NYC: The City of "Living the Dream"

New York City is notorious for their fashion-savvy individuals, making the entire city their own fashion runway. The Garment District, also known as the Fashion District, is generally between 5th Ave and 9th Ave from 34th to 42nd street. Within these small 8 blocks, fashion has been inspired, designed, and created. The Garment District is home to designers, wholesalers, manufacturers, fabric sellers, button makers, and seamstresses, according to the Harvard Business Law’s article “New York Fashion Industry Reveals a New Truth About Economic Clusters”.

As a Long Islander living in NYC, it is often troublesome to not let my inner suburban tendencies come out when it comes to dressing myself. Nonetheless, I try to stay to the basic knowledge for NYC fashion while instilling my own personal personality and creativity, and that is exactly what I would advise a new and inexperienced fashion designer in New York City who relies upon the Garment District.

1. Be Dismissive : In the textbook, the author describes this rule of “living the dream” as disregarding any details that do no line up or contribute to your dream. I think this is an essential element for new fashion designers. In NYC, it is so easy to jump bandwagon on someone else’s style or look, however in order to make it in NYC you also have to stand out. Following your own personal dream “look” is vital to becoming a major success here in the fashion city of the world. Who knows, your style might eventually be THE style for the masses ;)

2. Radiate from the core : Similar to any other entrepreneurial business, you must do everything to create your own brand, values, and mystique. The textbook uses this recommendation as a way to build your myth and dream. For a new inexperienced fashion designer, I would advise that they use this recommendation as a method of establishing who they are, what look/vibe they are trying to portray, what principles they wish to stand by and stick by them and follow through with those decisions in mind for every decision made within the brand. For example, if the fashion designer decides to go with a very top quality vibrant, stylish look they would obviously look for fabric sellers that sell bright, varied colored fabrics that may cost a little more, but are definitely great quality.

3. Take Care – a lot of care: When first creating a new dream that you wish for others to invest in and believe in, you must first take care of the minor details. Everything within the dream must align with one another, and seamlessly flow between one part of the dream to the other. In the case of the new inexperienced fashion designer, making sure that he/she is fully devoted to their brand and acts accordingly to their brand can complete this. Everything from the small details from where the fashion designer decides to sell, who their target market is, to the treatment of the workers must be flawless.

http://business.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/fp-startups/succeed-in-style-five-insider-tips-for-up-and-coming-fashion-startups

http://fashionista.com/2014/07/tips-for-new-designers

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226133