Temptation Island

Ok lets face it...folks in the fashion industry can be very particular. We create these brands and we care about them...we want to protect them and we don't want to leave our "babies," with just any ol' retailer.

That means we have to discriminate, a bit when it comes to picking the stores we sell to. No matter how tempting it may be to imagine how black a new account could make our financial statements-- selling your brand too short...too soon can have a detrimental effect that just won't pay off.

Let me tell you a little story to illustrate my point....

A client of mine had these aspirations of creating a high end luxury lifestyle brand. She imagined her stuff in the windows at Barneys, on the racks of the finest boutiques, on the homepage of international online retailer net-a-porter.com. Her vision was crystal clear in her mind. She believed in it and was excited to see it come to life....

But as she sat at her first trade show she watched buyer after buyer pass her by... they'd glance...comment, maybe even take a few pictures... They seemed interested but they weren't buying....what was she supposed to do?

On the last day of the show, a slightly more mainstream department store paid her a friendly visit. They were interested and ready to write an order.

I mean they were by no means a luxury brand....but one order from them alone could pay for the cost of her show, save her from hustling for more accounts when she needed to be designing and even allow her to give her consultant (me), a much needed bonus for all my dedication.. hard work, brilliant insight and commitment... (I know that's right;).

And as much as I wanted and so deserved a little extra padding in my pocketbook I had to keep it real. The department store deal didn't make sense. Of course we had the option of revising the strategy...adjusting our pricing, going slightly more mainstream--- but it was only her first trade show. Was it really the time to sell out? Was an offer from one vendor offer enough to constitute a total change of plans?

Maybe eventually but not initially.

As you develop your brand you will sometimes have to resist the temptation of big business money...and just give yourself a chance to grow.

I advised that she stick to the program....the brand she wanted...the one she believed in....and the brand she worked hard to create with everything from imported fabric to the paper linen hangtags she loved that made for the perfect finishing touch.

So she took my advice and decided against the major retailer. However, soon after the tradeshow she was able to acquire about 10 niche brand building boutiques that were interested in finding the next big thing...not just stuff that was sold in (nose in the air)... mid-tier department stores!

Now keep in mind the orders of those 10 stores didn't even add up to the one order she turned down.

However--she wasn't trying to host a thanksgiving day clearance sale--she was trying to build a brand. That takes time. And that means being strategic as well as pacing yourself.

Soon after she acquired her first 10 stores without a showroom she was picked up by one of the top international showrooms for her product category...who has since been able to place her in niche boutiques all over the world. A lot more brand appropriate than being sold off to the highest bidder.

She's since been featured as a top emerging designer in major fashion organizations and publications including Vogue...Not her hometown paper but...Vogue.

The moral of the story--If you have a vision for your brand let people help you refine that vision but don't ever throw it out the window based on one tempting proposition.

If only for a little while...just believe--trust your gut and see what happens. It could be better than you've ever imagined.

Will You Be My Sales Rep?

Finding a sales rep as a new brand is no easy feat. You have to find a rep that believes in your brand and is willing to nurture it to its full potential.

It really takes warm-up time to build brands up…and in those times you nor your sales rep will be making any “real,” money so to speak. In fact you may want to plan on losing some.

That said…you as well as the rep you choose must be willing to be patient and prepared to deal with a bit of uncertainty as you climb the proverbial success ladder together.

To find a showroom/sales rep in Los Angeles I recommend looking up brands you’d like to share a showroom with on the LA fashion district website directory. This directory contains all of the lines showing in “The Intersection,” which includes (The LA Mart, The New Mart and the Gerry and Cooper Buildings.)

When you search this directory look for lines you may be compatible with not competitive with. You want to find a showroom that does not house direct competitors but that the same stores that buy the lines they carry may also be interested in your products as well.

Once you find some leads…walk by…take a peek in and see if it suits your company. If it does ask if they are accepting new lines…and if they would take a meeting with you.

If you get to the meeting stage it’s time to put your best foot forward. If you even think you want them…sell yourself and your new company like nobody’s business…get them to really want you.

Start the meeting by showing the the rep completed sales samples, marketing materials and sharing the long term vision of your company. Reps love to see that you have a long term vision and a plan to get there. Your communication skills will be key. You want to vividly display the passion and commitment you have for making your business grow.

You also should highlight stores you’ve gotten into without a showroom (yes..you should be trying to get yourself in at least a few brand building stores before taking on a showroom), press coverage you may have received, mention investors so they understand your business is secure and don’t forget to bring up your past work experience to give them insight into your competency as a businessperson.

Once you have them where you want them….It’s time to start negotiating things like commission percentage, rent fees and the term of your agreement.

The better you present yourself the more flexible the showroom will become. Give them the reason to believe they have much more to gain…than to lose by taking you under their sales umbrella. Even though showrooms tend to have a bit of a chi-chi…boo-boo snob appeal at the end of the day they are in the sales business and need you as much as you need them.

Present a great product…a great strategy and a strong business acumen and carrying your line can quickly go from getting a straight “NO,” to becoming a “NO-brainer.”

So don't be scared...Find the showroom you want and go after them with everything you've got...

Contractor Relations....

If you’re a new apparel business owner I’m sure you’ve been there. You’re looking for contractors and what might you experience??

A few snubs. Unreturned calls. That “we can’t be bothered…you’re way too small for us..we have much more important customers “attitude.

Unfortunately it happens. But the end of the day all we want to do is get our lines off the ground. So we deal with it. We take it on the chin and work with people we may feel less than comfortable with.

It can be challenging and scary to invest dollars and time in this type of situation. So I put together a few tips to help you out along the way….

Tips for Working with Garment Contractors…

1. Be Your Own Publicist. Promote yourself to your contractors. Tell them about your growth plans and get them to believe in you. You want them to feel good about working with you the same way you want to feel good about working with them. If they believe you have a bright future and can eventually become a bigger account they could become a lot more accommodating.

2. Write it out. Show your professionalism. Give contractors written purchase orders and printed directions. Contractors don’t like indecisiveness…and if they do you better believe they are charging you for it. Show them you know exactly what you want and be clear on what you expect. You may be tempted to be overly benevolent if you’ve found a contractor you really like. Be respectful but never forget who’s the boss. It’s you…silly!

3. Do Your Due Diligence. If you’re a little green…some unscrupulous contractors may look at you like red meat. For that reason amongst others, see if you can find a referral, a reference or just look them up on the web. Do some due diligence before paying the real cost as well as the opportunity cost for working with the wrong company.

Finding good, compliant and reliable garment contractors can be a hard road. If you’re new to the industry that’s even more reason for you to start getting involved in the manufacturing community. Attend classes, go to trade shows, strike up conversations as you wait for your coffee at the fashion district Starbucks.

Start by running names by people. Although everyone may not be ready to give up the name of who they are directly working with…people are usually more than willing to give you a heads up if you’re thinking about working with the slimiest company in town.

Good luck….