The Wall Street Journal, reporting from Fashion Week in New York today, makes two observations I think are critical to our customers— that designers need to create “clothes people actually wear” and that designers newest looks must get “from catwalk to closet faster.”

 

Nothing frustrates a wholesale buyer more than having to wait months for delivery.  Nothing frustrates a ritual customer more than having to wait weeks for backorders.

 

This is why we don’t show our women’s’ golf apparel  and activewear until we have it in stock, and can fulfill orders for both retail customers and our buyers at golf course shops and boutiques.

 

“Norma Kamali began putting her collections up for sale on her Web site immediately after her presentations Monday,” the Journal said.  And, she was not alone.

 

“Plenty of wearable clothes”, as opposed to “outrageous designs” also were the norm on the runways.  Reviewers said they thought this was in response to declines in sales last year due to the recession.  Practical design, clothing with more than one use, is long overdue.  A golf skort with matching shirts, pants and jackets that can be worn on the course and while running errands, at lunch, shopping and simply lounging around the house on weekends, is what we have created; multi-dimensional use is a driving force as we sketch our new lines.  This creates value for the customer and is lesson that has been learned the hard way by the big design houses.