The second panel at our Las Vegas forum delved deep into the crux of issues designers face when selling their line. How can you make your garments pop in the eyes of a buyer? What makes a great retail display? Is social media a fad or can it really help your business? Most of all, the bottom line; what market vehicles should be a priority to help boost sales.

Christina Anderson, Online Fashion Editor of Lucky Magazine amped up audience involvement as moderator for our Get it Sold panelists. Joining Anderson were a host of experts which included Maryssa Miller, VP of E-Commerce at Create The Group, Megan Johnson, Director of Merchandising for Community Collection, Jeffrey Hutchison, President of Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates, and Brooke Hyden, Visual Merchandising Strategist at Zappos.

What Drives a Buyer to Purchase?
Opening the discussion Anderson asked the panel, “As a buyer, what criteria do you use when deciding whether or not to pick up a line?” Megan Johnson of Community Collective replied, “Where do we see your brand? What publications are you in? What are your top five stores? The stores you sell to are a huge representation of who you are.” Newer brands may have a harder time getting press, or getting picked up by retailers but Johnson also added, “Do you invest in your brand?” Iterating it’s important for her to see a label putting money back into the company to better their press efforts and photography.

Zappos Merchandising Strategist Brooke Hyden cited additional criteria. “Are you doing anything offprice like selling on Gilt, Ideeli, or Hautelook? We are in competition with offprice sites which creates a branding problem for Zappos.” Price-point is also a large factor. You want to target retailers who carry lines within the same price category to most effectively sell to your target market.  Though it may seem obvious, buyers also agreed they want to see something new, “not piggybacking on a trend,” and developing a unique perspective for your brand.

Space Jam: Building the Ultimate Retail Environment
Brick-and-mortar panel expert Jeffrey Hutchison had a few tips for brand space perfection. “Stay focused, and know exactly what you want.” When referencing stores who often tackle too many things at once Hutchison quipped, “their eyes are bigger than their stomach, focus, smaller can be better.” Ideally, you want a total brand experience, but don’t allow delusions-of-space-grandeur to cloud the visual path to your product.  Mind your manners, “customer service is important, service should be tailored to what you sell,” he advised. To those who are still apprehensive about investing in physical retail space, Hutchison presented Apple as a brand that has achieved a great number of sales both on and offline.

Focusing Your Efforts to Increase Revenue
Much like the vampires on True Blood, fashion has the ability to “glamour” its consumers into a state of whimsy; when getting down to the nitty-gritty of the design business, one thing matters; sales. Maryssa Miller, VP of E-commerce at Create The Group says, “search engine marketing, brand awareness, and direct marketing” are all key factors in boosting sales.  Hutchison drew attention to the advent of pop-up shops, which he deemed a by-product of the increasing number of empty retail space, due to economic downtown. “There as an opportunity there [pop-up shops], but not every opportunity is going to be the right strategy for your brand.” Essentially, every decision you make alters the image you project upon your consumer, so choose wisely.

Playing the Social Game
As an Online Fashion Editor for Lucky magazine moderator Christina Anderson sees immense value in utilizing social networks to help put your brand in the know. “Social media is a long term investment, it builds the relationship with your consumer,” says Megan Johnson.  Miller of Create The Group relayed that agencies are now able to quantify aspects of social media findings, “it has an indirect attribution to sales.” Pointing back to customer service, panelists all agreed that Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms are additional channels to interact with your customers, answer their questions and concerns, and show the industry you are pro-actively engaged with those interested in your products.

The Value of Great Photography
Success in the design business doesn’t come cheap. If you can only focus your finances in one area the panelists were unanimous with their disdain for one thing, bad photography. “Spend the money on photography! It’s the main way the consumer will see your product, photograph your garment from every angle,” says Megan Johnson. Zappos is well known for photographing items from all aspects, something the customer looks for when shopping online.  Good photography can be expensive but also goes a long way to best expose the appealing qualities of your work.

AFINGO Fashion Forum Las Vegas benefitted Goods For Good, we had a great time putting together this event and thank all attendees and panelists for their participation!

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AFINGO Fashion Forum NY: Inspiration to Execution

AFINGO Fashion Forum: Inspiration to Execution - the second in our Soho House Series and a great gathering of industry professionals with a myriad of viewpoints and experience. Sponsored by Lectra and smartwater.

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