Step into the future
Representatives of French showrooms offer high-quality service and are open to interaction, while they are demanding and scrupulous, disapproving of everything that destroys the effectiveness of collaboration. Therefore, a lack of attention to detail can negate the efforts spent on brand promotion.
Promotion opportunities
After the conclusion of the contract, showrooms in tandem with the press, if an agreement was reached in advance under this condition, provide advertising support to the designer and distribute information about the brand. This entails some restrictions related to the fact that the showroom works only with the PR agency that is its partner.
Sales and promotion are interrelated. If a designer pursues only advertising goals, then he is unlikely to implement such a strategy. Journalists will write about the brand only if it is sold somewhere. This is a significant advantage of the brand from the point of view of the press and representatives of the showroom. Cooperation with online stores is also positively evaluated.
The schedule of meetings and negotiations in professional showrooms is prepared in advance. In agreement with the director, the Russian designer can invite his clients to the presentation. In this case, they receive a newsletter and invitations from the European bureau, which contributes to the growth of the designer's image.
It is useful to pay attention to additional features. So, the full list of multi-brand showrooms operating in France, Germany, Italy and England, as well as the schedule of events can be found on the resource www.modemonline.com . On this platform, individual showrooms pages are presented, showing the name, work schedule and all participating designers. During the fashion weeks on www.modemonline.com presentations of showrooms and brands promoted by them are held, while information is distributed within the framework of fashion events and all points where collections are exhibited. The French Haute Couture Federation also supports showrooms opened in a number of countries, such as the UK, Finland, America, Dubai, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong.
What does commercial success depend on?
During the fashion weeks, designers from all over the world flock to Paris, and an incredible number of collections are presented there. Professionals visit pre-planned points, and the bulk of the budget for purchases is intended for those brands with which cooperation has been conducted for a long time. Buyers allocate only a small amount to test new brands, and only by the next season they can allocate additional funds for the collection.
At the first presentation in Paris, sales are unlikely. When signing a contract with a showroom, it is necessary to tune in to a long-term collaboration for three to four seasons. Only during this period of time will the professional public begin to recognize the brand and understand its concept. If a designer strives for a commercial result, then he needs to adopt patience and demonstrate the collection every six months. On the other hand, showrooms are also interested in a long period of cooperation.
The presentation of the brand in Paris raises its status in Russia and has a marketing result. However, from a professional point of view, showing the collection for one season is the wrong step. If a designer presents his brand, and then disappears and comes back only two years later, then he is perceived as a layman who failed to calculate his capabilities and strengths.
Another mistake is switching to work with another showroom when there are failures in sales and agreements. This situation complicates the tracking of the collection by the professional public. In this case, buyers who prefer to make purchases in the same place just have a hard time working with the brand.
Text: Elena Varnina
To be continued.
Photo: Adrien Ganzer
