Dear Vancouver Fashion Designers:

Please know that you are doing a fantastic job. I understand art and artists, and that what you do takes love and a great deal of caring. I understand that demonstrating your work can be highly nerve-racking, and producing a fashion show to present your designs is no easy feat.

I would like nothing but the best to come for Vancouver designers – I want our city to be on the map as much as the next gal – HOWEVER: you need to get organized. Every fashion show, every single time you represent yourself as a designer, you MUST provide context. People need to know exactly what you do and how you’ve come to do it. Every single time you meet someone and represent yourself as a professional, they expect to see you act professionally. If you would like to make your living as a serious fashion designer, then you need to look at successful models both locally and around the world for inspiration and knowledge. It is your duty as an artistic entrepreneur to show the world your skills and be taken seriously, and that begins with taking yourself seriously.

Here are some essential elements that can help you build a fashionable empire:

• Develop a press kit. If you do not know what a press kit consists of, email me: pariya[at]theconveyorbelt[dot]com

• Build media awareness, and document any articles and press you receive. Use this press to leverage yourself and your image; it might get you that next interview with an even bigger publication.

• Make it easy for the journalist. This means organizing your press kit materials and providing media with TOO MUCH information. This way, they have more opportunities and angles to develop their story. Remember: writers are artists too, and artists should try to stick together. If a journalist gave you fabrics and a bobbin with no thread, you wouldn’t be able to sew your outfit together. Why would you expect the media to sew together a story about you without the threads they need?

• There is no need to do a fashion show if you cannot afford to gather press materials. Seriously. Go big, or go home. There is a reason why people produce fashion shows, and it is not because they feel like participating in a fashion week for the joy of it. Fashion shows are meant to harness media and buyer attention, so you have to hone your corporate edge and give these anonymous viewers what they came for. Always be over-prepared because in the business world, anything could happen.

• Look the part. There’s a fine line between effortlessly-chic and unfashionably-casual; you don’t want to be looking the latter when attempting to sell customers, media and buyers on your designs.

I will be posting tips as I observe more of what’s going on, little bits and pieces to (hopefully) come of some help to you on your way. If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to email me! Ask us questions; that’s what we’re here for.

Love, Pariya

*Ed. note – One more point to add, which is so important: you need a website if you want your business to grow! Develop an online presence because if media can’t find information about you on the web, it makes our job very difficult. Especially if we want to write that big story and can’t find your phone number or email address…