New Designers Need Love Too...

Yes…we know, getting exciting press for your new line can often feel like climbing a hill in stilettos.

It’s elusive….People know people who know people who know people. And maybe you’re not one of those people….just yet.

So what can you do? The talented yet un-connected new designer that didn’t go to boarding school with the assistant editor at Vogue and a has a budget that would make any respectable publicist literally LOL.

Start by tapping these budget friendly online resources that can help put your brand on the map….

1. Thecontactlistonline.com–Getting connected starts with getting contacts. The Contact List is a subscription based service that keeps you in the loop of who’s in and who’s out in the ever-changing world of fashion. With The Contact List fashion and beauty editor names…emails and addresses are just a click away. And even better their monthly rates start as low as $15 bucks.

2. Buzzflikr.com –This innovative online PR service focuses on providing low cost web-based PR to emerging designers and brands. By posting your media kit and images in their “hive” you’re instantly on the radar of story-hungry fashion editors and bloggers around the globe.

3. Thefashionlist.com–Feel like you always read about the hottest fashion events after they’re over and done? Are you ready to expand your network and get in the know? The Fashionlist.com is a comprehensive database of all the biggest happenings in the world of fashion in one central place. Plus you can even post your own event totally free.

Are You Ready for Gift Bags?

Many designers would cut off their right arm and put it in a Grammy or Oscar awards giftbag as long as it was holding their product.

Participating in hot giftbags with award winning prestige are really no brainer.... You already know US Weekly, Life and Style and People Magazine are going to do a full page spread featuring the new swag of the stars. It's as close to guaranteed press as you can get.

However the average company is more likely to get inquires from a lot less well known events requesting free samples or promotional items to stuff their bags with.

To participate...or not to participate...that is the question. Well you'll start by weighing the probability that your potential customers or high profile celebrities will go to these events. There goes no-brainer #2. So what's next.....

Well...if you determine that you'll participate in the bag you need to next determine the product. Giftbags are great for beauty companies because they usually have small sample sizes and people like to try before they buy anyway.

But what about clothing? You certainly don't want to give away the 100-500 items PR companies usually request for giftbags...

In this event I suggest clothing companies develop some type of promotional item ahead of time that depicts their brand and has at least a little value associated with it. This would be a multi use product, with a long shelf life that you can buy a lot of at a lower price. You'll get a lot out of these items by also taking them to trade shows or give away to your retailers that they may also make it a gift with purchase when they sell your product.

To get these products you can work with a promotional products company such as macher.com to produce things like reusable packaging, notebooks, totebags or passport holders and luggage tags with your logo.

The bad news is that in producing promotional products you always walk the line of being cheesy. So you have to be careful and make sure everything you produce will embrace the same quality of your clothing brand. This is one of those things...that if you can't do it right. Don't do it at all. I'll make that my no brainer #3.

Buy Me Please....

Getting ready for MAGIC.....Take the time to prepare a KNOCK OUT buyer kit to seal the deal with potential customers. Here are some tips on what to include....

1. Company or Designer Bio
This doesn't have to be long...or read like the biography of Malcolm X. Make it light and dreamy...talk about what inspires you, the range of your collection or interesting design companies you've worked for in the past. Also...no need for a professional print job...print everything out on your company letterhead so you can easily change it as you grow.

2. Press Clippings
If you've been doing pre show marketing and were able to obtain any edits make color copies and add them into your buyer kit. Show buyers you've already been getting exposure so they know you're already on your PR game.

3. Line Sheets
A Must Have....Clear line sheets that make it easy for buyers to order and reference pricing. Line sheets like anything else really come alive in color. But if you're on a budget you may just want to do a color cover to spice it up a bit.

4. Style Matrix/Order One Sheet
Some designers have pricing on their line sheets which is my preference. If for some reason you don't want to do this make sure you have one document that contains all the information required to place an order. Put yourself in their shoes and see how easy it is to write out an order using your materials.

5. Color Cards
I love real fabric color cards. Although it can be tedious to cut little square pieces and paste them on cardstock...it can be totally worth it. Give buyers something to touch and feel once they leave your booth. But again I know you can't always make a dollar out of fifteen cents....if you don't have the budget color copies will certainly do.

6. LookBook or Color Pictures
Lookbooks like everything else it seems can be crazy expensive. If you don't have one believe me you're in good company. Some of the most successful companies I've worked with have never produced a lookbook and they're doing just fine. However, nice photography on a model is clearly going to help your product sell better than a flat sketch. Make sure you have some photographs in your kit...whether they're on the cover of your line sheet or on a postcard.

7. Order Forms


Finishing up....
Compile all of this info a branded folder. You can easily make these yourself by buying glossy white folders and getting some stickers printed with your company logo.

Believe me...having a professional buyer kit as a new company is not common at all.... so a good one is sure to help you rise above the frey.

Fashion Week is Coming To Town!

Fashion week is coming to LA!

I know there are mixed emotions about LA Fashion Week. But now that we've all come to the realization that for better or for worse LA doesn't hold a candle to the excitement of New York's Bryant Park lets still try to find something to smile about.

The energy at any good fashion show is tremendous. As we all walk through the industrial streets and back alleys of downtown LA, Vernon and Commerce visiting contractors, working to get product produced its time for a bit of glamour. Catwalks-- Models-- Celebrities the things that we thought the fashion industry was all about. That's before we knew better at least.

Trust me if you can...head to Smashbox next week. LA is the entertainment capital of the world. You mean to tell me its impossible for us to have a blockbuster show? We do it everyday.... So get out of downtown.... grab your heels or your ascot, your bff and your logo gucci bag and support our local industry!

Hard Pressed for Press

Every designer wants press. It’s exciting. I remember when I saw my first client’s editorial in Lucky Magazine. Yippiee…and ironically it was of a bathing suit she happened to name after me. However, even though it was a pretty big picture with her name and website as big as day, I don’t remember an influx of orders after that publication hit. Or really a difference at all.

Hmmm….what happened? Lucky is read by thousands and thousands of potential customers but it seemed like only about 5 had even taken the time to respond. One of which was the designers mother….but I digress.

So it made me wonder. Press is really great…but at the end of the day what does a feature in Elle or a product mention in Marie Claire really mean?

Financially that is....

Over the years I’ve learned that editorial mentions don't necessarily equal cash dividends. You have to make them work, and a big part of that work happens long before the magazine even hits the newsstand.

Here are a few tips on making editorial mentions work for you.....

Use Edits to Build Customer Relationships....

If you’re a designer instead of giving editorial credit to your website, why not give your biggest selling retailer a call??

Tell them you’d like to use their name or website address to send customers to their stores from an upcoming editorial piece. They'll be thrilled!!

On the short term you may have been able to make more money….if you sold the editorial piece at your retail price online. However if your core business is wholesale...you should nurture it. In the long term you’ve just built a bridge that could increase wholesale sales for seasons to come.

Lobby for an InterActive Edit......

If you are directing customers to your Ecommerce site, inquire with editors to see how you may become featured in interactive sections of their mag such as Lucky Magazine’s Lucky Breaks.

I’ve witnessed Lucky Breaks specifically, increase visitors and sales by incredible amounts.

Plus promos like this have the potential to add hundreds of new emails to a marketing database.

When customers have some type of incentive or action step affiliated with the edit you’re likely to receive a much higher response rate.

Don’t discount the .com counterpart...

Being featured in the .com version of a popular mag is typically easier to obtain and can lead to immediate click through’s hence immediate online sales. Make sure your PR person pursues online editors as serious as the offline ones.

So again, Yes…. press works, but only if you give it a running start.