Posts Tagged ‘fashion’

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The Way to an Investor’s Heart is Through His Wife’s Closet?

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011


(photo credit: fimoculous)

If you were a major luxury fashion house going public in an attempt to raise $3 billion from Asian investors, would you spend hours working on your investor PowerPoint presentation, or would you wrap a bunch of models in snakeskin and have them walk around at the Plaza Hotel?

Guess which way Prada went?

The Italian company is pursuing an IPO, which means it’s going to sell off pieces of itself to public investors, in Hong Kong this month. In order to woo potential investors, it held a relatively small fashion show for tycoons and their wives and daughters. Female tycoons either didn’t exist or were mysteriously lost in the editing of this WSJ piece about the event.

Prada is valued at $15.7 billion, so with this initial public offering, they’re giving up ownership of almost 20% of the company. But they’ve got to raise that cash somehow if their plans for world fashion domination are going to work out.

In other news, here’s a handy list of some of the biggest IPOs in U.S. history.

Hey, investor. Would YOU be wooed by a runway show?

Online Shopping Gets Smarter [Than You]

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011


(credit: Unhindered by Talent)

Guess what? Retailers are getting smarter and smarter when it comes to separating you and your cash (or credit card info, to be more precise).

First there was members-only designer discount site Gilt Groupe, with time limits for checking out with your items. Then we saw the daily deals companies like Groupon and LivingSocial. There’s Rent the Runway, where you can rent a hot little piece of couture for an event for under $200.

And now, for a mere $30 monthly subscription fee, online shops like JewelMint will get to know your tastes and offer up pieces it’s sure you’ll like. All based on an algorithm. This is in some ways even cooler than the computer from Star Trek: The Next Generation that made Captain Picard all those cups of tea with a simple voice command.

The online shopping world will surely continue to evolve, getting cooler, more convenient, and quite a bit more manipulative in the process. So don’t forget to bring your brain when you go on your next online shopping spree.

Think you’re a conscious consumer? Take our Where Does the Money Go? challenge!

The Fashion Economy

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

freddy-dico.png Freddy Dico is the co-founder of Sir New York, a modern menswear label that launched in Spring 2010. He’s from Macau, but grew up in San Francisco. And before getting into the world of design, he was actually a star student in the biochemistry program at U.C. Davis. Since switching gears and graduating from FIT in New York, Freddy has worked with companies like Polo Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, and Brooklyn Industries, and designed an entire line for mass-market men’s label Scappino in Mexico. You can check out his latest work here.


TILE: Being a designer involves much more than a creative vision and talent with scissors and thread. What are some of the costs of starting your own fashion label?
Freddy: Since we are a really small start-up with practically no capital, time is the #1 cost.

To start, you need a product, which means sourcing fabrics, making patterns, sewing/fitting, creating labels, etc. Once the product is perfected, you need to document and promote it through a website, lookbooks, business cards, fashion presentations, models, invites, etc.  The lists really goes on and on and on…  Luckily, I have a partner (Auston Bjorkman) who is equally well-rounded in many areas, so we try to personally execute most tasks to lower our costs.

Of course there are only 24 hours in a day, which means you can’t do it all. We’re fortunate enough to have many people who believe in us and who are willing to volunteer their time and effort.

Oh, and let’s not forget about getting a business license and all that legal stuff…

TILE: How does a piece get from the designer’s head to the runway?
Freddy: At the start of the season, Auston and I will brainstorm and finalize the themes/concepts we want to use. Then we create sketches, source fabrics, make patterns, and sew the samples. After that we set up a photoshoot, cast models, send invites, create a website, scout locations for the show, and stress ourselves out making sure the event goes off without a hitch.

TILE: And how does that piece get from the runway to the retail store?
Freddy: There’s a lot of following up on our part. Before your runway show, you need to figure out pricing and where will you produce the garments. Once you have all the business details – the linesheets – figured out, you’re ready to potentially attract buyers to place your product in their stores. Once orders are confirmed, you actually need to produce and ship the pieces to them.

TILE: How can you be a “smart shopper” when it comes to designer clothing?
Freddy: Well, the answer to that question depends on what kind of person I’m talking to. But in general, I always believe that the value of a garment is based on the number of times worn.  So make sure you love it!

TILE: What advice would you give to your teenage self?
Freddy: Enjoy the ride!

Gilt Free Luxury: Gilt Groupe’s Co-Founder Talks with TILE

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson took her 5th Avenue fashion sense to the world wide web, and the result – members-only designer discount site Gilt Groupe – is changing the way luxury retail is done. She sat down with TILE to talk about the online sample sale phenomenon, and to share some advice about buying designer.

Shopping The Runway

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

“Fashion weeks in New York, Paris and Milan generate a tremendous amount of press and buzz for some of the world’s most expensive clothes. But many of the runway styles are actually purchased by a small group of customers, not all of them from the isle of Manhattan. And unlike celebrities and socialites, who often get designer clothes at no charge in exchange for publicity, these customers pay full price.”

What do you think?

What do you pay full price for… and when do you wait for a sale?

Is Prada Stock Better Than A Prada Bag?

Monday, February 7th, 2011


credit: amandabhslater

After 10 years of talks, Prada is going boldly forward where no other Italian company has gone before: the Hong Kong stock exchange.

  • The company wants to expand its operations, and that means it needs cash. So it’s going after an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong to raise money from investors.
  • The IPO is expected to do well because of a favorable economic climate and the designer’s excellent reputation.
  • If it follows through with the IPO, Prada will be the first European luxury brand listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

Facts & Figures

  • Prada was founded in 1913
  • Founder Mario Prada’s granddaughter currently owns 95% of the company

Best Quote

“Confident in the future development of the group, we can now face the coming challenges with serenity and seize the best opportunities offered by the international capital markets.” – Prada Chief Executive Patrizio Bertelli

What do you think?

What do you do when you need cash?

Grow your own shoe trees!

Monday, February 7th, 2011


(photo credit: Яick Harris)

No, not like that. Like this:

A Dutch company called OAT has invented shoes made of… oats.

Instead of living in a garbage dump (or the Great Pacific Garbage Patch) for the rest of eternity after you’ve worn them out, these kicks will break down like any other normal organic substance.

And then – here comes the good part – the seeds that have been hiding inside of the shoes all along will come to life and grow trees! Shoe trees.

Do you already do something clever with your old sneakers? Plant flowers in them? Use them to insulate your attic? Save them for special shoe-throwing occasions?

Thanks for the tip, GOOD.

That Custom-Made Suit Is Going To Cost You

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011


credit: John_Brennan

If you’re not sure what inflation looks like in real life, try asking your tailor. Having suits and dresses made to order in Hong Kong or Singapore used to be the secret to looking good on a budget. But all that is starting to change. Here’s why:

1. Inflation! The apparel industry has been safe from inflation for a long time, but fabric today is more expensive than it was a few years ago. In 2010 alone, the price of cotton in Hong Kong went up by 91%. More expensive materials = a more expensive product.

(And because inflation generally raises prices across the board, tailors are demanding higher wages so they can keep up with the cost of everyday living.)

2. Consumer demand! More people have the money to order custom clothing these days, and tailors and materials are in short supply. That means more work for tailors, and a higher price tag for customers. In other words, the supply of materials and producers has stayed the same, but the demand for finished products has increased. When demand exceeds supply, you’ve got a price increase on your hands.

New Prices:

  • A custom suit made in Singapore with expensive luxury fabric runs about $5,400. A similar suit by an Italian producer might cost $10,000.
  • In 2009, a custom shirt from Singapore cost $177; today it would cost about $330.

“We’re so busy that we’re having to turn some people away.” – Mark Cho, Co-Founder of The Armoury in Hong Kong

One Essential Fashion Tip from a Professional Stylist

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

Lani Rosenstock makes a living telling people in New York and D.C. what to wear. But this one little tip might eliminate the need for most of her fashion advice. (Sorry, Lani.)

‘Made In Italy’ By Chinese Workers, With Chinese Materials

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Times are changing in Europe, and Italy is struggling to maintain the integrity and marketability of its high-end fashion brand while dealing with an influx of legal and illegal immigrants from China.

  • The city of Prato in Tuscany has always been known for its quality textile production, but recently the industry has been taken over by Chinese companies known to use illegal labor and imported materials to feed a new low-end, “fast fashion” industry.
  • Part of the immigrants’ success in exploiting the local economy involves clever maneuvering around Italian laws and regulations. Companies operating in a “gray market” are not technically breaking any laws – they comply with most regulations – but neither are thy upholding the spirit of the laws. For example, a textile producer may refuse to inquire into whether his subcontractors use illegal labor.
  • The issue is sensitive in Italy, where immigration is a controversial and emotional subject. Some believe the situation in Prato is an intentional attempt at economic colonization by the Chinese government.

Facts & Figures

  • Since 2001, half of Italian-owned textile businesses in Prato have been replaced by Chinese-owned textile businesses.
  • Prato represents 27% of all Italian fabric imports from China.
  • Approximately $1.5 million a day is directed from immigrants in Prato back to China, though it seems that much of that money is not being claimed on tax forms.
  • Prato is home to about 25,000 mostly Chinese illegal immigrants.

Best Quote

“The Chinese are very clever. They’re not like other immigrants, who can be pretty thick. The difficulty is in finding a shared understanding of the rules of the game.” – Riccardo Marini, Head of the Prato branch of Confindustria, the organization of Italian industrialists

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