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.

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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

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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!


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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.

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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!