“Having a showroom.”—Gustavo Cadile, eveningwear
―Garner press. As a new brand trying to compete in the high-end luxury channel, the press that I
get for the brand, both via magazine editorial and celebrities wearing my shoes, is critical.”—Ruthie
Davis, shoes
―I think the most effective thing for sales is having good product, good prices that make sense to the consumer, and knowing what advantages and qualities your product brings to the market.‖—Brian Wood, menswear
“Service to my clients and quality. If you work with them, they come back for more candy, especially if it sells.”—Diego Binetti, womenswear
“A focused product and vision that remains consistent season after season. Brands that continually shift with the trends never become known for any one thing and thus can become obsolete with the next coming trend. By staying true to your vision, you are able to develop a loyal clientele who
depends on your product to fill a particular niche season after season regardless of the outside environment.”—Romain Kapadia, menswear
“the number one thing which eff ects sales is PR.”—Ana Beatriz, Lerario Beatriz, womenswear “Trade shows and photo line sheets.”—Nina Valenti, nature vs future, womenswear
“Our showroom is amazing. Once we signed with them, things drastically changed and we try to listen to their feedback.”—Annie Lewis and Helen Cho, Lewis Cho, womenswear
“Marketing and PR. Any brand will stay anonymous for years if the item is not seen in magazines, on television, and on the right arms of the „ it‟ celebs. I market my brand across the board from travel to business to everyday celebrity papers. It is great to get a bag in InStyle, but sales skyrocket when articles are written about the company.”—Jessica Alpert-Goldman, World According to Jess,
accessories
“Doing a lookbook, effective line sheets, and keeping our website up-to-date.” —Chloe, Samantha
and Caillianne Beckerman, womenswear
“Product. I believe PR can really help drive the sales, but at the end of day it‟s the product that has to hold its ground.”—Grace Sun, womenswear
“I would say fit. If the styling and fabric are good, the fit is the biggest factor at the retail end.”—
Jada Simons, Marie Marie, womenswear
“Lifting up the phone. All my major accounts came to me because I am not afraid to cold call (persistently and audaciously) or call on people in my network. I cold called a major retailer and got a chance to meet the buyer, because I happened to call when she was looking to expand that line of the business. I cold called my school friend buyer at Target, sent him stuff about my company, which he forwarded on and on. I followed up and got to fly out and meet with the buyer a week later in Minneapolis. I cold emailed Donny Deutsch and two days later received a call back from the producers asking me to be part of the show. I cold called the founder of Vera Bradley hand bags, Discovery Toys, and the ex-VP of merchandising for Victoria‟s Secret (now member of the board for Limited) by calling everyone in the state of Ohio with that last name. All of these people are now my mentors and I am very fortunate to have them. For each of these “successes” I have dozens of dead ends, which is OK. In lifting up the phone, you have very little cost (besides fear, bitten nails, etc.), you get good at it pretty quickly, and the rewards are potentially very handsome!”—Jane Ivanov, Eve
Alexander, maternity lingerie
“Selling our collection on our own. No one besides the designers knows all the intricacies of the garment and collection. We find buyers are more receptive because they feel special to know and work with the designers directly. We feel there is more honesty working directly with the buyers.”—Jerry
Tam, Form New York, womenswear
“At wholesale—it‟s having a showroom. At retail, its trunk shows. they are my ultimate marketing expense. Coming to the stores and meeting the staff gets them excited about my product, which in turn always leads to better sales off the fl oor. Plus, it gets the about my product, which in turn always leads to better sales off the fl oor. Plus, it gets the store‟s customers excited and curious about who I am and my product.”—Lara Miller, womenswear
“Trade shows such as Designers and Agents have really helped with the growth in sales. I live in Miami which doesn‟t have much of a fashion industry like New York, so participating in a large scale buying period is essential.”—Karelle Levy, Krelwear, womenswear
“I always attempt to visit the stores who carry my line.”—Nicole Romano, womenswear,
accessories
“I work with a showroom that understands my company and fully supports my vision for it.”—
“Talking to my customers. I always love hearing what my customers have to say, what they love, and what they can do without. Listening to them helps me understand their desires and what inspires them.”—Christine Alcalay, womenswear