Fashion-Incubator

At fashion publications, look books are necessary for photo shoots, as editors do not always run to showrooms, and some clothes shown on the runway are not even in the showrooms. We get look books at the magazine I edit, of FUTURE products; this way we can get what we want to shoot first.

I dislike the fact that it's becoming all about presentation, but it is. Look books are just another layer of work (they pile up on my desk and get thrown out after the shoot), but the fashion media is very powerful; you have to come to them now.

Look books have been around for years and years. I used to shoot look books for a number of designers in the 1980's and 1990's including Vera Wang, Emmanuel Ungaro, Pauline Trigere among others. I shot these books with studios flash against seemless backgrounds. A lot of look books today done by the bigger designers are simply photos taken from the runway show.

As opposed to "look books" there is something called an "image book". The pictures in these books give the feel or the image of the designer collection. These photos are very editorial and present the collection the way the designer wants to sees it.

The first time I attended Magic & Children's Club I went with a buyer/owner of a boutique. I of course asked questions about everything that night at the hotel & collected all the material she didn't need. I found that most companies (usually larger ones but some DEs as well) provided both line sheets and a look book of the current season. The line sheets used flat drawings or pictures of the clothes flat on a surface with all of the detail that Kathleen suggests in the book. These were usually regular sheets of color-copied paper stapled in one corner. The look books were given less frequently and were much more expensively done-glossy, heavy paper, beautiful graphics, etc. They almost always had clothed models and seemed to promote the brand and style of the company or collection. The buyer I was with said they both are helpful when choosing new lines or adding a new style in the store. The line sheets gave the information she needed to make a decision on buying and fitting things in her budget while the look books gave her a feel of what market the company is targeting and how the clothes actually look on people. I noticed too that for the big shows some buyers will look around (if looking for something new), get material from lines they may be interested in, and in the lounge or at the hotel sift through everything and make decisions on who to visit the next day. Now you cannot take pictures so these materials and any notes you write are all you have to remember the clothes. These shows have soooo many booths it's amazing that anyone can remember anything. I was astounded by the difference between some of the materials (look books) & the actual clothing in the booths. Some companies had great collections in person but on paper their photos were too dark or the clothes didn't look good on the chosen models, the graphics overpowered the clothing, etc. On the other hand, there were companies who had blah products but the materials were so well done -great photography, color, simple, etc- that they got a visit the next day. The buyer also said if there was a company she really liked but she has exhausted her budget she will definitely keep the materials and check their site for future business.

In my inexperienced humble opinion, it seemed like a good idea for an unknown DE who doesn't have a book full of appointments at a major trade show to have something informational & professional for buyers to leave the show with whether they buy anything or not. I saw some really smart creative ways of showing your clothes, brand & info on just one sheet or postcards.

One of the first things Kathleen says about tradeshows is to 'walk' them if you get a chance. I'm so grateful I followed this advice because the money was well spent. I learned sooo much (I won't go into it because I know my post is already too long). I have collected a lot of material, maybe I can post some pictures of examples in another thread.

Kysha

One of the first things Kathleen says about tradeshows is to 'walk' them if you get a chance. I'm so grateful I followed this advice because the money was well spent. I learned sooo much (I won't go into it because I know my post is already too long). I have collected a lot of material, maybe I can post some pictures of examples in another thread.

Would you consider writing a post for this site? I'm sure others would be very interested in your impressions.

Btw, anyone can write a post for this site. Just drop me an email.

Just found this site via The Switchboards and it seems to be a wealth of information.

I'm wondering if Look Books work. I'm part of a co-op of small Indie businesses and we're doing a Look book that combines several businesses into one professional book. It's divided by category so it's easy to navigate. This is the second round (I missed the first one) and we got some good responses from several good sized magazines/programs. It's costing quite a bit, but since there are quite a few of us we split the cost to make it more economical for each of us.

So do you think they work? Is it worth it for small Independent artists/businesses?

Hi all. I am applying for accessories shows right now. Looking towards Jan-Feb. I make costime jewelry from vintage Lucite-really mod colorful stuff and I sell vintage La Rose shoes. What shows would you recomend I apply to? I would like to do small incubator shows-but when they are well edited-they have limited space.

Thank you.

I cannot tell you how crucial my lookbook has been for my shoe and sandal line. I feel that it shows the buyer what image you are trying to project, which is a vital aspect of any company, fashion or otherwise. It shows personality and I can say with great confidence that it was the #1 driver for brand recognition upon my launch. I had buyers at my first show tell me they loved my book and came to find me because of it. Buyers are overwhelmed at shows, but if they saw your book and liked it, then see your name on a plaque at a show, they will stop in and they will buy. It makes you look like a real company rather than just having samples in a raw space. It is $ well spent. Design it yourself and print it with a local printer.

hi, i'm launching a new luxury children's line of clothing (out of montreal) targetted at babies, toddlers & children and hope to attend BUBBLE in NYC as my first show. would you recommend this show and any advice on how to set up interviews and with whom? should i try and get fashion magazines to meet with me there, have a press conference, fashion show or...? i'm preparing a look book myself with photos i'm taking myself at a friends' studio space, but any advice on making a great FIRST impression to distributors/buyers would be welcome asap...

We are attending the Magic Show this month and have been asked by retailers to email our line sheet to them? my question is how much product should a list sheet have?

I agree with Danielle. It's 1000% necessary and you will be remembered and stand out. Say for example, you have a tee shirt line. A tee shirt, is a tee shirt is a tee shirt, until you shoot it to evoke the mood of your inspiration. You can do this simply in a studio setting with a white background and still suggest the mood by model choice and lighting or you can get good images for a look book on a location shoot. But in the latter, I'd suggest that you make sure the mood doesn't take so far over that you focus on the model and the background and remember it's about the clothing.
I offer a line sheet separately because for quick reference and easy ordering (after seeing the line in person) is easiest.

Hi I am a jewelry designer and wanted to know more about look books and how they should be presented to a buyer. I really do appreciate any info provided. take care of yourself. This has been very informative.