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5 Networking Tips for Aspiring Fashion Designers

March 23, 2015/in Designer Tips /by Ana Cara

Networking is an interesting topic for me, as I grew as an entrepreneur and learned along the way to be more natural at it. I don’t believe there are any books or courses that can teach you how to network well, but I believe you can teach yourself in finding your own “groove”.

Remember:

Leave your inhibitions at the door, and step in with grace, value creating thoughts and the mindset that anyone there can be as much help to you as you are to them.

I recently attended a Fashion and Tech meet-up in Santa Monica with my business partner, and our goal was to meet new people, and why not, potential customers or partners. We work with fashion designers, we help them get their businesses off the ground, help them with marketing, web development and strategy. This was a great opportunity to get some of my knowledge shared with the right individuals and get us known with the LA fashion community.

Here are my top 5 networking tips:

Tip #1: Know your audience

This was a meetup so I could read everyone’s profiles before attending from meetup.com. I learnt that most people in the audience were aspiring fashion designers. So instead of pitching the company I started talking to them about their problems, making suggestions and I offered my business card to take our conversations further.

Tip #2: Don’t rush

This is your douche-bag networker and I hate him (or her). They come to an event and their only goal is to go around and talk to as many people. Most times you’ll end up in a conversation with above said networker when he’ll abruptly stop you and says something like “I have to go around and do my rounds” or “I have to go meet other people” . He has no interest in you and you’ll never see him again. Don’t be this guy.

Tip #3: Give value

This ties back into the above two points. if you know your audience, then you know what brings them to the event in the first place. Spend time with each prospect and provide something of value to them, they will be more engaged with what you have to say. At this event I tried to provide as much feedback as possible and make appropriate introductions to help the aspiring entrepreneurs.

Tip #4: Don’t stick together

I noticed that the events I attend together with my partner I tend to network less. We end up talking to each other, and by the end of the night we think that the event wasn’t worth while because nobody wanted to talk to us. The problem is, when you stick together, others won’t approach you as they’ll think you are engaged in a private conversation.

Tip #5: Follow up

This one drives me insane. So many times I have met people that for one reason or another they couldn’t share their contact info with me (some genuinely forgot their business cards at home or my phone would be dead and couldn’t take their info). I have met many fashion designers that I could have helped, but they only connect with me when they felt they needed something from me – sometimes months later. I am sorry, but by that point, I’d forgotten who you are.

Some of these may seem like common sense, however, when networking many become overwhelmed and unnatural. Just take it easy, one step at the time, and just think that everyone is there for the same reasons as you are, to meet new people!

This article was first published on LinkedIn by our co-founder Ana Caracaleanu.

Finding manufacturers for your clothing line (part 2)

February 20, 2015/in Designer Tips /by Ana Cara

In the first part of this article we looked at a fashion designer’s first steps towards choosing the right manufacturer for a clothing line. Let’s continue by diving in even deeper and pin-point what you must consider when you go through your production process.

First, consider where the manufacturer is located. Are they close to you? Perfect! Set up an appointment and meet with them! Start the quotation process and get a tour of the facilities. Enquire about the technologies they use, the lead times and the delivery terms. The goal is to get an idea of the services they will provide you, from customer service to when and how will you receive your goods. Enter these discussions with several manufacturers, and once you get quotes, compare them.

When you are talking to overseas manufacturers, getting into contact and building a trustworthy relationship with them is of course a bit more tricky. Nowadays you have the ability to order online, send in your sketches with very precise details and get samples in return. But nothing compares to an actual visit. If you get the possibility to travel and meet your potential partners, don’t hesitate. Go. You might find better deals for when you’ll produce in bigger quantities. Be aware of: delivery terms, FOB, Ex Works, even currency exchange rates. Because the product is not the only important part of your contract. But the payment and the delivery terms of your goods are also critical to the success of your line. Let’s look at the 4 main points you have to consider when you evaluate a manufacturer: product quality, money, time, terms and conditions.

Product Quality.

Asses product quality by visiting your manufacturer. Moreover, your manufacturer might not have all of the components you will require for producing (trims, rivets, etc.). You might need to source them yourself. This will cost you more money and time.

Money.

Remember that it is not the producer who will dictate your retailing price. Your customer is. Your business plan should be ready by this stage and you should know the cost you are able to absorb for production in order to preserve your profit margins. Consider this: When do you have to pay? Do you have to place a deposit? How much of the order is the deposit?

Time.

Make sure you get confirmed lead times.You need to know when your product will be ready from the manufacturer for you to sell it to the end customer.

Terms and Conditions.

Check all the little details, like where will the merchandise be delivered? It could be delivered directly to you or to a warehouse for pick-up. When do you transfer the ownership of the merchandise? It could be outside of the producing facility or at the delivery. Find out which currency will be used for the transaction. And finally find out if you have any kind of liability insurance from the manufacturer, in case something is wrong with the quality of your products.

Once you go through these 4 points with your pre-selected manufacturer, use your negotiation skills to place your order.

This article was written by Alexandra, fashion consultant. Follow her on Twitter @Stylindublin

You Are Never Too Young To Love Fashion

August 22, 2014/in Designer Interviews /by Luevo Team

The fashion industry is not an easy place to succeed; it’s fast-paced, competitive and takes a lot of passion. It is my pleasure to introduce to you an amazing designer who is making her mark in this tough business and she goes by the name of Elda Doamekpo.

Elda’s work has been seen in Omaha and Kansas City Fashion week. Her work is inspired by her West African roots. What Elda enjoys most about being a designer is, “the look that customers give me when I put a figure flattering garment on them, it’s priceless.”

At only age 17, Elda is taking the fashion industry by storm; from jumpsuits to elegant gowns, Elda does it all! She stated that before she starts sketching a look, she does some research on what exactly she is trying to achieve. Like many designers, Elda goes through many designs until she comes up with her desired product. How many 17 year olds do you know that are doing this much homework, willingly? Kudos to Elda being an inspiration for so many at such an early age!

With two Fashion weeks already under her belt, Elda continues to follow her dreams as a designer no matter the hurdles she may face. She believes there is always room to grow and get better. Elda is just beginning to scratch the surface; I know we can continue to expect nothing but great things from her. Our fellow fashion lovers must keep a look out for Elda Doamekpo designs.

Written by fashion writer and beauty consultant Darcel Laurie. You can follow her on twitter @DarcelWorld!

Are you looking for a new writing opportunity? Perhaps you have style tips that you would like to share with the world? We value new fashion trends and are always looking for talented guest bloggers. If you’re a blogger or writer, this is the place for you to get noticed. Can you see yourself as a part of our blogging team? Apply here!

Mercedes-Benz Start Up Competition 2013

November 5, 2013/in Fashion Events /by Ana Cara

Mercedes-Benz Start Up is an annual competition for start-up fashion designers hosted at World Master Card Fashion Week and it is focusing on talented fashion designers across Canada. With the promise of ongoing mentorship, a solo catwalk during fashion week next season and editorial support in FASHION, one of Canada’s leading magazines, the grand prize is highly sought after. It was obvious there was no shortage of talented participants for the competition, as each of the eight lines presented were exceptional in their design and execution. At the end of the show, the grand prize was awarded to two winners instead of one for the first time in the competition’s history.

The first winner, Malorie Urbanovich, is an Edmonton based designer who showcased not only beautiful easy to wear pieces, but nostalgic 90s throwbacks. Malorie Urbanovich has given us permission once again to find love layering simple silk dresses with boxy plush cardigans and sweaters. The outfits were reflective of design as a whole in architecture and interior design, with a minimalist, comfortable and unpretentious feeling. Any of her pieces would be a timeliness addition to any wardrobe for Spring 2014.

The second winner, Celine Raizonville, hails from Montreal with her urban chic line Matiere Noire. During the show, Celine presented soft, feminine boxy pieces from her Spring 2014 line in soft solids and bold horizontal striping. The neutral colour palette of black, white and oatmeal often had a punch of plum, a colour usually reserved for darker fall colours. The colours were a refreshing change for a Spring collection. Her collection was rounded out with quirky visors and a youthful socks-with-heels look.
For all of the reasons listed, it is clear why a deadlock took place between the judges. Each line encompasses a perfect balance of fresh style paired with favourite attributes from fashion past. Any piece from either collection not only support Canadian fashion, but independent fashion designers as a whole.

Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani, Fashion Magazine

Article written by guest-blogger @Bhreigh

Business Fashion & Beyond with Hannah Yakobi

July 16, 2013/in Designer Tips /by Ana Cara

FAJO is Canada’s leading digital fashion magazine. Started in Canada, the publication is international in Italy, the USA and the UK. Hannah Yakobi, the Editor-In-Chief of FAJO was the main speaker for the Fashion, Business & Beyond event. One of the topics discussed was harnessing the digital space for a brand by explaining the importance of quality photos, shortening links and creating specific hashtags.

Quality photos may sound like an obvious positive brand experience but is often overlooked with small labels. A little effort goes a long way – nobody expects professional imagery for start-ups, but effort is required. Taking quality photos is about promoting the brand, so jeopardizing it with poorly executed photos should be avoided. If a brand is not willing to put effort into displaying pieces, certainly nobody would be interested in investing time or money with the brand. Utilize a historical building, a beach or a park. Ask around for help, photography students or a friend who takes pictures as a past time.

Secondly, shortening links is an easy yet vital part of operating a successful in the digital realm. It’s no surprise that having a digital presence is a necessary part of operating in the twenty-first century. Use it effectively, for Twitter and Facebook, shorten your links. You only have 140 characters on Twitter to sell the brand so there is no room for long links. Give followers something clean and professional to look at. Websites like Bitly or Google URL Shortener are free options to use to shorten links.

Finally, create a memorable and unique hashtag to help followers be able to connect with how others are experiencing the brand. Whether it is campaign specific, or something the brand will use time and time again, a quick search on Twitter will allow you to know how many people – if any – have used the hashtag. It’s an opportunity to own a piece of digital space, if marketed effectively enough it will be instantly recognizable for your brand.

Fashion is a competitive world and these changes in the digital space for your brand are necessary to stay competitive. Take the time, make a plan and dedicate time to learn to make the above three habit. The only thing more exciting than creating the labels next collection is having an engaged audience to motivate and cheer you on along the way.

Guest Blogger: Bhreigh Gillis, Community Manager at Luevo and blogger.

Feature image and Hannah Yakobi photo credits to Fajo magazine.

VAWK – Knowing Your Woman by Sunny Fong

June 29, 2013/in Designer Interviews /by Ana Cara

On July 3rd, FAJO Magazine, hosted a “Fashion, Business and Beyond” event in Toronto. The intention of the seminar was to educate emerging fashion designers to understand the importance of the business side of being a designer.

Sunny Fong, a familiar name if you’ve watched Project Runway season two, successfully won the contest with his label VAWK. Although he doesn’t need to use his television fame assist in creating opportunities anymore, he does acknowledge how many doors it opened for him along the way. The underlying theme throughout his lecture was getting to know the woman (or man) you’re designing for. Not just how exactly who is wearing your designs, but her disposable income, fashion preferences and where to save or spend.

It’s common for designers imagine a confident twenty-something woman wearing their designs, it’s supposed to be the best time of your life and can only be strengthened if surrounded by beautiful clothing. As this ideal vision unfolds, there is an unfortunate and often forgotten about disconnect. The twenty-something age group doesn’t usually have a disposable income for clothing in the hundreds or even thousands per piece. This is one of the key reasons why fashion designers fail. Sunny knows his woman and understands she what she needs in a garment and doesn’t tailor to an age group that isn’t purchasing his designs.

The next thing to know about your woman is her preference for fast versus sustainable luxurious fashion. For Sunny, it’s the woman who craves a deeper sense of luxury. The pieces he designs are expensive, made with quality fabrics and an intricate design, often by hand. This kind of detailing and design cannot be replicated by fast fashion.

Finally, knowing when to spend and save on your business is vital. While it’s lovely to spend money on silk linings for sample pieces as an example, it isn’t practical. Silk doesn’t look any nicer than polyester as far as a sample piece goes. Spend money on your customer, not your sample pieces. Also, if you can achieve the same look and feel with two similar products, one less expensive, choose the less expensive option.

Clearly, these principles are what Sunny built VAWK on and is the reason why he is a success. A little planning, dedication and projecting business sense into the future will help bring your label to the top.

To learn more about VAWK please click here.
Guest Blogger: Bhreigh Gillis, Community Manager at Luevo and blogger.

Style Starts Within – Bishme Cromartie, Fashion Designer

June 24, 2013/in Designer Interviews /by Ana Cara

Clearly emerging fashion designer Bishme Cromartie of Baltimore, MD was born with the fashion bug; as a little boy he used socks and scraps of fabric to make clothes for his toys. At the age of eight he began putting his creative visions on paper sketching designs for women’s clothing. I would love to see the early designs of a young and uninhibited Bishme with his own imaginings of what the female should look like.

[two_third]February 9, 2007 was a defining moment for the 16 year old Bishme; destiny knocked on his door and he showcased his work at his first solo fashion show. His designs were remarkably chic and very well made for someone of his age. Word spread quickly about this wiz kid designer on the rise. Today Bishme’s architectural-looking creations are modish, vibrant and over dramatic; and have been featured in Elle Vietnam and on Vogue Italia’s website. R&B singer Ashanti wore his design on a “Good Morning America” appearance. Who says dreams don’t come true, in the “Emerging Designer” category? Bishme showed his exhilarating pieces at New York’s Fashion Week 2013!

Bishme’s collections are strong and beautifully sleek sultry works of art. They are eye catching with exaggerated shoulders and hips. His collections absolutely tell a story of strength and are not for the faint of heart. Women who wear his clothing must not be shy or afraid of having all eyes on her.[/two_third][one_third_last] [/one_third_last]

[one_half]Bishme is never afraid to go against the wind with his line, so he is inspired by designers that are the same. One of his favorite designers is Giambattista Valii, who is known for being dramatic and paying the upmost attention to detail. When asked what was so special about this designer, Bishme told the team at Greedmont: “[he] is never afraid to go against the norm and it is a very pleasing thing to see such creative work from [him]”. [/one_half]
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You can view Bishme Cromartie’s full collections on his personal website.

Guest Blogger: Elaine Crocker

Sitting Down with Lois Laine – Part2

June 15, 2013/in Designer Interviews /by Ana Cara

This is part 2 of a two part interview with Toronto based independent fashion designer Lois Laine. Lois designs eco-friendly clothing with fabrics and labour sourced in Canada. If you haven’t already, check out part one of this interview here.

What do you hope your consumers see when they are attracted to your brand?
I want them to see that it’s unique, but not showy. It’s unique and subtle, just something that they want to grab on to every day.

What are some of your fashion goals?
You know I really know that I should have it more defined, but my main goal is to be able to keep doing what I do. I have envisioned a couple of different scenarios: I think generally people have to get bigger to sustain their job in this industry, for me that’s not the most important thing; if I need to get bigger I’m happy to do that. But if I can keep going like this where I have been up till now designing for the upcoming season, and I really enjoy doing that and I can take advantage of doing those limited yardages and I can be more on the season because its coming right up. But if I go into the wholesome market, which is generally how you get bigger then I need to be able to order a 100 meters of something and so I won’t be able to do some of these other nice little treaty things. So my plan is to do two fall/winters this year, so that I can get into the wholesome market and see how that goes. I’ve been in contact with Ana Caracaleanu from Luevo and I am very excited about their idea, the platform would allow me to keep going with the fabrics that I can just grab onto and do small scale or big. That is just very exciting to me. I’m still doing some artisan sales like: the Wearable Arts Show in October from the 24th-26th at 918 Bathurst St. Also, I’ve been invited into the Fresh Collective in the fall (August/September).

For more information on Lois Laine collections please go to the designer’s website: loislaine.com
Guest Blogger: Tiffany D’Souza, tiffanydsouza.com

Sitting Down with Lois Laine – Part 1

June 7, 2013/1 Comment/in Designer Interviews /by Ana Cara

When it comes to local talent, Toronto does not fall shy of exciting and diverse artists, and Lois Laine, independent fashion designer is no exception. Possessing a precision for architectural elements coupled with feminine subtlety, she began her self-titled eco-friendly line in 2011. Her journey began after having earned a degree in interior designing and spending years studying pattern drafting. Thereafter, she concluded her education in Costume Studies and worked as a freelance designer. With a brief and inspirational trip to India in 2010, Lois’ calling was finally put to rest when she decided to set up shop. Today she is working passionately within her studio walls listening to spiritual music and drinking tea.

[two_third]Where do you draw your inspiration?

Nature and life for sure. You know there is that architectural element and there’s the subtlety. I really love the subtlety of nature and I aim to try to put the scale, like there’s the bigger scale of the sculpture and then there’s the small detail within it. I just love that and the hard with the soft and the shiny with the matte. The first collection is really very light and airy, that was like my first one, so it was like an upward spiral and it was spring and everything had to have this feeling of exalted. That’s how I wanted to feel when I finished it, that there was this sort of delicacy and wonder. There was a woman who had a drawing and I had remembered her stuff, and she did these whimsical drawings and I was like yeah, yeah this is it, this is the whimsy and the lightness and so I actually had her painting up on the wall for most of the collection. With other fashion, I love Annie Thompson, but I also really love minimalist designers as well. I guess I am in between. [/two_third]
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[two_third]What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion for me is being aligned with the energy of the time, it’s not my strongest strength. My strength is more in the abstract part of design. I try to blend the two; I research the trends, go to trend forecasting and be watchful. Then I’ll marry them with the more timeless sense of proportion and sculptural shapes. My collections are outside of the trends but they have current elements, which makes them wearable for longer. [/two_third]

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For more information on Lois Laine collections please go to the designer’s website: loislaine.com

Guest Blogger: Tiffany D’Souza, tiffanydsouza.com

FAT – Fashion Art Week in Toronto

May 7, 2013/in Fashion Events /by Ana Cara

A giant warehouse, an oversized lumberjack style plaid shirt, top-notch street style and great music could only be all at FAT Fashion Week. Well, that is what I have been led to believe since moving to Toronto. You see I’ve never had an opportunity to attend FAT being from the east coast, but so many people love this ‘alternative fashion week’. I was wholeheartedly not disappointed. I had the opportunity to attend the Thursday night events on April 25th and watch six runway shows out of nine.

What FAT really specialized in was bringing the art scene back into fashion. Of course that seems obvious by the name, but if you’ve ever attended other fashion events you would quickly learn that it is not the case. I had to notice that fashion and art here was really at its core. There wasn’t a ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ feeling of pretention and ‘that’s so last season’ that you may expect. Instead, it was a venue for people who love fashion as an art form and use it as an expression as ones self, not as a status symbol. It was everything fashion should be and it was beautiful.

The patrons at FAT for the most part did not wear high-end big brands, but really rocked the more rare pieces from smaller designers. I’m used to opening conversation with somebody during Fashion Week by commenting on a person’s newest big designer item, but at FAT, you would have instead asked where they purchased the item as so many people were wearing indie. Because of so many unique brands and styles being put together, FAT has amazing street style. Even between fashion shows, you were treated to unique pieces, wearable art and many beautiful combinations. When attending a previous fashion event earlier this year, I noticed that while yes, everybody had beautiful style and a chic way to wear items the event was lacking on the street style front. Where was the fashion and beauty that inspired street style blogs and popular photographers like The Sartorialist? Where are those people who love to mix high-end fashion from decades past with local favourites? If you don’t know Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, you should check it out here. You won’t regret it. It was of course the shows themselves that displayed the most creativity, but the patrons attending were a close second. FAT bar-none had the best street style.

The runway shows were also a great mix of art and fashion. The first three shows of the evening had an edgy rocker and sometimes-gothic theme. Many of the pieces were wearable, but of the first three shows they each sported something that was un-wearable and simply for art. The next set of three shows featured more wearable pieces that focused more on beautiful tailoring. These shows made you anticipate what you would like add to your wardrobe more than shock value. Below is one of the better shots I had taken, evidently with my favourite piece of the night from the emerging independent fashion designer B.E. Shields.

For better quality images, have a look at the FAT blog on their official website and you’ll get an idea of the creativity that takes over the runway.

Guest Blogger: Bhreigh Gillis, Intern Community Manager at Luevo, Fashionista and sailor enthusiast.
Twitter @Bhreigh
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