Start-up Fashion Designers – Why Isn’t Your Label Going Ahead?

July 5, 2017
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Why do so many new and emerging designers who have exceedingly good sketches and ideas for the latest shakeup within the industry fail?

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Start-ups In The Fashion Industry: Why It Sometimes All Goes Awry?

June 28, 2017
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Here at Sample Room, we’re extremely fortunate to be a well-known supplier, educator and consulting business within the fashion industry.

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Marketing

June 14, 2017
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Whatever your position is within the fashion industry, if you want to take a leap into becoming a designer, you might be wondering what happens next. What are the best steps to make yourself known?

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Building Relationships in the Fashion Industry

June 7, 2017
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Sample Room

Like any workplace, the fashion industry thrives on relationships.

The way you work with those around you, will greatly affect and influence your ability to forge ahead. Build your relationships early. Make yourself known.

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Mentee’s Launch: GOLDI

May 31, 2017
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The essence of GOLDI comes from the deep held philosophy of the founder, Helena Golden, that all people have a right to health and equality. To support this ethos, GOLDI will contribute 10% of all profits earned from the sale of GOLDI garments to the education of under privileged children. The dream: To contribute to others who may not have had the chance otherwise, to live their best life possible. GOLDI is starting its journey with a focus on fashion athleisure for strong females and role models for young girls globally.

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Technical Knowledge versus Design Knowledge

May 25, 2017
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So, you want to work in the fashion industry? You’ve got so many design ideas, a sketchpad full of drawings. And they’re great, you know it. Maybe you’re already entrenched in the industry and you have a long-held desire to start your own label, but you feel stuck, you don’t know how to move on. What is the next step? How do you start your label? How do you break into this exciting-sounding career? How you can get yourself to the cutting edge of fashion? How can you negotiate with manufacturers to get them see how your designs are worth it?

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Mentee’s Launch: TRU ATHLETIC

March 28, 2017
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Today we’re excited to announce the launch of TRU ATHLETIC — a sportswear for the everyday, amateur athlete. Available exclusively for purchase at www.truathletic.com.au. Inspired by the the physical nature of sport and the essence of competition, their core focus stems from the competition and training segments of the Australian sporting landscape. Team sports such as netball, basketball, hockey and Australian Rules Football, and the awesome ladies that play these sports and many more, are what drives TRU ATHLETIC.

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Did you attend the International Sourcing Fair?

November 26, 2015
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Last week I headed to the International Sourcing Fair in Melbourne. It was my first time attending in Melbourne. The expo is always on at a particularly busy time of year so I have not managed to make it there previously.

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5 Top Specification Tips

November 4, 2015
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It has again been so long since my last blog, sorry. As a perfectionist I am waiting for the right thing to write instead of the latest question I have been asked. As always these blogs are developed as little messages to you, based on what we have seen in our work room and what we have explained to our customers to make their life easier and help them understand a small sections of the technical side of the industry.

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Personality testing

July 24, 2015
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Today I stumbled upon a website called 16personalities.com – a free personality test. It does not take very long and was very accurate. I would have been more surprised by this had it not been for the fact it was not my first personality test. I don’t binge on personality tests but I love it when I come across one that opens my eyes.

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What every retailer wished you knew before you tried to sell to them.

July 17, 2015
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I know I am in a pretty lucky position. I get to meet hundreds of amazing creative business owners with a wide variety of work history and skills. Every now and then a client comes to us for an initial meeting and they have a skill from a previous ‘life’ that I don’t have, and so I ask away. Today was one such meeting.

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Today must be a slow news day. Fit Model Controversy!

July 7, 2015
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This morning I have woken up to the controversy about fit models/receptionists roles within our industry. I believe that ignorance in many areas of life is caused by lack of education, so today it is my aim to provide some education, not only to those outside of the fashion industry, but also to those clients we work with every day, on the importance of fit models.

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Are you a successful business that has lost faith in your pattern library?

July 3, 2015
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I often talk on this blog about issues that start-ups encounter. Mainly because they are many and varied and a new issue arises each week. Today I would like to talk to you about another key group of customers that often call us in absolute panic and with an urgent, very problem. Quite often this customer has been in business for 5-10 yrs.

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Does a pattern give a manufacturer all they need?

May 21, 2015
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I had a new client come in the other day. They have a very successful business in home wares and now are looking to branch out into clothing. With a brief stint a few years ago in fashion they came to me with the need for patterns but no need for specs. They said their manufacturer would do this.

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What the MOQ?

May 14, 2015
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With over 4000 suppliers attending, to say that my feet are sore and my head is spinning is an understatement. If you have attended Canton Fair you will know what I mean. If you have not then I hope this post and some future posts might give you some idea of what is involved.

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Looking for a Point of Difference?

January 29, 2015
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The fashion industry is always changing. Trends in how to design and manufacturer a product change just as often as hem lines. One of the biggest changes I have seen in the last year is that a lot of traditional developers/retailers have started to design. Now this may sounds a bit strange but what I mean by this is, in the past designers have often travelled overseas and purchased samples, come back and designed ‘based’ on these styles.

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Take Your Measure

January 29, 2015
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Whether you are manufacturing locally or offshore there are some consistant pieces of information that are needed so a pattern maker can accuratly translate the picture you are drawn with the picture in your mind. Although we work mainly from sketches, discussions and inspiration images, key measurement points are also something to include in your design brief.

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Morning bike rides and Niche markets

January 26, 2015
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I have just come back from a morning bike ride. I have just started riding with a group of wonderful girls with Breeze on the Boulie. A new years resolution to move a bit more.

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Off-Shore Manufacturing – Will I save money?

April 11, 2014
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do you save money going offshore

We have met a number of new designers the last season who have fallen into this trap. It is so sad to hear the stories of someone who has put $10,000 of their heart, soul and cold hard cash into their passion only to receive a shipment of disaster.

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Fast Fashion or Great Fit – Which will triumph?

February 10, 2014
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Sample Room

There is a lot of press at the moment about the big International retailers coming to town to take everyone’s retail dollar and shut down every local small label that ever dared to think yeah I could survive in our market. Well, I’ve had enough of this… There are a few points of view I think need to be told.

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