Designers Head to Hong Kong with FBI
Smaller labels, such as Desanka, face a common—but not insurmountable—predicament when it comes to offshore production, according to Frances Harder, founder and president of Fashion Business Inc. (FBI), a nonprofit mentoring and business-training organization for the apparel industry.
“Some [overseas] manufacturers will do small lots. Everything is built on relationships, so designers have to go to China, for example, and get an agent and source,” Harder said. “The key is getting out there and connecting with the right people.”
In January, Harder hopes to help a few new Los Angeles–based designers to make the right connections for their needs when she leads a trip to Hong Kong Fashion Week.
The company is helping to bring seven L.A. companies, which are FBI members, to the event, which takes place Jan. 17–20. They will have booths in the World Boutique, the designer area that includes 200 companies. The larger sourcing area of the show has more than 1,000 booths for foreign apparel factories. Last year’s show drew 25,000 people from Europe, Asia, South America and the United States.
Many of the designers participating in the trip are looking for new retail and distribution opportunities in Asia.
“Most of our guys deal with specialty stores, and I think there is a limit to how many specialty stores you can sell into,” said Harder, who will be conducting a seminar at the show about brand building for profit. “This broadens their whole possibility of furthering sales.”
Attending will be Frankie B.’s Freund; Tracy Perez, owner of childrenswear company Porky Pies; Ruthann Robinson, head of childrenswear company Kidcosmic; Murielle Hamilton, head of Murielle, a women’s contemporary clothing line; Tim Dig, head of womenswear clothing company Tim Dig Brand Jeans; Meredith Garrett, head of T-shirt company Signorelli; and Helen Kim, head of Mixi @ Zeeta, a juniorwear line.
Most of the companies are smaller enterprises hoping to expand their businesses by exporting to overseas markets searching for American-made clothing.
Dig said he feels there is an overseas market for his edgy-looking apparel, which is sold primarily at specialty stores in Southern California.
“I feel I need to branch out,” he said.
Dig’s label will be featured in a fashion show that includes 14 other designers. He is presenting eight looks. “I’m the only one from the U.S. in the show,” he observed. Most of the other designers are Asian.” Cost of the trip, including airfare, four nights at a hotel and a booth in the World Boutique area, is less than $2,000 per designer.
Hamilton’s line is only 5 years old, but she is already exporting about 10 percent of it to France, England, Australia, Canada and Japan.
“I’m going because I should have been going for years,” Hamilton said, noting that she saw this as a good opportunity to go with FBI.
Freund, who said that Frankie B. is exporting about 15 percent of its line of low-rise jeans, which retail for $180–$250, and other contemporary bottoms and tops, is looking for more distributors in Asia to boost the company’s business.
Desanka’s Fasiska is hoping to be a part of the group too.
“It sounds like the perfect opportunity,” she said.
