And I Would Walk 3000 Miles …New York Here We Come

 

In this overcrowded world of all too often indifferent business support, advice, and guidance, it becomes crucially important to go that extra mile – especially when it comes to working with early stage entrepreneurial businesses with a genuine will and desire to succeed.

And when it comes to opportunities for creative businesses, which demand and demonstrate a strong demand for market knowledgeable and market specific support services, radical and inspirational intervention measures will always be more effective.

Which is why, in the case of the five Barking and Dagenham designers, I was prepared to go that extra 3000 miles, and fashion a unique opportunity for them – and others represented by proxy on the trip – to visit New York; to explore this vibrant market; to generate new contacts; to make some early sales and secure more significant future orders; to find partnership opportunities; to gain confidence in their future development; and maximise the opportunities for the “Famous Five” to feed off their respective energy and enthusiasm.

 

Barking and Dagenham Council has a long-standing commitment to establishing and developing the creatives and cultural industries, and has identified the fashion sector as being one strand capable of forming a tightly defined cluster as part of that strategy. Specialised, dedicated, and focused business support is integral to achieving such an objective – and if such support needs to be unorthodox, or non-traditional, I am strongly of the belief that this instinct should followed so long as the proponent is confident of achieving positive outcomes.

And so it was, armed with an existing if general brief of business support, that I made a proposition in autumn 2007 to my own core funders at the London Development Agency (LDA) to be allowed to use my budget to support progressive international trade missions both to South Africa and then to New York, where the mission each time would be to use the opportunity as a catalyst for growth. It was with great relief, in contrast with my strong belief, but with much appreciation, that the LDA did respond positively to my request … and so the seeds of the March trip to New York were planted.

Appropriate – and here is the key word; appropriate business support fuelling genuine business growth is intrinsic to the agendas and economic development goals of Barking and Dagenham Council and the LDA. And, boy, did this trip to New York prove to be appropriate.

In concert with Fashion Enter and its partner in New York itself, NOLCHA, the five day event (25-30 March) proved to be action packed; with activities scheduled from almost the very moment we cleared customs at Terminal 4 at JFK International airport.

Each day of the visit was crammed full with a variety of guest speakers, commercial entrepreneurs, local designers, boutique owners operating in midtown Manhattan and in the funky zones of Soho and the Lower East Side. The designers, mentored and guided along the way by Jenny and myself, also met with movers and shakers from the Manhattan social scene, had a inspiring meeting with Euclid Avidor, until recently the Head Designer from Calvin Klein in New York, gained access to press and publicity agents, and had real live encounters with the press themselves.
 

I was especially moved by the confidence displayed by Catharina, Mambo, Gonul, and Karen, and they presented themselves and their garments to Petra from the much vaunted New York Fashion Journal, who together with production Designer George, was bowled over by the quality and diversity of offering from the British contingent in New York.

As with everywhere else they went throughout the week, there were people around at every step of the way who were truly interested in stocking, supporting, buying, and keeping contact with all of the Barking designers – who, I have to say, were sometimes barking themselves, but never without full and dedicated focus!

The visit was characterised by a warm and genuine welcome, which visibly boosted the confidence of the visiting designers on a day by day, and almost hour by hour basis. But the main conclusion I derived was that all along the line, the information supplied and exchanged was of real and realistic quality – covering how best to understand the US market, yet balanced with an awareness of the hazards and dangers of relationships conducted at such a distance.

“The trip gave me a comprehensive insight into another major capital for fashion. Physically going into boutiques, meeting the owners and trawling the streets for more finds gave such an experience that no amount of Internet based research can surpass. Also the meetings that were planned for we designers gave an even more in-depth clue as to how business is conducted in New York and how the hectic business life is a very big factor in every-day life; perhaps even more so than here in the UK”. CatharinaEden

“I would like to thank you for making it possible, for me to be part of the British contingent with regard to our recent New York trip. I was proud and very privileged to be part of this team. It was a fantastic opportunity that you organised for us, and it simply would not of been possible if I had to do this on my own.

The meetings that were set up between potential buyers were very important to me, and have since had many positive enquiries. The boutique owners were very interested in all the designers because they were looking for something that little bit different, and being aspiring British Designers we gave them that.

Meeting Euclide, the head designer from Calvin Klein was insightful and inspiring, especially in advising us all and me especially how to meet and approach buyers, in New York. The Press and media meetings were invaluable. I was in my element talking and demonstrating about my inspirations and aspirations regarding my collection. I found that one of our appointments – with the designer/artist Laurence Rassin – to be quite captivating. He had amazing ideas with garment technology and digital imagery on fabrics.”  Karen Barney

“I would like to thank Derek and the borough for the trip that was organized for the Barking designers. It was amazing I meet many designers and fashion show organizers. I am looking forward to the next trip.

As a student this trip gave me the opportunity to see how the industry is in New York.

It has opened doors for me for the future, and I have been given the chance to have designers look at my work and also possible job availability.

This trip was a great learning experience. I am glad I was chosen to go. It was something that I might never have done on my own on my own”.  Mambo Lumbo

Such feedback pays better testimony to the innovative motivation that inspired the initiation, planning, development, and often last minute improvisational nature of this trip than any words of mine could convey. There was no substitute for actually being there first hand, and to make personal contacts with those who have a key role to play in building these dynamic fashion businesses.

The designer businesses each had and still have their individual reasons for being part of the mission. For my part, it was about ensuring that it was not the end, but just the beginning of a journey in which New York will be looked back upon as the catalyst for their individual or co-operative future growth.

From such growth will be enabled the taking on of new staff, the employment of specialist skills, and the need for administrative to allow the designers to focus on their craft. It is about drawing on this radical support to help them to cope with that growth, and (I would hope) use this as a reason to take work space in the Malthouse.

The success of the trade mission lies fairly and squarely with the positive input made by the designers to benefit from the hectic schedule driven primarily and locally by NOLCHA from its office high up in the Empire State Building on 34^th Street. And it was not a miracle, but sheer hard work.

I am proud and delighted to have played a part in initiating the opportunity, and to be part of the mission, but in so doing must reserve my final thanks to the London Development Agency for enabling me to follow my heart, follow my head, and provide hands-on support to focused and driven entrepreneurs to reach for the stars and fulfil dreams that, one week on, are a lot more realistic than we all could have envisaged when the idea was first mooted.

Thank you, LDA. And congratulations to the “Famous Five”. You are all stars in the making.

 

Derek Levy: 7^th April 2008