Thomas Tait Debut Collection | Photos: Sara Lai

LONDON, United Kingdom — Earlier this year, we introduced the BoF community to Thomas Tait. A fresh graduate of the Central Saint Martins MA programme, Tait has had a busy few months. Since we first met him in May, he has been named a finalist for the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, created an accessories collaboration with mega online fashion retailer ASOS, and on Saturday, showed for the first time at London Fashion Week in a hush hush off-schedule presentation held at the Wilkinson Gallery in East London.

There were only two rows for seated guests, but the overflow crowd didn’t seem to mind. Squeezed onto single benches on either side of the runway were Elizabeth Saltzman of Vanity Fair, Bronwyn Cosgrave of the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize, Canadian High Commissioner James Wright and his wife Donna Thomson, and Kristina Blahnik, niece of Mr. Manolo himself and a new face for the Manolo Blahnik shoe empire. American editors who had caught wind of the Thomas Tait buzz were also there, including Whitney Vargas of Elle and Chioma Nnadi of Vogue.com. And of course, The Business of Fashion was there too.

So with a crowd of powerful fashion influentials, friends, supporters and classmates from Central St Martins in the house, and after waiting almost an hour for the show to begin, the audience craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Tait’s debut collection. And what a debut it was.

… Continue Reading

Scott Sternberg at Lego installation at Opening Ceremony | Source: Selectism

Today, BoF brings you First Person with Band of Outsiders’ Scott Sternberg, followed later this week by the exclusive global debut of a new Band of Outsiders film directed by Debra Scherer for The Little Squares.

LOS ANGELES, United States — What made a 20-something junior agent at CAA, with no background in clothing design, think he could just up and create a fashion company and make it a viable business?

“Good question,” says Scott Sternberg, who in 2004 did just that, ditching his desk job to launch the LA-based Band of Outsiders with a limited collection of shirts and ties. Four years in, Sternberg won the CFDA Swarovski award for emerging menswear designer; last year he shared the top award with Italo Zucchelli of Calvin Klein. This September the hip brand, found at dozens stores around the world, will debut its fourth imprint, the entry-level womenswear line, girl.

Viable indeed. A runaway success, more like it.

… Continue Reading

Company of We, S/S 2010 | Source: Company of We

NEW YORK, United States — Today, building a strong online sales channel is often vital to the success of an emerging fashion business. But because the task can seem daunting, many young designers delay developing their own e-commerce sites, and instead outsource their internet sales to online retailers, losing a significant share of full retail margin that can be earned when selling directly to the end consumer.

While it’s almost always cost-prohibitive for a new brand to open a bricks-and-mortar store in the early days of the development of a new fashion business, New York-based menswear label Company of We has proven that setting up a fully owned and operated e-commerce presence from day one can be done — and done well — in a way that’s cost-effective and relatively simple.

… Continue Reading

Pamela Love | Image by Jordan Sullivan

First Person, a new series on BoF, brings you business stories and lessons from real fashion entrepreneurs. First up, cult jewellery designer, Pamela Love.

NEW YORK, United States — For the past three years Brooklyn-born jewellery designer Pamela Love has set about crafting her business in the same way she shapes the hand-hewn gothic accessories she sells.

“Just like I learn new techniques for making jewellery as I go along,” she says, “I learn more and more about how to run a business. In the beginning I didn’t know anything, and every season I am like, ‘oh, right, I should have insurance, my employees should be on payroll.’ Every season we’ve become more and more of a proper business.”

… Continue Reading

LONDON, United Kingdom — This month the BoF Spotlight turns to David Saunders, founder of the eponymous London fashion label David David, whose vibrant graphic motifs have already caught the attention of The New York Times, Dazed & Confused, and even BoF, which included David’s film in our recent rundown of the top fashion films for Spring/Summer 2010.

Like many of his East London compatriots, David is an alumnus of Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East, which has also helped to launch the careers of Gareth Pugh, Louise Goldin and Richard Niccoll. However, unlike many of his peers and despite his background in the fine arts as a former assistant to Tracy Emin, David has pushed forth with an entrepreneurial savvy that makes his line one to watch from a business standpoint as well.

… Continue Reading