Thursday, October 27, 2016

Do It: This Weekend's Style, Beauty and Fashion Events That are Not to Be Missed

This weekend is full of fun and fashionable things to do, so if you're itching to hit the town, these events will keep you busy.

Image from Penny Stamps Lecture Series


25th Annual Halloween Trail | Thursday, October 27
Kids 12 and under are invited to trick-or-treat from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Auburn Hills Civic Center Park. You can visit the talking pumpkin and enjoy a special magic show. The best part is that it's free for all kids dressed in costume!

The Auburn Hills Civic Center Park is located at 1827 N. Squirrel Rd., in Auburn Hills.

Philip Beesley and Iris van Herpen: New Bodies, New Worlds | Thursday, October 27
Since 2012, the Atelier van Herpen studio in Amsterdam and Beesley's Living Architecture Systems Group have been co-creating innovative couture that has been worn by celebrities, circulated in multiple exhibitions and hailed by global critics. From 5:10 to 6:30 p.m. at the Penny Stamps Lecture Series, you'll get a chance to see a unique view of van Herpen and Beesley's collaborative work.

Penny Stamps Lecture Series is located at 603 E. Liberty St., in Ann Arbor.

Halloween at the Village | Friday, October 28
Come to the Village of Rochester Hills for a night of family fun. You can help raise money for the community, trick-or-treat, grab dinner and, of course, have some fun. The cost is $5 per child or 5 non-perishable food items per child.

The Village of Rochester Hills is located at 104 N. Adams Rd., in Rochester Hills.

Tous Les Senses | Saturday, October 29
From 8 to 10 p.m. Orleans + Winder is hosting their fall fashion show. You will get an experience for the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Light bites and drinks will be served, and formal attire is required.

Orleans + Winder is located at 2501 Russell St. Suite 200, in Detroit.

11th Annual Spooktacular Downtown Auburn Hills | Saturday, October 29
From noon to 1:30 p.m., the merchants of Downtown Auburn Hills will be handing out candy and other goodies. This is a fun event for the family and make sure to dress your kids in costumes! There will also be Halloween magic shows at 12:45 and 1:30 p.m. in the University Center. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Fall Family Festival | Saturday, October 29
Celebrate fall on the grounds at the Cranbrook Institute of Science for food, hands-on activities, science experiments, the chance to hang out with a superhero and princess, trunk or treat, shopping and lots of family fun! There will also be free admission to the museum afterwards. Tickets are available here.

The Cranbrook Institute of Science is located at 39221 Woodward Ave., in Bloomfield Hills.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Do It: New Exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum Showcases American Style

Ever wanted to see a collection of clothes from the span of 130 years? From November 5, 2016 through April 2, 2017, you have the chance.



The Henry Ford Museum is getting ready to open its new exhibition: American Style and Spirit. This exhibit is a living catalog of style with selected clothing from the collection of lives of the entrepreneurial Roddis family. Letters, photographs and heirloom objects will bring to life the person behind each piece of clothing. The clothing revels a sense of self-expression against a backdrop of history.

To kick off this exhibition, there will be a preview party on Friday, November 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. You can be the first to see the exhibit while enjoying passed hors d' oeuvres and a wine bar. Tickets are $75, and you must respond by October 28 to attend.

You can purchase tickets here.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Do It: This Weekend's Style, Beauty and Fashion Events That are Not to Be Missed

This weekend is full of fun and fashionable things to do, so if you're itching to hit the town, these events will keep you busy.

Image from DIA


FJC Private ART SEEN Exhibition Review: Detroit After Dark | Thursday, October 20
Come out to the DIA for a private ART SEEN exhibition preview and artists' reception featuring Detroit: After Dark, a photography exhibition from the DIA collection. From 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., you'll have access to a private viewing with strolling appetizers, cocktails and music by DJ Mike McGonigal. There will be a cash valet available at the John R. entrance. For more information and tickets, click here.

The DIA is located at 5200 Woodward Ave., in Detroit.

Trending With Scott's: The Natural Appeal of Autumn | Thursday, October 20
Scott Shuptrine Interiors is announcing their next installation of Trending With Scott's, a free monthly design class held at all of the store's locations: Grand Rapids, Grosse Pointe, Novi, Petoskey, Royal Oak, Shelby Township, MI, Downers Grove, IL and Holland, OH. Light refreshments will be served and all attendees receive a complimentary gift. This month's theme is the natural appeal of autumn. It's all about creating a cozy home for fall utilizing cues from the season and nature.

Trunk Show Open House! | Thursday, October 20
Kristina Tatta is hosting her first trunk show at Dearborn Novelty Art. There will be cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres. The trunk show will be cash only, and there is a $5 cover charge. Please make sure to RSVP.

Dearborn Novelty Art is located at 3726 Monroe, in Detroit.

Runway Soiree & Belle Row Fashion Show | Thursday, October 20
Join Belle Row Boutique as they celebrate their one year anniversary in partnership with Lansing Community College, as well as the two year anniversary of The Runway Fashion Incubator. There will be new designs in the fashion show and upcoming designers will pitch their products in a special fashion edition of The Hatching. For more information and tickets, click here.

The Runway Fashion Incubator is located at 300 S Washington Square, in Lansing.

8th Annual Detroit Fall Beer Festival | Friday, October 21 through Saturday, October 22
Calling all craft beer fans: come out to Eastern Market for one of the largest all-Michigan beer tastings in the state. Tickets include 15 tasting tokens which can be exchanged for 3 oz. samples of over 500 locally crafted beers from more than 70 Michigan breweries. There will also be local musicians and food from Detroit-area brewpubs and restaurants. You can purchase tickets here.

Eastern Market is located at 2934 Russell St., in Detroit.

Trick or Treat Downtown | Saturday, October 22
Spend an afternoon of family fun in Downtown Rochester with trick or treat, a costume parade and firehouse fun. From 3:30 to 5 p.m. kids can trick or treat at some of downtown's best merchants. The costume parade will be held at 5:15 p.m., and from 4:30 to 7 p.m. come to the Rochester Fire Department (corner of Third and Water) for kids crafts, a Halloween movie and a spaghetti dinner benefiting Rochester Area Youth Assistance.

HarvestFest Detroit | Saturday, October 22
From noon until 5 p.m. come celebrate HarvestFest with the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy and Park Solutions at the Dequindre Cut. There will be hayrides, face painting, giveaways, a birding workshop, bounce houses, family movies/cartoons, food vendors and more! Participants are encouraged to wear their best costumes. Parking is available on the corner or Orleans and Wilkins in Eastern Market.

The Dequindre Cut is located between Wilkins and Gratiot streets, in Detroit.

Smashing Pumpkins | Saturday, October 22
Detroit Zoo animals will be receiving pumpkins filled with tasty treats to eat, play with, roll around in, tear apart and smash. This happens each year around Halloween as staff members provide the animals with seasonal munchies as a part of its comprehensive program. This provides ensuring environments for animals that are ever-changing and appropriately complex. This is free with zoo admission. For a schedule of animals, click here.

The Detroit Zoo is located at 8450 W 10 Mile Rd., in Royal Oak.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Oh, Shop It: DGG Showroom To Open to Buyers & Boutique Owners

The Entrepreneurs-in-Residence of the DGG Fashion Incubator have been working tirelessly to create a collection for Detroit Garment Group's inaugural Showroom.
Retailers interested in placing orders with talented, local fashion designers, or would even just like to see what's out there to potentially feature local designers in your store next season, are asked to contact lindsey@detroitgarmentgroup.org to make an appointment for the event, taking place October 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at TechTown, 440 Burroughs St., Detroit, MI 48202. 
Below are representative images of each designer's collection, and retailers may specify if you would like to meet with individual designers or would prefer to browse all the collections. Seven collections will be featured.
The DGG Fashion Incuabator launched in November 2015. During that tme, vetted Michigan fashion designers have built their businesses while building their collections, utilizing all the services of the incubator, including industrial sewing machines, cutting table, digitizer and plotter, nine mentors (in every business expertise from legal and finance to sales and marketing), and monthly workshops that focus on the business of fashion.








Monday, October 17, 2016

Do It: FashionSpeak 2016 Recap

DGG's fabulous board of directors.


FashionSpeak has come and gone but in case you missed the conference, we've put together a post highlighting information from all of the workshops. If you did get the chance to go, we hope you loved it and learned a lot!

Karen MacDonald giving her workshop on elevating your brand

Lauren Kirsch Weiss -- Buyer at Freeds of Windsor
"Trade Show Survival Guide"

Lauren grew up in Metro Detroit where her mom owned a jewelry store. This is how she got her start with trade shows: she loved going to them with her mom when she was younger! She also lived in Manhattan for eight years. 

She says trade shows are essential for growing your brand and company. Trade shows are a place for people to view the latest trends. Here are some tips for what to do before and after tradeshows:
Before:
  • Read show materials
  • Take advantage of show specials
  • Get educated
During:
  • Never leave the booth
  • Follow up leads
  • Smile and look people in the eye
Lauren also suggests to have people help you. This will alleviate some of the stress. When prepping for a show you'll know you're ready when you have a concept line down, samples created and production lined up. Before any show make sure to email and call buyers, have flawless line sheets, business cards, order forms, look books, and make sure to have a takeaway. You should also send an e-blast before any show.

On the buyer's side of things, here are some tips: plan out every place you need and want to see, have booth numbers down, preview lines before the show, make sure you make appointments at necessary places, if you're going to write, write it there -- budget is important but your time is more valuable as a buyer, if you love it, buy it, and nothing is done until it's sold out.

You can still save money when attending shows too: be your own sales rep, share a booth (not all shows allow this), attend local/smaller shows, include wholesale on website and whatever you do, make it easy.

Dresses through the decades on display at FashionSpeak
Amy Dietrich, Product Development Expert/Design Consultant at Restoration Hardware
"Determine and Develop Your Best Product

Amy started off with a degree in biology. She moved to the Bronx to teach while taking classes at FIT and Parsons. This helped her get back on a creative track.

When it comes to determining your best product, Amy gave many helpful tips:

Do your homework. Determine trends vs. fads, watch what influencers are doing, watch TV shows, movies and fashion shows to see what themes are, look at street style and utilize resources like Business of Fashion and redef.com

Know your customer. Buyers know their customers by name, your target customers are buyers and consumers, figure out how he/she spends her day and evening, where does he/she live, age, income level, where does he/she shop, lifestyle, kids or not, do they work? Ask where they shop.

Know your competition. What do you like that's in your price range? Look at everything -- fabrics, signage in stores, colors, take note of how things do in different departments, visualize where your product is going to belong when developing, figure out how something will look on different sizes, read 'about' pages if a company/designer has one -- what's their story? Amy talked about how well Anthropologie does in their market. They have a bigger range than Urban Outfitters and Free People and have excellent stores. Do your research in stores -- look at what customers are doing, wearing, looking at, etc.

Trend forecasting. There are many services that offer trend forecasting for every category. Some examples are trendtablet.com, edelkoort.com and pantone.com

Know your pricing. Pick what's going to set you apart from everyone else -- you want to stand out to consumers and buyers.

Know your fit. This goes along with knowing your customer, but figure out what your ideal fit will be and what sizes you want to cater to.

Quality. Always have this in mind -- use the best with whatever you can afford.

Timing. Give yourself deadlines, and make sure the calendar is your friend. You don't want to be stressed out 24/7!

Communication. Never assume customers know what you're thinking.

Merchandising. All of the items you're offering have to be "friends." They need to make sense to the buyer.

A last and final tip from Amy: Turn it off sometimes. You need time to refresh, recharge and restore. Connect with yourself and loved ones, and have a life outside of fashion.

Karen MacDonald, Public Relations Expert
"How to Elevate Your Brand"

Karen created Wrapped in Love, a company that makes ponchos and headwraps for loved ones affected with cancer. They also donate proceeds to charities. This was created after her mom became ill. Here are some tips she has for really elevating your brand:

Great photography and a strong website. Both of these items will attract more people and keep people. You don't need to use large firms for these either -- recruit someone local to save money. Make sure to share your story and utilize SEO.

Develop your press release and speaking points. Define your value proposition. Make sure to talk about any charity work you may do. Also utilize any current events. Karen talked about bakeries making Clinton and Trump cookies for the election. Everyone has a story to tell, so do this in a way that showcases your brand. Is your product unique or new to the market?

Start local. Leverage your local media. They're a good way to get practice with interviewing reporters. Define your target market. From this you can identify which media you want to target.

Research contact information for your targeted media. Figure out which media covers what and who to contact -- fashion editor, business editor, etc. Decide if you want local, regional or national media and if you want an exclusive story or mass coverage.

Prepare to pitch the media your story. What are the three key points you want to get into the story? You never know how much or little time you'll get with a reporter. Are there any difficult questions that may need to be prepared?

Press release and visuals. After you've prepared your pitch and figured out the media you're targeting, it's time to put together a well-written press release with visuals. Email this to reporters, along with your pitch. After this, it's extremely important to follow-up. Make sure you know their deadlines.

Interview time. Once your story is accepted, it's interview time. Practice, practice, practice!!! Prepare yourself with any and all questions that could be asked. You want your brand and story to come off as clear as possible. After the interview is over, share the story and say thank you. Then get ready to do it all over again.

Some final ideas to generate exposure: Donate to charity, donate items to a charity auction, utilize product placement, network with organizations and embrace social media opportunities.

Karen also brought out RJ King, editor of D Business Magazine and Rebecca Voigt, style editor of Hour Magazine to talk about what they do and to answer questions from the audience.

Annette Repasch, Group Vice President, Softlines of Meijer
"Get Your Foot in the Front Door: Developing Relationships with Larger Companies"

Much of this workshop was centered around being confident in yourself. You shouldn't let anyone put you in a box because once that happens you aren't going to have anything unique to offer to your customers. It's extremely important to put your own spin on things.

You also need to get your resume out there and get a professional to do it. Your resume should tell potential employers what you want to do in your first line and make it creative. 

Also, when you're pitching to people to take your product or line, get it done in 20 seconds. You don't want to ramble on about nothing. Get out the important facts first.

Select FashionSpeak attendees also got the incredible experience of pitching to Annette and her team in hopes of getting their products to sell in Meijer. This gave this lucky people the chance to practice on pitching to actual buyers and showcasing their products to a big company.

The Meijer Merch Search

Jeffry Aronsson, founder and CEO of Aronsson Group
"Keynote Speaker"

The grand finale of FashionSpeak was a big one: Jeffry Aronsson. He has served as CEO for Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and many other successful designers.

He's a Detroit native and graduated from Wayne State. He originally wasn't even in the fashion business but finance, rather. However, that changed when he met Oscar de la Renta.

He gave so much important advice to aspiring fashion entrepreneurs that we had to of course include it:

Jeffry stressed that passion and interest are key. It's not always going to be glamorous, so you have to really want to do it. His key advice is that it all starts with a vision -- what are you doing differently and better than others? You also always need to be prepared. A great source Jeffry offered was wwd.com.

Some final takeaways from Jeffry's workshop: You should always be learning and seeking people out that will help with your success. You can't always do everything on your own. If you struggle with something, find someone to help you. Remember to go slow because not everything happens overnight, and you should really be committed. Jeffry really stressed this. Get a plan together. Don't just have a website, product or message. Tell people exactly what you'll be doing and when you'll be doing it.

Our first annual fundraiser, SPARK.

For those that had the chance to attend FashionSpeak and SPARK, we hope you gained a wealth of knowledge. There was something in every workshop that everyone could take away, no matter what you do or want to do. We're already excited for next year's festivities!