Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/925208
Le Souk partner Toban Textile. textileinsight.com January/February 2018 ~ Textile Insight • 45 training services provide an online guide (along with some digital hand-holding) to fashion's future. Taking cues from her own life owning a boutique for 14 years, along with an eponymous clothing line, Hamill helps creative entrepreneurs create physical product. Courses include the New Designer Program, Get Your Product into More Stores, How to Work with a Sewing Contractor and Sell More Products Online, a marketing course proving to be a hotbed for business. Part of the online appeal is that designers can "binge watch the sessions Netflix style," said the exec, or do it at their own pace. While Hamill used to do a lot more one-on-one coaching, now she's more likely to be doing live question and answer sessions, creating pop-up Facebook communities for her students (sometimes with designers and manufacturers) and teaching her confidence-building knowhow. Students include menswear designer Dwyne K. Wickliffe, Jr. of Wickliffe Los Angeles and former ballerina-turned-designer, Marisa Cerveris of SteelCore, which is "activewear from studio to street," according to its site. Subscription Addiction From razors to pet products, online subscriptions create a constant flow of cash for brands and can be a time-saver for consumers. In lingerie, Adore Me frames itself as "a one stop shop for women of all sizes, from petite to plus," according to Iris Voltaire, business and brand development. Fast-fashion styled Adore Me launches 40-60 designs every month, while other players in the market put out collections four times a year. "By avoiding the high costs of prime retail locations, in addition to working without any middleman, Adore Me can cut prices by more than half compared with competitors," Voltaire explained. When a consumer signs up for a VIP membership/ monthly subscription, the first VIP set of one bra and panty set is $24.95 (or sometimes even less with promotions). If you prefer to pay as you go (and not subscribe), the price per set is $39.95. Adore Me customers are given a "tailored assortment based on their needs and wants" each month and by logging in to their own private lingerie showroom – all customized by answers to a style quiz with questions surrounding sleep style, padding preference, age, etc. Customers can also come into the NYC headquarters for a free 45-minute one-on-one fitting with a stylist. Unlike a store where the focus is hanger appeal, "our designs are shown on models; hence, fabric and fit must be perfect," said Voltaire. The brand's exchange and return rate is a low 6 percent. An astounding 80 percent of Adore Me's traffic comes from mobile devices and 75 percent of its shoppers are Millennials. Founder Morgan Hermand-Waiche, a former management consultant with no lingerie background, started Adore Me while at Harvard Business School. Unable to find lingerie on his student budget for his girlfriend, he decided to take on the lingerie industry. O Fashion Brain Academy Founder Jane Hamill