Archive for October, 2007

No Spanx…No Thanks

October 31st, 2007 Ralinda Harvey

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketI was traveling to Paris last week with a very good and very very curvaceous friend of mine who’d left something very very crucial at home.

I left my “Spanxs!” she frantically exclaimed. Huh? Well of course I’d heard of them they’re the footless pantyhose that have been so impeccably branded and promoted they’re in a league of their own. Certainly my dear friend had enough sense to realize they are just pantyhose…they could easily be replaced.

Well unfortunately the long flight may have shaken some of her marbles a loose. My friend explained she wears Spanx every single day and they were the only things that put her hips “under control.” She wouldn’t think of spending her European vacation without them. Knowing the power of branding the way I do…my reaction “You couldn’t be serious?” but at the same time “You probably are.”

So we hit the road…not to see the Eifle Tower, The Louve or to stroll the Champs Elysees…. we were on a hunt for Spanx. Many stores…. confused salespeople and evil looks from me later she reluctantly purchased a “tummy control,” girdle…the kind that have been around forever. As far as I could see they controlled her hips more than enough.

Spanxs essentially created a category of one. They transcend control top footless pantyhose into the only “real Spanks,” you could buy. Was it the fun name…the cute packaging….or the clever tagline of “power panties.” (more…)

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Desperate for Product Placement

October 31st, 2007 Ralinda Harvey

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketI had a chance meeting in Atlanta with the director of Business Development for Compulsion.

Compulsion what? The guy claimed it was revolutionary. Whatever…everything’s revolutionary these days. I’ve been known as a hard nut to crack but once I watched the Compulsion demo on his laptop I knew…right then…right there. These folks were about change the world of Ecommerce.

Well, everyone knows the sexy stepsister of advertising has always been product placement. However the biggest problem with product placement is the frustration it presents. Yeah, I’ve wondered what type of blackberry McDreamy was using or what lip gloss Gabby had on the last episode of Desparate Housewives. I mean we all think about those things….Don’t we?? But what are you supposed to do…Google it and hope it comes up? That’s so 2006. (more…)

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Getting to the Top…Search Engine Optimization

October 31st, 2007 Ralinda Harvey

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The topic of Search Engine Optimization was the big buzz at my online marketing seminar last night.

“How can I get to the top!” the attendees clamored…banged on the tables and shot daggers at me that resembled bic pens. Aghhhhhhhhhh…the expert has been exposed. Let’s give everyone a refund and I’m going to try to get home to watch the series premier of Hero’s. Cool?

Ok, seriously sometimes I am prone to exaggerate…however if I had the formula to get anyone any term they want at the top of the Google search listings I’d be hosting seminars on the rooftop of my Malibu mansion instead of the LA Mart and my refreshments would change from bottled water to bottles of Moet & Chandon . Really.
The exact Google algorithm for getting to the top is the best kept secret since McDonald’s secret sauce. Many firms can give you their “guarantees,” for certain words in the organic listings….for typically a certain very high price.

Attention folks….There really aren’t any true guarantees! Which probably explains the use of the term search engine “optimization” instead of Search Engine Placement firms. This slight mince of words serves as the loophole that illustrates the inherent limitations in “cracking the code.” (more…)

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The Politics Of Fashion

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

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With the fashion industry generating over 350 billion annually, a few New York based designers ( Diane Von Furstenberg, Narcisco Rodriguez and Nicole Miller just to name a few) have formed a coalition in seeking that the current US copy write law extend to the fashion world. The Council of Fashion Designers of America is pushing for the Design Piracy Prohibition Act. The act would grant a three year copyright protection in fashion designs, and would incur penalties of 250,000 or $5 per copy when violated.

The bill also might go as far as protecting not only the design concepts cut and shape, but also go farther and actually protect the pattern on a piece of fabric used for garment assembly. Both Houses have agreed and have drafted similar bills recognizing the need for US fashion industry to be protected by law.

What has caused this change of attitude in the fashion world when after all fashion is a re-inventing of itself from past trends to drawing inspiration from other designer’s .In the past the view was that”Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?” Why change now? Three drastic things have turned the American fashion world to take notice and re-think the rather relaxed view of the past. (more…)

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Fashion Adventures In A Girl’s Life With Anna Sui

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

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It takes a lot of hard work and determination to reach the Top of the fashion business, and Anna Sui has certainly succeeded. Time Magazine included her in the list of five most important fashion gurus of this decade. She was born in Detroit in 1955 and moved to New York City after High School. She enrolled at the prestigious Parsons School of Design and went on to work as a stylist for the fashion photographer, Steven Meisel.

After designing clothes as a young woman, inspired by the models in magazines, Anna Sui found her own style. She developed her designing business throughout the 1980s and was ready to put on her first runway show in 1991. The models included Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. Anna launched her own clothing line the following year and opened the first of her boutiques in New York City. Eventually she would have boutiques in Tokyo, Osaka, Hollywood and Los Angeles. She has continued to be particularly popular in Japan, and has designed the costumes for an anime (Japanese style animation), Television series.

The collection is sold in over thirty countries, and commands premium price tags as befits a top designer Label. The range of dresses, tops and skirts etc. has a modern feel about it, and Anna Sui says she was inspired by the rock chic look. There are also accessories for sale such as bags and belts. Her status Is sealed by the endorsement of an impressive list of Celebrities including Madonna, Christina Ricci, Cher, Courtney Love and Patricia Arquette. James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins is also a fan. (more…)

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Careers in the Fashion Industry

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

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Interest in the fashion industry is on the rise, and so are the opportunities – and the competition. It is relatively easy to earn a degree in fashion design, merchandising, or fashion marketing. Each of these segments focuses on a different aspect of the fashion industry. As the fashion industry continues to grow, there is an increased need for educated and specialized staff in the fashion world. Those who have the appropriate fashion degree education will find that they are more marketable in this competitive industry. You will find that a fashion degree education offers programs that are tailored to what specific field you are interested in. The three main opportunities with a fashion degree are fashion design, fashion marketing and fashion merchandising.

Becoming a fashion designer is a dream for many people. But only those with artistic ability and serious determination will succeed in this competitive industry. A fashion designer has an eye for lines, textures and color and brings their vision to life through drafting. Once a final sketch is complete, the designer must choose materials to be used in the final product. After the fabric is chosen, a pattern is cut from the fabric and sewn together. (more…)

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Unforgettable Fashion Tips for the Powerful Businessman

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketIt wasn’t very long ago when acceptable business attire wasn’t hard to understand. It was simple. Men wore suits and women wore dresses and blouses. In men’s business clothing, acceptable fashion does not change considerably every year since it is more about being professional than being fashionable. You want to present yourself in a way that makes your clients and customers feel comfortable and more importantly, confident.

Think about this scenario: you have an important business meeting and you are not sure what to war. Who do you think your clients will feel more comfortable giving their money to someone in jeans and sneakers or you in your best dark suit? The answer is pretty obvious and further shows why you need to choose clothes that impress. You want to do everything you can to stand out from the rest of the competition.

The number one rule is to dress for success. The professional businessman needs to keep in mind these few fashion points when deciding what to wear to work.

Business formal

No matter what, you’ll want to own a black suit or if not black, a navy suit with either a slight sheen to it or maybe a tone on tone. (more…)

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Making Money in Fashion – Starting Your Clothing Line Business in 8 Steps

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at PhotobucketEver imagined owning your own clothing line? Who hasn’t been to a store to find the ugliest design you’ve ever seen charge $50 and up? Or walked down the street and wondered how any human could allow them self to be seen in such an ugly clothing article? Have you ever thought to yourself, if they could design that and someone bought it, why couldn’t I?

Learn from my mistakes how you could start selling clothing with an upfront cost less than that of a PS3 game!! No hype, just the facts. Before I get to how that’s possible, let me walk you through having your own full fledge clothing line. I am by no means an expert, but I do know that what I’ve learned through blood, sweat, and tears can benefit any one interested in the same dream I had. I’m not selling anything, so the information I present is yours to use and assimilate as you wish.

1. Know your Market- Any business book or self-help guru will tell you this, but in the fashion industry this is especially important. Your market determines how much you can sell your clothing for, what style of clothing, what colors, even your clothing line name. It’s important to do research, which doesn’t always have to be in the form of sitting behind a computer looking up boring statistical data. Get out into the market, check out malls, movie theaters, and anywhere else your ideal market goes. Look at magazines that focus on your demographics, TV shows, even your own closet. Ask yourself why you spent the money you did on your clothing items. (more…)

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Bursting At The Seams! Fashion Insider Reports Industry Profits

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

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The fashion industry is a utopia where money rains down on streets paved with gold; where the citizens are bedecked in the finest fabrics and jewelry known to man. They live in extravagant homes surrounded by diamonds that grow from trees. This utopia is such an amazing place that words cannot describe it. Well, okay maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. But when you see the staggering amounts of money that is made in the fashion industry annually, it is hard to not compare the industry to a fairytale.

The fashion industry seems to attract money like iron filings to a magnet. Clothing lines make millions of dollars each year, some well-established lines and designers even make billions of dollars. Now the fourth largest industry in the world, the fashion industry brings in $4 billion a year and includes the revenues from old established companies and a host of new clothing lines introduced by the urban market.

Contemporary Fashion History at a Glance

Initially Contemporary fashion as we know it was run by such top couture companies and designers as Channel, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld Gloria Vanderbilt, Dianne VonFurstenberg, Ralph Lauren, and Liz Claiborne to name a few. These and others such as Donna Karen, Guess? and Tommy Hilfiger bought couture style to the ready-to-wear market. Today, new clothing lines have made their mark upon the fashion industry, and include the wave of urban clothiers like Phat Farm, Sean John, Rocawear, and at one-time the mega clothing company FUBU.

Given the laundry list of clothing companies and fashion designers, one would think the market is over saturated. But quite the contrary is true. Like an elastic waistband, the market has simply expanded to accommodate each new clothing line, many of which have been able to capture a significant portion of market share to be rewarded with millions of dollars for their creativity, fashion sense and work efforts. Simply put, if you are the owner of a hot clothing line, chances are, you’re rich!

Marketing Genius (more…)

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Top 3 Jackets For Fall 2007 Through Winter 2007-2008

October 30th, 2007 Fashionista

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket1. The Skirt Suit Jacket

The skirt suit is back. So the first jacket would be something you can wear with one or more of your skirts as part of a skirt suit ensemble. Or maybe you should get the entire suit. These jackets are short, ending at the waist, or if they do end below the waist, a sexy peplum that flounces from the waistline emphasizes the shape for the season, making the waist appear even smaller in comparison.

Since black is the most popular color for Autumn and winter 2007, and a black jacket would be easy to match exactly — just any skirt or pants that’s black would do — should you get a black jacket?

In the first place, do you look radiant in black, or does black make you look sickly?

If black makes you look fab, go for a black jacket with a peplum that you can wear as part of a skirt suit. If not, get that jacket in a color that you actually look good in and get the matching skirt. (more…)

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