Fashionista 50: The Slideshow
Click through to see who made our list–and why.
Andrew Rosen
Tuesday February 8th, 2011
Fashionista 50: The Most Influential People in New York Fashion
How do you measure influence?
Is it through website hits? Or sales? Through ad dollars? Or the number of mass retailers who’ve knocked off your work?
The answer is all of the above and none of the above. Influence is an intangible thing that just happens when you know your craft and you work hard at it.
To determine who belongs in the Fashionista 50–our list of the most influential people working in New York fashion–we used our own knowledge of the industry, combined with advice from industry sources. We also considered each candidate’s consumer reach–through sales, media, etc.
To be considered, candidates had to live and work in New York for most of the year.
What’s Fashionista’s definition of influential? It describes people who are shaping the direction of the New York fashion industry, both aesthetically and in terms of how the business works.
You’ll find the entire Fashionista 50 list after the jump. Click on the person’s name to read a full bio. And if you really want to click through the whole slideshow, you can do so here.
Tuesday January 11th, 2011
We Hung Out With Sir Philip Green, Andrew Rosen, and Several Other Fashion Big Shots Last Night
Topshop’s Sir Philip Green. Theory honcho Andrew Rosen. Designer Kenneth Cole. HSN CEO Mindy Grossman. Put them in a room with 300 other top retail CEOs and execs and what do you get? The Financo Forum, held last night at the Harmonie Club.
The event, organized annually by Financo (the top fashion/retail investment bank), is a hot ticket for industry insiders. The lively panel discussion and networking session gives attendees the rare chance to collectively review the state of the retail industry, to share insights and to socialize with their elite peers.
The forum’s focus this year was on all things digital. Although e-commerce and social media hardly seem to be new topics, they’re something many retailers are still trying to learn more about. Financo Chairman Gilbert Harrison explained that the goal was to “help navigate the new world, and to ultimately drive sales and profits.” The panel included Ben Fischman, CEO of Rue La La, Chip Wilson, Founder/Chief Innovation and Branding Officer of Lululemon Athletica, Stephen Zangre of Facebook and Dan Schock of Google, and was moderated by CNBC anchor Nicole Lapin.
A few key takeaways:
Friday December 3rd, 2010
Andrew Rosen/Proenza Schouler Deal Looking More and More Likely
We reported back in March that Theory CEO Andrew Goldman was courting Proenza Schouler, whose major investor–London-based private equity firm Permira–wants to sell.
Now WWD reports that the deal is about to go through: “Sources said Rosen could be heading an investment group that would buy Permira’s 45 percent stake in the designer firm.” Proenza’s designers. Jack McCollolugh and Lazaro Hernandez, as well as their college friend/CEO Shirley Cook, own 55%. Along with his role as CEO/Founder of Theory–which is owned by the Japanese company that also owns Uniqlo–Rosen has personally invested in Rag & Bone, Alice & Olivia, and Gryphon.
Saturday September 11th, 2010
The Rag & Bone Experiment
Rag & Bone is many things. But if they were one thing, it would be a wearable, salable brand. Yesterday’s show in a meatpacking district warehouse showed that they’d like to be more than that. While there were plenty of marketable pieces, there were also plenty of totally unmarketable ones. And that’s okay, because designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville took some risks. And with the near-perfect collection they put out last season, they couldn’t do anything but.
There were Rag & Bone staples–a pair of oatmeal drawstring football pants, a red and tan blazer that I’ll be surely ordering–mixed in with some less-predictable items. A mushed up watercolor print, bike shorts with garters, and a few bandage harnesses. It all read as a modern interpretation of early ’90s street culture.
Thursday July 8th, 2010
Ten Investors Who Take Chances on Smaller Fashion Labels
Another question the Fashionista team is often asked, mostly by design students: “What does it take to launch my own label?”
Well, it takes a lot of hard work, talent, and yes…money.
The big problem: There aren’t a ton of investors willing to put down cash on a new designer. As one serial investor once explained to me, “Fashion is a risky business. But it’s not as sexy as film. Sometimes, people are lured by the glamor, but in general, the return on investment is so unlikely, most aren’t willing to take the risk.” In the movies, on the other hand, investors will still probably get to hang out with the star–even if the film doesn’t make any real bank.
So what’s a young designer to do? Working for a bigger label is always an option. Adam Lippes worked at Polo Ralph Lauren for years before launching his own label. Chris Benz worked at J.Crew. Richard Chai worked at Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan.
Loans from friends and family always help, but we understand that’s not viable for most.
Another way to do it? Get one of the few investors who do spend money on younger brands to notice you. Now, we’re not advocating knocking down these people’s doors. And you’re probably going to have to come up with your own money to establish the company initially. But doing good work and networking should get you closer to your goal. Here are 10 companies/people known for investing in younger brands.
