Fabulous, Fantastical FashionSpeak 2014!

It's hard to sit down and compose a blog post about FashionSpeak as there is more to say than you have time to read. First and foremost, we have to thank our sponsors because without them, this day wouldn’t be possible. Thank you to Taubman, Bedrock Real Estate Services, Kenwal, StyleLine (RIP), TDIC, Buddy’s, Sips, US Foods, ZIMs, Emerald City Designs, M1 Gear, Flagstar Bank, B2 Consulting, Styleshack and Ke Event Designs. We also must thank the volunteers – the day played out so smoothly thanks to all of you. And huge thanks to photographers Xiang CCLC and Olga Gamburg for capturing the day for us. And finally, to the DG3 Board, you are the metaphorical heart that beats to keep our programming moving forward. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now for the fun stuff – the speakers! The conference covered a wide variety of subjects and each speaker was most informative, warm and encouraging. We have compiled a list of quotes from each presentation that are great tips to utilize when building a business in the fashion world.

Rachel Lutz, Owner of The Peacock Room and Frida

“Think of brand loyalty as a marriage and not a fling.”

“Jump into Detroit retail. People want options, locally made. But be really of the city.”

“Help your customers believe in your brand. Tell them a story. Be authentic.”

“Brand loyalty is a balance of leadership and consistency.”

“If you base your brands on price or discounts, you are ruining yourself.”

Bridget Sullivan and Jeanette Puig-Pey, Automotive Fabric Designer & Global Design Manager, Lear

“Don’t turn down an opportunity with the fear of being unknown.”

“There’s a very concrete connection between fashion and the automation industry.”

Matthew Burnett, Co-Founder & CEO of Makers Row

“Keep your line simple; doing a full out collection at first will kill you.”

“The closer you are to your manufacturer, the more control you have over the production of that product.”

“There are 1.2 million manufacturers in the United States.”

Malina Joseph Gilchrist, Senior Market Editor at T Magazine

“We make things based on what we see – trends, ideas, things that are happening and moving.”

“All editors are looking for more things; but keep your emails short and sweet.”

“Just start with one, simple thing and do it the best you can. Then grow from there.”

“When creating a look book, make the pictures and design clean and simple.”

“If you’re building something, be consistent on all platforms.”

Tracy Reese, Fashion Designer

“I’m not in it for the recognition. I’m in it because I love to make clothes.”

“Give yourself the chance to gain experience and get a salary.”

“Don’t start at the finish line. Start at the beginning, gain experience, learn your customer.”

“The business part is just as important as the creative part. You have to educate yourself.”

Throughout the day, the attendees kept their energy high with coffee at the Keurig Bar, pastries in the morning and pizza and kale salad from Buddy’s for lunch. Fashion dames and gents need to stay nourished as they learn! EVERYONE put their best fashion-foot forward; the style displayed by all of the FashionSpeakista’s made for fantastic people watching all day long.

Once the speakers were finished letting us in on their business secrets, the party began! Everyone enjoyed tantalizing cocktails made with Zim’s vodka and yummy eats from Sips Gastro Pub, and got to network not only with each other but the presenters, too.

Yesterday is a day we won’t soon forget, and writing this blog post still high on FashionSpeak, we could go on and on and on. (But no one likes to read too much online…Add that to your business tips.) Check the tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram photos from our attendees, Board and presenters to get a real feel of just how much everyone enjoyed the day. See you at FashionSpeak 2015. We’ll start planning now…

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