What a great concept!  When I think of clothing that’s made to measure I think of men’s tailored suits or women’s couture gowns.  I don’t typically think about a functional, beautiful item of clothing for my own personal use.  I do now, however. 

Last year, I was wandering around the West Hollywood/3^rd Street area and came across a beautiful boutique.  I walked in and was taken with all of the beautiful fabrics and designs hanging from the racks.  While there were many dresses, sweaters and tops to choose from, each item hung neatly from a rack and nothing was cramped or crowded.  The sales floor was open and spacious and the accessories were carefully chosen and displayed in tasteful, functional cases.  If you’ve ever studied retail merchandising, you’ll understand why I was so blown away by this store.  If not, let me summarize…the art of retailing is more like a science.  You need to know how best to display your products to their full advantage.  Your customers need to walk into your store and flow easily and naturally through the entire space.  They should be able to see your products in a logical way without having to dig through racks or piles of clothing.  And best of all, they need to be able to see themselves in your products and, if you’re selling accessories as well, how best to accessorize their outfits. 

I wandered through the store and the sales clerk let me take my time before asking me if I had ever been to this store before.  When I replied “No,” she said something like “let me explain our concept to you…” “OK,” I thought…”what’s your concept?”  She informed me that the tops and dresses were available in a variety of fabrics, so if I found one I liked but they didn’t have my size or the fabric I wanted, one could be made for me within a short period.  If you read this blog, you know me… I’m a fan of anyone who is producing locally, so of course I was excited by the idea.  Now I just had to find a dress or two.  I found several, tried them on and found one I really liked.  It was a bit too long, but the sales clerk mentioned that they would have it altered for me.  Great customer service, I thought, but actually the store is called “Masse Made to Measure” so it is actually part of their concept.  Needless to say, I bought the dress.

Here’s the thing, every time I’ve been out shopping for a dress, I always come back to Melissa Masse and Masse Made to Measure.  Why?  Because I’m not someone who can buy a dress off the rack and expect it to fit me perfectly.  I’m petite and find dresses in the Petite section don’t always fit the way they should and dresses in the Regular section are always too long.  Now I get a dress that’s custom fit to my body.  Better yet, I might find a silhouette I like but in a print or color that’s not my taste.  Now I can pick the fabric or color I want.  Yes, I know I’m going to pay a bit more, but I’m more than happy to do so.  I’m supporting a local business that is manufacturing locally and employing skilled workers in the garment industry.  It’s a win-win prospect, if you ask me.

The last time I was in the store, Melissa Masse was there as well.  I was happy to meet her and have a chance to find out more about her and how she came up with the concept for her store.  “When my friends complained that they couldn’t find anything in the stores that they liked, or more importantly, anything that fit them properly, I realized that they couldn’t be the only customers who felt that way.” I couldn’t agree with her more.  

Trying to figure out your next steps in the apparel industry?  Check out our upcoming seminars or come by during Textile Week September 27 – 29 for free seminars, networking and more.  Fashion Business, Inc. is located at the California Market Center 110 East 9^th Street, Suite C786, Los Angeles, CA 90079

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

This week’s blog is written by FBI member Susan Denoo, Director of Staffing Services at Onward Search

Lets face it….it appears as though every brand or company these days has an “online” presence.  In many cases, companies have chosen to exclusively maintain an online site or store as a cost containment measure to transact business.  The real question is are they /you “optimizing” the/your investment to realize the greatest return

The value of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to modern day business is immeasurable. Keyword enhanced content and carefully structured websites make it possible for customers to find the products and services they need when using major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and MSN. SEO professionals are highly sought after to improve a website’s search relevancy because it ultimately leads to more traffic. This provides unmatched return on investment for businesses who seek to reach more customers online. The SEO professional and SEO jobs remain one of the hottest and fastest growing segments because companies recognize how vital SEO is to their success and continually seek talented professionals to help them reach their goals.

A recent study demonstrated that over 95% of search engine traffic for the observed companies came from the first page of results. More evidence shows that only 32% of users click through on the second page of results and a mere 7% click through on page three. Herein lies the value SEO professionals bring to the table. Their goal is to expertly optimize a website’s content and structure so it appears on the first page of search engine results for specific keywords. Alternatively, if a first page rank isn’t achievable SEO’s make the website’s search result as appealing as possible to target users who explore beyond the first page. A properly executed SEO strategy is a mixture of art and science and these professionals are shaping the way companies and consumers interact online.

If your website isn’t optimized to land you on the first page of results, if your not reaching enough customers, not generating significant sales growth and not producing unmatched return on investment, then it’s time to reach out to a SEO specialist for advice.  The future of your business depends on it!

As Director of Staffing at Onward SearchLA, I am  continually on the cutting edge of staffing digital marketing professionals. I understand the value of a fully optimized website.  Be watching for more valuable information in the coming months on how you can enhance your brand and ROI through a well executed online marketing strategy.

Susan Denoo

Director of Staffing

ONWARD SEARCHLA

310-568-9283

A big thanks to everyone who attended FBI’s Meet the Resource Members event on July 28,2010.  If you’ve ever read this blog before, then you know I’m a HUGE fan of networking.  Really! And FBI networking events are a great opportunity for those in the fashion industry, or those who want to get into the fashion industry, to make connections and meet a lot of talented, knowledgeable people. 

Due to traffic, I didn’t arrive until after 6:00 p.m. so I missed a number of people I would have enjoyed meeting.  However, since this was a Meet the Resource Members event, it was the perfect chance to meet new resources and find out about their products and services.  Each resource had a table with their marketing materials and a display of their products or services.  This gave our attendees the chance to meet with each resource one on one, or just mingle with other members and catch up on industry news. 

Frances, Erin and Egle were hard at work making the evening a great success.  I, selfishly, had a chance to catch up with Resource Members Staci Riordan of Fox Rothschild, LLc - author of one of my favorite blogs, ”Fashion Law” as well as new resource members Nouvolution and Visual 2000 - both are ERP software for the apparel industry and both are great additions to FBI’s Resources. 

I also had a chance to catch up with the hardest working woman in the apparel industry - and that’s saying a lot, because I’d like to think of myself as pretty hard working, but I have no idea when Arlene Battishill ever sleeps.  Don’t believe me?  Check out her Twitter feed for LA Scooter Girls.  Her Go Go Gear and Scooter Girls products have gone from 0 - 60 in the blink of an eye, and it just keeps growing.  When she asked me if I had a few hours to come over and help pick orders, I don’t think she was joking.  OK, Arlene, let me know what day to come by and I’ll pick, pack and ship for you.  Seriously. 

Another one of our members, Korena Ellis, needs to be the next 0 - 60 success story from FBI.  She has a unique idea, with great designs and an inspirational story.  Her curent line consists of jewelry, made from lost wax casting, which gives each one of her pieces a hand made look and feel and sets it apart from many other brands.  Her designs are empowerment pieces and are meant to create personal inspiration in the wearer while also creating a fashion statement.   The designs are unique and will translate very well from jewelry to apparel - screen printed tees are a natural next step, but the symbols work well as prints, on hats, as logos and more. 

What Korena needs now is a business partner, someone who can help take her ideas and products to the next level.  In any situation like this, it requires an investment of time, energy, effort and probably some money.  If you, or someone you know, is looking for the opportunity to get involved with a growing brand and has the business acumen to merchandise and market a brand like this, get in touch with me or contact Korena directly. 

I actually connected Korena with Arlene in the hopes that Arlene had a few words of wisdom to get Korena to the next level.  Then again, I know what Arlene went through to get to the next level and I don’t know if taking that same path will lead to the success of Scooter Girls.  So network, if you’re out there and listening, do you have any ideas for Korena?  I know we’d all be interested.

Don’t forget…come by the Sourcing at MAGIC seminars August 16 - 19. FBI will be presenting 4 seminars and you’ll want to attend them all! 

Jill Mazur is an apparel industry consultant with Fashion Business, Inc.  email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

With friends and family in from out of town this past week, it’s been a bit challenging to keep up on the weekly blog.  My apologies for being a few days late.  Along with the friends and family have been many opportunities for dinner table conversations on a wide range of topics - in my family, baseball is chief among them.  However, this is a fashion blog, not a sports blog, so I’ll steer clear of the Dodgers and their chances for World Series greatness this year.  (Go Dodgers!) 

An interesting discussion came up last night.  One which never fails to irk me, as a fashion industry professional - counterfeit products.   I’m not talking about “knockoffs” or products “inspired by” a designer original.  I’m talking about actual trademark-infringing, counterfeit products.  Check out these blogs: Fashion Law by Staci Riordan and Fashionista’s Adventures in Copyright on the “knockoff” debate for further discussion. 

I generally like to enjoy my holiday meals without delving into controversial topics - you know, politics, religion, health care reform, etc.  I had even decided to politely hold my tongue when the topic of buying a “knockoff purse” came up.  All I did was make a correction to the statement - “That’s not a knockoff purse, it’s a counterfeit purse.”  And the floodgates opened!  If you have to ask me what the difference is, I’m going to give you an earful.  Or, a pageful, as evidenced by this blog.  If the product you purchased has the same brand name label as the original from which is was copied, that’s a counterfeit product.  Even if the product you purchased has a slightly altered name -”Prado” versus “Prada”- but the exact same design details, it can be considered counterfeit. 

This quote from Tim Trainer, president of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition in Washington, D.C.  says it all “Counterfeiters trade off the backs of legitimate brands. They let the real brands pay for the marketing, advertising, develop the designs, and then they profit off of it.” Think about all of the time, money, effort and energy it takes to develop a new style for your brand-name label.  Think about how excited you are when your style takes off and is seen in magazines and on the arms or legs of a celebrity.  Now think about how upset you’d be to realize your style has been copied by one or more counterfeiters and is being sold through back door retailers and illegal channels.  What happens to your sales?  Your profits? What money do you use to develop your next great design?  Many people don’t realize when they’re buying a fake product they’re putting legitimate designers out of business.  They’re looking for a bargain; they want the latest and greatest styles but don’t want to have to pay retail prices. 

Even worse, in my opinion, is the fact that many counterfeit products can actually cause damage or injury to the person buying them.  Maybe your new “Prado” purse isn’t going to be the source of many injuries, but has it been tested for lead content?  Was formaldehyde used in the manufacturing process?  What about those “Channel” sunglasses you just bought?  Do you think the manufacturer thoughtfully used UV filtering or polarized lenses?  I sincerely doubt it.  What about those new “Reebook” trainers you took for a run?  Do you really think they’re using the same technology and support as a real pair of Reeboks?  There’s no way to hold anyone accountable for counterfeit products. 

How about this for a bit of advice?  If you don’t buy counterfeit products, the market for these goods will start to dry up.  Legitimate designers will be able to sell their products to consumers willing to pay legitimate prices and maybe we’ll all start making a profit? If you have questions regarding copyrights or trademarks, contact one our legal experts at Fashion Business, Inc. for legal advice.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology expert working with Fashion Business, Incorporated.  Email:  jill@fashionbizinc.org

I recently conducted a “Networking 101″ seminar here at FBI. The idea of the seminar was to teach people why networking is so important and to give them the basic tools to start networking on their own. Networking is a skill and an art form. It’s relatively easy to explain the skill of networking – the tools you need, the types of questions to ask, how to introduce yourself and more. Explaining how networking is an art form is much more difficult. You really need to see good networkers in action in order to understand.

Technology is a great way to stay in touch with your personal and professional networks. On-line professional networks such as LinkedIn or social networks like Facebook or Twitter are a great way to connect with people from your past, present and possible future. I’m a big proponent of networking in person, too. For me, I like making a personal connection to someone else. I like being able to interact with someone in a professional or social setting. I get a sense of the other person’s personality, likes, dislikes, maybe even their favorite sports team. I make sure to follow up our conversation with an email or phone call and a reminder of where or how we met and what we might have discussed. If the situation is appropriate, I may add them to my LinkedIn network.

Networking in person or online is crucial to almost everyone. You never know who you’ll meet. You never know who you may be able to help and you never know who may be able to help you. By establishing connections throughout your personal and professional life, you build an organic network of people. Through those people, you continue to grow your network. Perhaps you’ve seen a job posting at a specific company. You’ve emailed your resume, but haven’t heard back. Using LinkedIn you search for people who work at that company. Just your luck, someone in your network worked there recently. You contact them directly and ask them to put you in touch with the HR person in charge of hiring for this position. The rest is up to you, but the fact that you have a network of people to connect you to that HR person gives you an advantage few other people may have.

So let’s get back to why networking is so important and what tools do you need to be successful at it. On-line networking is a very important component to building your network. I check my LinkedIn account every day. I participate in a number of discussions, am active in a number of LinkedIn groups and I post updates to my profile whenever there’s something interesting to post – FBI activities, tradeshows I’m attending, etc. because I know my network will see my latest updates. I also have a link to the FBI Blog so anyone visiting my profile can see what I’m blogging about. Friends, colleagues, former co-workers can see what I’m doing career-wise and, through my LinkedIn connections, can also expand their networks.

As far as networking tools: I never leave home without a pen, a small notepad, business cards and, hopefully, a good attitude. Whenever I’m interacting with someone socially or professionally, I want to be able to write down something they may have brought up in conversation. I may want to exchange business cards. Sometimes I may just want to write something down for the other person. I just take one of my cards and write down whatever book title, article, author, etc. and hand it to the other person. What I don’t want to do is hand them a scrap of paper from my purse, an old grocery list or bank receipt. As I said previously, you never know who you’ll meet, so be prepared!

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

Cable channel HBO premiered their documentary entitled “Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags” on October 19, 2009. If you missed it the first time, I’m sure it will be replayed soon and is most likely available through some cable providers “On Demand” services. Whatever you do, don’t miss this program! It’s an 80 minute history lesson that everyone in the garment industry needs to watch.

First of all “Schmatta,” or the more literal transliteration “Shma-teh,” is a Yiddish term for a “Rag, or anything useless” and is usually used to describe a worn-out piece of clothing, but it’s generally used to describe any piece of clothing – high fashion to yesterday’s rags. It’s also a great way to introduce us to the history of the garment industry in New York. The documentary takes us from the late 1880’s to present day in New York’s garment center – seven square blocks of some of the most important history in our industry. Immigrants fresh off the boats from Europe trying to make a living cutting, sewing or designing clothes through the Triangle Shirtwaist factory tragedy in 1911 through unionization to modernization of equipment, a thriving and profitable industry and all the way to the outsourcing of most manufacturing related jobs.

Some parts made me laugh – I recognized many similar personalities in the people I’ve worked with in LA’s garment industry. Some parts made me cry – so many talented people out of work, with no prospects, as more and more jobs disappear from NYC. I’m quoting this directly from the Tenement.org website: “In 1950, the garment industry made up almost 1/3 of all manufacturing employment and 1/10 of total employment in NYC. Today, as a result of the shift from a production and distribution-based economy to a service-based economy, the garment industry is 8% of all manufacturing and 2% of total city employment. This is a drop of almost 75%.”

One of the most worrisome statistics from this documentary is the fact that in 1965, 95% of all clothing worn in the USA was MADE in the USA. Today, it’s less than 5%. How do we bring those jobs back to the US? How do we create living wage jobs in New York or right here in Los Angeles for contractors, cutters, sewers, textile manufacturers, trim suppliers and more. Working conditions around the world are a reflection of the consumer’s desire for quality merchandise at the lowest prices, regardless of the cost. Watch this documentary and note the similarities between NYC in the late 1880’s and present day manufacturing plants. The documentary shows examples of abusive foreign manufacturing plants, underage workers and a scene eerily reminiscent of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in modern day India.

The entire documentary is not an expose on horrible labor conditions around the world. There is plenty of interesting historical and political information as well as a number of colorful “garmento” characters from past and present. There are plenty of recognizable faces and a number of familiar personalities. Interestingly, if you go to HBO’s website or even search directly on Facebook, there’s a page where you can post your stories about your personal experiences working in NYC’s garment center. How many of us out there had relatives working in NYC’s garment center 100 years ago? What will be left of it 100 years from now?

Some may place the blame on all of these outsourced jobs on unions, minimum wage, compliance or labor laws, but that’s not the real issue here. After watching the documentary, you’ll know – you already do – what the issues are and what we need to do about it.

I’m excited about the Globaltex tradeshow next week. Last week’s double whammy of Material World and the LA International Textile show have left me feeling mildly optimistic about the state of our industry. I saw several familiar faces and lots of great products. There was a lot of traffic through both shows as well as seminars, color forecasting workshops and a great session put on by Cotton, Inc.

Speaking of seminars, many of the FBI seminars we held in conjunction with Material World and the LA Textile show were full. In addition to the seminars, we had a lot of people stopping by to say “hello.” Speaking of which, Frances Harder, Ken Wengrod from FTC Commercial Corp and yours truly will be on one of the Globaltex discussion panels regarding Speed to Market, so please stop on by to say hello. I hear we’re even having cocktails!

I heard someone say “Why go to Globaltex if I’ve just been to the Textile Show?” Simple. You never know what you might find at Globaltex. It’s a relatively new show and there are a lot of great new vendors testing the tradeshow waters. They may be looking for a different venue to display their products or are looking for a different type of customer. Plus, it’s not just for textiles, trims, etc. I, of course, am excited about the technology vendors. But that’s just me. Who wouldn’t be when there are supply chain, CAD, PLM, ERP, RFID, product development, logistics and warehouse management systems to review! Fine, go ahead and look at all the pretty fabrics…I’ll be very happy looking at the shiny software.

Getting back to our panel discussion next Tuesday, 3:30 p.m. at Globaltex: The panel will discuss how the textile and clothing industry are reacting to the new demands from the retailer for rapid response, what are the new buying habits of retailers and end consumers and how they are changing the way they do business, as well as how this effects California fashion and the global market as far as importing and exporting. Topics covered will consist of: logistics and speed to market, product development, production and the financial impact. The panel will include a group of experts in International finance, logistics, importing and exporting, production and retailing.

Hope to see you there!

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

Lots of excitement here at the California Market Center, or as I will never stop referring to it – the Mart. For those of you looking to find new suppliers or just check out the latest trends in textiles, don’t miss the Los Angeles International Textile Show . And, for all of you technology fans, or those looking for hardware, machinery, software and all the latest gadgets you won’t want to miss Material World. Let’s hope for a big turnout this year. It’s great to be able to pull all of these activities into one great space.

While you’re here, come up to the FBI office – Suite 786 and say hello to our great team. Stick around for great seminars. Seriously, people, FREE SEMINARS for FBI Members and only $10 per seminar for non-members on all types of relevant topics. I’m presenting a seminar on the Importance of Networking Wednesday night. Even if you know how to network with the best of them, it will be a great opportunity to meet new and interesting people and maybe learn a thing or two.

FBI SEMINARS:
 

Wednesday Sept. 30Understanding Apparel Principles Using Software Applications

9:00am - 10:00am

EDI Made Simple; De-mystifying EDI & RFID
10:00 am - 11:30amQuickBooks for the Apparel Industry

12:00pm - 1:00pmRetailing Online

2:00pm - 3:00pmHong Kong Trade and Development Presents:  Export to China - (Hong Kong) World Boutique - Jan. 2010)

4:00pm - 5:00pmThe Importance of Networking!

6:30pm - 8:30pm 

9:00am - 10:00am
De-mystifying the Small Business Loan Application

11:30am - 12:30pmChoosing a Factor

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Friday Oct. 2Starting Your Own Apparel Business
10:00am - 11:00am Realities of the Investment World
11:30am - 12:30pmBrothers Digital Garment Printer Training
1:00pm -2:00pmIllustrator and Photoshop for Textile Designers
2:30pm - 3:30pmWhere & When

110 East 9th St., Ste C786
Los Angeles, California 90079
213.892.1669

Simply put, Viral marketing is a way to utilize existing social networks – mainly online or by word of mouth – to generate buzz for a business, product, person, event, etc. Using video clips, text messages, blogs, images, games, promotional items and more, the goal of viral marketing is to reach a targeted market of consumers without having to spend money on standard marketing or advertising campaigns. Seems like a good idea, right? Maybe. It really depends on your customer and target audience.

Viral marketing can be very successful when launching a new product or brand to a carefully targeted audience. Introducing a new energy drink? Hip, trendy nightclubs may be a great place to promote it. Saw a celebrity wearing your design at last week’s movie premiere or awards show? Tweet, blog, post it on Facebook and email all of your clients and contacts a link to the video or image and tell them where to buy the product. Sometimes you’re the beneficiary of someone else’s viral campaign and the next thing you know, you’ve got a best-selling item on your hands.

I was talking to a colleague the other day about marketing her new product. She mentioned to me that she was thinking of spending her advertising budget to remodel her office instead of buying ads in trade publications and magazines. She was hoping to capitalize on viral marketing instead to maintain interest in her products and generate new customers. Problem is – her products are basic apparel items targeted to the 45 – 60 year old female demographic. Not necessarily the prime audience of a viral campaign. Her response to me was “Well, Oprah Tweets!” Yes, Oprah Winfrey “Tweets” and getting a product mentioned by Oprah is a fabulous example of viral marketing. But don’t hold your breath hoping Oprah will mention your product on her program, magazine or next Twitter post.

Take a page out of many retailers’ handbooks – spend your advertising dollars and energy wisely. If your customers expect to see your ads in traditional print media, keep placing your ads there and create an online presence to help increase your market share. Is your presence mostly online? Keep your website up to date and make sure your home and product pages look fresh and exciting. Launching a new brand or product line? Figure out whom to target first and how best to reach them. Just don’t expect your product to sell itself if you’re not out there selling to the right audience in the right place.

As for my colleague, she realized her customers probably didn’t know what Twitter was, let alone how to use it. If Oprah was Tweeting about her product, most of her target audience would miss out on Oprah’s wisdom. Her office remodel would have to wait. Her traditional advertising works for a reason, that’s where her customers find her products.

Jill Mazur is an independent apparel business and technology consultant working with Fashion Business, Incorporated. Email: jill@fashionbizinc.org

Results from a Recent Twitter User Survey:

Alex Cheng and Mark Evans of Sysomos Inc. created a survey on how much (or how little) Twitter is currently being utilized.  Before placing all of your viral marketing eggs in the Twitter basket, think about this - after analyzing information from 11.5 million Twitters accounts, they discovered:

• Just 5% of Twitter users account for 75% of all activity
• 85.3% of all Twitter users post less than one update per day
• 21% of users have never posted a Tweet
• 93.6% of users have less than 100 followers, while 92.4% follow less than 100 people

Read the full survey results on their blog.

Join Social Media Maven Macala Wright for and in-depth discussion on what the world of social media means to fashion designers and brands.

This seminar will help fashion brands and designers understand if they should include social media in their marketing efforts–what social media outlets make sense for fashion brands and how social media can complement a comprehensive marketing strategy.

This course will also delve into the basics of using popular social media outlets like twitter, facebook and youtube for marketing and promotional purposes.

When	July 29th, 2009 6:00 PM through   8:00 PM
Location	110 East 9th St. Room C786 Los Angeles, CA 90079 United States
Contact	Phone: 213-892-1669 Email: info@fashionbizinc.org
Event Fee(s)	Member $ 25.00 Non Member $ 40.00