The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: Start and Run Your Own Fashion Business » (Expanded)

As the Fashion Division Director of Gen Art, Mary Gehlhar has worked closely with up-and-coming designers to start, operate, and grow design businesses. She has lent her expertise to the Rising Star Award committee at Fashion Group International, the Pratt Institute Fashion Jury, and the Open Call panel for the Miramax/Bravo show Project Runway. Mary has been interviewed by the New York Times, British Vogue, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and E! Style channel.

Mary Gehlhar, author, industry authority, and consultant to hundreds of designers, including Zac Posen, Twinkle by Wenlan, Rebecca Taylor, and Cloak, gives readers behind-the-scenes insights and essential business information on creating and sustaining a successful career as an independent designer.

With advice from fashion luminaries including Donna Karan, Tommy Hilfiger, Cynthia Rowley, Diane von Furstenberg, Richard Tyler, and top executives from Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York, this fully updated and revised edition of The Fashion Designer Survival Guide addresses the latest trends in apparel and accessories, the newest designers, an updated introduction, and a new foreword by Diane von Furstenberg, Designer and President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

The Fashion Designer Survival Guide provides the necessary tools to get a fashion line or label up and moving on the right track, including:

• How to create a viable business plan
• Figuring out how much money you need, where and how to get it, and how to make it last, including the latest on private equity
• The best sources for fabric and materials
• Navigating the pitfalls of production both at home and abroad
• Marketing, branding, and getting the product into the stores and into the customer’s closets
• Romancing the press, dressing celebrities, and creative publicity techniques
• Producing a runway show that will get results

Foreword     ix
Preface     xi
One Piece of Advice     xiii
Before You Start     1
The Reality     2
You Survived the Bad News     10
The Fundamentals     13
The Plan     13
Elements of the Plan     15
Setting up the Business   Melanie Jones     19
The Money     33
How Much Do You Need?     34
Where to Find Money     39
Factoring   Tim Moore     47
Product Development     59
Know Your Customer     59
Have a Point of View     60
The Trends     63
The Collection     64
Signature Items     65
The Quality Standard     65
It Must Look the Price     66
Commerciality and Show     66
Fabric and Materials     68
Learn First     68
The Challenges     69
The Sources     74
Once You Order     78
Production     84
The Production Plan     84
Sample Production     87
Tips and Considerations When Hiring a Patternmaker   Sally Beers     90
Production Options     96
Production Management     108
Factory Management     114
Marketing and Branding Materials     121
Be Your Brand     122
Logos     122
Press and Sales Kits     122
Other Marketing Materials     134
Sales     138
The Financial Realities of Selling     138
Where to Sell     145
Selling to the Stores     156
Cold Calling   Rachel Shechtman     160
The Appointment     164
The Order     166
Getting Paid     176
Customer Service and Supporting Sales     179
Who Should Sell the Line?     186
Trade Shows     193
Making the Most of the Shows   Barbara Kramer     195
Press and Public Relations     201
Good News/Bad News     201
The PR Strategy     203
Dressing Celebrities   Roger Padilha     212
Who Should Handle PR?     217
The Runway     219
To Show or Not to Show     219
Producing a Runway Show      223
Sponsorship     239
Copyrights and Knockoffs     242
Fashion Design and the Copyright Laws   Jason Gabbard     242
Expanding the Business     251
Licensing     252
A Second Line     254
Partnerships/Consulting     256
Creative Direction     259
Investors and Partners     260
Acknowledgments     261
Notes     263
Resources     271
Index     283