Upcoming Events! The Retailer's Point of View and The Ultimate Holiday Dress Competition

Art of Fashion is teaming up with The Retail Assembly and Fresh Collective for an exciting event for Canadian designers looking to grow their business on July 8^th, 2014 at Fresh Collective boutique at 692 Queen Street West.  (Please click here to purchase tickets.) 

Laura-Jean Bernhardson, CEO and founder of Fresh Collective will be dishing out crucial information for designers about how Fresh Collective runs their business.  She will also be revealing industry intel, the secrets of success and explain the cost to both the retailer and designer of having a garment sold in a boutique. 

Laura-Jean will also be explaining how both wholesaling and consignment work for the designer and the retailer. 

Excitingly, Laura-Jean will also be giving insight into what customers are looking for both in the design and functionality of a garment.  There will also be a Q & A session, where Laura-Jean will be able to answer all your pressing questions on how to take your career as a designer to the next level.

At this event, Art of Fashion will also be launching our new design competition, in partnership with The Retail Assembly and Fresh Collective, called “The Ultimate Holiday Dress”.  In an effort to reach a more diverse selection of designers we are revitalizing our approach by launching several smaller scale yet targeted competitions.  This will not only allow us to better educate and help Canadian designers get their start, it will also ensure that designers who participate in our competitions can truly take advantage of the designer benefits Art of Fashion strives to provide them with. 

This is where our new design competition The Ultimate Holiday Dress comes in!  Art of Fashion and Fresh Collective are excited to give Canadian designers the opportunity to design the ultimate holiday dress and have it sold in Fresh Collective boutiques.  Designers are encouraged to submit designs that are sexy, fun and most importantly marketable to consumers and appropriate for the holiday season. 

The top 5 designers chosen from all the applications received will get invaluable one-on-one mentorship from Laura-Jean regarding their designs.

After meeting with Laura-Jean, the top 3 designers will be announced and tasked with producing a sample garment and take part in an “Innovation Station”, held at a Fresh Collective boutique as an opportunity for Fresh Collective consumers and staff to give feedback about their design.  This is a great opportunity for designers to learn more about what their customer wants and how to effectively sell their vision. 

Once all the feedback has been received, a winner will be announced.  If that designer has successfully completed all stages of the competition and produced a marketable dress, they will receive a contract with Fresh Collective and have their design sold in the boutique.  

This is a very exciting and unique opportunity for designers and applications are now available on our website at www.artoffashion.org.  Please note that the submission deadline for all applications is August 1st, 2014 at 5:00pm. 

If you are interested in purchasing tickets or finding out more event details about our upcoming event, The Retailer's Point of View, click here.  There are a limited number of tickets available so gets yours today! 

Dries Van Noten, A Unique Vision

Dries Van Noten began his career as a member of the design collective, the Antwerp Six, before starting his eponymous fashion brand.

Photo Credit: Wallpaper.com

His thirty years of business has been complied in a Paris exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, titled “Inspirations”.  The exhibit features over 400 components conveyed in an array of mediums and concludes with a video loop showcasing the closing of each of Van Noten’s 60+ shows. 

To find out more about the Van Noten's exhibition and design legacy, please click here to check out The Retail Assembly's blog.

Photo Credit: Dominique Maître, architecturaldigest.com

The concept of an online closet has been around for years, a system that shows you how clothes look on your body, what clothes look good together and instructions in accessorizing every outfit. This idea has always seemed so advanced, something that will happen in the future, but in fact several of these systems have already been made!

 (TC)2 is one of the largest apparel technology companies, with the central goal of turning research into reality. They are constantly pushing the technological envelope and as a result, they are the world leaders in digital body scanning. Digital body scanning is a system that scans a person’s body and creates an avatar of that individual, allowing them to shop virtually and see how clothes look on their body without trying them on.  

There is still a lot of research being conducted about the scanning system to make it as life-like and convenient as possible, but some stores have already started using these systems. In Seattle, there is a store that displays only one size of all of their clothes and then uses a body scanning system to determine the shopper’s size. When the shopper wants to try items on in their own size, it will already be waiting for them by the time they get to the fitting room.

The CEO of (TC)2, Mike Fralix predicts that eventually fitting rooms will be obsolete. Customers will be able to walk into a store, see the sample clothing, determine the digital fit and have the item shipped by the store in 24-48 hours!

The avatars will also be saved in a database that allows shoppers to access them on any computer. This gives consumers the ability to shop at home and see if the clothes will fit properly, eliminating the need for returns. The database also recommends shoppers the types of clothing that will suit their body, colours that compliment their skin tones, and hairstyles that enhance their facial features; one shopper can get up to 600 recommendations; this concept is being referred to as an online mall.

An online mall makes purchasing clothes convenient for those people who do not like the hassle of shopping but hits a sore spot for those who love a Saturday trip to the mall. Does this online concept push the fashion industry where it needs to go or does it take the fun out of loving what you buy?

     All fashion lovers know the excitement of adding a gorgeous new item to their wardrobe. They also know guilt that comes after a splurge. What if we told you that there is a way to shop for clothes without the post-purchase guilt?

     Trend Trunk is an online consignment store that sells new, pre loved and vintage items. Through this site you can sell clothes that are in good condition and donate the proceeds to a charity. All you have to do is post a photo of the item with the selling price and select the charity and the amount that you would like to donate. When the clothes are sold the proceeds will automatically be sent to the charity of your choice.

       Art of Fashion has teamed up with Trend Trunk with the goal of raising $5000 to support our design competitions and aid emerging designers year round. By clicking the donate tab on the trend trunk website, you can choose us as you charity to buy and sell your clothes! Help AOF out and yourself by checking out our assortment of fun and vibrant clothing from a variety of brands. With spring weather ahead of us, it is the perfect time to replenish your wardrobe!

https://www.trendtrunk.com/fundraising/AOF

	American Apparel $29		ASOS $33

                                         

Peter Pilotto $79

ASOS $25