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- New York Fashion Week is a popular event for fashion brands to showcase their new collections.
- It’s also a great time for small businesses to grow through events and collaborations.
- Two founders share their advice on how to use events like NYFW to accelerate growth as a small business.
Fashion Week is one of the recurring events that mark the beginning of fall in New York City. Major fashion brands invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in presentations and runway shows, celebrities spend the week moving from show to show, and street photography floods social media feeds for days.
Historically, the week has brought out luxury household names like Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger, while small businesses are usually left on the back burner. However, even if they are not presented on the main stage, there are still significant opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs. Alyssa Coscarelli and Abby Price, the co-founders of intimate collaboration platform Infinite and home-furnishings brand Abode, respectively, believe it’s an opportune time to grow small businesses.
“New Yorkers understand the importance of shopping small, knowing where their pieces come from and knowing who’s behind them,” Coscarelli said.
At this year’s NYFW, Coscarelli and Price partnered to host a pop-up shop selling a unique collection of fashion and lifestyle items, including Presa’s own label products.
The pop-up shop is a cost-effective and accessible alternative to the runway approach, Coscarelli said. “I’m not going to tell any brand to do a runway show because that’s a big financial investment and for some brands that’s not the right format,” she said.
Coscarelli and Price shared their strategies for business development and ideas on how founders can increase brand awareness and sales during NYFW.
Pop-up shops bring new customers to your business
The pop-up will be held at Price’s Brick & Mortar location in New York City.
Sophie Sahara
Coscarelli and Price decided on a pop-up store to create a hands-on experience that allowed customers to interact with the brands, the products and each other.
“It’s a very special feeling to get their hands on something that they feel they’ve earned and that no one else has,” Coscarelli said.
Both Infinite and Abode have built their mission on growing other small businesses run by women and BIPOC founders. The pop-up includes a curated collection of brands such as Poppy Unidis, a Los Angeles-based underwear line, and Zoe Schlachter, an LGBTQ-owned textile brand.
However, Coscarelli and Price said they are entering the partnership with slightly different goals.
When Infinite officially launches in February, Coscarelli hopes to find new customers through the event. She believes Abode’s existing customers are the same customers who appreciate Infinite.
In the meantime, Price hopes the event will bring in sales and help establish Abbode in New York’s fashion and lifestyle community.
From paying for rent and inventory, sales are a vital part of any event, and cost-effective hosts. In addition to the increase in sales, Price said, “People are excited to see that Abode is a place for new, cool, small brands in the city.”
Guerrilla marketing is a cost-effective way to attract attention.
In-person events like pop-up shops can be expensive, especially for brands like Abode that don’t have a physical location. Founders may have to compete with other brands trying to capitalize on NYFW and rent spaces, which can increase costs significantly. To keep prices low, Coscarelli and Price suggest using unconventional, low-cost marketing methods like guerilla marketing — or the use of unconventional, low-cost marketing methods that can expand brand exposure.
“If there’s a lot of people in the area, try and set up a table” or give out promotional products, Price said.
When she founded Abbode, she took a guerilla marketing approach by pulling a wagon full of disco balls through the West Village and giving them away for free if people posted a photo on Instagram and tagged Abbode.
Anything that allows people to create their own content and promote themselves when sharing your brand is a great tactic for events like NYFW, she said.
Strategic product placement is free advertising.
A collaboration collection between Infinite and Miga Swimwear launched this June.
in favor of Coscarelli
With so many events going on throughout the week, “you don’t have to do it all,” Coscarelli said. “There are more intimate, more creative ways you can participate in a week like this.”
Coscarelli suggests that small business owners invite a few micro-influencers or fans of the brand to a small dinner party to showcase any new products. Or, she says, have an apartment-style showroom where people can see the products while still having a place to stop and relax during the week.
Price suggests placing your products strategically throughout the week. Invite influencers to wear your clothing Showcase your products as event decor or decor. Collaborating in this way can let influencers’ followers know about your brand, have your clothes featured in street-style photos, or let event attendees see your products in action.
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