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The
Clothing Chronicles ================================================
In This Issue: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Given the many emails I've received from readers over the last few weeks, it seems that many people are determined to make 2004 a profitable year. And not just by upgrading their image to command the attention, respect, and increased earnings that come from having a polished look. No, these folks want to turn their interest in fashion into a profitable venture - without selling stuff door-to-door. Can they do it? Could you? In fact, given all the possibilities that are out there, could you be sitting on a fashion goldmine -- and not even know it? Today's article ponders that question. Enjoy!
Diana ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are You Sitting On a Fashion Goldmine? Let's say that instead of going to work today or dealing with the carpool, you just sit around and flip through some fashion magazines. Or go shopping. Or go look at a wedding fashion show. Or play around with some makeup. Or stroll through a row of shops, looking at their window displays. Sound like fun? You bet! So what could be better than chucking work and doing any of those things on a cold January day? How about doing them and GETTING PAID for it? Sound insane? Not if you're a fashion journalist, an image consultant, a wedding planner, a makeup artist, or a window designer. In fact, those activities are part of the job description. Keeping abreast of what's happening in the industry is critical to one's success. Now I realize that many of you are perfectly happy with your life and may be tempted to skip over this. But having a "Plan B" is never a bad idea, particularly with more than 50% of the population reporting that they're worried about their job security. I also know from studying fashion history that being at the right place at the right time and recognizing an opportunity has propelled many people into fame and fortune that they never anticipated. So whether you were one of the ones who wrote, seeking advice on how to launch a fashion career, or you read through this and tuck it into the corner of your mind for future reference, I encourage you to mull over what I'm about to say. You never know what tomorrow may bring. Let's start with the basics: QUESTION: Do you need to live in a big fashion city like New York, Paris, Milan, or Tokyo to have a fashion career? ANSWER: No. Fashion happens all over, so fashion careers happen all over. One of the biggest names in home fashions, Tracy Porter, creates her popular designs from a converted barn on her farm in Wisconsin. You can learn more about her here: * * * * * * * * * * QUESTION: Don't you have to have a college degree or be licensed to work in the fashion industry? ANSWER: It depends on the job. While many high-profile companies like Condé Nast (publishers of Vogue, Glamour, Allure, and GQ), LVMH (parent company of luxury labels like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Donna Karan), and others often DO require degrees to work for them, and hair and makeup artists are required by law to be licensed to practice, that isn't true of many fashion jobs. Image consultants, personal shoppers, fashion show coordinators, and other similar positions do not require a degree, although training and continued study is always a plus. After all, the more you know, the better you'll be. * * * * * * * * * * QUESTION: Don't you have to be really well connected in order to launch a successful fashion career? ANSWER: No. Connections certainly don't hurt, but good ideas and great talent speak for themselves, as does plenty of good old-fashioned hard work. Consider these tales:
HARD
CANDY In the summer of 1995, Dineh Mohajer was a 22 year-old pre-med student who decided to spend the day shopping with her sister in Beverly Hills. Before she went, she mixed some blue coloring into her white nail polish and painted her toenails baby blue to match the color of her sandals. It was a fun, whimsical thing to do on hot summer day, nothing more. But she was stopped everywhere she went with people asking her where they could get blue nail polish. By lunch, Dineh and her sister had put together a business plan, and by summer's end, with editorial reviews in Vogue, Seventeen, and Elle driving sales, Dineh's new company, Hard Candy, was projecting $10 million in sales by the end of their first year. Since then, they've expanded their choice of nail polish to include 60 off-the-wall colors and have added dozens of related products. Oh --and Dineh never did make it to med school.
MOOROO
BOUTIQUE Mary Norton was a former filmmaker who had settled in Charleston to raise her family. But by 1998 when her two girls were still small, this stay-at-home mom had grown restless and was looking for something to do. It came to her in a dream: a handbag covered in flowers. She put together a few samples and gave them away to friends as gifts. When a babysitter -- who also happened to manage a boutique in town - saw them sitting on the dining room table, she talked Mary into letting her try to sell them in the store the next day. They were gone before lunch. Since then, these whimsical bags have found their way into magazines, television shows, and onto the arms of celebrities like Sharon Stone, Courtney Cox-Arquette, and Oprah, to name a few.
WRISTIES™ In 1994, ten-year-old K-K Gregory was playing in the snow in her backyard in Bedford, Massachusetts when her wrists started to hurt because they were cold and wet. She was wearing gloves and a coat, but her wrists kept getting exposed as she played. So she ssembled a fingerless glove that extended to her forearm and wore it under her gloves and coat. It worked like a charm. She was so excited about her creation that she took it to her next Girl Scout meeting to show all her friends. She was inundated with orders and Wristies™ was born. Since then, relying solely on publicity, Wristies have been featured in hundreds of magazines and television shows and are sold via her website all over the world. So - still think it's all about connections? * * * * * * * * * * QUESTION: If you want to start something part time from home, what options are available besides selling stuff door-to-door? ANSWER: While direct sales companies like Mary Kay, Doncaster, Lady Remington Jewelry and others have enabled lots of people to enjoy profitable fashion careers from home, selling isn't everyone's "cup of tea." Fortunately, there are lots of other choices. For example: IMAGE CONSULTANTS help their clients find the hairstyle, makeup, and clothing that best suit their body, lifestyle, and career goals. Image consulting is one of the top ten most popular home-based careers for women, and the Association of Image Consultants International (www.aici.org) reports that nearly half of their members work part time from home.
WEDDING PLANNERS help brides plan their weddings. From finding the right gown to securing the caterer, good wedding planners are in high demand all over the world by people who want to make their special day memorable but don't know how to pull it all together.
STYLISTS add polish and flair to media presentations. From creating the look and feel of an advertising shoot to helping socialites, politicians, and celebrities shine brightly when they're in the spotlight, good stylists can make really, really good money. While the competition can be fierce in major fashion cities, there's plenty of work in most metropolitan areas.
FASHION JOURNALISTS report and interpret the latest trends for publications. While most magazines and newspapers have fashion journalists on staff, many more are always looking for well-written pieces submitted by freelancers. Contact your hometown weekly or daily to see how you can become a contributor.
AFFILIATES use the Web to get paid for promoting other people's stuff. They create a website based on something they really love, like swimwear, shoes, lipstick, or whatever, and become a cyberspace sales rep for companies that sell those types of products on the Web. They then drive traffic to the website, induce their readers to click on the affiliate links, and get paid a portion of any resulting sale. Fast, easy, and effective - once you know what to do.
See? There are dozens and dozens of ways to go about it. You just need to find the right "fit" for you. No, you DON'T have to live in a big fashion city or spend years in school to have a great fashion career. You just have to figure out what you like, what types of commerce suit you best, and GO FOR IT! Depending on your interests, it's probably easier than you think. Want to learn what other options might be available? Then grab a copy of HOMEBASED CAREERS IN FASHION, http://www.fashionjobreview.com/homebased/index.htm to see just how easy launching a fashion career can be. If you mix your interests with the right opportunity, you never know - you COULD be sitting on a fashion goldmine. It certainly makes you think!
************** Until next time,
Diana Pemberton-Sikes
http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com ------------------------ Published by:
Top Drawer
Publications, LLC Copyright © 2004 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. |
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