.

What's Old, Really is New Again!

Hey, I just wanted to share this book with you! While I was working at Jones Apparel Group, my boss gave this book to me as a gift. It's called "Ossie Clark 1965-1974" by Judith Watt. It's a book about the life of Ossie Clark a British fashion designer whose hay day was in the mid 1960's - 70's. What's interesting is that although this designer passed away back in 1996 his name is being revitalized. A new Ossie Clark collection was presented at the February '08 fashion week in London so we should see the collection in stores this fall.


Who was Ossie Clark? According to Judith Watt, "Ossie Clark 1965-1974", Clark was considered a rock star in the fashion design scene. His evening dresses were all the rage. He was very skilled in flattering the female body with ruffles, flounces, layers and intricate cutting techniques in sheer chiffon to heavy weight wool. "His brilliance lay in his ability to understand form and proportion and to achieve it through cut and fabric." He was married to Celia Britwell who was a textile designer. They collaborated with Celia providing the prints and Ossie the high fashion garments.


Ossie designed both for the high end elite and was able to appeal to the mass market customer by designing for the Radley label in London. He even designed leather jumpsuits for Mick Jagger.


I'm excited to see how the collection will be interpreted for today's customer. Ossie Clark seemed like a real master technician. According to an article in W magazine. His clothes has inspired contemporary designers such as "Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Anna Sui, among others".

New Ossie Clark! Picture from W magazine. article



One of my favorite Ossie Clark Dresses from the 70's featured in the Ossie Clark book by Judith Watt.
Click on image to enlarge and read print!

The Yeahs and Woes of Website Personalities

Are you getting the sales results that you want online? If so, that's great! If not, then there could be a few things going wrong. Maybe your sight is not enticing enough, the products don't interest the prospect, your offer may not be strong enough, not enough new items or the classic, prospect is just not ready to buy.

If your're an artist/fashion designer and you've created your own web presence in any platform whether it's your own store or Myspace, Blogger, Facebook or even a classified ads, I want to share with you a cool tip that could help you bring in more dollars!

I want to discuss your website's personality in relation to sales. Is your site uplifting, energetic and happy or dull and drab? Sometimes we are so attached to the products that we've designed, marketing strategies, and just learning about the dynamics of selling online that we forget to take a breather. Step back and see if the work we are doing is shown in an exciting way that will entice prospects. I'm speaking from first hand experience if you can't already tell. A friend of mine who is a graphic artist gave me a list of things that I needed to change to make the mood of my site more happier and to reflect the company's name and my product. I listened, took notes and made the changes.

I must say that having others show you problems is a stepping stone to success. My advice is to survey your customers, ask friends and family for their honest opinions. You can only get the answers you need if you make the first step and ask! There's no time to overlook your site's mood. It's very critical to sales.

So, my tip for today is to re-evaluate your website. When you look at it does it make you want to purchase something right away? You could have designed the cutest dress or handbag but, if the mood of your site is dull and drab then, sales will be as well. The good thing about the internet is that it's only one click away to making a change. If you need assistance with web copy and graphics, you might just have to hire a professional. The whole idea is to have a site that says


WOW!!!!!

Take a look at your favorite sites and take note of the things that make you want to keep revisiting them. Of course, each site has it's own character, it's own product but, look at a site that's similar to yours that is one of your favorites and see why it is so enticing for you to keep coming back!

Best of Luck!
Was this insight helpful?

It's A Juggling Act with Many Rewards part 2

Here's part two of this article. It continues to describe the role of the designer. I based it off of my work experience with the various jobs that I held as associate designer and sourcing associate.

Being a designer, you have to coordinate your tasks with different in-house divisions. The ultimate goal is to have your production ship to stores on-time. Here is how the designer coordinates with the following teams.

•Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. As a designer one works with an entire team of people in order to coordinate the process of sample making and production approvals. This applies to interacting with in house departments such as the following:

sales: Design normally generates style sheets for the sales team to use during market week. This computer generated catalog normally includes a brief description of each product with fabric details. It also shows the many colorways a particular garment will be sold in.

Design also works with the sales team to get feedback on what the buyers want and any changes that the buyers require for a particular style, design has to act on the changes that the buyers want by putting into work a new sample reflecting the change.

production: Design’s role with production is to make sure that if any questions arise during a garments approval process that a representative from design is ready and available to answer these questions. There could be a need to confirm a print layout on a strike-off or if there are any concerns about fabric quality, design can reconfirm with their production counterpart.



technical design: Design normally works with technical design during the entire process of a garment’s life. Initial sketches are presented to the tech person to go over new styling details for each delivery. Design has to make sure that the technical designer is fully aware of all styling details because, tech creates the specs that will be sent to the manufacturer. Any prolonged delays in the process could result in a style not being in-house for market week. Design also has to attend fittings to make sure that the garment’s overall look and fit is what they conceived.

cad (computer aided design): Design works with this department when new artwork is needed for a style. For example, if a pair of cotton capri pants are designed to have a floral print, design is responsible for giving cad any purchased artwork that was used to conceive the idea plus any additional requests to be represented in the final work. Design tells the cad team what colorways to print the artwork in and approves the repeat or border or placed art pattern. Design has to make sure that artwork such as a print, embroidery, applique is affordable. They work with the cad team to stay within the allowed price for each art work.

product development: Product development sends out the packages of style development which includes fabric, artwork, and in some cases specs to the manufacturers. Design works with this team to make sure that the packages are correct as if the wrong fabric details go out to factories, this could delay the fabric sample yardage making process. Product development also raises any alarms in terms of fabric yardage availability and tracks samples for the design team.

Do you work Differnetly?

Smaller companies may work slightly different from larger companies. What are the rewards? Being able to juggle all of these tasks season after season successfully bringing in sales and repeat orders is definitely a major reward. Walking down the street and seeing someone wear one of the garments that you designed is rewarding as well.

Of course there are some seasons when sales are bad and tensions are high. That's the whole challenge of being a designer. It's being able to keep moving forward.

Quick Cash for Designers

Do you have a new online store? While you're testing out your online marketing strategies and promotions, you can make quick cash off-line. Here's what I did this past Sunday. I hosted an accessories sale in my apartment for my neighbors. It worked! Maybe you're doing this already which is great. It's good to establish an off-line presence especially in your neighborhood. People like to know that there's a designer in the area. Now, take caution. Of course only invite those who you trust to let in your home. Maybe you have a basement that you can set up as your showroom. I have a friend who used her basement to show her collection of African home decor items. It was like a museum. I always loved going to her space. It's private shopping at it's best. There's really no limitations on how creative you can be with creating opportunities to sell without spending tons of money and in this case. You don't spend anything.

The benefits of setting up your own off-line market are getting customers responses live, right away. That's the best. Also asking your customers or prospects what outlets they use to shop and how often they shop is pretty good information. And of course, you don't spend a dime! How's that?

So, go ahead! introduce your product and your company to your neighbors, family and friends you never know what word of mouth affect this could have. It's also a great way to test new products!

Happy Selling,

It's A Juggling Act with Many Rewards part 1

Being a fashion designer may sound glamours but, there's a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes. I've picked up the following skills while working as an assistant and associate designer. The bosses that I worked for had to display these skills in order to run their division effectively. I currently have to use these skills in my business as an accessories designer. It's a juggling act with many challenges and rewards. Here is part 1 of "Important Skills" that a designer must have.

• Design - Knowledge of current trends in styles, colors, prints and other decorative trimming. Knowledge of design techniques that are cost efficient. Able to sketch collections fully and come up with new ideas constantly.

• Sell- Ability to “sell”/present seasonal collections to design directors department heads, and sales team for approval to start sample process. All parties have to be convinced that the collection will sell therefore, concept presentations are not for the shy. Designer has to have confidence in his ideas and be able to present them during concept presentations.

• Active Learning - Being aware of price points of fabrics and trims. Attending fabric and print trade shows for new concepts and materials to adopt. Reading fashion publications and keeping abreast of sourcing trends. For example if the price of metal has been on the rise then, a collection may not have much decorative metal trimmings. Knowledge of your competitors and their price points.



• Communication- Able to direct the design team that assists in building the collection. This includes interns, assistant and associate designers. Some companies have specific woven and knit designers. Head designer has to communicate with the entire team on the direction of the collection.

• Problem Solver- Able to settle any misunderstandings in regards to style development and can quickly come up with new ideas to solve a problem. If a sample does not come out looking the way design expected, designer has the skill to communicate adjustments to spec technician or must be able to decide to drop the style and replace with new idea immediately.

You can click here to download the ebook "6 Quick Steps to Get the Job, Move to NYC and Live Your Dreams, From a fashion designer's perspective" to get more insights.

Question: Are you a designer? Add to this list. What are some of the skills that you use?

Be sure to check back on Tuesday for part 2 of this article!

Will this Acquisition Mean Better Service for Clients?

24 Seven a major power house fashion job placement agency has acquired the Gromwell Group another large fashion job placement agency in New York City. The deal supposedly closed late last week and was announced yesterday Monday April 7. Apparently, Gromwell was in financial trouble and had filed for bankruptcy. 24 Seven was in the position when the opportunity came and had the resources to acquire Gromwell. Read more about this acquisition on 24 Seven's web site.


So, how does this relate to me?


I first heard about this last week from a friend who's listed as a candidate at Gromwell as a graphic designer. This person was excited because, now, he has the opportunity to be a candidate for fashion jobs in graphic design. At Gromwell he was not listed in their fashion department. He mainly worked at financial institutions as a graphic designer. So to answer this question, how does this relate to me? This new combined pool of resources should mean more job placement opportunities. It should mean better and more efficient ways to assist job seekers and also employers looking for talent. Let's see what happens over the next few months.


The CEO at 24 Seven and Gromwell both have a combined total of over 30 years of working in the staffing industry according to the press release by 24 Seven. I'm expecting this merger to have a huge impact on those who use it's services in a positive way. I can imagine that, this will help to fill more fashion related jobs in locations outside of New York as well. I know that 24 Seven has several locations in California, an office in Seattle and in London.


Even though this is a power acquisition, all is not lost for the smaller job placement staffing companies or the headhunters. I would think that this is their opportunity to provide it's clients with more specialized services with more of a personal touch than that of a larger organization. Maybe better follow-up communication with clients. That would be nice!

This Just In: Free Exposure in Fashion Show!

Hey There!

Just got this information about an upcoming fashion show. The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising in NYC has a fashion club that sponsors this annual event. LIM is a fashion business school that has four locations in midtown Manhattan.


Show details:

Show Title- 80's Glam Rock!

*The fashion club is putting this show together. Tickets are $25. You can fax in your order or purchase at the door.

*Show starts at 7pm, doors open 6:15pm Friday April 11th

*Location at the Altman Building - 135 West 18th St

*After party benefits LIM's Fashion Education Foundation


Here's the Deal:

They are looking for designers to submit items for the show. Just spoke with Mrs. Ionia Dunn Lee, Faculty Advisor and Fashion Show Production Teacher...very nice lady. Right now they just need hats and handbags. Must act quickly though, show is next Friday!


You can give her a call or email at (917) 406.7462 or ilee@limcollege.edu.


You get to advertise your accessories in the fashion show. Your logo will be flashed on the screen during the show. The
fashion show will be broken up into 3 categories all with an 80's theme:

* Career Dressing

*Casual -"Flash Dance" inspired

*Evening- Metallics and club scene inspired


Here's the link to their site.

LIM fashion show


You can arrange to have your items mailed back to you. Just call Mrs. Ionia Dunn Lee and you can work out an arrangement.

Enjoy!