Trade Show Basics

Hi everyone,

Last month has been a huge leap for our little brand. We decided to participate at two major industry trade shows in Las Vegas and in New York. For those of you who dont know much about trade shows, they are a huge gathering of buyers, press, designers from all over the country. There is good exposure, good contacts and sales that may not have happened otherwise.

This industry gathering obviously requires a lot of prep. To start, the money invested is pretty high. Be ready for a 5K investment/show which would include fees, booth setup, and even small things like hangars. This means you must be sure of the show you are participating in will give returns. Visit all if possible and ensure you understand the layout and the feel of the designers and attendees. Trade show venues charge for everything, I had to pay $95 just to have an outlet in our booth in Las Vegas. They will invite you to do promos (which obviously cost more)like being on a TV network or having a display, so pick and chose well.

Once you have chosen your show, you may need to apply to get in. Ensure your samples are ready and return shipping is paid for when you send everything to the committee. Usually the response is quick and I did not have any issues with samples that were returned. Once accepted, start prepping for the show including mailing lists, booth setup and selling.

Booth setup is another aspect that needs to be carefully thought through prior to show. You only have a few hours to set everything the day before. We planned our layout, furniture, fabrics etc for weeks prior to the show. Also be ready to improvise once at the venue, lot of things will seem different when you are there in person. The key is to make it inviting, open, and ensure there is adequate clothing that will catch buyers eye and make them stop and come in. A lot of buyers will walk by and if they see something they like will stop and pick a card or at least give feedback.

Last, but not the least, the selling process. This one is tougher than you think. I experienced that if we were too aggressive, buyers did not like it and avoided coming in. If we let them take their time reviewing the clothing from afar, we had a better chance of getting them in the booth. We also observed a lot of experienced salespeople around us and it helped us learn a lot. Take notes when you are sitting idle, which will happen for periods of time Also, ensure you wear your own clothes. Lot of people may talk to you when you are walking around the exhibition hall, it is key to always be ready to sell.

Attached are some of our pics of the booth in Vegas and NYC. It was a fantastic experience and we created great wholesale accounts and met good showrooms who will be taking our line further into the wholesale industry.

Eco-friendly fabric Bamboo

For some of my Fall'11 collection I had decided to use knit bamboo fabric to create fabulous textures and garments, that are soft and luxurious but do not harm the environment. As I was putting together this collection, I realized that a lot of people do not know about the advantages of using bamboo as opposed to cotton. I think it is a great fabric that is gaining popularity all over the world and it would be a good idea to educate people about it. I am attaching a list of pro's and cons from various sources in an attempt to shed some light on this fabric.

Pro's
1. Bamboo is a plant that grows very rapidly, average of 1 foot per month. It also releases a lot more oxygen while absorbing more green house gases.
2. Because of its rapid growth, it thrives without pesticides or fertilizers. It's roots also stabilize soil and reduce erosion.
3. The fiber is strong, lightweight and wicks moisture. It is soft and shiny as silk, yet has the comfort of cotton. It helps keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
4. The fiber breathes well and is also shown to block 98% of UV Radiation which makes it good for active wear.
5. Bamboo also drapes and dyes well, as was proved with some of our clothing.

Cons
1. The process to convert bamboo into fiber can use harsh chemicals and bleaching that can be harmful to the environment. However, its still less harmful than the cotton, that uses heavy pesticides, or nylon/polyester fabrics that are derived from petroleum.
2. Few suppliers of fabric makes the supply volatile and prices variable. Although, with gaining popularity there is a spurt in growers and manufacturers in places like China and India.

Despite these cons, Bamboo is still a great fabric to use in all kind of textile driven industries. With its growing popularity, there is a lot of research on the way to make it more greener and effective. I strongly believe that this is going to be one of the popular fabrics in the coming seasons.


Sources:
greensham.com
greenlivinggoddess.com

Naturally dyed Hand woven wool

Happy New Year!

As everyone knows, our brand Avni is all about uplifting the indigenous arts and taking them to new heights in fashion. One of our goals is to partner with the artisans on reviving their eco-friendly roots by helping them gain access to natural dyes. Many of them have already expressed interest in working with us on naturally dyeing fibers and fabrics themselves. A project we will continue to grow as more artisans express interest.

Here is one of our hand woven, Jacquard weave, wool fabric from Varanasi. Our artisans (shown weaving here) have handcrafted these for Avni so that we can naturally dye the fabrics to create a unique, rustic texture. Our wool skirt with pleats is dyed in pomegranate skin. See more of this fabric in our Fall'11 collection.

Warrior like Jewelry

As always, my love for jewelry brought me on a trip to Zoya, one of my favorite boutiques in Mumbai that carries amazing clothing and accessories. They carry jewelry from some of my favorite designers like Suhani Pitte. Check out some the pieces from their store.

Embroidery- a one of a kind art form

For everyone who adore and cherish the intricate art of embroidery, there is always an inherent understanding that the shawl/stole/purse or wall hanging that is purchased is most likely the only piece that exists. As I am moving more deeply into my endeavors in the fashion world, I am realizing that all embroidery is a one of a kind art form. Even work like Kantha, which has been used in our collections, is very difficult to replicate. The reason? Most of the women who make this embroidery use it as a form of expression. They like to explore their skills as a means of telling their stories and each artisan is unique in their handicraft.

This creates some problems for us in the fashion world who want to proliferate this art all over the world. Common practice of duplication is not possible and many use innovative methods to generalize designs. One such organization is Qasab in Bhuj. They help develop their artisans by providing signature cushion covers and handbags that are embroidered in variety of ways. On my visit to their office today, I saw all the women busy cutting up embroidery to create a melange of colors for an order of 800 wall hangings. "Embroidery for 800 pieces is almost impossible to execute in a short span of time", says Meenaben, one of the main organizers for the group, " We had to creatively make artwork using existing embroidered fabrics to ensure the order is executed fast". She is one of the few people in Gujarat who has been encouraging artisans to execute domestic and international orders in a timely manner in order to ensure repeat orders and economic stability.

Seeing this wonderful organization in action really made me think about the various techniques of embroidering and how we can make the fabrics more accessible and usable in the fashion industry. The only answer is to create haute couture or one of a kind lines that will be fit a select customer base. At Avni, we really want to explore this as an exclusive collection for customers that value individual freedom of expression. We also hope to move the artisans back to more environmentally friendly methods that were traditionally used such as natural dyes and organic cotton.

Natural Snakeskin?

Check out this wonderful texture created by the talented people at our natural dyeing unit. Its created by using a method of tie dyeing called "rouching". The satin silk fabric is first dyed in the base color of Chukra bheda, which is a leafy green plant that looks a lot like spinach and is used for herbal remedies in Ayurveda. Once the base color is done the fabric is then tied up and dyed in a second color of pomegranate skin. The resulting combination is a wonderful snakeskin like texture that has a natural sheen because of the satin base.

Watch out for this texture in our Fall'11 Warrior Princess collection that is currently under the works.

Jacket with Scarf attached

So this is one of my favorite designs that I happen to wear all the time in the early Fall/late Spring and in San Francisco (if you know how SF's perpetual fall weather feels like). I wanted to give people who follow Avni's journey to let me know what they think about a scarf attached to Jacket concept. My personal opinion is that its different yet warm and comfortable. More for hanging out in the crisp, cool air. I usually wear it when I don't have to take it off.