Those of us that work in the fashion industry know all too well that time flies very, very quickly. We live months, seasons and even years ahead of the regular calendar. However 2011, with the successful launch of my business, SL Apparel Solutions, passed even faster than most. I am going to modify the saying; time flies when you are working hard and loving your clients!
I feel very blessed to have great friends and colleagues in the industry who have been unwavering ambassadors for me from the beginning. Upon launching SL Apparel Solutions, I was almost immediately connected to Falling Whistles, an organization that is very dear to my heart and whose mission continues to blow me away. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to manage a successful fundraiser for Falling Whistles together with PROJECT, HauteLook and many of the leading premium denim companies, as well as to build a long-term business strategy for them. Over the past year, Falling Whistles has shown a strong commitment to intelligent operations and strategic growth and I feel privileged to have been a part of this.
Another great company I partnered with over the past year was Denimocracy. My support for them morphed and grew from developing relationships with key retailers to merchandising seasonal collections to revamping their overall brand aesthetic and directing them with a go-forward business strategy. Despite many anticipated road blocks and a challenging denim marketplace, we accomplished a lot together and I thank the Denimocracy team for their diligence and commitment to doing what it takes. With a new team now in place and a fully revitalized collection I am excited to see what the future holds for Denimocracy.
Lastly, one of the most interesting and challenging projects I worked on was the launch of the brand, Marna Ro. In a very short time and from scratch, together with a fantastic marketing executive and two very talented designers, we developed a brand strategy, merchandised and designed complete men’s and women’s young designer collections, partnered with two amazing showrooms and successfully launched for Fall 2012. The apparel industry can be unforgiving and is not for those looking to make a quick buck. However, as with any business, if you build your line in an intelligent and strategic way and commit to your plan, it can be tremendously rewarding. This was the goal for Marna Ro and I fully believe they are in it for the long run.
Wrapping up my contracts in April with both Denimocracy and Marna Ro was bittersweet as my clients became like family. I am very proud to have played a big part in building the foundations of both companies and that I can see tangible results from my work with them is one of my favorite aspects of my business. It is an exciting time for SL Apparel Solutions as I am again meeting with prospective clients and look forward to working with new teams, coming up with new ideas and building new brands.
Outstanding. I rather suspect it’s the first of many successes.
Thank you! Yours are soon to follow!