Yan To FW2010 Haringey

[zamb]

Lots of interesting points Zamb.

After factoring the retail mark-up, PR, production costs etc. then people are surprised that the designer is actually doing well if they get a 10% return on retail. The reality of the situation, certainly in London is that it is nigh on impossible to make a living from fashion design, certainly in the early years. Some are close to bankruptcy and these are catwalk designers. Most of them cannot afford to wear their own creations. But that is the life we have all chosen.

I do think that designers should help each other though. There is a growing group of people in fashion I am working with in London, who believe in integrity and will help others because it is the right thing to do and not because there is another motive. It would be good to connect with others around the globe as I think that designers can achieve a lot by just working together.

Yan, thanks for the reply.
I disagree with the statements i highlighted. I dont believe it is possible to make a living from fashion design, and a good living too, without necessarily going the route of the mega companies.

My last full time job i had , I was making about 70K+ a year........for a person like me who doesn't live a lavish lifestyle, that was decent money. I told myslef that if I can make more money thabn that, doing my own business, I will always choose to do my own business. My goal is not necessarily to become rich from designing. I have been making clothes since I was thirteen years old. i do believe it is possible to do ones own work and be decently paid for it.

Here's how you CAN make a living.

1. Forget all the money for PR, unless your company becomes profitable to afford it.
2. Focus on as much private clients as you possibly can who are willing to pay retail or close to it for your work
3. Work with smaller boutiques/ specialty stores with whom you can build personal/ professional relationships with instead of the nameless/ faceless/ soulless conglomerates
4. Listen to the stores/ clients, they know more about what they want to wear than you do and this should significantly influence the design process.
5. Do smaller collections with a wider range of product offerings as this will help to increase sales.
6. Get into designing Non clothing, complementary objects as soon as possible
7. Forget about runway shows etc, and do them only via sponsorships or if your company CAN afford them after it becomes profitable.

there is more but i gotta run..........

Blessings
ZB

[Yan]

Interested to take this conversation further. I am close to securing my first NYC stockist so maybe over in the Summer. Be well and good luck with your collection.

[Yan]

Update

I just wanted to share this with my SZ community. My collection is going to be for sale in the Designers Studio at Harrods in November. My first proper stockist!

[SHYE_POSER]

Congrats and good luck! Not bad for a first stockist!
I have not been into Harrods in ages,is this a new section they have developed?

[Yan]

Thanks! I am supplying pieces for the designer room on the first floor. It has come at a very good time for me and I am humbled by the faith they have shown in me.

[clay]

Thanks! I am supplying pieces for the designer room on the first floor. It has come at a very good time for me and I am humbled by the faith they have shown in me.

Congrats!!!

[pierce4]

I wouldn't be humbled at all, I think your designs are very good and stand out in the sea of new designers, which is why you are in Harrods.

Have you thought about your next steps? Only advice I could give is to get a business plan together and start seeking angel investment. If your smart about it you could really do well.

[Yan]

I wouldn't be humbled at all, I think your designs are very good and stand out in the sea of new designers, which is why you are in Harrods.

Have you thought about your next steps? Only advice I could give is to get a business plan together and start seeking angel investment. If your smart about it you could really do well.

Thanks for the comment.For me as a designer with no training but with a wealth of life experience, it would have been complete folly to be the part of a design movement. If I cannot offer anything new and different, then I feel that I would be unnecessary and irrelevant. When I started designing I wanted to create looks that were sensual and sexual. In my mind there are lots of great designers who create amazing pieces but lack the raw sexuality that I believe in. The feedback I have received confirms that I was onto something.

You are right about the need to consider the next steps. I know a lot of doors will now open for me that would otherwise remain closed. For a lot of reasons I am unsure about angel investment. It would be good however to find a group of people to work with who can see the potential and work with me. As I am a lot older than your average new designer, I am quite set in my ways regarding people I will work with. I require total honesty, integrity, humility, commitment and kindness. After a lifetime in advertising I swore that I would act in this way and do everything I could to help my fellow man. I know that these traits are not common in the fashion world but these people do exist and I am slowly building up a network. If this appeals to anyone then hello.

[pierce4]

On the next steps, what I find good is to write out on a sheet of paper what you would like to be doing in 5 years. Then break it down into 1 year plans, 1 month plan and finally what I'm going to do tomorrow.
While its a bit david brent, at the same time it is a tried and tested method of clarifying where exactly you want to go and how to get there.

Also another good thing is to find a "gray head". Some older person who works in the industry with whom you can meet once a month and have a chat with. Also getting in touch with enterprise boards in your region can help with lots of things, from sourcing local manufacturers to grant aid. There is a lot of help out there if you look. Just last week I got an email about an EU funded program, specific for designers, where they organize a trade mission to Japan and through the embassy arrange meetings with heads of what ever company you would like to talk to. Its all out there for the taking ;) http://www.eu-gateway.eu/eu-fashion/

[Yan]

On the next steps, what I find good is to write out on a sheet of paper what you would like to be doing in 5 years. Then break it down into 1 year plans, 1 month plan and finally what I'm going to do tomorrow.
While its a bit david brent, at the same time it is a tried and tested method of clarifying where exactly you want to go and how to get there.

Also another good thing is to find a "gray head". Some older person who works in the industry with whom you can meet once a month and have a chat with. Also getting in touch with enterprise boards in your region can help with lots of things, from sourcing local manufacturers to grant aid. There is a lot of help out there if you look. Just last week I got an email about an EU funded program, specific for designers, where they organize a trade mission to Japan and through the embassy arrange meetings with heads of what ever company you would like to talk to. Its all out there for the taking ;) http://www.eu-gateway.eu/eu-fashion/

Thanks for the link. I have already applied for a UK backed trade mission to Tokyo but have also applied for this one. Do I take it that you are a designer?

[pierce4]

To be honest I don't know what I am anymore :)
I don't work in fashion, but there are similarities in our situations in that after doing alot of soul searching I moved from what would have been classed as running a lifestyle business to getting first round VC funding recently.

Its a goal of mine to hopefully down the line have enough money to invest in an upcoming designer but alas I'm up to my eyes in my own mess for the foreseeable future. But looking at your work I think it has commercial appeal as well as being very creative and while things are still tight, with the euro dropping so fast people are looking at somewhere to invest, so you should be ok if thats the path you choose.

[Yan]

To be honest I don't know what I am anymore :)
I don't work in fashion, but there are similarities in our situations in that after doing alot of soul searching I moved from what would have been classed as running a lifestyle business to getting first round VC funding recently.

Its a goal of mine to hopefully down the line have enough money to invest in an upcoming designer but alas I'm up to my eyes in my own mess for the foreseeable future. But looking at your work I think it has commercial appeal as well as being very creative and while things are still tight, with the euro dropping so fast people are looking at somewhere to invest, so you should be ok if thats the path you choose.

I would be really interested to hear more about your situation and good luck with what you do with the funding. There are so many talented designers in London who would welcome financial investment. Most of my contacts in the designer world are holding down other jobs or just starting to make a living.