It’s time! I have contingencies in place now for my upcoming absence. I have little helper elves who will keep the business running while I try to figure out this whole motherhood thing.

We have an iPad sleeve Father’s day promotion running now– buy an iPad sleeve and get 10% off through 6/20. The more products you buy, the more you help contribute to the diaper fund.

Thanks again for your support! See you in a couple of weeks!

There’s a lengthy article in this week’s WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) featuring the ailing NY Garment district. To help diagnose the problems in the area, there are 2 organizations conducting research to “explore the neighborhood’s dynamics and why it is an integral part of NY’s economy, identity, and sense of place.” The more I read about this research, the angrier I became. The simple truth is there would be no need to “save” the garment district if more manufacturing came to NYC. The neighborhood would flourish, more designers and merchandisers would move to this fashion epicenter, and as a result local businesses would have money to help beautify the area.

Here’s a key problem they should solve– emerging designers have very little transparency into what manufacturing options exist in NYC. When I visited NYC a year ago, I went to the info booth in the fashion district and asked for leather bag manufacturer recommendations. All she did was print out a 10-page list of garment manufacturers, many of which were apparel-only. There was no rating system, no client lists, and no way to tell which of the businesses on the list would be a good match for me– the printout was pretty much useless.

So here’s what I’d recommend they do:

1) Stop doing useless research and put the money into resources that help new designers get paired up with manufacturers. Finding domestic manufacturers in general is extremely hard (take it from someone who knows!) and any assistance– whether it’s one-on-one consulting, or a “yelp”-like service for manufacturing– would be extremely helpful and would definitely lead to getting more business in that area

2) Provide manufacturing tours so designers can meet several manufacturers face-to-face and see their facilities, and be able to ask questions in-person rather than on the phone

3) Educate manufacturers on how to get new business. Many manufacturers I have encountered need to brush up on their people skills so they don’t seem abrasive when speaking to potential clients

So that’s my take on this problem. And now to change subjects– I will be taking some time off soon for the whole “giving birth” thing. I can’t believe the time has come. I’ll blog if possible, but from what I hear I’ll be sleep-deprived and delirious, and I would be scared to publish anything in that state!

Have a good weekend!