EMERGE, Taubman's Pop-up at Twelve Oaks Mall, Gives Small Brands the Chance To Shine

By Lisa Benedict

With locations all over the world, Taubman, FashionSpeak's presenting sponsor for five years straight, is a leader in the retail industry. Based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Taubman continues to expand its holdings while keeping their brick and mortar locations fresh and innovative. One such fresh idea is a new venture within some of their malls (including Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi) called, “Emerge.” Emerge is a pop-up that gives small business owners the chance to operate and run their business from a dedicated storefront location for a period of time.

Detroit Garment Group spoke with Lori McGhee, Taubman Group Director, Specialty Leasing, about the EMERGE program.

Detroit Garment Group: The Emerge pop-up is something new for Taubman. Can you elaborate on the program? Is Twelve Oaks the only mall that Emerge is located at?

Lori McGhee: The pop-up boutique concept has long been a priority for Taubman and its centers as a way to deliver a dynamic shopping experience and help brands expand their reach. We initially launched EMERGE at Taubman Prestige Outlets (Chesterfield, Mo.) and then at Twelve Oaks Mall. Curated exclusively by Taubman, the new retail concept features a diverse collection of merchandise from up-and-coming designers and artisans in a co-op, marketplace setting. However, it’s important to note that the majority of Taubman’s shopping centers feature a variety of pop-ups, including the popular American Girl at Twelve Oaks (now open through the holidays) and City Creek Center in Salt Lake City (opening this fall). Additionally, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is a mobile vehicle of cuteness that offers a delicious array of sweets and goodies. The truck visited many of our centers, including Great Lakes Crossing (Auburn Hills, Mich.). The turnout was so successful, they are returning to Great Lakes next month for a second visit and they visited Dolphin Mall (Miami) twice this year as well. High-tech indoor cycling company Peloton has pop-ups at both Cherry Creek Shopping Center (Denver) and The Mall at Short Hills (Short Hills, N.J.). These are just a few of many emerging brands Taubman is working with.

DGG: Does the program only cater to those in the fashion industry or can any small business apply for an opportunity to host their store?

LM: This concept is for all types of emerging brands, not just those in fashion. We’ve worked with vendors that manufacture furniture, as well as skincare and food products. Our goal was to create something truly special for our shoppers and introduce them to new brands that are resonating with consumers. Many of these merchants don’t have a retail store, so pop-ups in general and concepts like EMERGE provide an opportunity for them to reach more customers and tell the story of what makes their brand and products unique. We want EMERGE to be a platform for brands to prominently showcase their products and gain access to new demographics.

DGG: How long is the program going to last?

LM: Both EMERGE programs are available for a designated period of time. EMERGE at Twelve Oaks Mall and EMERGE at Taubman Prestige Outlets will be open for the holiday season, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning Nov. 17 through Jan. 7.

DGG: Does Taubman see the Emerge pop-up venture as a new way to shop as we are seeing flagship brick and mortars are closing?

LM: Research shows that consumers still want to see, feel and try the merchandise, so a brick-and-mortar location can be very appealing. Physical locations allow these brands to connect with customers in a way they couldn’t before. Additionally, brands often view pop-ups as an opportunity for quick exposure to introduce new or enhance existing products. Some may not want the pressure of a long-term lease commitment, so pop-ups can serve as a possible stepping stone for something bigger. We’ve found that it’s all about the experience. When visiting a new and exciting pop-up, many feel like they’re getting the inside scoop on new trends and unique products. These stores are a great way for consumers to check out new products and learn more about emerging brands.

NOTE: Lori McGhee, Taubman Group Director, Specialty Leasing, oversees the EMERGE pop-up initiative for Taubman. She will be making the opening remarks at FashionSpeak on Thursday, October 12, and will be available after her remarks for questions regarding the pop-up opportunity for anyone interested.

Wear It's At: Comfortable, Chic Outfits for Layers

When the cold weather hits, layering is essential. Whether you have chunky knit sweaters, cashmere capes or a great down vest--these outfits can be paired with almost anything you already have in your closet and are already perfect for layers.

1. Classic Turtleneck, $200, Orleans + Winder.

2. Jeffrey Campbell 'Cromwell' Cutout Western Boot, $175, Sundance Shoes.

3. The Birdy 34MM Watch, $525, Shinola.

4. Signature Leather Everyday Tote, $250, Will Leather Goods.

5. Blank NYC Moto Pants, $128, Athalia's Boutique.

1. Sandrine Rose Embroidered Denim Shirt, $298, Found Objects.

2. Stuart Weitzman 'Nudistsong' Sandal, $398, Nordstrom.

3. Street Level Reversible Tote and Wristlet, $55, Styleshack.

4. Mid-Rise Harper Trouser, $25, Old Navy.

1. Tribal Long Blazer, $150, Elizabeths Head to Toe.

2. Kendall + Kylie Compact Knit Overlap Pencil Skirt, $158, Neiman Marcus.

3. Kendall + Kylie Eston Cutout Sandal, $140, Styleshack. OR

4. Genie Flats, $148, Kate Spade.

5. Chantaco Bucket Bag, $175, Lacoste.

6. Fitted 2-Way Layering Tank, $8, Old Navy.

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!

  

FashionSpeak 2016: Introducing the Keynote Speaker

FashionSpeak might not be until October, but we are so excited to be able to announce JEFFRY ARONSSON as our keynote speaker!

Jeffry is a Detroit native and the CEO and founder of Aronsson Group, and has extensive experience in premium markets worldwide. He has been the CEO of Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, Emanuel Ungaro (interim CEO) and Ralph Rucci (interim CEO).

Frequently referenced in high-end industry publications, Jeffry is a globally recognized leader. He has demonstrated special expertise and experience in the luxury apparel goods industry, including, but not limited to, licensing operations, and brand development and repositioning.

His passion for conceiving and negotiating licensing and distribution agreements began after getting his J.D. at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit and his LL.M in taxation from New York University. Combining his knowledge in law and business, he has initiated or drove over 50 strategic licensing agreements, covering more than 26 countries and generating more than $2.5 billion in retail sales.

Jeffry's experience also includes the successful formulation and execution of joint ventures, acquisitions, new product launches, and the recruitment and retention of creatives, operating executives and effective business partners. While at Oscar de la Renta, he led a turnaround that reversed the company's debt into profit and tripled its sales. He was responsible for the creation of a successful Oscar de la Renta home furnishings collection. Similarly, he helped Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan grow substantially across the world.

In addition to various board and advisory positions, Jeffry is an industry advisor to the Council of Fashion Designers Incubator Program in New York.

We look forward to hearing him speak with his vast knowledge and area of expertise, and you should too. To purchase tickets for FashionSpeak, head over to www.fashionspeak2016.eventbrite.com. You won't want to miss this!

Industry Spotlight: Company Aims to Make Fashion More Accessible to the Industry

Chelsea VonMach and Aferdita Rakipi - do these names ring a bell? Well, the should because they were both speakers are DGG's very first FashionSpeak. The funny thing about that is they didn't know of each other until the day of the event. Since then, they have partnered together to take Chelsea's brain-child MODASearch™ to the next level. Read about the start up below, and the importance of networking.

Image Courtesy of MODASearch™

DGG: Tell us about yourselves, Aferdita and Chelsea.

Aferdita Rakipi: I had always had a love affair with travel, different languages and cultures thus I majored in History and minored in French. Naturally, that landed me in the fashion world. NOT.  After a world wind of roads less traveled from my time in politics to technologies, I then of course landed in fashion. My experiences from living aboard and working in different fields gave me a unique perspective from fashion to everyday life. A coffee break in NYC is not the same as a coffee break in Milan, and there is beauty in both.

Chelsea VonMach: Well, I grew up in the greater Detroit area where, unfortunately at the time, there weren’t too many options like ‘The Detroit Garment Group’ to help cultivate and nurture my magpie nature for anything sparkly, texturized, and unique. I’ve always been fascinated and inspired by the world of fashion and after attending Michigan State University for a year, I realized that the only way I was going to be able to discover for myself if I had what it took to create a career for myself in the industry was for me to jump outside my comfort zone and explore what that meant. This lead me begging my parents to give me their blessing to move out to California and attend The Fashion Institute of Design Merchandising. It wasn’t an easy battle, but after some convincing, I found myself on the west coast actually pursuing my dream! I interned like crazy, and upon graduation from FIDM, accepted my first real paying job as a stylist assistant on the remake of the television show ‘Melrose Place.’ For the past 7 years, I’ve worked on several network television shows and feature films and have assisted for some of the top stylists and costumes designers in the industry including celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe and Mad Men Costume Designer, Janie Bryant. It’s been an amazing journey and I’ve learned a lot, and am excited to finally be booking head stylist jobs on my own to take my career to the next level. However, I never just wanted to be a fashion stylist/costume designer, I wanted to do something innovative in my industry, which I’ve been able to do with  MODASearch™.

DGG: Tell us about MODASearch™.

AR: This was Chelsea’s and her business partner’s brainchild. We were both speakers at the first FashionSpeak and we just got to talking about our experiences. I mean a real honest conversation not how fabulous it all is, but the real work that goes into it everyday.

CVM: The idea for MODASearch actually came about at my family friend, Laura’s (my now business partner) dinner table after expressing to her my frustration regarding how much of my work day was being wasted trying to find clothes and accessories for my jobs. I expressed to her how I wished there was a simple directory or a kind of ‘Yellow Pages’ of information where I could access information quickly at my fingertips and know where to go to find what I needed without having to drive all over Los Angeles, which if you’ve ever been in LA traffic during most parts of the day, can be a nightmare. Laura then suggested that we could come up with a database containing all the info and create a website where stylists like me could avoid the stress and headaches of research and racing the clock for last minute photo shoots. We immediately started working on it and shortly thereafter, as Aferdita mentioned, I had the privilege of speaking at the first FashionSpeak, where I met Aferdita and had some real talk about working in the industry. Laura and I were looking for a PR maven and someone who would really invest, believe, and evolve MODASearch™, and Aferdita had all of those qualities.

DGG: Is MODASearch™ only for people in California? Or can anyone anywhere use it?

AR:  The beauty of MODASearch™ is that it is a universal tool. Everyone can use it. The features and benefits of becoming a MODASearch™ user is that each member enriches the site. All can use the Modatags, Modagalleries and request samples. In our current launch, major cities have access to other services which we will continually incorporate throughout all areas of MODASearch™ .

CVM: Aferdita said it perfectly. ☺

Image Courtesy of MODASearch™

DGG: I know this is early, but what are your plans for the future? Where do you see MODASearch™ in 5-10 years?

CVM: Ahhh MODASearch™ has so much growing to do! We are starting it off super simple and basic, because it’s a tool, but I see it evolving into an online magazine for people behind the scenes, a shopping guide for major cities and the go-to database in the fashion industry.

AR: We see MODASearch™ very much as an essential component to the fashion industry.

DGG: So far, what has been your most frequently asked question, and how do you answer it?

AR: Many ask “How did you come up with Modasearch™?” When Chelsea introduced me to the site, I was excited to learn of its creation since both she and I had similar experiences in the fashion world but on opposite ends of the industry spectrum. I was thrown into the business and a tool like MODASearch™ would have made my life vastly simpler. After working in the industry for over ten years, I feel MODASearch™ is still needed in organizing calendars, looks, samples, and essential in training new hires and interns. It is especially vital when new people are joining the team - half the work and history is one location.

CVM: Mostly it’s, ‘Where did the idea for MODASearch™ come from?’ and ‘How did you make it happen?’ The simple answer is that it was literally out of pure necessity. I felt like I was wasting so much time researching and running around trying to identify the names and contact info of showrooms and costume houses to find the best garments and accessories for the jobs I was working. I knew there had to be a better and quicker way to access the numerous resources needed for stylists like myself to efficiently find what they need for shoots. Thankfully, Laura was able to take all this information I had collected over the years and effectively organize it into one user-friendly database, which we today proudly call ‘MODASearch™.’ During its creation and development, I’ve been effectively able to beta test it for all my jobs and give Laura the feedback necessary to refine the site to not only meet our expectations as to its functionality, but also for our desire to have it evolve into a  showcase for stylists to present the newest and hottest trends in the industry.

DGG: What are three pieces advice you would give to budding fashion entrepreneurs?

AR: As much as we are all artistic in some way, this is still a business. It takes hard work, commitment and time. More importantly, surround yourself with people and be in work environments that enrich you and not take away from your energy. Mind you, we will all have those not-so-great days, but my philosophy is to be in an environment where I am not stifled but always learning. My team was key, be it working late on a project or knowing that it was a NYC egg-and-cheese kind of morning.

CVM: It’s definitely hard work, commitment, and time, but my best advice

to any budding entrepreneur would be to simply follow your heart. Take on new 

opportunities, fall down, make mistakes, and enjoy the journey. I could easily go on 

and on about my story and how I got to where I am, but it’s mostly about taking 

chances, risks, and putting one foot in front of the other to CREATE your own path 

to accessing your dreams.

Image Courtesy of MODASearch™

DGG: How important is networking in fashion? And what are good tips for people who may not be so confident to go out and network on their own?

AR:  Networking is very important especially for those behind the scenes. It takes a village to make things run and never ever neglect the receptionists, assistants or interns. These are your gatekeepers.  Never worry about not feeling 100% confident, we have all been there. Today, we are equipped with more information via social media. If all else fails, just ask someone about their latest instagram post that will get them talking (@modasearch). 

CVM: It is so so so so important to network in this industry. I am one of the shyest people and being in this industry has pushed me out of my comfort zone to really reach out and create relationships with my peers. I love this quote on confidence by Into the Gloss creator Emily Weiss on confidence, “Confidence is overrated—it can be faked, whereas freedom is fearlessness. Freedom is being more or less okay with wherever you’re at, at any given point in your life or your day or your hour, be it really sucky or really great or somewhere in between (and there are a lot of in betweens.)”.

DGG: If you could have any one person or company use MODASearch™, who would it be and why?

AR: This is a tough one as we see MODASearch™ used  across the board from Fashion schools to showrooms to on set tv/film styling teams. This is very much geared to professionals where we have vetted them with credentials and experience in our directory.

CVM: A fashion student, intern, assistant, Rachel Zoe, even Anna Wintour. I see a wide spectrum of users. We are making the fashion world accessible. 

Image Courtesy of MODASearch™

DGG: How do you take your coffee?

AR: Plenty of it. Hot with milk or cream no sugar.

CVM: Ice Coffee with cream. Vanilla Latte’s with almond milk. Vanilla Coffee with hemp milk. I always order something different, keeps things interesting.

DGG: Carine Roitfeld or Emmanuelle Alt?

AR: Why choose?

CVM: I love them both… Can’t choose.

DGG: Vogue or Harper's Bazaar?

AR: We of course welcome both.

CVM: Can I choose Vogue Nippon, instead?

FashionSpeak 2015: Flash Back Friday

When working an event, it's hard to really see it all in big picture as its happening. So many little details need to be taken care of that important parts of it can be lost. Here at DGG, we try to soak in as much of the event as possible but for our recap we wanted more, so we sent our intern, Emily Semroc, to FashionSpeak to partake in the conference as one of our 10 bloggers. From continental breakfast to cocktail reception, she has helped us capture the whole day so if you missed any of it, or would like to relive it one more time, read on.

Photo c/o Emily Semroc

From floppy hats and Louboutins, to leather jackets, some of the best dressed fashion enthusiasts of Michigan came together for a very educational and cutting-edge day of workshops and networking at the beautiful One Woodward Building for FashionSpeak 2015. As soon as the doors opened, every single chair was quickly filled with the excitement, gaining momentum with each passing minute bringing us closer to the first presentation.

The morning started with a tasty breakfast of pastries, coffee, tea, and goodies from On the Dunes as we all got settled into our seats preparing for a day of networking and learning. Taubman kicked the day off with our first presentation, “What Does it Really Take to Open a Store?” where they taught us the in’s and out’s of being successful in your own store front. It was helpful to hear that Taubman offers temporary leasing opportunities as well as a permanent lease. When digging into which type of lease is best suitable for you, we have to ask ourselves what is your product? Is it seasonal? Can you fill the entire space? Is this a short-term or long-term product? By answering these questions we can learn that maybe a kiosk, cart, or temporary store would be the best fit or maybe your business is a bit more substantial and you would benefit from the permanent leasing. 

Once you decide which type of lease you want, it is important you use the resources Taubman provides to support it’s businesses such as creating a custom eBulletin, Facebook posts tagging your business, press releases, and in-mall media. With a lot of smaller companies that haven’t been too exposed, getting people into the store can be a very hard step in the process so we are very excited that Taubman is here to help us out! Owner and Operator of Gameday Detroit provided us with some insight as to what his experience was like when trying to open a storefront. His biggest piece of advice is to be very smart when it comes to the location of your property and knowing that to be a successful free standing store, you must be a destination and people already know about you, where if you’re located inside a mall people are more willing to wander into your store to keep shopping. I found his presentation to be very genuine and realistic, especially when he said that your company will consume your life and you need to be willing to work full-time to create the best company you can.

Following the presentation from Taubman about moving into a physical store location, our analytical side of the brain kept going while we listened to Kim Banat from First Merit Bank present, “Money: How to get it, what to do with it, how to make more of it”. Getting capital for your company can be a seemingly impossible task and she provided us with a cheat sheet of possibilities for your company. Her biggest piece of advice for business owners is to attend the workshops at the Small Business Development Center. These workshops focus on putting together a business plan, networking, expanding your business, and learning more about all the loans available to you. An important aspect of getting a loan is ensuring that you have an eligible credit score. With capital coming in slower than hoped, many businesses use their credit cards and completely max them out. Banat’s advice for those in that situation is to keep a 20% cushion between what your credit limit is and what you actually borrow on that card. By paying down a little bit and not going past the 30 day late payments, your credit score will slowly start to rise. Once we get the capital or loan we need, what do we do when we actually start making money? It’s so easy to get excited with profit or money flowing into the company that we can make rash decisions and not use the money to the best of its ability. By investing excess profits in your company, purchasing new equipment, continuing your education, and upgrading software you are investing for future growth of your company by doing any of these strategic moves. Money can be a hard topic to focus on, and a stressful one at that, but with the tips from Banat about lowering your credit score, investing in yourself, and be smart with your capital, we left the workshop feeling much better about our financial situations and the potential opportunities with getting a loan.

Roslyn Karamoko was next to take the stage as we were on the edge of our seats to hear her tales of entering the world of buying. Originally from Seattle, WA, Karamoko has worked as an unpaid intern, merchandising assistant, buyer, and now store owner. When asked why she loved the world of fashion, she replied with loving it because “it represents a group of people in the most unique and individual way that is very personal to them”. She walked us through her exciting life in New York, trying to find her passion, and finally finding it through a training program at Saks Fifth Avenue. After working up the corporate ladder, she moved to Singapore where she led a jet-set lifestyle with fashion shows, trunk shows, and designer meetings. The job not only sounds fashionable and fabulous, but it also provided the ability to bring relevant fashion to under deserved and isolated regions while giving brands exposure and customers access. After traveling and making strides in Singapore, she returned back to the United States where she attended courses at the BUILD Institute (which just so happens to be one of our incredible sponsors). Detroit spoke to Karamoko because of the rebuild and how persevering the city was to overcome the negativity. She created the iconic brand, Detroit is the New Black, and opened her own stand-alone store in the heart of the city, just this past year. Karamoko’s vision is to represent Detroit in a way that isn’t shown to outsiders, so each season she introduces new designers, brands, and fashion to the city in an accessible way with varying price points and styles. She is creating the platform for future retailers to find success in Detroit. After giving valuable insight to pricing metrics for success, market positioning tips, and ways to trend forecast, the audience was captivated for the Q&A portion of the workshop. Many students were in the audience that was very inspired by not only her presentation, but her life’s work as well. Some of the valuable advice she gave to us was to make sure your trends aren’t just about fashion, but that there’s an emotional connection with the customer and what they are buying as well.

When the third presentation of the day came to a close, the atmosphere in the audience was hopeful. All these entrepreneurs came to this event and in just 3 short presentations the idea of opening a store and being successful seemed possible. Being noticed in a city such as Detroit that isn’t as known for being a Fashion Capital can seem daunting, but having heard first hand stories of success and presentations on companies that are there to support you, it has never seemed more possible. As we closed our notebooks and started chatting, the smell of pizza overtook the entire room. Buddy’s Pizzeria generously provided lunch for the conference and everyone jumped to get in line. While people were waiting for food the Glam App was there providing hair, makeup, and nail touch-ups so we could look our best for the cocktail hour after the conclusion of the last speaker. After a tasty and filling lunch, reapplication of eyeliner and lipstick, we sat back in our seats to absorb more knowledge about how we can be successful.

Kristen Deryck, production manager at Detroit Sewn was up next to present. Her presentation focused mostly on the logistics of pattern making, sourcing, and the development process. She really emphasized making sure that we have consistent grading patterns and that our selling period correlated with the buyers buying period. This means that we should be designing our collection 1 year in advance seeing that buyers are buying 6 months in advance. With tips on delivering to stores, being at the beginning of the buying window, and what kind of samples to provide, we learned the ins and outs of the technical aspects that go into getting your pieces ready and in stores to be sold.

Before we knew it, it was 4 p.m. and the final workshop of the day was upon us. Keynote Speaker, Kevan Hall, was waiting backstage as we all anticipated hearing from such a successful and local designer. Kevan Hall brought life to the room with his humor, genuine desire to help Detroit, and his years of experience. With a discussion led by DGG President Karen Buscemi, we were led through his life as a struggling designer trying to find success with his red carpet appearances dressing some very well known actresses. Hall was a perfect example of the perseverance needed to start your own line or business, he road tripped to stores all over the country with his line in the back of his car. He was persistent and focused, which led to orders being placed. He really focused on having a cohesive brand identity so that he would be recognized more easily. He did this by asking himself what resonates with me personally as well as the public? What do my images say about my brand? Hall explained the key to brand identity is to be consistent with any singular aspect in all of your pieces as well as being realistic about what you’re designing to ensure it’s sellable and press-worthy. 

A great piece of advice he gave a fashion student at Central Michigan University, was to focus on the quality of your pieces as it is all about the finishing details and fine-tuning. He also stressed the importance of being aware of how you present yourself to the world, as YOU are your brand. Being an adaptive designer is very important in order to stay on the forefront of the world of fashion and Hall realized that he had an entire market that wasn’t being reached when it came to sportswear. Women that were wearing his evening gowns were finding that they had nothing to wear on the golf course that made them feel as feminine and beautiful as his dresses did. He internalized this information and found the inspiration to make a women’s active line that focused on the use of fun colors, moisture wicking material, and femininity. By appealing to the “athelisure” market that is dominating today’s sales, he created a collection that women could wear and feel confident in from the door, to the greens, as well as to the clubhouse. His advice to us was to be prepared, do your homework to know who your customer is, know how to get financing, know how to generate buzz and interest and know how to manage a team. It was remarkable that this piece of advice was the final thoughts he left us with that day so we could sit back and realize that every piece of his advice was addressed in todays workshops.

Once I got home, I sat down to really think about what I learned and I was shocked at the level of information received, the credibility behind it, and how so many aspects of the fashion world were addressed. The audience was full of students, bloggers, designers, manufacturers, sales reps, and business owners and each of these groups had incredible takeaways from the day’s activities. FashionSpeak 2015 was an incredible day where I met some of the most talented people in metro Detroit, networked with fellow fashion enthusiasts, learned from very experienced professionals, and was treated to tasty treats and cocktails from some of my favorite metro Detroit restaurants. As I was driving home that night I was filled with so much hope and excitement for Detroit due to the reception of this event and how passionate everyone was. 2015 has been a great year so far and after this day of workshops, I truly feel 2016 will be even more incredible while continuing to build Detroit’s Garment District.

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc

Photo by Emily Semroc