Fashion For Profit

LA Fashion Week

So, we are at the end of LA Fashion week and the beginning of LA Spring market. All the beautiful people are out and about and many who think they are!!

We produced a fashion show that featured 6 new designers yesterday at the New Mart Tiara Cafe. It was a small event compared to the big shows at Smash Box but we all hope that it will be the beginning of more. The plan is to have them on the first day of each market and feature new designers. It is important to have fashion events in the Fashion District not just on the otherside of town for the Mercedes shows.

Not matter the size of the show they require sooooooo much work to plan and prepare for. Models need to be cast and test walked. Designers need to be prepped, set built, hair and make-up organized, back stage producers and if possible find a sponsor for the event both financially and with goodie bags.

Andrae Ganzalo of Project Runway fame MC'ed the event and he did a great job. He is an ex student of mine from our Otis days. I also was lucky to have two more ex students from Otis helping with the back stage production and line up for the show. Both have their own big jobs, one as a designer and the other as an assistant chair of fashion at FIDM. Very rewarding to have such great relationships with so many of my ex grads.

The financial sponsor we did not have but we did have some great partners who were willing to pick up some of the costs. The New Mart, our big benefactors planned and paid for the set build out, which we plan to use for other events. Fred Eric the Chef/Proprietor of the Tiara Cafe helped with setup and of course the venue. Plus they provided some good food to munch on along with mixed drinks. The goodie bags were very generously provided by La bella. The bags were big backpacks stuffed with products. Super gifts for our guests.

We charged the designers a nominal fee to take part, which really did not even cover our costs for the agency models but we want to have the shows become more sort after. You have to start some where and we hope this will be a good beginning for more FBI fashion shows.

Anyway, we made it through with only some minor problems that at the time was stressful. The chairs we had hired were not put out in time and guests arrived early. The pipe and drape was not set up and we all had to scramble to get it up to hide the models changing.

So, I am recovering today and getting ready for my trip to NY tomorrow to present three seminars for the new textile show at the Pen Plaza. Four days in NY and lots of plans to see people and to meet with people about other ways of collaboration between both cities.

I am a very big believe in collaboration and partnering with as many entities as possible. Team playing is big in my book. It must be the old netball player in me.

Anyway, stay tuned for NY stories, which will be followed on my return by LA Textile week. We have scheduled many free seminars for the three days it is on, check them out at: www.Fashionbizinc.org

Another Busy Day in the LA Fashion World

Crazy busy the last few days and have not had chance to post a new blog.

So here is a little up date.

Just finished presenting certificates to our graduating group of students who have completed our FBI job training program on AIMS. Andrae Gonzalo, of Project Runway fame, was part of our graduating group. In fact Andrae was a student of mine while I was teaching at Otis College of Art and Design in 1999. We became friends and indeed I have to thank him for his support and encouragement while starting the Fashion Business Incorporated.

Our FBI job training program has been a really worth while experience for us and one that I feel particularly proud. The program was made possible by a small grant from Congresswomen Roybal Allard's office. For the most part the people who took this training were not from the apparel industry but were in fact in transition and looking to enter the world of fashion! Some had been laid off from a major department store that recently closed and others came from jobs that have been lost due to offshore competition. As one said; "first we had NAFTA then we had KAFTA and then he got the SHAFTER!"

I am also in the process of planning a fashion show that we will present for the first day on market here on the 20th October. The show will feature 6 new designers and we hope to be doing more on the first day of markets to give our members an opportunity to show their new lines.

On top of all this I am in the process of writing an expert witness report for a textile copyright infringement case. Can't talk about that now but it sure is about time that some one tried to stop all the copying done in this industry.

My reedited 7th edition of Fashion For Profit will be out in a couple of weeks. I hope that before the holidays to have two other books out, one on Branding and the other on opening a fashion retail store.