Fashion For Profit

Case Study of New Apparel Business

Dear Frances,

I have just purchased your book, Fashion for Profit. This book is extremely helpful! I am setting up my own fashion business and your book has actually saved me a whole lot of time and money due to it answering all of my questions.

I see you have additional courses, which I feel all designers should keep on doing even once they have a career. It helps to keep one updated and fresh of mind.

I am having a test run of my business, during which I would like to keep you in touch of the progress. I am designing made to measure jeans for Tall Women, so the test run will perfect the unique patterns and testing of premium quality denim for each client.

Once again thank you for the book and also your business, both are a continued help for my business; TallGenez.

Sincerely,

Roy Parkin. CEO/Chief designer of TallGenez

Biker Shorts – Another fashion statement that should be against the law!

I had to laugh when I received the following from an old friend and successful fashion designer over in the UK. She echo’s my sentiments on bikers’ shorts in true British out spoken fashion.

“ps a friend from NY came for dinner at the apt in Paris, it was so embarrassing, she was wearing a T-shirt and cycling shorts, and she weighs 500 lbs, i joke with the weight, but she is FAT !!, It was a dinner, Saturday night in Paris, and she looked like she was going to the supermarket, with all this horrible lumpy fat showing on the tops of her arms and legs, Fran i think u might have said something to her, it was revolting.  u can be fat, that’s not the issue, but pls wear the right clothes. She is 65yrs old, so it matters. Why do Americans often have no sense of decorum? ”

That last statement could be debated, and I hope you put forth your two pennies worth!!

Biker shorts are really one of my pet hates both for men and for women. They are even worse for men! I see them every weekend when I go for a hike and stop for a morning coffee. Bikers also stop by for a coffee when enjoying their morning ride at the most fantastic location for a Starbucks on the PV peninsular. The men have very unsexy lumpy lumps at the front of their bike pants and ugly padded butts from behind. The women in this odd fashion often look more appealing, but only by a hair!

A free invite to a very important film premier

Buying a branded product is often snob based. We seem to have a preconceived conception of a person walking around wearing a "Prada" or other highend branded products! Wow! They must have the BIG JOB and the BIG BUCKS! But why do we think like that?? Do you value that person more?? Is that product worth more because it is branded?

NO!!!

I have preached it for years, that for a manufacturer you need a brand follower to earn the big bucks but as creative designers, or free intelligent creative thinker, WHY do you feel you need to have a brand association? We should ask ourselves why do certain people keep on buy these goods knowing they are knock off's???

It is important to begin a dialog to educate both the old and the young as to who is behind these illicit goods. Why do we not think beyond buying a "great bargain" and saving on a product that should often cost much, much more?

Please join us for this very important film premier, sponsored by the US Chamber of Commerce, made by the National Geographic and produced by the famed producer Dr. Moises Naim, acclaimed editor of Foreign Policy magazine.

I look forward to seeing you all on the 14th April at 5.30pm at the LA Textile show at the California Market Center in LA. Please see more below-

Illicit: The Dark Trade

Film Background

The National Geographic Special reveals how hidden criminal networks cost untold numbers of jobs, kill and maim thousands of people, and breed violence and corruption. It focuses on how technology both enables and can disable illicit trade. It also raises questions about whether authorities have coherent strategies to combat this new phenomenon and shows how consumers are often complicit in illegal trade.

To highlight this growing threat, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has underwritten a new National Geographic Special, "Illicit: The Dark Trade." This groundbreaking film is not just about smuggling or crime, it's about how criminal networks are changing the world.  Illicit trade has increasingly dangerous political consequences—money laundering, massive corruption, and the subversion of entire governments. It is changing how we live in ways unrealized, and governments around the world seem powerless to stop it. Illicit trade is redefining economic relationships, borders, and the role of workers, managers, armies, and governments.

The film is based on the bestselling book Illicit by Dr. Moisés Naím, acclaimed editor of Foreign Policy magazine. Naím believes illicit trade could be as big—or even greater—a threat to our way of life than terrorism. Naím lends his expertise and his voice to the film.

                                                                                                         

Protect What You Create!

How to safeguard your artwork from thieves, pirates and other unscrupulous industry players.

            My name is Attorney Scott and I practice in Los Angeles, California. My firm, the Doniger Law Firm APC [www.donigerlawfirm.com] specializes in representing artists and companies in resolving the disputes that arise in the creative industries. Artists are often unaware of what their rights are under the law and face obstacles in enforcing their rights when someone infringes their works. One of the most common problems we encounter is the theft of graphic artworks. A couple such scenarios are as follows:

            Scenario #1: An up and coming, artist-driven brand provides a line sheet showcasing its new designs to a potential buyer. The buyer passes on purchasing goods from this company, instead opting to simply steal the art and reproduce it as part of its own line.

            Scenario #2: An artist posts his work online, noting on the body of the website that the works are owned by the proprietor of the site. A few months later, shirts and hats bearing the works show up in a retail chain store.

            These are just two of a number of different ways artists get ripped off and both of scenarios are totally illegal.  Too often the creative expression of the artistic community is exploited for profit without credit or compensation being paid. Yet, this doesn’t have to be the case. Taking the time to legally protect your work, and then prosecuting any would-be thieves, can help put a stop to this sort of behavior.

            1. Register Your Work

            In the United States, once you have created something that is tangible (such as drawing a picture, taking a photograph or sculpting a statute), you automatically have what is known as “common law” copyright protection. This means that if you can prove you published that work by distributing it to others, and someone copied it, you can recover damages from this copier. However, you are only allowed actual damages (the money the copier made off of the copies and any money lost by you as a result of the copying) if you did not hold a copyright registration when the copying occurred.

            If you take the additional step of registering your work with the Copyright Office, you can recover increased damages from any infringer, including your attorneys’ fees. Filing a copyright registration is not complicated, and carries a relatively nominal fee and the protection you receive is more than worth the amount. It will give you peace of mind knowing that there is a public record of your creation of a piece of art, especially if you are distributing it to multiple parties in search of buyers, investors or collaborators.

            2. Monitor for Infringement and Attempt to Resolve any Dispute

            Keep an eye out for thieves! If you see someone that has stolen your work, contact your attorney immediately. Your attorney will issue a cease and desist demand to the infringing party. At this point it may be possible to discuss an arrangement, such as a royalty payment, to resolve the dispute. With the advent of the internet, where many retail stores maintain an online presence, it is easier than ever to identify potential infringers. You can review the sites of companies to which you have provided samples, or sites of old collaborators, to see if they have “borrowed” any of your work.

            3. If all Else Fails, Litigate

            If you are unable to resolve your dispute with the thief, the next step is to file a copyright infringement lawsuit. In order to do so, you must have a registration (see #1). Even if you did not have the registration prior to the infringement, you must apply for one after the infringement in order to file your case. The Court will assist in resolving the issue, either informally, or through a trial.

If you have any questions regarding the law as it applies to fashion, please feel free to contact me at scott@donigerlawfirm.com

Fashion Fur “Faux” Par

Not since we were all exposed to those low riding, and often too much belly reveling hip hugging, crack exposing pants, have I felt such a strong distain of a fashion trend. Well, maybe the “Juice” across the butt is another. But this year’s real fur around the collar jackets, or is it faux fur? Either, or, is an out dated statement of a very distasteful and tacky trend.

Sadly, from my own and many others point of view, real fur this year has returned in a big way on catwalks and many designer collections, from Prada and other European luxury goods designers and indeed certain US designers. But, as a south west coast resident, real fur is thankfully considered unnecessary as a means of warmth and politically incorrect by Hollywood and other Californians’ who tend to have a reputation as being more socially sensitive.

Until this season’s invasion around the necks of all and sundry from the LA fashion district, through international airports and malls, is has been difficult to escape this ugly trend. When I look at these fur “things” around these fashion trend seekers necks, I seem to hear cries of pain from dogs or wolves, and see their haunting eyes of pain. Or, I find myself looking very carefully to see if in fact it is a cleaver faux imitation. Either one, is in my opinion a statement of embracing an out dated fashion trend of wearing fur as a trim, or as clothing.

Additionally, while on this subject, I have always felt animal prints where an odd choice of what is really a depiction of animal fur, or reptile skin and therefore a strange blasé endorsement of cruelty. But, I do wear leather so who am I to criticize!

But as a fashion “expert” it maybe acceptable for me to say I am so over seeing those jackets with the real dog fur collars, or the very realistic synthetic fur collars.

My strong reaction may have stemmed from last years animal rights exposé of major US chain stores who had purchased fur collared jackets from a Chinese vendor of what they had been informed were synthetic fur collars, but which, unfortunately turned out to be real fur. It was to the retails dismay, and many others that these fur trimmed jackets were discovered to be made from real animals’ fur! The Chinese had substituted and lied about the fact the fur was real and not synthetic fur they used for these collars. They had in fact used dog fur factories to breed and kill, and produce for this season’s buyers.

As we are aware, the Chinese are on the whole not famous for their kindness to animals. So, this reveluation should have come as no surprise, but to us dog/animal loving people it was very disturbing.

Looking on the bright side, summer is on its way and those distastefully fur trimmed jackets, a symbol of the socially blind trend seekers of fashion, born out of both ignorance and cruelty will be hung up and hopefully stay hung up!

Next season’s trend setters are at this time busy creating new styles to entice and to create a demand. The fashion industry must constantly create a demand for new trends, or there will be no new sales or no profits next season. The industry is after all about making money and about creating a “Fashion For Profit.”

 

MAGIC – Trade show Feb. 08

Just returned from presenting five seminars at one of the largest apparel trade shows in the world!

Las Vegas was full of the fashionable and the not so fashionable for this bi annual show, which occupies most of all the large hotels and the whole of the Las Vegas convention center.

The buyer’s attendance was down but to my surprise the seminar attendance was up. All our seminars that the FBI presented were full. Much to my own amazement, my last seminar on how to start your own apparel company was at the max of 300 and still some where unable to get in the door.

Maybe, when the economy is down then people turn to entrepreneurial ventures. It would be interesting to track the businesses started and the percentage of successful apparel start-ups who have attended my seminars or have read my books. Of course it has always been my plan/wish that all our hard work in presenting these seminars would be helpful and would assist in making good future business decisions.

 

Battle of the Big Brands

It is a fact that multi-brand groups owned by one parent company can diversify their marketing costs and the risks through economies of advertisements, IT, distribution, raw materials, production etc. A house of established brands reduces one company’s exposure to the unknown future and the fickleness of the fashion industry. This is why, today the size of the parent company matters. Bigger companies can invest more in marketing, which is very important in an industry built on image and brand awareness.

Today globalization is placing fresh demands on established brands, which could cause old marketing strategies to fail. It is predicted that by 2014 about one-quarter of branded goods and their licensing partners revenue will come from Chinese consumers.  But to do well in China the same rules apply as to the price of marketing and the investment of advertising and promotion. Marketing of branded products require established bank accounts that can cushion possible failures. They provide the floatation of cash for expansion. Going public also gives a newly branded label the protection and guidance they need to survive through the financial disciplines.

Apparel Business Consulting Group

Apparel Business Consulting Group – (ABC Group)

In the USA and globally there is an abundance of start up, along with small to medium size apparel and accessory firms who are in various stages of development. The majority of these firms have expertise in either Design, or Sales, but are not maximizing the full potential of their companies. Many of these companies lack the expertise in the areas of; administration, finance, planning, production, sales, marketing, and distribution. The lack of knowledge in any one of these areas will cost a company their profit dollars required for re-capitalization to support the growth of any company.

An additional area of concern is access to capital for expansion production requirements, and money for company expansion. The lack of either experience or expertise results in poor decision making choices made by management. The end result in many cases will cause internal convulsions within the company that can hinder a company’s ability to produce and expand. Furthermore, in many cases the company is not in a financial position to hire qualified professionals to assist in their growth due to a lack of funds.

In an effort to fill the void that is obvious many private and governmental agencies offer many classes in each of the business areas to assist business owners. None of the solutions offered deal with the specific needs of the individual business owner in solving specific problems, which is also specific to the apparel industry. Furthermore, even when the solutions are identified there is no audit controls established to evaluate the impact of the solution and the additional changes in systems and methods that will have to change in the operations and planning for the company.

Lastly, there is no “coaching” mechanism in place for the management of the company to make growth, or reorganization easier to achieve.

Introducing - The ABC Group

The ABC Group is in a position to provide a “safe haven” for owners and management of apparel and accessory companies to find professionals to assist on a one on one basis. Each member of the Consulting Group will have a specific specialty in the areas of:

Design /Product Development              Marketing

Production                                          Administration

Finance                                               Accounting

Sales

How it Works:

A Clients pays a fee for a two hour initial interview for screening purposes and for evaluation to ascertain priority of the needs of a current company status. Next, a report will be prepared for the client outlining ABC’s recommendations.  A fee structure will be included and discussed with the client.  The client will be assigned to an ABC lead consultant to assist with immediate problems. The client will be referred to other consulting specialists to assist with other types of reorganization identified as needed within the company.

For further information: Frances@Fashionforprofit.com

The Future of Fashion Retailing

The Future of Fashion Retailing

Working in industry and in academia, one becomes familiar with the highs and lows of fashion retailing. The fashion industry is predictable as a pendulum swings one way, it is bound to return, and swing in the other direction.  This applies to fashion, only when a fashion hits the extreme then it will return.  For example, mini skirts in high contrast color values such as red and black were “in” for Fall 2006 with the return of the Mod Look or 60's influences from designers like Anne Klien, Burberry, MARC by Marc Jacobs and Laundry by Shelli Segal.  As fashion moves ahead and prepares for the warmth of spring, pastels and sherbet colors will be blooming in every store.

Now the pendulum has swung away from department stores.  Department stores are impersonal, big, and overwhelming. Retail boutiques are everywhere from Fifth Avenue to SoHo (West Village in New York City) where there are Chanel, Prada and other boutique-like retailers.  Rodeo Drive is filled with boutique designers such as Ralph Lauren, Versace, and Ferragamo.  Department stores like Nordstrom,

Specialization is the KEY.  With internet shopping on the rise, where instant gratification can be obtained, mass customization is the future for retailers.  Mass customization is personalization for each and every customer that walks through the retail doors…just as it applies on the internet.  As soon as a return customer signs on, the e-Retailer immediately “knows” his/her account information, past history of shopping, and preferred choices.  Retailers are keeping up (or trying to keep up) with personalization in order to retain the “walk-in” customer.  Boutiques and specialty stores are able to personalize and know customers. Identifying and finding a niche, then understand that customer’s needs and staying committed to their needs will in turn keep the customer returning. This is true for bricks and mortar and for internet sales.

About the Fashion Business Incorporated

I want to give you an update on my other business venture that infact demands much more from me than my publications. Both of which I am very proud. I must credit how very fortunate I have been to have met so many wonderful people who have shared my vision.

Fashion Business Incorporated. (FBI) www.Fashionbizinc.org  is considered THE resource center for the Fashion industry within California and the United States of America. With its all-encompassing approach to the business of fashion, FBI's Resource Center and its branch facilities support a diverse range of apparel manufacturers as well as vendors, retailers, students and industry professionals.  Our results-driven training programs and seminars provide a direct path towards professionalism and success for emerging and established apparel manufacturers.  Our Technology Lab and E-Library provide affordable access and a lifeline to the latest equipment resources; and resident consultants and guest speakers provide one-on-one coaching and drive our networking events, offering our members a competitive advantage to our participants in their markets.

By identifying and then supporting those members who show the greatest promise, FBI has been responsible for developing an impressive list of successful companies.  Their success stories, which have made us the "talk of the Industry", have resulted in a steady flow of new memberships and sponsors. This effort has also guided us in offering the right kinds of services entrepreneurs are looking for. Our successful alumni continue to thank us financially by supporting our many innovative programs, further enhancing the Center's resources.

FBI's rich and technically advanced website has been a key reason for our significant membership growth. Our website has allowed members to benefit from global access to vendors and customers with chat rooms, bulletin boards, and on-line business connections.  Our remote training programs and member services have also been enhanced with self-sustaining downloadable distance learning programs, webinars and turnkey software offerings.

Our portfolio of apparel experts/consultants assists our members with product development, business and finacial planning, production, marketing and sales. Our Internet capabilities enable our members to communicate with distant resources and customers and find new markets for their products.

With the growth and success of our Resource Center in the New Mart Building, plus our Internet and global presence, California's fashion Industry has flourished and become one of a few global fashion center. LA is now producing more and banking more than NY!