Roland Nicholas:
Caribbean fashion has been growing at a steady pace, with fashion designers beginning to show a keen awareness of haute couture. Their pieces look excellent on the catwalk, with tall, leggy mannequins strutting their stuff in a glamorous atmosphere. The ‘fashion-istas’ in the audience are lapping it up, and the fashion artistes are savoring the glory, thinking about the big sales they are about to receive after the show.
Then something strange happens. Hardly any orders are made after the show. The fashion designers are puzzled. ‘The audience adored my work. Why aren’t they rushing to buy my works of art?’ Here’s a possible reason - your potential buyers are not fashion models. They can’t all fit into the show dresses, which usually have so many fitting needles that it’s a wonder no model bleeds to death. You see, an artist uses his/her blood, sweat and tears to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. These works usually are high-priced and their worth is exclusively appreciated by the image-conscious, affluent few. Although the sales can bring high profits, purchases are rare because the demand level is very low.
Even the internationally-known fashion designers such as Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and even P-Diddy understand that to make money in the clothing market, the catwalk styles must translate to meet the body requirements for the everyday shopper. Body structure or ergonomics have to be studied to provide the most comfortable fit for all sizes. Mass production manufacturing issues have to be addressed. Ingredients like labor and equipment, marketing, distribution channels and logistics are factors to consider when going into product development.
So here’s the question - ‘Are you a Business Person, or a Designer?’ Check it here .
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