Step into the future
Working with orders
And finally, the first orders appear. Continuing to work together with showrooms requires such qualities from the designer as, for example, punctuality, activity, etc. A few recommendations will help to build the right relationship with foreign partners.
- The designer's reputation and trust in him depend on the literacy and timeliness of communications, the promptness of his responses to letters and calls.Meetings with buyers are planned in advance and delays in deliveries are extremely unfavorable for the showroom, for example, due to the expectation of accessories or the fact that the collection is still being sewn off.
- Compliance with deadlines and timeliness are mandatory conditions for the fulfillment of the first and all subsequent orders, even if we are talking about several units.
- When large, expensive orders appear, it is important to calculate your strength correctly and check whether it is realistic to fulfill them. The designer should be responsible for his production, informing the showroom that he is able to do all the necessary work.
- Transparency of relationships also affects the reputation of the designer, who should inform the showroom about where the collection is being made. For example, it would be wrong to say that the collection is sewn in Russia, and at the same time work with Chinese factories.
Collection delivery
Organizing collection delivery is a task that is often underestimated. Due to possible delays when contacting professional companies and agencies that deal with logistics and delivery, it is important to send the collection to the showroom in advance, counting on a period of at least a month.
There are various nuances, so if the collection is imported only for presentation, after which it is sent back, special mechanisms are connected. In such a situation, it is useful to refer to the international customs document "ATA carnet". It replaces customs declarations and allows for simplified and accelerated processing of temporary importation of goods in connection with exhibitions and fairs, as well as when moving samples, professional equipment and other product categories across the border.
Promising opportunities
The collaboration, which aims to produce the collection in Paris, is an excellent opportunity for the development of your brand. The French are open to small collaborations. The release of a small capsule collection labeled made in France will turn into an advantage of the brand, which will contribute to its promotion in Europe.
What does control and feedback give?
Tracking the dynamics of attendance at showrooms helps to identify a possible situation of absence of visitors or cases when buyers do not have time to visit all scheduled points.
A professional showroom should summarize and provide a report on the work done with feedback from customers who attended the presentation, noting everyone who is interested in the collection, and describe the wishes for the collection. It is important for a designer to be extremely attentive to all wishes. French specialists transmit relevant information, and their criticism is constructive and is an incentive for further development.
On the other hand, it is important for the designer to analyze his work in the showroom himself, remaining on a positive note, even if there are no purchases at first, which is quite natural with the competition that exists in Paris.
The position of the designer – «I'm cool, I want to be done as I see fit...»absolutely wrong. Representatives of showrooms are professionals in their field who have gained experience over many years in the conditions of the current system and the functioning of a mature industry. It is impossible to make a revolution in fashion in Paris.
It should be borne in mind that the showroom reserves the accumulated contacts and does not transfer them to the designer. Cooperation with buyers for French professionals has been developing for years, and it is based on friendly and human relations. The ethics of the relationship is such that buyers will never work directly with the designer represented by the showroom.
Russia with its rich culture and cold winter intrigues European specialists, and they are open to cooperation with domestic brands. However, even for a designer who is successful and consistently producing collections, it is important to soberly assess their capabilities and resources needed to enter the European market. The first stage is associated with investments and expectation, and the appearance of orders may require investment and re-organization of the production process. Therefore, in order to conquer new peaks, it is important to calculate all your steps and evaluate possible pitfalls. We hope that the practical advice of Lyudmila Mikhailova-Komandre and the support of Trend&Tendency will allow our readers to develop an optimal algorithm for developing new markets.
Text: Elena Varnina
Photo: Adrien Ganzer
