Are you ready for London Fashion Week?

With the A/W 15 selling season upon us, many designers are in the last stages of preparation for exhibiting or showcasing their collections during  London Fashion Week, or showing internationally.

Exhibiting  is costly, and yet it's surprising how many brands don't make the most out of their investment.

Define your aims and expectations

As I explain in Chapter 7 of my Design Create Sell book, trade shows give you access to new national and international buyers and build brand awareness with stockists that wouldn't normally know about you.

Trade events offer opportunities to:-

• Find new trade buyers
• Find agents/distributors
• Meet, press, bloggers, /stylists
• See what your competitors are up to
• Get inspiration and new ideas.

It's helpful to be clear about what you hope to achieve and why you are showing. The main 'Fashion Weeks' are often more about PR than actually taking orders. If it’s your first time exhibiting, don’t expect to recoup all your costs at your first event. Buyers often want to see you for a few seasons before having the confidence to order.

Set yourself measurable goals – eg 5 new stockists, re-orders from existing customers, 20 new leads.

Tips and Check-lists

Pre-event

• Contact existing and new potential target customers – send them an invitation for the show and follow up with a call – try and get them to make an appointment to see you on the stand.
• Use your social media platforms to promote where you are showing.  Post information, pictures and/or videos (perhaps a preview of a new product or video invitation to visit the stand).  The goal is to let people/prospects know the who, what, where, when and most importantly, the why they should visit you at the stand. 
• Be constantly in touch with whoever is making your samples to make sure they are on schedule.
• Plan carefully the sample collection you are taking with you to the show. Don’t make too many pieces as nothing looks worse than a cluttered stand – have some show-stoppers that will attract buyer/press/stylists – they may not be the pieces that sell but will attract attention. Ideally your collection should include entry/mid and high price points to attract a broad base of customers. 
• Double check what is included in the stand package and order any extras. It’s often more expensive if you order on the day.
• Make sure you've organised  the delivery of your samples/displays to the venue and ensure your samples are  insured on site, in storage and in transit
• If exhibiting overseas, choose reliable freighters and shipping agents and check they have all the relevant customs / import documentation in place.

Stand Display

• Don’t have a physical barrier between you and the buyer.
• Keep your display simple and minimal.
• Maximise space especially vertically.
• Ensure you order enough lights.
• Have some display above head height so it can be picked out over a crowd.
• Keep the look of your stand consistent with your brand identity so that buyers recognise you at subsequent events.
• Allow for a space to sit and write orders. 
• Think about taking a computer display or tablet to show off your website/videos   and to give  access to your social media pages to allow users to “Like” the brand on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

Paperwork/Info to take with you

• Order book.
• Lookbook/marketing materials.
• Line sheet/Wholesale price list.
• Business cards.
• Press packs.
• Information on lead times and delivery dates/minimum orders.
• You will be selling your products at wholesale price so it is customary to show prices exclusive of VAT. If showing abroad it is helpful to have prices in local currency eg euro or dollars. You may be asked for the Recommended Retail Price (RRP)which is the price the retailer will sell the product at including their mark up
• Bulk prices for large orders.
• Info on your trading terms eg pro-forma, 30% deposit - balance on delivery, or credit?
• Notebook to record comments and enquiries  from / about (potential) buyers next to business card stapled to page as an aide memoir for follow up phone calls after the show.
• Make daily notes on the day’s events and feedback from customers so you remember what you should take into consideration when planning next seasons collection and events.
• Deadline for placing orders.
• Stationery including plenty of pens, stapler, staples and sellotape.

Staffing the stand

• Take water – it's often hot and dehydrating at exhibitions
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes
• Brief all staff (as they may be temporary)so they are knowledgeable on the product and terms.
• Staff should always smile be friendly but not overbearing – not stand at edge of stand and make a barrier.
• Keep your stand clean, tidy and dust-free.
• No eating on stands! Arrange someone to cover breaks.
• Always, always ask for business cards from visitors.

 After the event

• Follow up order confirmations and chasing new leads. Contact everyone you saw and thank them for coming. 
• Continue to post pictures and video from the event.  Again social media can also assist with your follow up.  It provides the opportunity to present images, messages, video and other branded content in such a way that will allow potential customers to learn about the brand.
• Produce a final budget working out expenditure versus sales – was it worth it.? Remember though, with a trade show you  can’t tell immediately as takes a while to generate orders. 

Finally - make sure you enjoy it. Let me know how you get on!

If you're facing issues with sourcing and production of your samples and production we've scheduled another session of our popular  Getting it Made workshop on September 10th.

By Alison Lewy
@FashioAngel1

Win Tickets to the Inspiring Entrepreneurs Event at the British Library on 22 September

We're excited to announce that our friends at the British Library have offered us 5 tickets to give away for the Inspiring Entrepreneurs event on 22 September to our Fashion Angel community.

HOW TO ENTER

All you have to do is email us at info@fashion-angel.co.uk with the following:-

NAME 
BUSINESS NAME
EMAIL
PHONE
WHY YOU'D BENEFIT FROM ATTENDING (max 150 words)

Please put INSPIRING ENTREPRENEURS COMPETITION in the subject line

ENTRANCE CRITERIA
This competition is open to businesses trading 12 months or over.

DEADLINE
Tuesday 26th August 2014.

Winners will be notified by email by Friday 29th August 2014.

Of course if you don't win and still want attend, there are limited tickets available which you can 

BOOK HERE

This panel discussion will be followed by a drinks reception, where you will be able to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and other business owners.

New competition for Start Up Loan recipients to win £5000

An exciting competition has been launched by our partners The Start Up Loans Company, to find Start Up Loans recipients with amazing and inspiring stories. 

One lucky winner will be awarded £5,000 as well other fantastic prizes and invited to an exclusive awards ceremony at the  Lord Mayor’s office in London.  

If you've received a Start Up Loan through us, all you need to do to enter is answer some questions about your business. It’s a national competition that will identify winners and semi-finalists in every region.  

We're the only deliver partner that specialises in supporting fashion fashion businesses and we know some of you are doing really well, so  we're really hoping lots of our  beneficiaries will apply

One of the regional winners will then be awarded Start Up of the Year (based on their application form and the video pitch submitted).  

Submit your story,  for a chance to be crowned Start Up of the Year 2014! 

Competition closes on 1^st September at 12pm

APPLY HERE

If you haven't applied for  a Start Up Loan yet, but need funding for your business and would like some FREE mentoring too,  go to our Fashion Angel Start Up Loan page for more details on how to apply

Opportunities for retail & tech entrepreneurs

There’s suddenly a lot happening to support retail/tech entrepreneurs, and we thought you’d like to know about five interesting initiatives we’ve come across:-

John Lewis has launched a new incubator hub with technology entrepreneur, Stuart Marks. JLab is seeking StartUps and SMEs  that have technology and/or ideas that could improve the John Lewis in-store or online shopping experience.

5 applicants will enter JLAB for 15 weeks, competing for investment and a chance to supply John Lewis. You are offered £12,500 investment for 4% of your company and receive mentoring, workspace and talks/workshops to help you develop the idea. At the end of the 15 weeks, one company will receive £100,000 investment.

Applications now open and close on 17 April: www.jlab.co.uk


House of Fraser is the latest store to open a dedicated pop up space for new brands . Pop at HOF is offering 10 businesses the opportunity to sell their products in its Oxford Street store. Brands will be offered space on the ground floor of the store for a minimum of 2 weeks and online for 12 months. Winners will also secure mentoring and support in topics from visual merchandising to logistics and branding.

Applications are open with a deadline date of 20th March. Winners will be announced on 2nd April with the PopUp commencing in May. Apply online at:  www.thegreatretailrevival.org

IDEA London is a partnership of Cisco, UCL and DC Thomson offering a workspace and accelerator for tech companies, including retail. Snap Fashion, founded by  26 year old, Jenny Griffiths is based there, and the support she has received is helping her reach a global audience, so you’d be in good company!

Apply online at: www.idea-london.co.uk

TrueStart is a new retail and consumer innovation hub for entrepreneurs in Victoria. They are looking for ‘motivated entrepreneurs with innovative product, service or business ideas that are targeted at disrupting any aspect of the retail and consumer landscape. This could be anything including a retail technology aimed at improving the retail supply chain, data analytics for retailers, e-commerce, a social shopping platform, advertising technology, or even a new brand or consumer product.’

Hub tenants receive office and retail space, access to mentors and investment and professional services. One of the first to be accepted on their accelerator programme is THEUNSEEN design consultancy that has pioneered the fusion of science and creativity to integrate biological, chemical and electronic elements into textiles. The programme is helping them create a unique brand and design house through its own distinctive luxury products, while also helping to develop a licensing business model that will unlock opportunities to partner with leading players in the consumer sector.

Applications now open at:  www.truestart.co.uk

Start Up Loans are a lifesaver if you need some seed funding to get your idea off the ground. A Start Up Loan offers low cost, flexible loan along with FREE business mentoring. To find our more go to our Start Up Loan page.

If you hear of any others please do let us know.

Start Up Loan recipient Charli Cohen launches new collection at London Fashion Week

We were delighted to catch up with some of our Start Up Loan recipients at London Fashion Week yesterday.

Luxe sportswear designer, Charli Cohen had an innovative approach to launching her eponymous label's new Autumn/Winter 14 collection.

Charli's Angels getting ready for the workout!

She staged a rooftop workout at the ME London hotel, as part of the Felicities showcase, to show off her designs in action! The London skyline was a stunning backdrop for the workout, and luckily the rain held off.

Charli Cohen A/W 14 Collection

Needless to say the Fashion Angel team didn't join in and were happy just to watch!

Charli made her business dream a reality with the help of a Fashion Angel Start Up Loan and the FREE mentoring support offered as part of the scheme.

To see the full collection go to  www.charli-cohen.com

For more information how Fashion Angel can help you launch your fashion brand, and the Start Up Loan scheme, go to our Start Up Loans page.

Interview with Sam Mcewen from Isolated Heroes

Last April designer Samantha Mcewen, founder of luxury streetwear brand Isolated Heroes, won our mentoring competition, sponsored by Asos Marketplace. The prize was an amazing six months of business mentoring with Fashion Angel, after being picked as a brand with heaps of potential.

We caught up with Samantha, to find out how the business has grown since the mentoring started.

www.isolated-heroes.com

How have you found the last six months of business mentoring?

It’s been brilliant. When you start your own business you don’t always know the ins and outs of everything you’re doing, you just start designing clothes and selling them. The mentoring has helped me to make Isolated Heroes a proper brand. I’ve learnt how to do costing sheets, manage my accounts and forecast, which has really turned the brand around.
What's the most important thing you've learnt?

Having confidence in what you’re doing, especially with costing items and figuring out how important all that is when it comes to designing things and putting them out there, is invaluable. This mentorship has helped me to look at things properly when making clothes, sourcing fabrics and pricing items for what they’re worth.

Limited Edition collection at www.isolated-heroes.com

You've recently started selling on ASOS.com - how have you found the experience?

This has definitely been the highlight of the last six months! It wouldn’t have happened without the mentoring from Fashion Angel. I sourced all of the products but Alison helped with the introduction to ASOS. The first order is live on the site now and we’re currently looking at the next buy which is great!

Find out about more on how our fashion business mentoring can help your business grow or email info@fashion-angel.co.uk for an info pack.

Managing distribution as your on-line fashion boutique grows.

Space for a growing business is always an issue.

One of the main Routes to Market for many of the Start Up Loan businesses we work with is selling their products on-line, either via their own e-commerce website or on other marketplaces.

These on-line boutiques are often run from home, to keep overheads to a minimum, and technology has made it possible to be a global brand from your bedroom. However, as a  business becomes successful and orders increase, it may well become impractical to manage the distribution from home as additional space and staff may be required to accommodate stock and order processing.

This can be a critical point for the business as it may be doing well, but taking on premises and staff is another ball game. The extra financial commitment can easily turn a company making a small profit in to one making a loss.

courtesy of www.saderose.com

Luckily there are ways to manage this growth spurt without taking on large overheads. There are now an increasing number of order fulfilment houses that are set up to take in your stock from the manufacturer and distribute to your customers on your behalf. Traditionally these distribution warehouses only wanted to work with high volumes of stock and deliver to business premises. They were used mainly by large brands delivering to  retailers, but the experiential growth of on-line sales has led to many offering a menu of services to smaller web based retailers including pick and pack distribution, re-processing and customer service.

Obviously there are fees attached to these services, which will need to be included in to your cost prices, but this can be a cost effective way of managing growth. There are many fulfilment warehouses to choose from including Intermail and Amazon offer this service for goods not even sold on their site.

As ever, you’ll need to do your research to check out the comparative costs between companies offering these services. You should find out who else they work for, if they have minimum quantities, where they can distribute to (national and international?), what level of service they can offer you ect. You'll need to manage the relationship carefully and brief them on how to respond to customers and how your goods should be packed as it is important they maintain your standards and reflect your brand in a positive way. Mystery shopping can be a good tool to monitor their effectiveness and check if they are following your brief.

If your brand continues to grow there will come a point where the critical mass could mean it is better to take on premises and staff to bring the distribution back in-house, but by that time hopefully the business will be in a stronger position to take that next step.

If you want to find out more, our practical Routes to Market workshop will inspire you and further information on access to funding and free mentoring is on our Start Up Loan page.

If you'd like to share your experiences with fulfilment houses and have any recommendations for our community,  we'd love to hear from you.

By Alison Lewy

COMPETITION: WIN A FREE ASOS MARKETPLACE BOUTIQUE

We’re pleased to announce another exciting competition, in collaboration with ASOS Marketplace to win a FREE online boutique.

ASOS Marketplace is the place where anyone, anywhere in the world, can sell fashion, to anyone, anywhere in the world.

Boutiques are small businesses selling their own label, other brands or vintage collections, directly to the customer.

This competition is a fantastic chance to showcase your collection to a global audience, increase your sales and build brand awareness, whether you already sell on line are looking for a new avenue to grow your business.

THE PRIZE

1^ST PRIZE

One lucky winner will win a free ASOS Marketplace boutique for six months *

 2^ND PRIZE

One runner up will win a free ASOS Marketplace boutique for three months *

* normal fee’s resume after this period, for more info read ASOS Marketplace Features & Fees

ENTRANCE CRITERIA:

• Open to fashion clothing, vintage or accessories brands based in the UK, with a target market of 20 something men & women.
• You must be a Fashion Angel newsletter subscriber – you can sign up here
• Your collection must have at least 10 pieces available.
• You cannot be currently selling on ASOS Marketplace

HOW TO APPLY

To enter the competition, entrants must complete the 

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

Deadline for Entries: Midnight 29^th September 2013

Finalist Notified: Monday 7^th October  2013

Competition Terms & Conditions

• Fashion Angel is the promoter and solely responsible for all aspects of the Competition.  ASOS Marketplace is the prize sponsor.
• To enter, participants must fill in the online application form 
• Entries close: Date 29^th September 2013
• Open to UK residents only
• One winner will receive a six months boutique on Asos Marketplace and one runner up three months. The normal fee’s resume after this period, for more info read ASOS Marketplace Features & Fees
• No cash alternative. Prizes are non-transferable
• FA reserves the right to amend the prize content as necessary
• Only one entry per person
• Entrant’s data is covered by UK data protection laws.
• Winners  will be required to have at least 10 styles available to upload to their boutique
• Entrants must not falsify information – if they do this may lead to disqualification
• Entrants acknowledge that by entering the competition they are authoring Fashion Angel and ASOS to contact them with relevant marketing information. Entrants data will not be passed to third parties
• Entrants acknowledge that if they win the competition they must agree to be featured in promotional material on the promoter and sponsor’s websites.
• By entering the competition, the winner is agreeing to abide by ASOS Marketplace  standard terms and conditions.
• Fashion Angel reserves the right to withdraw, change or cancel the competition at any time.
• The Promoter : Fashion Angel 62 Sutton Crescent, Barnet, Herts, EN5 2SS

Business Advice from Jewellery Designer and Entrepreneur Gia Belloni

In another of our regular interviews with designers that are making their mark, we talked to Gia Belloni Founder and Creative Director of  British luxury jewellery brand Gina Belloni.

Before completing her degree in Fashion Jewellery from the Sir John Cass in 2010, Gia gained experience in interior designer and photography. ‘I have always enjoyed creativity. Since leaving university, I have been constantly absorbing new skills’ . This includes being qualified in CAD level 1,2 and advanced.

Today, Gia runs her own label, Gia Belloni, and is stocked at numerous high end fashion online stores such as LUXX LAB and Not Just a Label.

Here Gia tells us her story, and the different aspects of running a creative business in the fashion industry.

When did you decide to start your own jewellery brand and how did you come to that decision?

My jewellery brand grew from my initial interest in making unique, one off pieces of hand fabricated jewellery incorporating gemstones. I then realised that learning goldsmithing & design professionally  would suite me in so many more ways.  After finishing the degree at university, I began to realise this could be the career path I wanted to take.  I later attended The Goldsmiths ‘Getting Started’ course, where I formulated a more cohesive plan to begin this journey.  Research and commitment are key ingredients in starting your own business, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and realising what you enjoy doing most. My ideas for the future are numerous, but one step at a time is the way forward.

How did you get to the point you are at now?

This question really makes me realize how much I’ve been doing! I began by looking at my design process and researching the market.  Starting any new business means taking on many roles which you are not necessarily familiar with. Jewellery is no exception. A lot of research, a lot of contact growing and a huge amount of learning about materials and production, manufacturing, marketing and PR all have an important role. I’m naturally a worrier, so for me, the journey so far, has been fraught with worry and concerns. I knew certain things would benefit me a huge amount, such as CAD, so I put a lot of time and effort into really learning them and integrating them into my workflow. I would also add determination to this answer – a lot of determination to realise a vision and being able to adapt and evolve to what unknowns could be around any corner.

  

Since you started your business , what has been your biggest achievement ?

I was very pleased with my ability to learn CAD, this was something I found daunting in the beginning, so I’m quite proud that I am now proficient with this technology. Also, my 1^st collection was a great achievement. The combination of creating fine and well made work and getting it to fall within certain price points is very challenging, so I feel very pleased at the results. A personal proud moment was selling one of my designs to a Royal!

What was the most difficult obstacle during starting your own business and how did you overcome it?

The hardest part of starting my own business has definitely been the financial commitment you have to make to it. It is a nerve wrecking thing to throw everything you have at something. My way of overcoming this has been to research the market and establish a clear direction and strategy and defferentiate between what is essential for growth and what can wait . Another challenge I have found is starting up production. To be able to consistently provide the same level of quality and value has been very hard to orchestrate! Trying to create the designs you want without compromising or simplifying and yet get them to fall within certain price points – this is a steep learning curve and I don’t expect it will be ending anytime soon! You just have to keep focused, keep pushing and keep learning as many tricks as possible to reduce costs without reducing the quality of my designs.

In which business areas did you receive support?

I have had some financial support which  has been an essential course of action in order to be able to grow and move in the direction I have planned. A recent decision was to employ a good PR agency, which involved a big financial commitment.  It wouldn't necessarily suit everyone, but for me it is an important step.

You stock at online stores such as Luxxlab, Boticca and jewelstreet. How did you decide which are the right online stores for your brand?

Initially I was happy to list on quite a few online stockists. However, as things have progressed I’ve been able to look at the stockists that suit my work more and rationalise my online outlets. I now look for the length of time an online stockist has been running, how much marketing they put into their store, who they also stock and the price points available there as well as the overall ‘look’ they present. 

Certain online boutiques are wonderful to work with and I am very glad to be listed on, it is a fabulous way of reaching a wide audience. Online boutiques take time to build momentum and a strong client base. The most important thing I consider is the kind of products the online boutique sells; if they are very cheap and cheerful then it’s unlikely that customers will be looking for higher priced items, so I think designers have to consider their market and stock appropriately.

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who plan to start their own creative business?

 I love sharing what I’m learning (both what’s worked AND what hasn’t!). However, everyone is different, so you have to research your market and what suits your designs and your way of working, what works for one may not for another. 

The jewellery trade is multi faceted, so there are many different ways of starting in business.  If someone wants to create a brand then my advice is to be very clear about what you want to do and how you work. Ask yourself many questions and be a ‘devils advocate’. Once you have done this, be positive. It may sound glib, but believing in yourself and reacting as positively as you can to everything that comes your way will make all the difference. 

My overall advice would be to try and map out what you would like to happen and how you can make it happen. Then be ready to have nothing go the way you thought it was going to go!  Think: BACK UP PLANS! If it all flows as planned, this is amazing, but if you encounter hurdles, have alternate ways of reaching the desired outcome, then you can quickly switch to plan b and keep moving forwards. Be determined, take on board any advice and give it due consideration. Above all, try & be fair to yourself, we can’t all be born knowing the answer to everything, it takes time to become more confident in decisions made.

What motivates you?
I've been sent these pictures today by a customer from San Francisco. I was rather impressed with their clean character and it turns out that her friend is a professional photographer and was snapping away all night. I thought they were rather beautiful. It's so nice to hear from happy customers!

Gia Belloni

Interview by Katja Widder

Video of the Week - Tory Burch gives Business Advice for Fashion Entrepreneurs

Our favourite video this week is this video featuring Tory Burch speaking about women entrepreneurs, the importance of having your own point of view in the fashion industry, and advising to never say no and always think forward.

A great inspiration for all fashion entrepreneurs!  


By Katja Widder