I have had the pleasure of working with many friends over the years as a retail buyer. I spoke with a few store owners this week who had just returned from Fashion Week in Paris. We all agree that there is a distinct charm of the city that can be undermined with challenges. This conversation inspired me to fill you in on what many people in the fashion industry perceive to be the best and worst of each city they travel to for buying trips. I hope you find it interesting to hear what many believe to be the best and the worst of each fashion city around the globe….
The City
New York City is always the most convenient to do business in for American retailers. It is close in proximity to most stores with many flights available throughout the day. One of the best things about New York is that almost every designer collection has a showroom and representation in the city. That home base aids in communication and time efficiency with the appointment schedule. One of the main problems with working in New York is that the showrooms are spread out all over the city. Many showrooms have shifted downtown to trendy and historically lower rent areas such as Soho, Meatpacking, Tribeca and the East Village while other vendors have chosen to remain in MIdtown or the Upper East Side. The process of getting from showroom to showroom is quite long and let’s not even think about catching a cab at 4:00 PM during the shift change! Another complaint about NYC is how “sceney” it can be especially during fashion week, but there is some fun in that too!