After all, most artists don’t go around proclaiming, ‘I want to be a commercial success.’ – Bernard Arnault, LVMH chairman & CEO
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Branding, Marketing & Advertising 101
Branding 101: Branding is the Big Picture. Branding is the sum of all impressions one has of your business. Such as, the quality and detail of your seasonal collections; public relations and news about the organization; social media output; your name, graphic and visual identity; packaging. Deliver a consistent on-target brand experience across all consumer […]
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Unsettling and Uplifting -10 Uncharted Paths to a New Direction for Fashion
We have to be unburdened by what has been to consider what can be. – Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
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Time Will Tell. The State of Fashion 2021
Diminished, downsized, and discerning is the current normal of the fashion industry. Fashion companies will post approximately a 90 percent decline in economic profit in 2020, after a 4 percent rise in 2019. – BoF and Mckinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2021 report
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The State of Fashion 2020 | Sustainability First
For the first time sustainability was named the biggest opportunity in this study.
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Fashion giants sign UN charter to fight climate change. Will it work?
Can the biggest players in the fashion industry unite to stop global warming? The United Nations thinks so.
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You don’t need to be an expert to succeed in fashion
Expertise is no longer a guarantee in this business and bachelors degrees and awards don’t always take you to the top. Sometimes boundless energy, street smarts, a killer idea and an iPhone are what it takes.
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The State of Fashion 2019 | The Courage to “Self-Disrupt”
The fashion industry continues to hover in a state of flux . . . and we predict that 2019 will be a year shaped by consumer shifts linked to technology, social causes and trust issues, alongside the potential disruption from geopolitical and macroeconomic events. Only those brands that accurately reflect the zeitgeist or have the […]
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Fashion Week, A Call To Action. 13 ‘Must Consider’ Tips
Don’t let Fashion Week play you. What you should get out of Fashion Week. Designers/Brands A 20 minute catwalk gets you what? You pay to play. Think about what you want out of it [the return on your investment] and don’t settle. You should want orders, press, interviews, and dialogue about your collection/your work. Social […]
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Sustainable Fashion with an edge . . . EDGE Talks to Mimi Wong of Minan Wong
Clothing can be sustainable and yet still fashionable. – Mimi Wong, Founder and Designer of Minan Wong It may read as a simple statement, but not all designers can make this claim. In today’s earth friendly culture, consumers want fashionable clothes that can sustain the earth. Gone are the days where sustainable [Eco-friendly] fashion was […]
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Art Hearts Fashion LAFW | EDGE Interviews Michael Ngo
Michael Ngo is a rising star in the EDGE [emerging designer] community. We last connected with him in March when he launched his first fashion show, LA Fashion Council [LAFC] | LA Fashion Week. Seven months later he has presented his latest collection, SOVEREIGNS OF THE SΣΛ, at Art Hearts Fashion Los Angeles.
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Spec Packages | The Critical Product Development Tool
EDGE team contributor and technical designer, Melissa Lugo, shares her expertise on garment spec packages. We talked to Melissa, asking her pertinent questions regarding the importance of design specification packages. Melissa, what are spec [specification] packages and how important are they in the product development process? I use the word packages, because it is inclusive […]
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Emerging Designers, a Niche Market, and How to Get Noticed | EDGE Talks to Indie Retailer
Amara Bessa, owner of Kariella Clothing Shop, took the time to talk to EDGE about her start in the fashion industry, how often and where she shops the market, and what she does to differentiate Kariella from other independent retailers. In a live audio interview, Amara tells us about her vision to be unique, build […]
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EDGE Out of Africa
The industry needs fresh blood. Armani is tired. Galliano is trying to resuscitate himself. McQueen is gone. Gucci is failing to reinvigorate and Prada needs a new creative team. It’s time for the big fashion investors to start looking to Africa. Not appropriating our themes, but taking on our design talent. – Johannesburg designer David […]
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‘Buy a Piece, Change a Life’ | Prima Rouge Making a Social Impact
I am here to design change. . .every person is designed specifically with a set of abilities in order to be successful in a designated field. – Tobi Martins Oluwatobi [Tobi] Abisola Martins, based in Lagos, Nigeria, has a love for fine art and poetry and is a speaker, writer, poet, and agriculturist. If you […]
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The Reality of the Emerging Designer | EDGE Talks to Herbert Victoria
Learn the industry hands on as much as you can before going out there, because school won’t teach you the reality of it . . . create your own route, everything will not work for everyone. Some will be successful and some won’t. I mention this because this is the reality of fashion, and it’s […]
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Top Principles for Success – Professionalism and Preparation
The designers/brands that were truly professional would arrive a day or two in San Francisco [when I was a buyer for Macy’s] prior to our meeting. They arrived well in advance in order to shop the floor, shop the market, and understand the competition of both my department and their product competition. They wanted to […]
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Top Principles for Success – Relationships are essential
Another lesson I’ve learned is that it’s so important to create strong relationship and to develop a strong network of professionals you can turn to for advice or support and know that they truly have the best interest for you and your brand. Building those relationships are like partnerships that will help strengthen your business, […]
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Top Principles for Success | Exposure = the road to success
One of the most important challenges of your career as a successful fashion designer is to get and maintain retail and/or media exposure for your brand. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to land that first buyer meeting. You can’t stop trying to expose or get appointments just because some buyers or media have […]
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Top Principles for Success – Maintain Your Focus
Commit yourself to your vision and goals, and understand clearly what will and will not help you along the way. Stay in your “lane” or on the road that will lead you to accomplish your goals. Sometimes designers/brands encounter situations that appear to be opportunities, but can take them off the road in directions that […]
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