Good finds

[Arkady]

Huh. Some really good pieces went up so far.

And now everything's been taken down? Err

[Arkady]

Possibly because each one linked to his store page? Don't reckon Grailed likes being a storefront to another store without taking some kind of cut (I mean, I assume it takes a cut, haven't sold there--can't see how else it'd survive).

Very good point. More for me, hadn't been aware of that tumblr.

[zamb]

Possibly because each one linked to his store page? Don't reckon Grailed likes being a storefront to another store without taking some kind of cut (I mean, I assume it takes a cut, haven't sold there--can't see how else it'd survive).

i don't want to see him do this..........I would rather he packed them away nicely in his company Archive.

I want to see him come back and do nice work. i miss him........
it really sucks for smaller designers

[Arkady]

I'd almost rather he sustain himself on laser cut leather penises and high fashion sniper rifles.

[Faust]

Possibly because each one linked to his store page? Don't reckon Grailed likes being a storefront to another store without taking some kind of cut (I mean, I assume it takes a cut, haven't sold there--can't see how else it'd survive).

I don't think Grailed takes a cut. That's the reason for its popularity.

[Extreme Mildness]

Possibly because each one linked to his store page? Don't reckon Grailed likes being a storefront to another store without taking some kind of cut (I mean, I assume it takes a cut, haven't sold there--can't see how else it'd survive).

Well, in principle, Grailed is totally free, according to their FAQ. Also according to the founder in this interview.

It’s all free right now, other than the processing cut Paypal takes

Although it's a little fishy, because the Paypal cut is paid to Grailed instead of being deducted from the payment directly. Who knows how much of it really goes to covering the fees .

[Arkady]

Yeah actually you're right Faust, while it's in beta it's free.

Maybe he had a change of heart after putting 120 pieces up.

[zamb]

Yeah, it seems an increasingly unpleasant world for the indies. I suspect the big players like it that way--they'd prefer a labour market where no-one has the option of quitting to do their own stuff. And making young up-and-comers undergo severe economic hardship just to put out a season or two under their own name creates pressure for them to sign up the moment LVMH comes calling, and not complain when they have little freedom.

Of course, we the consumers are complicit in this--we treat little players as though they're big companies, exploit them at every opportunity, and look out for our own bottom line even when it means fucking them over.

It is a crazy time.......a crazy crazy time for small independents. and I can tell you that you haven't heard the end of it.
I think we are all at fault, the designers, the stores, the customers.......we are all at fault.
I was talking to a fellow designer last nigh and i can say SS15 is the worse season i have seen in the last 3+ years.


I think the business model for smaller companies have to change, because the current one is sure to lead to disaster for many.

[tobsucht]

last conspiracy derbys in size 40 but you have to check if int shipping is available

click

[zamb]

Well

for the very early stages through a series of circumstances, we here developed a model that worked for us. its not glamorous, its not the most attractive but it has worked so far and saved me a lot of headaches. I cannot say we we have not struggled, we have, and continue to, this season has possibly been out toughest. but since the structure of the business is sold, we can weather these storms

Geoffrey has a similar model at his company's core and Sruli was functioning form a similar model too, even though I cannot speak to the specific circumstances that caused him to close.

Our business is Part Private Clients/ Part Wholesale to boutiques/ Part retail. We own our own production facilities and make everything ourselves and there is not a lot of outside contracting for me there is no going out of business. partly because the business is not run simply by paying to get work done, but by doing the work, A LOT OF IT, myself.

All in all I think designers need to grow more organically, forget about investors, forget about seeking outside funding, and try to build a closer relationship with consumers. I am not saying forgo the stores, but a closer partnership and cooperation needs to be developed between the designers and the stores.
Another thing that needs to be looked at is Just in time manufacturing. which leads to less overproduction.
there are other factors that needs to be considered. Also in my mind, pricing has gotten completely out of hand. i have no problem with whatever people want to sell their work for, but the reality is there isn't enough customers and isn't enough demand to build a business selling 6K Leather jackets and 3K pants. There just isn't.
I Know that a lot of my peers will not like me for saying this but the whole thing needs to be restructured and fast. if it isn't then we are going to see more fallout, more companies closing and all that will be left is BIG CONGLAMORATES, fast fashion, and a few middle brands who does it for vanity reasons with the funding for the business coming from outside sources raher than the business themselves.

Another real problem is also the fact that in the last 2-3 years, prices for designer goods have doubled, however people disposable income has certainly not, so the customer has less money to spend on clothing, when these things happen.

Change how?

I've heard from some that should know that doing runway shows isn't always the best idea for small designers (the artificial schedule, the planned-obsolescence of seasonality leading to pressure for constant newness, the cost of the actual events). But then Geoffrey does it and seems to get a lot out of that process.

I remember you saying the other day that perhaps designers themselves had failed--how, exactly?

[anttiv]

I was in contact with http://ra278.tumblr.com/ and they confirmed that the grailed listings were not of their doing. The pictures and descriptions were stolen directly from their site.

Smells very much like an attempted scam.

[Arkady]

I was in contact with http://ra278.tumblr.com/ and they confirmed that the grailed listings were not of their doing. The pictures and descriptions were stolen directly from their site.

Smells very much like an attempted scam.

Oh shit, must be if that's the case.

[zamb]

Interesting. Thanks!

How do you think the closer relationship with consumers should be achieved? .

there is no single way of doing this. I think trying to build a healthy base in your local community is always a good think. that's one of the issues we here at ZB are trying to correct. we are really looking to build a better customer base in NY. another way of doing this is by engaging customers and creating a channel of communication between yourself and them. this does not have to exclude the stores. another thing are collaborating on events with the stores like "trunk shows" in store appearances and other things that can certainly help to allow the customer a greater level of knowledge and appreciation for the products

I
Agree on pricing--although the reverse (consumers expecting unreasonably low prices for things that take quite a lot of work) is surely also an issue.

Agreed, but pricing can partly reflect the amount of work that goes into the items. We have had our fair share of low ballers, and people who simply don't care about the value of the product but want to acquire it for the lowest possible price. in such a case i just move long because i'm not interested in that kind of customer because they do not allow for growth and progress of a business

for our company, some of the items created in category M was to allow for products that were less expensive than others without necessarily creating a second" diffusion" line, which i have no interest in.

All in all, i am not for supporting a designer simply because he is "small" but i do believe smaller brands should be supported more, and helped to become healthy and sustainable. there used ot be a lot more of that here on SZ, but from my observation it has become less and less......

[Arkady]

Zam in your case I think you're really on track with the studio visits / physical sales / other ideas you've mentioned to me. If I respect an artist's work I always seek them out so to me this is a perfect style for engaging others.

To be honest a short documentary video about your background and process wouldn't hurt, your roots are very unique in this market as far as I've seen.

[Arkady]

Although the grailed listings linked to this site, which seems to be his main site--are we sure the tumblr thing is real?

Can anyone confirm infoatra278@gmail.com is an address with any relationship to Sruli? They replied to me pretty quickly but said they could take my order and ship on the 14th which is a little "hmm"

I'll email their main site and try to find out.