Fashion For Profit

California Garment Manufacturing License

Yes, if you are in California and you are purchasing the fabric and having the contractor sew your sample or production you are defined as the manufacturer.
Go to www.Calgold.gov or google -  garment manufacturing license for California.
Best regards,

Frances
www.fashionforprofit.com

Hi Frances I have a question, in your book Fashion for Profit you have a section on "bookkeeping" in which you talk about acquiring a Garment Manufacturing License. I am confused, if I am designing but I do not actually sew any of the items instead I use a manufacturer do I still need this license? I dont plan on having a location where I will house employees (aside from administrative), sewing machines etc.. so I am not sure if I still need one or not. Could you clarify for me please?

Finding a Sales Rep for Your Line

Dear Frances

I am a new business and just showed my first samples at the ENK Show in NYC.  Thanks so
much, FBI, for existing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I wish I were in LA to go to so many great offerings, but I'm in the Philly area.
 
I am curious to know if you know any sales representatives interested in having more lines
to show. 
 
My clothing is high quality infant (0-24 month) apparel.

I would suggest that you inquire at stores you wish to sell to and find out which trade shows they attend and what reps they deal with. Like all parts of this industry it is important to know who you are dealing with and if they are the right fit for you and will represent your company's needs.

There are many horror stories out there of manufacturers choosing the wrong reps and visa versa. It is up to you to find your own representative. You can buy books with lists of reps and the types of lines they rep but it is all about personality types and getting references, plus you will need a good agreement in place with them.

You should fly to LA and walk the Marts to find the right showroom for your line. I am sorry but there is no easy way around this.

You can check out my two websites for more help: www.fashionbizinc.org & www.fashionforprofit.com

What Doing Business in a "New Economy" Will Mean

What Doing Business In a “NEW” Economy will mean.

There are a few other considerations besides the chaos in our global economy that has resulted in the downturn and lack of sales in the world fashion. Today’s trend in fashion is all about buying interesting contemporary items to add to existing clothing items that are already hanging in closets.  Most of us have enough jeans and other basic clothing to dress up or down, so this new trend I feel was already evolving before the economic turmoil.  It is a product of today’s casual life style that has resulted in confusion for the retail buyers as to know what in fact a “trend” is.

Retailers such as Zara and Forever 21 changed their methods of production and buying habits a couple of years back. They produce small lots and replenished weekly. This was in motion before the truth about corporate greed and insecure investments came to light.

Contemporary fashion demands speed to market that often means domestic production, which due to most sewing contractors losing their production to off-shore competition, good compliant domestic production it is hard to find.  We now need to support speed to market by building and supporting more infrastructure for sewing contractors and apparel manufacturers. In order to achieve this, we need to help them with, financial investment and education to support changes from old production methods to newer “fast fashions”. They will need to retool and regear to accommodate smaller production runs.  This method is called “modular” production, a word I think we will be seeing more and more in the future.

It is important that we restore faith for investors both in the US and around the world.  Our free market is the foundation of the US financial system. Restoring that faith is one of the first steps on the road to economic recovery. The new evolving economy will need investment in new technology, infrastructure and also to embrace modern methods of manufacturing. I feel there is light at the end of the tunnel, but the recovery will not be soon or rapid. Step one is recognizing our problems and finding a solution and acting ASAP, “Speed to Market” has to be our new global chant for a new economy.