My Name Is Victory

On Monday I got a call from Abe who has his own showroom on 35th street in the garment district. I had spoken with him briefly on Thursday. He told me he would call once he got a chance to review our online look book. During our phone conversation yesterday afternoon, he told me my dresses were lovely. But he also ran down a laundry list of issues he had with the collection which included everything from its fabrication (cotton) to the small number of looks in the line (7). But in the end, his biggest problem was with its price point. He thought that they were worth the asking price with all the handwork and finishes, but he felt that stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus would definitely have some resistance to the prices. He suggested that my associates and I try to sell the line to the stores ourselves because after a showroom gets its fee and commission, we will have very little cash-on-hand to show for all our efforts. He recommended that we contact the buying offices at a couple of local posh department stores and the buyers at high end specialty stores and schedule appointments for them to see the line. It makes perfect sense! But since we gave up our Manhattan showroom space on 8th avenue a few years ago, we really have nowhere to meet with these buyers. And I am sorry, but Starbucks is out of the question! And since none of us involved in this business venture have connections with buyers, it may prove a little difficult to get them to respond to our requests for a meeting. But I believe in making a way out of no way. Defeat has got to be staring me in the face and kicking me in my butt before I will give up. So what if we hire a seasoned sales professional who has the contacts? Maybe they'll give us a whirl on a commission-only basis? I mean, it's worth a try. Isn't it? And maybe, if we put our heads together, we can come up with a couple of people we know who are city dwellers with lovely living quarters who would not mind letting us use their homes to conduct these meetings. After all, a wonderfully talented new designer named Prabal Gurung did it and he has opened a few accounts with some reputable stores. Why can't I? I am a fashion industry survivor hell bent on making a success out of Sorta Kinda Enterprises. And if it means climbing through the window to accomplishment instead of walking through the door, then I better find a ladder. After all, my name is Victory.

Peace & Fashion!

Fashion Trials

It has been 11 days since I posted something new. And I hope that there are people out there still interested in traveling with me as I navigate the road to fashion superstardom.

This was a trying week that ended in triumph. No, I did not win Lotto. But I did start Monday in panic mode when I had to dismiss yet another tailor. When they say that good help is hard to find, they aren't kidding. My tailor, apparently, entered into a subcontract with a woman who was to sew my pieces. And initially, everything was fine. She created the muslin (a version of the dress in a cotton fabric that is used for fitting purposes before rendering it in the actual material) for two of the looks and we had a first fitting with my model, Valencia. But then two weeks passed without further progress. In fact, she was supposed to be on site to have more fittings and discuss any issues about the design details, but she never showed up. So when I met with my tailor and the seamstress at 1 p.m. this Monday past, I was not a happy camper. Long story short, after a nasty confrontation, I left panic-stricken with all my fabric, my $300 deposit, and nothing to show for that month of work. I scrambled to a nearby internet cafe struggling to carry the bolts of fabric so I could log onto my email. I had the forethought to place an ad on craigslist for a freelance tailor/seamstress when things started going downhill with my longtime dressmaker. Having already received responses from the posting, it was imperative to parcel the work out immediately. After all, I am on a deadline. What ensued that Monday afternoon was sheer craziness. I was shuttled by NYC taxis and subways from 57th street and 8th avenue down to 11th street and 2nd avenue back up to 37th street and 8th avenue and back down to 11th street and 2nd avenue and onto the theatre at 59th street between Park & Madison avenues in time for a 6 o'clock dramatic reading. Wheww! You know it's hard out here for a pimp! On Wednesday afternoon, I met with Evan, who hails from Louisville, KY, at the Starbucks at Atlantic Avenue mall in downtown Brooklyn. He will be completing the last look for me. He is the fourth and final clothier in my menagerie of freelance seamstresses and tailors. At least, that is what I hope.

On Thursday afternoon during a 4 hour period, Valencia and I raced from 37th street and 8th avenue to 11th and 2nd avenue and then up to 135th street off Lenox Avenue in Harlem. Each stop consisted of a quick strip down of her clothes and a slip on of my pieces where she was pinned, marked, and ordered to sashay in sky-high platform sandals. And I am pleased so far with the workmanship and the look of each piece and each muslin. I know this collection is going to knock 'em dead. I am triumphant.

Peace & Fashion!

If The Shoe Fits. . .

I have not designed a collection of tailored clothes for a minute now, but it is almost like riding a bike. I really enjoy the creative process and mapping out the details of each look. But I become anxious sometimes when I think about the cost of putting a collection together. How will I be able to afford this latest endeavor? But I just push on through because I know I am just following my destiny. My friend Sheila Rule says that I am "walking my prayer". Buying the fabrics and trims and then taking it all to the seamstress who will bring my illustrations to life is probably the first step after sketching. But I must also employ a fit model. This will allow us to refine the pattern of each piece so that we know my dresses are actually wearable on a live person. The task of finding someone who fits the bill wears me out. Of course, I could go to an agency, but I am trying to keep my costs down. So I let my fingers do the walking to craigslist.com - the new yellow pages - where I place an ad for a fit model. This Friday past my posting went up live and read like this:

Immediate hire for a fit model for the launch of a new line of cocktail dresses. Please be professional and punctual. You must have the following measurements - Bust - 34", Waist - 26", Hips - 37". Please be 5'9" or taller.

I got several responses from a gaggle of models and model wannabes. All of the women were lovely, but some didn't quite have the measurement requirements and others didn't quite have the height. But I was able to set up 5 appointments for the following Saturday afternoon at my local Starbucks. At 2:30 p.m. a call comes in from one of the candidates, "Hi Wilbur. I am here." To which I replied, "So am I. Please come on upstairs." Up the stairs comes the very statuesque goddess Valencia. She hails from Virginia and oozes Southern charm and grace. We talk like old friends. I am almost certain that the job is hers. But I must see all the ladies first. Fair is fair. Although I have scheduled each candidate 30 minutes apart, no one else has shown up. My watch is fast approaching 4:00 and I am about to hit it when another candidate calls. "Wilbur, I am only a few blocks away. Please wait for me." I am fine with that. The lovely and buxom Daniela and I are talking less than 10 minutes later. She, too, is very personable, but I think her bust measurement may be a little too large. We end our meet and greet and I tell her that even if she is not chosen to work with me on this project, there are certain to be other projects in the future. I am convinced that I have found my Cinderella. And her name is Valencia. After all, she is wearing the shoe so it must fit.

Peace & Fashion!