Fashion-Incubator

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Continuing with the neuro theme, Neuromarketing blog cites recent research that says:

Would you be limiting yourself if you targeted advertising only at those who were above average in whatever characteristic related to your product (say, intelligence, good looks, athletic ability, perserverance, etc.)? In a word, NO. Studies show that across a wide spectrum of measures, almost everyone considers themselves to be above average. In the neuroeconomics book Your Money & Your Brain, author Jason Zweig cites a startling survey result in which two thirds of a group of drivers surveyed rated their skill, ability, and alertness the last time they were behind the wheel. That about two thirds rated themselves as “at least as competent as usual” wouldn’t be surprising had this group of drivers not been surveyed in the hospital after having crashed their cars! Zweig goes on to describe the actual police report data, which showed that two thirds of the group were directly responsible for their accidents, the majority had multiple traffic violations, etc....From a neuromarketing standpoint, advertisers should keep this odd brain quirk in mind. A pitch geared to those who are below the median in some way may end up falling on deaf ears because the audience doesn’t identify with that category. Instead, appealing to the above average with the suggestion of further improvement may be more successful...By and large, though, advertisers won’t go wrong by overestimating the consumer’s opinion of himself.

Maybe those scientists are right about most people but my readers are much smarter, thinner and better looking than visitors to other blogs. Natch.

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Do you keep up with blog awards? I thought not. Me neither; I wouldn't stoop. Heh. More likely that I pout with nary a chance of ever being nominated for anything ever. With endless categories to pick from, here's the nominees for the funniest blog awards:
Jon Swift
Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper
DUmmie FUnnies
Sadly, No!
The Lawsons Do Dallas!
i am bossy
Laurie Kendrick
The Nose On Your Face
The Sneeze
The Hatemonger's Quarterly

The full list of categories and nominees is here.
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From the Co-op America mailing list is this mention from Michael:

A recently released international survey (pdf) by the BBC has shown that "Most are ready for green sacrifices".

The surveyors interviewed 22,182 people in the UK, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, and the United States between May 29 and 26 July 2007.

"The countries with the largest percentages saying that lifestyle and behavioural changes will be definitely necessary are Spain (68%), Mexico (64%), Canada (63%), Italy (62%), and China (59%). The countries with the largest numbers saying that such changes will not be necessary are Nigeria (33%), Egypt (29%), Kenya (25%), the United States (19%) and India (18%)."

Why does this not surprise me?
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Speaking of life style changes and waste reduction, Catalog Choice is where you can eliminate unwanted catalogs you receive. Fill out the form, then find and decline your catalogs. Catalog Choice will contact the catalogs and request that your name be removed from their mailing lists. Free.
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More from Just-Style:

According to the Organic Exchange, global retail sales for organic cotton products are likely to increase from $1.9bn by the end of 2007 to $3.5bn in 2008 and $6.8bn in 2010 – that’s a nearly four-fold rise in just three years. The figures aren’t just for clothes, but include personal care products and home furnishings made with organic cotton as well. Significantly, demand has been pushed by retailers expanding their organic programmes to offer more and more products including fashion-forward apparel, and pulled by consumers who are embracing a more altruistic lifestyle. Other trends highlighted by Organic Exchange’s research include mixing organic cotton with other fibres such as organic wool and linen, and certification to standards such as Fair Trade and Oeko-Tex.

Luckily, organic fibre production is growing apace too. The amount of organic cotton produced globally increased 53% from 2005/06 to 2006/07. Nearly half (44.9%) comes from the Middle East (Turkey, Syria and Israel), while around one-third (32.9%) is grown in South East Asia (India and Pakistan).

I guess US production isn't even a blip. Along the same lines, WWD published Industry Looks to Raise Stake in Organic Clothing on a panel discussion called "Rethinking Fashion," last Monday. One panelist, Zaroff (recipient of the 2007 Socially Responsible Business Award) said

"Clothing doesn't grow in the boutique or the department store. There actually is a relationship back to nature and to farmer welfare. We have been out there for a while and the standards for organic certification are critically important,'' Zaroff said. "If you are going to enter the market of sustainable fashion, you have to get educated and understand the whole picture because there is a scientific method behind organic agriculture. It's not just a marketing gimmick, there is really a very serious process that goes into it."

I'm glad people are starting to think about it. I'm always reticent to publish my dopey "It All Starts Here" entries so I've been pleasantly surprised when you all comment on those entries. Speaking of, I have yet to post on the organic cotton farmer I visited two weeks ago, nor have I written about the cotton harvest. Next week, I promise.
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Sandra B sends:

Our local newspaper featured this milliner who has a fascinating story behind her work, is seen as a leader in ethical business practices, and makes really nice hats that sell all over the world. She is based in Fremantle, Western Australia, (Half an hour from me, but I've never met her) Part of the fascinating thing is that she is very involved with reating sustainable work for Tibetan refugees in India. Her story is quite inspirational, as she started in millinery as part of the therapy for a debilitating depressive illness, and deliberately creates a work/life model that is respectful of herself and others.

She's got some great hats! I was never a hat person until I became friends with Amy Downs, now I'm into them. The aforementioned milliner also has a book out, A Milliner's Tale. I sent word asking about it.
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I'm not the only one keeping an eye on a potential recession. Polo has lowered their "profit outlook over concerns of a possible consumer spending slowdown" (WWD). Men's wear -as ever- is holding ground with women's apparel softer. Luxury goods are expected to continue to do well as are off price goods. Department stores like Penney's et al are expected to fight for middle market share, some estimate spending will be down by as much as 13% this holiday season. I don't shop much but it's reported that department stores have been making aggressive mark downs since Halloween.

Also from WWD, the top 12 most recognizable hand bag brands (in order) are Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dooney & Bourke, Prada, Kate Spade, Burberry, Fendi, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, and Hermes. Source: Luxury Institute

The New York Times reports that luxury is doing better than ever on the web.

Retailers and brands are increasingly relying on the Internet to market $3,000 skirts and $5,000 suits to consumers who think nothing of spending that much on clothing. The trend represents another byproduct of high-speed Internet connections, but it also speaks to the growing belief among luxury retailers and designers that a two-dimensional Web store will not diminish their marquee status. “We’ve begun to see that the e-commerce shopper is indeed someone who has really quite a level of sophistication, and is older than was once imagined,” said Robert Triefus, an executive vice president with Armani Group. “For fashion, that type of consumer is very fundamental.”

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Several lovelies (among them Tany and May, apologies for not mentioning all by name) have mentioned that part two of the Pattern Magic book is now available on Yes Asia. I still plan on buying several of those Japanese pattern books; I've been too off kilter to organize the group buy. Teijo says she'll ship for us, such titles we can't get from YesAsia (free shipping).
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A press release announces an upcoming fashion show in Chicago on December 16, 2007 (more info):

The Fashion for the Arts fashion show has two purposes, to raise $50,000 for Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (C.A.P.E) as well as to give up and coming designers an opportunity for exposure. C.A.P.E. is a Chicago based organization dedicated to strengthening education in the Chicago public school system by incorporating art into core classes such as math, history and English. Through the hands on approach that art provides, teachers are better able to reach their students mentally and students become passionate about what they are learning.

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News: Shauna Smith (First Samples, Austin TX ,512-326-3393) sends word she's got a venue to sell DE products:

After years of dreaming about having our own retail space, First Samples is proud to present the launch of the Twilight Emporium. In celebration of this achievement, we will be hosting a cozy launch soiree on November 9th and would love to show you around the new space. What you will find at the Twilight Emporium is a tightly edited selection of one of a kind high quality fashion and accessories. Our goal is to seek out and discover new talented designers, mostly local, but sometimes exotic, who love to create and need a place to showcase their finished products either for the public or for buyers of a larger scale.

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I recently got an email advertising an international directory for apparel manufacturers. I don't know if it's any good or if it's legit. At $2.95 for X number of names, it seemed suspiciously cheap. You're on your own with this one.

Speaking of international, did I mention this sourcing show in Columbia? The twentieth Colombiatex of The Americas 2008 will be held in Medellin on January 22th to 24th, 2008. Daringly they claim that all new approved buyers will be granted a round trip ticket to Colombia. I wonder if they'll give bloggers a free trip? Doubtful, now I'm delusional. I'll bet you have to have some real numbers for a ticket. Seriously though, Medellin is considered the capital of manufacturing in the Americas. I'll bet you didn't know that. Medellin is the happening place to source in the Americas. I've never sourced there, it'd be interesting to get boots on the ground there. Go here to register or call 305-374-3144 for more information.
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Harvard Business School Working Knowledge newsletter says "Chinese and Indian scientists and engineers have made an unexpectedly large contribution to U.S. technology formation over the last 30 years...[b]ut that trend may be ebbing, with potentially harmful effects on future growth in American innovation".
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SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) announces a new program on DVD entitled "What Lean Means". With it, you can learn "why the management behavior at Toyota is often different than in most organizations and how to combat first-time uneasiness of Lean behavior by placing it in context with continuous improvement". Preview.
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From TextileWeb: High-Tech Textiles Pave The Way For Glowing Garments

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed high-tech battery-powered textile yarns that can be used to make clothing glow in the dark. The yarns have been developed by The William Lee Innovation Centre (WLIC), based in the University's School of Materials - and have the potential to be incorporated into clothing worn by cyclists, joggers and pedestrians. Current high visibility products — such as those used by emergency services, cyclists and highway maintenance workers — depend on external light sources to make them visible. They can be ineffective in low light situations and require a light source from something like vehicle headlights to make them visible. This can lead to the wearer being seen too late. The latest WLIC development, made from electroluminescent (EL) yarns, allows the wearer to be permanently visible and therefore improves personal safety.

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Do you get the JC Report? This thing is dense, perfect fodder for fashion trend watchers. It's very slick, fashioney; I can't keep up. The latest issue is about shoes. Free subscription.
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The bra is 100 years old.
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Woo hoo! Sage Academic and Professional Publications announces that access to all of their research papers is free until November 30th! And if you think I'm being snarky or sarcastic, you have Another Thing Coming. Brace yourselves. Next week's NFY will be jammed packed with whatever gems I can pick off.
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I found a fair trade wage calculator. Pretty cool! Happily, I find I'm paying my off-shore Canadian illustrator 6,399,900% above the national minimum wage, or 15,900% above the acumen fund poverty line and 31,900% above the absolute poverty line. I just used her since she's the only off shore labor I use. While these numbers are comforting -if not wonky, where's my math person?- I'm defiantly confident I can buttress any future salary increase discussions with these. Heh. Gee, I hope she doesn't see this.
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Stitch is this Saturday Nov 10th at the Austin Convention Center. Tickets are $10.
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Andrew from Conde Nast's DETAILS writes me nicely saying he loves my blog and would I pretty please mention

We recently interviewed Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, who gave us his top 10 fashion tips, including the correct amount of perfume to wear and how to dress vintage appropriately. We also recently filmed a how-to video which demonstrates the proper way to tie a bow-tie. A link to this video can be found on our homepage.

Do you think he really likes F-I? I think he was just being nice. Still, I plugged him.

I tell you, PR wonks are off the rails these days. Probably 70% of the 80-100 press releases I get a day are from people who can't run spell check. I think most are unemployed marketing majors starting their own agencies, maybe from their dorm rooms. It used to be that PR people were sacrosanct, lofty like editors. Their industry has become incredibly diluted. Based on the sheer number of recent entrants, statistically, few have credibility anymore. Even Wired Magazine's editor went ballistic on them, publishing the email addresses of 300 of the worst offenders. Boing Boing's blacklisted them too. I'm sure they're not the only ones, PR isn't what it used to be. PR dilution is a crisis. I guess we should be glad the barrier to entry in our industry is a bit higher. Things would be worse. You guys need to be very very careful who you hire now. On another list I'm on, people are suing their PR people for making them look bad. Ex: a press release representing an author should not be filled with misspellings and grammar errors (after the pr person took it upon themselves to "edit" and send it out without approval).
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More sourcing shows: The Garment Technology Expo in Bangalore India January 18-20, 2008. Also, Delhi on the 18th-21st. Overlapping days...seems counterproductive but then again, their industry is larger than ours.
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Fit Couture was mentioned in an article in CNN's Money. Yeah! See Catching the falling dollar. Speaking of Fit Couture, Mike and Amy have agreed to host the first annual DE conference and workshops in Houston TX June 13-15. It's buried, only a tiny mention here but it'll fill up fast. Once we have details together, an announcement will be forthcoming. If you are interested, this isn't one of those things I'd recommend you wait to sign up for at the last minute because I know there won't be any slots. For now, if interested, post to the thread so you'll automatically be updated on news as it comes available.
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Okay, I hope I got all of the News From You in. If not, resend it. I appreciate reminders. As ever, I will print your commercial news posted such as openings, launches, new websites, news and press pieces if you're one of my designers or allied member of the community; we're thrilled to see your progress. All other commercial parties should review submission guidelines. I regret the limitation but if I didn't, then NFY would be dominated by PR fluff, jewelery and handbag designers with no ties to the community looking for free advertising. Send your submissions to News From You.