GARLAND & GARLAND FASHION

What lies ahead for Retailers in 2012?

2012-01-09T13:54:00.001-08:00

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

2011-11-25T16:35:00.001-08:00

Mentor with Balenciaga in your Fashion Future…
November 22, 2011

Want to intern with the likes of Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana or Christian Dior? While it may seem like a distant dream to many aspiring designers think again! Fashion Future – Australia’s No.1 Fashion Destination for Careers, Emerging Talent and Fashion Mentors – has just launched the inaugural International MENTOR Program 2012. With 20 Global experiences for all careers in fashion, design, retail, PR and the beauty industry, Fashion Future has secured over $250,000 worth of money cannot buy mentor experiences including financial support and prizes.

Officially extending its domestic mentoring service, which has linked emerging talents with distinguished industry names such as Carla Zampatti and David Jones executive David Bush, Fashion Future is now offering 20 global fashion opportunities across New York, London, Milan and Paris and is open to those in Australia who work within the industry – from fashion designers to fashion journalists, according to a Ragtrader report.

The CEO of Fashion Future, Pamela Trantalles drew on her 20 plus years in human resources, strategic talent acquisition, coaching and mentoring to develop the Fashion Future initiative which has created a leading edge program for emerging creative talent, and provides practical business foundations in the form of international networks, internships, Fashion Week access, trade events, skill development, career experience and opportunities.

Fashion Exposed Online resident contributor and director of Garland & Garland Fashion agency, Phoebe Garland has been appointed mentor to the Australian Fashion Future Board along with Carla Zampatti, Alex Perry, Camilla Franks, Camilla and Marc, Wayne Cooper, Nicola Finetti, Michelle Vanzella-Westfield, David Briskin-CEO Sass& Bide, Elle Roseby-Sportsgirl, Phoebe and Robert Garland, Aurelio Costarella, David Bush-David Jones and many others.

Phoebe recently spoke with Pamela on taking Fashion Future to a global level.

Fashion Future Mentor program provides a mentoring service from some heavy weight fashion industry professionals. Who are some of the fashion mentors you have on board?

I have been very fortunate to build a team a leading designers, Industry professionals and Fashion business who donate their time in a monthly basis to support, nurture and develop Australian emerging fashion designers. The mentor team is constantly growing with more leaders and industry professional wanting to ‘give back’ and support young talent. I have over 60 mentors currently and many more ready to be connected. Mentors include, Carla Zampatti, Alex Perry, Camilla Franks, Camilla and Marc, Wayne Cooper, Nicola Finetti, Michelle Vanzella-Westfield, David Briskin-CEO Sass& Bide, Elle Roseby-Sportsgirl, Phoebe and Robert Garland, Aurelio Costarella, David Bush-David Jones just to name a few.

What feedback have you had from the emerging designers on their mentoring from these industry people?

The positive feedback has been absolutely amazing- from both the protégés and MENTORS. The most common feedback from the emerging designers is the increased opportunities that have arisen from introductions made by the Mentors. The sharing of information has saved the designers time and money fast tracking their learning curve. Also, another frequent comment is the harsh reality that designers should be …a little more commercial in their aesthetic in order to see them through thiscurrent economic climate.

Your background is in recruitment, what made you decide to set up a fashion mentoring program for emerging designers?

Recruitment is about finding the right job to match your skills set and then surround yourself with the right people to ensure your career/professional journey is energised, colourful supportive and safe. Emerging fashion designers in Australia aspire to start their own label very quickly which is courageous and commendable. They have 2 confronting business issues, firstly the research, design and production of their collections and secondly but very importantly they are also building a business.

Have any of these emerging designers found employment as a result of your program?

Yes- mainly part time, casual and freelance as the designers still aim to achieve their goals and design their own collections.

Where are the biggest mistakes or perceptions these young designers have initially?

Fashion design is like any other career or business it must be financially sustainable and it’s necessary to have a solid business infrastructure or business foundation to ensure the core business of design can easily flourish.

How does this work and which mentors have you got on board overseas?

There are 20 Global Fashion Opportunities and the total prize package is valued at $250,000: 10 internships and 10 global experience including mentor experiences and tickets to New York and London Fashion weeks and Paris Trade event.
The international mentors/ internships/stakeholder include:
Balenciaga
Christian Dior
Diane Von Furstenberg
Dolce & Gabbana
Giorgio Armani
Herve Leger
Prada
Salvatore Ferragamo
Tom Ford
Viktor & Rolf
IMG Fashion-New York
London Fashion Week
Sportsgirl Designer Collaboration

The 2012 International MENTOR Program is a natural evolution of Australia’s National MENTOR program. Locally, over 60 leading designers, industry professionals and Fashion businesses have come together as a united team – creating a platform to mentor, support and nurture young fashion designers.
On-line registration is now open. Visit www.FashionFuture.com.au/newyork for more details.

Internship applications close 12th December and the Global Fashion experience category closes 13th February 2012.
Visit www.FashionFuture.com.au

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Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Why the fashion industry needs something to "torque" about.......

2011-11-24T21:30:00.001-08:00

Image courtesy of http://nic-nakcastle.blogspot.com/2011/11/torque-town-hall.html?spref=fb

Fashion Torque recently celebrated a "Invitation only" 1st birthday party at Melbourne Town Hall for their live chat show which recently celebrated a year in operation.

Photo courtesy of Irish Rivera: Left: Philip Boon & Jenny Bannister

Fashion Torque's co-hosts, the wonderful iconic fashion designer Jenny Bannister and the most stylish man in Melbourne, super celebrity stylist, Philip Boon have managed to create a wonderful opportunity for the industry to come together monthly to hear industry expert guest speakers discuss their area of expertise. And it's a truly fascinating experience. Philip Boon has always been extremely mindful not to 'bore' people, and always wanted it to be interesting to people outside of the fashion industry.

Image courtesy of http://nic-nakcastle.blogspot.com/2011/11/torque-town-hall.html?spref=fb

Whilst, Jenny Bannister always wanted to ensure it was a 'free' event for the industry to come together to network without people having to fork out expensive membership fees. This consideration they show their audience is just the reason why they are such a big hit. And come together they do. The crowds do come in great anticipation.

Fashion Torque front row: Left: Candice De Ville, Phoebes Garland, Dean Hewitt, Suzanne Carbone

I was utterly thrilled and humbled to receive an invitation to this wonderful event, despite living in Sydney, which had some of Australia's finest panelists all getting together to recap on some of the topics. Boring it was not! It was fascinating to hear from all the panelists. Front row, was The Age's columnist, Postcode 3000, Suzanne Carbone, the archival couture expert and owner of Madam Virtue & Co, the devine Dean Hewitt, myself, along with beautiful fashionista & Fashion Exposed Editor, Sacha Strebe and blogger of Stylexicon, Anthony Capon, Project Runway winner, Kara Baker, the striking Candice Deville, who specialises in vintage, fashion designer Gwendolynne Burkin, while Blogger, Jane Hayes, of The Little Black Dress fame, Kyra Pybus of Pybus P.R, Daniel Dykes from Fashionising.com, along with many others of Australia's leading talent.

The evening kicked off with a very cheeky and humorous rendition of Madonna's "Vogue" from Dean Drieberg which had the audience loving his rap element and was a great way to kick start the show. Held on the balcony of the town hall, it gave the evening a hint of glamour and class. And then out came the devine hosts, Jenny and Philip.

But aside all the festivities, I walked away feeling in complete awe and amazement at what Philip Boon and Jenny Bannister have created for the fashion industry and why it's needed. The Sydney fashion industry is known mainly for celebration of exclusiveness and A-list parties and truth be told it's all froth and bubble with very little substance.

Image courtesy of Kellie Dene - Left: Dean Hewitt & Jenny Bannister

I found it utterly refreshing and far more enjoyable building lasting friendships through Fashion Torque of some very talented people, who have not only amazing talent but "keep it real" with their wonderful tales of honesty about their own shortcomings and hardships about the industry, but with an incredible supportiveness of each other. The Fashion Torque crowd are one of the most genuine and down to earth people I have ever meet. Their instant friendliness and warmth to outsiders, even from rival cities is utterly infectious and gives me a strong sense of walking away wanting to be a better person.

No one should be shy about attending Fashion Torque on their own, as they will be greeted with such warmth from these hosts who have such impeccable manners. The entire night I felt like I was treated like a queen, with them always looking out for me and the gorgeous Dean Hewitt ever so attentive. As a Sydney sider, I call upon every big wig in the fashion industry in Sydney to use their connections to help bring Fashion Torque to a more global level. This offers, not only emerging designers a fantastic opportunity to mingle with industry experts, but also for the general public to watch these amazing hosts in play and their guests. This industry is tough for anyone working in it, even for the established players and it's not getting any easier with the influx of overseas chain stores. To have a chance to network with some very talented like minded people, not be scrutinised, gain inspiration and have a few drinks and have some fun is something that is dearly needed.

Image courtesy of Kellie Dene: Left: Sarah Wilcocks - Style Melbourne, Sacha Strebe, editor of Fashion Exposed Online & Stylexicon, Candice Deville - founder of Candice Deville, Phoebe Garland - Garland & Garland Fashion & Dean Hewitt - co-founder, Madam Virtue & Co.

Bravo Jenny Bannister & Philip Boon, you are both credits to the Fashion Industry.
Thank you for getting us all together. xx

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/Image courtesy of

RIMMEL London celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Kate Moss

2011-09-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

WHAT A NIGHT! On the 22 September, 2011, Sydney’s Hyde Park Barracks came alive with a London themed extravaganza to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Kate Moss as the face of Rimmel London. The ‘Cool Britannia’ themed event saw the acclaimed Sydney setting transformed into an otherworldly smokey London venue, to rival even Prince Harry’s most popular party destination.

Celebrating a decade of beauty, glamour and style with arguably Britain’s most recognizable style icon Kate Moss as their face, RIMMEL London teamed up with Wheels & DollBaby to launch a nationwide designer search.
Kate Moss herself judged the competition and selected South Australian finalist Kelly Champion as the winner of the “Get The London Look” Rimmel London tee design competition. Champion will receive flights to London, 2 VIP tickets to London Fashion Week Fringe Winner’s show in February 2012 including backstage access and meet with designer & influential fashion writer Colin McDowell.

A Wheels & Dollbaby runway show spectacle rocked the roof off the Barracks, featuring the finalist designs, with the winning design modeled by Brit Rock n Roll royalty Leah Wood (model, artist and daughter of Rolling Stones rocker Ronnie Wood).

Sydney celebrities arrived in UK style in traditional London Black cabs, and were greeted by a huge RIMMEL London projection that lit up the barracks in true London glam style. Leah Wood’s Union Jack art installation created specifically for the 10 year anniversary was auctioned off to raise money for the Look Good Feel Better Foundation.

It was an incredible evening and VIP guests lucky enough to secure an invite to last night’s event were also the first to try Kate Moss signature 10 year anniversary cosmetic range designed by Moss herself, with RIMMEL makeup artists on hand at the event.

Guests channeled the Brits and stayed until Big Ben would have been chiming the wee hours with an exciting performance by the Aretha of ‘house” world, renowned Barbara Tucker.

Celebrities who joined in the Kate Moss 10 Year Anniversary celebration included Samantha Harris, Erika Heynatz, Gail Elliott, Nikki Phillips, Lizzy Lovette, Louise Van Der Vost, Demelza Reveley, Leah Wood, Melanie Greensmith, Chanel V presenters, Carissa Walford and Danny Clayton, TV Personality Nacho Pop, Sydney Swans Jude Bolton, Underbelly crew, Rel Hunt, Clint Foster, Richard Brancasatino and Guy Spence.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Ragtrader Magazine: What do buyers want?

2011-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

Phoebe Garland was asked "What buyers want?" with retail conditions being so challenging.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Inside the mind of a fashion agent with Phoebe Garland

2011-08-31T21:49:00.000-07:00

Read Inside the mind of a fashion agent ........Phoebe Garland in Premiere

http://premierefashionblog.com.au/2011/09/inside-the/

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Phoebe Garland interviewed in Ragtrader magazine 15th July issue

2011-07-17T23:55:00.000-07:00

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Mossee Spring/Summer Collection 2011/2012

2011-07-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

The power of being virtuous - Premiere Boutique Trade show Blog

2011-07-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Power of being Virtuous…

July 8, 2011

Photography by Andrew Maccoll

There are few boutiques that take my breath away, probably some that I can count on a handful really, and certainly very few which combine manufacturing excellence, along with new and limited edition pieces like Madam Virtue & Co does.
To call Madam Virtue a shop is a mere insult. Emporium or boutique doesn’t really even begin to touch what the owners Jc Lloyd-Southwell d’Anvers & Dean Hewitt have created in the heart of the CBD in Melbourne.

My first encounter with Hewitt, was when he leapt to my defence on my Facebook page when I announced I was very excited about going to the Zara opening night and one retailer suggested I was being hypocritical for attending the launch. What struck me about him, was the generosity of character of understanding that I was merely excited about dressing up to go on a night out.
He even has the good grace to support ZARA and praises it and doesn’t see it as a threat to his business, but welcomes the employment opportunities this may bring to Australian workers. I met up with him for coffee in Sydney and he recalls how he and JC just like to “keep it real”.
There is simply no pretention or snobbishness from these two.

With retailers needing to create a point of difference, Madame Virtue & Co has provided that and more. They have created a world, which can transport you back to several seasons with amazing designer runway pieces, which have been sourced from all over the world. These pieces are rare and extremely sort after. Think limited edition pieces from Chanel, Gucci, Lanvin, Commes de Garcons, and many other overseas designers. There are some new pieces as well from Prada & Miu-Miu and others. Aside from these labels, they also design and create an array of Haute Couture & Pret-a-porter pieces to order and they have been honoured by being the only Australian designers to be featured in the forthcoming book “The Milan Book” by Robyn Lea. The Milan Book focuses on fashion, the arts and high cuisine, and is due to be released later this year.

Madam Virtue has also been involved in a number of fashion and arts projects in Australia and overseas, they were one of the judges for “The spirit of the Black Dress” and recently participated in Mission 65 hosted by Phillip Boon and the iconic fashion designer Jenny Bannister. They have also been known to dress celebrities and their Haute Couture pieces in hot demand. Recalling three brides fighting over bids of one breathtaking dress, the ever-modest JC, simply said “ I sold it to the one that was the nicest to me”.

I had the pleasure of speaking with owners Jc Lloyd-Southwell d’Anvers & his partner Dean Hewitt about the amazing world they have created for their customers.

How long have you both owned the business?

Almost as soon as we had arrived back in Australia after almost 5 years residing abroad, we opened originally on High Street, Armadale back in 1998. It was originally an interiors, homewares and antiques store which got featured in all the interiors magazines. We do a lot of travelling and started to bring some womenswear for private clients and incorporate fashion accessories and a limited number of garments. Before long the fashion side had taken over the interiors and antiques. As clothes sell on a daily basis unlike antiques, this made us rethink our business model and after a year of preparatory work, we opened MV under her new persona on Crossley Street, right next door to Mari Funaki. We have been in this location since 2005.

With your Haute Couture pieces & Pret-a-porter pieces do you make these to order or do a few pieces for Madam Virtue & Co?

MV stocks the very latest collections of international labels, the likes of Lanvin, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, and many more. This is stocked in limited numbers (a maximum of 5 pieces per label or collection, sometimes in single colours, other times, a max of 2 per colour choice, quite often one per size).
In addition, we design and make haute couture pieces by our seamstresses in Paris and some pieces require the work of embroiderers in Paris and Bangkok. All pieces are hand made, we work almost exclusively in pure silk but our signature pieces are our silk organza creations, which are very labour intensive.
However, we also have started to incorporate other materials such as hides, vinyls and metal mesh to create more left-of-centre pieces, either commissioned by clients or simply to present at or as part of a fashion show or fashion week. MV has slowly built a list of bridal gowns to our collection repertoire and these pieces are again, made to order.

What other designer garments do you stock in terms of new?

We bring a vast array of labels, from the very established houses such as Lanvin and Balenciaga, to other highly coveted brands of a less wide distribution, such as Gaetano Navarra, Antonio Marras, 8½, FlyNow, Joel Escobar, all masters of design and exquisite workmanship.
From BCBG Max Azria to Commes de Garçons, and a number of other Japanese masters (Y. Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, etc), to Dutch designers, the stock is quite impressive, although some labels may only be represented by a single garment at any particular time, we do have store size limitations!

What sort of archival labels do you carry? Do you carry vintage?

We don’t do vintage, we do archival couture. This includes, it is said, the biggest collection of limited edition and archival Chanel and Hermès garments, handbags, jewellery and other accessories.
The pieces we stock are ‘archival’ couture, pieces that were presented (or not) at runway shows or that never made it to production. Or some were haute couture (made to measure as a one-off and have always remained in private hands where the client commissioned the designer to make an exclusive garment).
What we do is acquire runway or limited edition pieces, brand new, directly from a fashion show or a designer. We like to pick limited pieces, which are maybe one, two or even more seasons behind the European fashion show (which may be 2-3 seasons ahead Australia, if they ever make it here).
Some of the labels we bring are not represented or available in the Australian market, which gives us that unique point of difference.

Are the archival pieces garments or accessories or both?

We stock both garments and accessories alike. Some pieces are even completely new and current season, others are more contemporary but rather time-classic pieces.
Since it is a question of availability, a client could walk in and find a brand-new 2.55 quilted in black patent leather (retail price at Chanel over 4.500 AUD) but sold significantly lower at MV (we just brought a brand new bag, never used, bought as a present for someone who already owned the same in their extensive Chanel handbag collection) and we are selling it at only $2,975 AUD)!
But we do not stock in mass quantities, and currently this is the only brand new, contemporary 2.55 in stock.

Thank you Jc & Dean, what an insight!

It’s not often that I write about individual boutiques, however the more I learned about Madam Virtue & Co, the more I felt the need for the public to know about this hidden gem.

Madam Virtue & Co is a world in which the consumer is lavished upon with a wide array of not only amazing product knowledge, but is treated with incredible infectious love from the owners JC Lloyd-Southwell d’Anvers, Dean Hewitt & their pet dog Maude.
And it’s an addictive experience.
As a consumer you know you will be back for more. Customers can walk away smug with their unique purchases knowing that no matter how many Zara’s, Topshop’s, and other mass online shops and chains open in the near future, you cannot replace with a unique boutique experience like this one offers.

Madam Virtue & Co can be found at 5 Crossley Street Melbourne Vic 3000. Tel: (03) 9663 8669 or www.madamvirtue.com.au

As always, very interested in your thoughts.
Email me at: info@garlands.com.au
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The Online Issue - Premiere Blog

2011-06-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

The Online issue …

June 30, 2011

With Internet retailing still on the hot agenda, there is one distributor who has been very supportive of Australian retailers and doesn’t mind lobbying on behalf of them either. I (Phoebe Garland) spoke with David Mendels, C.E.O of International Fashion Group and his National Sales Manager Joseph Borchan about their thoughts on the increase of online retailing, what it means for Australian retailers and also what it means for their business as a distributor?

While consumers obviously want the best prices possible the current government legislation is having a devastating effect on our existing Australian retailers.
While speaking to Joseph Borchan, he provides some insightful reasons why Australian bricks and mortar retailers need high margins. As someone who speaks to them on a daily basis I was keen on his thoughts. Joseph gave me a thorough insight of what retailing is like today in Australia for his retailers.

On the question of retailers unable to compete with online discount retailers at times, Joseph laments the unlevel playing field for his retailers with the loophole in the Australian tax system.
According to Joseph Borchan, “Overseas retailers enjoy no barriers to entry into the Australian Fashion market. With the Australian government lifting the tax or duty on imports under $900 we find that many consumers can save up to 30% duty and GST, making it highly uncompetitive for Australian retailers to compete against the overseas retailers”.

Borchan also went on to state, “The other major issue for Australian fashion importers and retailers of branded product who pay the duty and GST is the massive overheads they have to deal with a bricks and mortar business. Many of my retailers are struggling as a lot of customers come into store to try on garments, write the style number and shop it online.
While some price match for most it’s not possible due to the margins they need to pay staff wages, rents and other overheads”.

Discussing the topic of maintaining sales figures for his retailers as Borchan said he had noticed a shrinking of accounts from a sales perspective as retailers move towards brands that either Australian and not available for sale by online retailers. “We are trying to secure with our suppliers – exclusive Australia only styles for Australian retailers that are not sold into major online shops” .

While David Mendels, C.E.O of International Fashion Group, who has a significant understanding of these issues gave me further insight about the impact on distribution and how competitive the market had become.

David, for Australian retailers to become competitive with online retailing will they have to rethink their margins? Especially on the branded labels which seem to sell well online in order to stay competitive?

David Mendels: I don’t believe that any retailer should have to drop their margins in order to compete with online retailers. Our government needs to rethink their tax strategy for online retailers. Of course online retailers are a competitor, but so are the big department stores, specialty boutiques and all other retail stores. This issue just makes us aware that our industry is extremely competitive and in order to remain competitive we have to be at the top of our game.

What strategies should Australian retailers do to promote innovative retailing to compete with the internet?

David Mendels: I am not a retailer and therefore don’t profess to know all the answers as to how retailers can implement strategies that will keep them profitable in this current market, however as a wholesaler of fashion labels we are constantly looking at ways that we can improve as a company and provide a better service to our customers. From our experience the best strategies a company can undertake in order to not only retain their current customers but also introduce their product/service to potential new customers are;

• Provide the best possible customer service at all times.
• Personalise your service and build good relationships with customers by dealing with their enquiries professionally and efficiently every time.
• Tailor your product to meet the needs of the Australian market, for example sell for the current season and not for the Northern Hemisphere seasons.
• Research and supply product that is EXCLUSIVE for the Australian market, so product that is not sold online and that you can only buy in Australia retail stores.

Do you find your suppliers support the Australian retailers or compete with them?

David Mendels: Our suppliers definitely support us, however there are always circumstances that are beyond their control. For example they cannot stop online sites from selling their product to Australian customers, but they make sure that they themselves do not sell online direct to our customers and if there is a situation where they do they will charge additional fees and freight charges. They offer us product that is specific to our market, ensuring that our retailers can sell exclusively. We are constantly being made aware of the products/styles that every online site is purchasing and therefore our sales team try and sell alternative options to those purchased by the online retailers.

Do you think a try on fee will be part and parcel of normal retailing? And how can this be administered? Is it viable?

David Mendels: I would think this very hard to administer and would change the retail industry dramatically.

How has your business been affected as a distributor with online retail?

David Mendels: Previously we were the exclusive distributors of our brands and now we compete with the online retailers, which was inevitable. Much like the publishing industry where their books and magazines now readily accessible to more customers, we will see changes within our industry. Those offering the most efficient and professional service with the best selection of products will survive and prosper. Obviously with any new competitors in an industry, sales and profitability will be hurt, however we are surviving, evolving as a company and constantly sourcing new great product to offer our customers.

Thank you David and Joseph.
International Fashion Group is one company that is certainly practicing the term “innovation” and continues to work hard in supporting Australian retailers through these trying times via lobbying the government to change the tax loophole and in continuing to provide product that is exclusive to Australian retailers.

International Fashion Group distributes True Religion, Paige Premium Denim, Doma Leather, Da-Nang, Fine Collection, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, and B.D Baggies.
Tel: (02) 8987 3400 or visit here.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

2011-06-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

The Art of Selling

The term salesman is something that can send shivers up a spine.
Images can evoke of pushy real estate men, used-car salesmen and even worse, pyramid selling people. However it doesn’t have to be like that at all.

Phoebe Garland co-owns Garland & Garland Fashion, a leading fashion agency based in Sydney. which also offers business mentoring & project management of marketing to the fashion industry. www.garlands.com.au

The best sales people are people who won’t even appear to be selling to you. You will believe that the person honestly cares about you and your business and here’s the thing – they actually will. Instead of a dodgy sales person you will see a person who has thorough product knowledge and who is passionate, not pushy.

A good salesperson will be all the things they appear and they will mean what they say and have complete integrity.
For example, the other day we turned down a 100k+ order. Yes you heard right. We turned it down, didn’t even attempt to sell to her. It wasn’t easy, but it was the right decision.
Why? Because we are deeply concerned about this retailer’s business and their mounting debts and we are very keen to keep them in business for the long term, even if that means turning away large orders for the short term, we are prepared to do that. Sometimes the best sales strategy is actually not to sell, developing trust in sales is imperative.

To gain consistency in sales in any industry, your long-term goal is obviously repeat business and there is no point in taking one order if they aren’t going to be around for the next one. One of the best lessons I learned in my early days of sales was to build loyalty, credibility, trust and to help people.

I had a wonderful ex-boss who became a great friend, and she gained a lot of loyalty and love from her clients through her nurturing and caring approach. Through helping people (it doesn’t matter which industry you work in) you gain trust and credibility and in the long term sales will usually follow.

Here are my top sales tips:

• Understand the product you are selling, gain knowledge of it so you can sell to others.
• When you get the sale, ensure you keep a good relationship with that person afterwards.
• Help people, give them your time, gain trust by acting with integrity, don’t be a rookie.
• Don’t speak badly about your competitors – it reflects badly on you and is bad salesmanship.
• Empower the person you are selling to, make them feel confident in what they are buying, don’t be patronizing or bully them, understand their business to tailor sell the right things to them.
• Be honest about certain shortcomings in a fashion range, if something is a better alternative for the price or suits them better, suggest it, they will appreciate your honesty.
• Be courteous about rejection, the biggest sales mistake is to dismiss someone when you don’t get a sale. They will remember you for being nasty to them, and this applies to retail and wholesale.

Tell us about your best and worst sales experience email: info@garlands.com.au Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/garlandandgarlandfashion
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Garlandfashion

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Column in Ragtrader - Discussing wholesaling or to go vertical?

2011-05-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Blog: Where Experience Counts.......

2011-05-12T05:01:00.000-07:00

Blog: Where Experience Counts

There are some key players in the fashion industry that just can't seem to keep away, they have lived and breathed the fashion industry through the good and bad. They have seen recessions, the thriving periods of wholesale and retail in the early days and have moved with the times by adapting their fashion businesses to vastly differing and varying climates.

Phoebe Garland co-owns Garland & Garland Fashion, a leading fashion agency based in Sydney. which also offers business mentoring & project management of marketing to the fashion industry. www.garlands.com.au

I posed some questions to long-standing industry manufacturers & retailers Danny Avidan, C.E.O of Discovery Group, the iconic Joseph Saba and Danny Guest, C.E.O of Blue Illusion label and retail stores.

While accountability has never been more relevant Danny Avidan claims to have the answer to producing labels that sell. "The right strategy is to have a range plan that dictates the number of SKU's (Stock Keeping Units) into each range, as well as defining the correct occasions and price points within each delivery period. Importantly the plan ought to be influenced by the trends and customers needs for each delivery period".

Joseph Saba, says the fundamental components for creating a successful range is the fabric. "My ranges always start with the fabric. The choice of fabric – colour, print, functionality, quality – all have to work together, then the style selection builds on from the fabrics".

With challenging retail conditions I asked Avidan what his thoughts were for innovative retailing. "Retailers ought to focus on a particular market segment, stay ahead of the competition on all fronts and offer additional service that others fail to address (eg stylist on hand, free alteration, unique VIP club)", Avidan states.

Being in the industry since 1965, Joe opened his first store, the 'Joseph Saba Shirt and Sweater Shop' in Flinders Lane. He went on to create the famous Staggers jeans label, which revolutionised jeans in Australia in the 1970's. He then introduced his now famous Saba brand in 1974, building the business up to 17 stores before selling the Saba business in 2002 and now is head designer for josephsaba.com.au and works alongside his wife Marita. He was also honoured with The Australian legends in Fashion with his own postage stamp in 2005.

I asked Joseph if he thought the same strategies he used years ago could be used today for launching a label. "No, today you really have to plan out your ranges and your business and know what you're getting in to and who your customer is – you need more of a business head now than you did 20 to 30 years ago. There's far more competition now – and you need to create your niche"

While Danny Guest has over 70 Blue Illusion retail stores, he discusses the secrets to surviving difficult retail periods and how they have evolved their business "We opened our first store 1998 in a quest to understand the challenges our retail accounts were faced with. What we learnt was: There are no difficult periods - only relative periods to last year's performance. You need to constantly work on differentiation whilst building brand equity. Look after your core customers and always strive to build strong brand loyalty. A passionate team with a positive service culture is a must. Retail is detail. Constantly looking for the many 1% improvements."

Wise words indeed from fashion industry veterans, it seems the key to success is adaption and innovation. I for one, look forward to seeing these businesses continue for many more years to come.

As always, very interested in your thoughts. Email me at: info@garlands.com.au
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www.garlands.com.au

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) - The low down from a fashion agent's perspective.....

2011-05-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

After making many trips down to the overseas passenger terminal this week and deciding to deliberately bypass some of the more mainstream shows, I made my final trip last night to see Alaister Trung....a Vietnamese designer who I had been most interested in attending his show after seeing his garments in his very chic and stylist minimalist shops. Alistair Trung's garments have a strong appeal with a slightly older arty demographic, which interested us greatly. I was struck initially by his use of fur last winter, with stunning uses of rabbit fur garments in collars and wraps which just added a point of difference to the usual gilets.

The show kicked off with some very avant-garde music, which I have got to say was so very piercing on the old eardrums. The models he used were quite an extremist look, male models wearing female drapped garments, a lot of nipples on show and his usual beautiful draping and usage of mesh were evident, with straps of leather.

Abstract prints on draped tunics followed with asymetrical hem lines, trailing behind on the runway. However to be honest, I felt like getting out a pair of scissors and cutting them off. I could see the potential of these stunning tunics from a commercial perspective, but perhaps with not such long trains. Then out came the models in a beautiful array of blue, yellow, green and white.....which is a completely different look from his usual greys, blacks and white signature tones. It took my breath away..... the beauty of this colour blocking against the dark skin on the models.

As beautiful as some of the garments........there were some good and bad elements. Some styles I could see that would appeal to so many of our customer base, while some things frustrated me and then there were others which would be highly commercial. One thing I found very hard to take, was this over useage of mesh in a lot of the shows. Which also one of the Vogue writers commentated on......it is just not realistic to have so much nipples on show......at least not to the supermarkets I venture too. But let's face it designers also have to appeal to the editors so perhaps best to see the range off the runway. However all in all, the Trung label is one we feel that has a very potential wholesale base.

The Shakuhachi show was amazing, gorgeous silks and mirrored jackets......some young pieces and some not so young pieces. Amazing label strong branding always appealing and already a presence in David Jones with a good wholesale base, I would say this one was the winner.

Swimwear and resort wear collection kicked off and while we were allocated front row seating from one of the designers....the irony is we ended up in last rows as we misread our seating and the confused staff member got confused when I asked her row " I " not realising it was row 1! (you have to laugh at these mishaps). The designer apologised profusely and me not wanting to be remembered as some out of control diva remembered my good manners, thanked her for the invite and congratulated on her show which was a mix of beaded kaftans descending from her indian heritage. Had a meeting in the Westin suites discussing her range, the day wear was especially gorgeous, however declined in the end on the brand.

While Miss Ukon was a collection of floaty pastel short dresses with die cuts which were pretty with lovely silks. I personally found the collection played quite safe look and definitely targeting at a younger audience for our client base......perhaps a little too safe? Boots worn with dresses and hoodie tops? I am not sure if there was also enough of a point of difference from a retail perspective to compete with labels out there such doing such a great job at amazing price points such as Cameo & Finders Keepers.

The wrap up ? Still undecided........personally I loved watching all of them......however whether or not there are enough retailers for this to be as lucrative from a fashion agency perspective at these price points always niggle at us. A lot of these designers, would probably benefit from going vertical as opposed to wholesale realistically with the exception of a few department stores. However, I do not give up hope.......we look forward to speaking with designers and see ranges after their shows in their showrooms and as always we will back next year at RAFW to see the new talent emerging.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

2011-04-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

Blog: Is there a future for Australian Made fashion?

Some of Australia's best loved independent fashion identities have shut up shop recently, after struggling for years against skyrocketing overheads and punitive overseas minimums, but as Phoebe Garland writes, there's still cause for optimism.

I recently formed a friendship, with the lovable and iconic fashion designer Jenny Bannister - who not long ago was honoured on a commemorative Australian postage stamp as one the Australian Legends in Fashion. Jenny and her business partner, celebrity stylist Phillip Boon, have created a weekly discussion event called Fashion Torque, covering a wide spectrum of key topics for the fashion industry from consumer to trade. One ‘Torque' topic that's particularly close to their hearts, and is shared by me, is a passion for encouraging independent retailers and emerging designers to succeed and survive in Australia. We all believe it's vital to highlight the significance of Made in Australia and the importance of keeping small manufacturers afloat; indeed, of keeping all aspects of the Australian fashion industry thriving.

Jenny's comments during one of my catch-ups with her in Melbourne recently paint a gloomy picture of how the demise of local manufacturing is creating a skills shortage, resulting in a vicious cycle that bodes ill for industry.

"Skilled production is what we fall short on. No one wants to sew anymore, and the people who can sew mainly work from home, as it is too expensive to run a year-round, full time factory, due to the cost of an Australian made garments being too high for the average Australian to afford. It's a no win situation. Australian fashion for the average Australian will have to be made off shore in cheap labour locations. Rents and wages are so high here, only the rich can afford designer made in Australia"

And Jenny should know! As an independent retailer and manufacturer, after her face appeared on the Australian Legends in Fashion stamp, her landlord doubled her rent, making it impossible for her business to survive. With the influx of overseas chains looking to Australia as a good opportunity to expand, it's more important than ever to keep our fashion industry thriving through innovative retailing and also supporting Made in Australia manufacturers. Recently we also saw another iconic fashion designer and retailer, Michael Bracewell closing his shops after 23 in business and leaving the industry saying "I have had enough. It's just too tough out there; there's no fun anymore - it's a constant struggle."

We have emerging designers graduating from colleges in a "catch-22" situation, unable to meet the minimum requirements of overseas factories and yet unable to find factories in Australia as so many are closing. I urge all retailers to support Australian Made labels as much as possible. Look at innovative retailing through online methods and, instead of competing with each other, work with other retailers in non-conflicting areas to exchange stock and lessen markdowns.

Let's work together to keep our independent Australian retailers, Australian factories and emerging Australian designers in business.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on how to support Made in Australia fashion, so please get in touch!

Contact us info@garlands.com.au or
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Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Column in Ragtrader - Indenting - 25th March 2011

2011-03-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Blog: Volume or va-va-voom - Fashion Exposed Online

2011-03-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

Blog: Volume or va-va-voom?

Pitch sheer daggy-dom against high-end, directional design and the winner in terms of sales is patently obvious, right? Or is it? As Phoebe Garland attests, the answer is not always straightforward.

Robert and Phoebe Garland run and own Garland & Garland Fashion, a leading fashion agency based in Sydney. which also offers business mentoring & project management of marketing to the fashion industry. www.garlands.com.au

Fashion is a funny business; you can stock the most beautiful garment in the world and it will sit in your store staring at you for an unnervingly long time, until pangs of doubt start to gnaw... On the other hand, an oh-so-ordinary piece made from questionable fabric and bearing a little-known brand name can become a star seller... sparking more pangs of doubt, along with an unexpected boon for your bottom line, thank you very much!

Which brings me to my husband's theory, born of working in the industry for over 30 years, that there's no accounting for customer taste. While we laugh at Kath and Kim (think that amusing episode where they are at the international airport and miss their plane because they are too busy buying Coogi jumpers), the irony is that accepted notions of "good taste" do not always drive sales.

Take that dubious garment, the ‘Snuggie', a fleecy blanket/poncho with sleeves, which emerged some years ago and which those of us who consider ourselves stylish would rather forget... The Snuggie TV ad was laughed at by everyone and rightfully so. This was, after all, a hideously ugly garment that made you look like a priest and deserved its own standalone category of gruesomeness. However my husband Rob predicted it would be a winner. His words were: "I bet this sells like hotcakes. It's quite a genius business idea when you think of it; one size, in two colours - no fit problems, one cheap fleece, massive margins."

To my horror he was right. The makers of Snuggie ended up laughing all the way to the bank, with record sales figures going over $7 million.

Let's face it, no-one dreams of selling ‘unfashionable' brands. It's just not what anyone wants to do when working in fashion, myself included - I am a pathetic brand snob. However, the reality is that some of these so called "unfashionable' brands can generate the highest volume of sales.

We represent quite a few labels, however ironically our business is still very dependent on the least fashionable one, a leading leisurewear brand in its category. It's not chic by any stretch of the imagination. It's leisure wear targeted at the elderly market and its best sellers are elastic waisted pants, simple T-shirts and fleeces. But the volume of sales it does would make high-end designers weep with envy.

We have one retailer who likes to stock the ‘better end brands' and refuses to put the label on her shop floor due to its look, which clashes somewhat with the slick pieces on display. Instead she sticks a sign in the window advertising the brand, and takes people through the shop out back to view it. Despite the look of the product, she is smart enough to know that she cannot afford not to stock it because it does such strong sales.

The moral of the story? Don't judge a book by its cover. Or in fashion terms... Don't judge a look by your love for it.

When sourcing labels, look beyond just what you personally like. Instead, think about how much your bottom linewill like those cringe-worthy yet "commercial" pieces.

Tell us which least fashionable product sells for you and why does it sell so well?

As always we would love to hear your thoughts. Contact us info@garlands.com.au or
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www.garlands.com.au

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Ragtrader magazine 25th February 2011

2011-02-27T23:50:00.000-08:00

Garland & Garland Fashion were asked to comment on the launch of Picadilly Brands & Summer best sellers for 2011/2012. Also our client Sacred Collection talks about the relaunch of the brand

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Invitation to showings of new labels Feb 5th to March 30th 2011

2011-01-22T03:43:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to have new labels available for showing from the 5th February to 30th March 2011. We welcome retailers from NSW/ACT to contact us to view these exciting fashion labels new to our staple.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Garland & Garland Fashion will be donating for Donny Galella's fundraising event for QLD Flood Victims

2011-01-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

Garland & Garland Fashion will be donating 2 x 1 hour telephone consultations mentoring young emerging designers and retailers on the topics of wholesaling & retailing for an event to raise money for the QLD flood victims organised by Donny Galella.

Garland & Garland's client Mossee will be also donating a 15 piece fashion wardrobe collection valued at over $2000.

To donate or sponsor this worthy cause click link here http://donnygalella.com.au/blog/fabulous/42see/12-jan-2011/0042/

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

New labels to our staple

2010-12-30T01:52:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to have these new labels to our staple.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Launching soon

2010-12-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

The Trouble with Discounting

2010-12-13T22:56:00.000-08:00

Read our latest blog on "The Trouble with Discounting" in Fashion Exposed Online - Click link and scroll down. We are interested in your thoughts.

http://www.fashionexposedonline.com.au/features

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Fashion Exposed Onine

2010-12-02T03:32:00.000-08:00

We are honoured with our introduction from the editor Belinda Smart from Fashion Exposed Online and we are thrilled to be blogging every fortnight covering the latest fashion industry news.

Make sure to subscribe to the latest fashion news straight to your inbox and to read our blogs under the "Features" section. Click here to subscribe to www.fashionexposedonline.com.au

Have a look at our latest blog in Fashion Exposed Online on "Why fashion retailers must embrace online and social networking", we covered a similar blog in Ragtrader magazine, however with the surge of online shopping overseas and a strong Australian dollar we felt the need to discuss this in a bit more depth.

Click here to read our blog : fashionexposedonline.com.au/features

We are interested in hearing your thoughts and feedback and any issues that you would like us to address so please feel free to contact us www.garlands.com.au

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/

Looking at new labels from Canada

2010-11-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

Lots happening all of a sudden in our office. We were recently invited by the Canadian Embassy to view some Canadian fashion labels for representation. Initially I have to admit I didn't hold high hopes. We do get asked to take on a lot of labels and I have to say most of them we politely decline. However this meeting was surprisingly very motivating. To say the meeting went well was understatement. We met with an amazing company that is a family owned business who has no interest in retail and owns their own factory. It has been owned by over three generations and now is being run by one of the sons.

They represent 4 very strong labels one which is already present in a large chain in Australia. The person we met was completely au fait with the Australian market and one of the most impressive businessman in fashion I have met to date. His complete understanding of everything in the industry stemming from delivery, to approaching retailers at the right time, to the type of product that works well in certain states in Australia was very impressive to say the least.

What was even more impressive was his 4 brands would be perfect for our staple and sit along nicely with the brands we carry. Those brands also carry considerable weight in the overseas market having already been present in some very large department stores. We walked away feeling very positive and very optimistic and look forward to hearing some good news about his choice of agents within a week or so.

Garland & Garland Fashion Pty Ltd Fashion Agents Sydney Australia http://www.garlands.com.au/