What Happens in Vegas…

What happened in Vegas… was totally awesome!

February 13-18th, I was in Las Vegas and attended a myriad of apparel shows, MAGIC, MAGIC Project, Sourcing at MAGIC, WWIN, and OFFPRICE. This is where thousands of boutique owners and clothing buyers go every year to purchase clothing for their stores.

I was so fortunate to go with two local boutique owners, Angel and Joe Dahlke of 45th Parallel and see the shows from a buyer’s perspective. Talking to them and other boutique owners was invaluable because it taught me:

-          What booth displays attract people the best

-          The kind of pricing boutique owners are looking for so they can make a profit too

-          The timing for getting product samples ready so shop owners can get their products by the start of the season.

I also went off on my own and explored Sourcing at MAGIC, where there were vendors showcasing everything from business software, to fabric, to buttons. I met some fabulous people, including Holli from Direct to Source who works with an ethical manufacturer in Guatemala. She has partnered with the factory owner for years and the workers are like family. They also have an open-door policy so I could go visit the factory itself if I wanted to!

It is connections like these and finding like-minded people that makes me so excited to be in the apparel industry at this point in history and to be developing clothes that not only help women do more of what they love, but can make a positive impact on the people involved in every step of the process.

This is only the beginning!