5 tips for winning at business at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia.
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia is just days away, and you’re anything like us, you’ve been thinking of not much else for the last few weeks. It’s the peak event of Sydney’s fashion calendar, and it can be make-or-break for many brands.
You’ve selected your outfits [top of the list, of course], filled your diary and prepped your snacks. But what about your business? How can you make the most of this exciting, exhausting and industry-focused week to catapult your brand into the minds (and hearts) of fashion editors, stylists, influencers and buyers?
Yes, there are parties and champagne and fabulous shoes and bags – but what most outsiders forget is that fashion week = business week. The success of any label showing can absolutely be attributed to an ability to enjoy the back-end of the business.
Connecting brands and media efficiently and powerfully is the core of Flaunter’s vision and platform, and we’ve helped hundreds of brands get breakthrough coverage. So we put together our top five tips for winning at business at MBFWA.
Tip 1. Set your goals
Fashion week always passes in a blur. It can be hard to remember during the craziness what you wanted to achieve – so being crystal clear on your goals so you can remind yourself of them relentlessly is essential.
Take the time to make achievable, very specific goals that map to your bigger business plans. Turning a goal such as “meet as many useful people as possible” into “meet with a minimum of 10 fashion buyers from relevant boutiques” is an example of how great goals can help you be less stressed, more focused and more effective for your business.
Tip 2. Hone your elevator pitch
You’re about to have potentially hundreds of conversations about your brand – with people who get it. So take the time to work out exactly how to introduce and differentiate your brand to people quickly. Work out which other designers you may be compared to, and how to describe the differences. Make your team’s vision loud and clear.
Tip 3. Pick your top products
We know, it’s hard. But the chances are in almost every interaction, whether it’s a conversation or an email pitch or a showroom walkthrough, you’ll have to pick a few favourites that showcase the best of your collection. Like long emails, an endless list of products can make it hard to build excitement and energy with new contacts.
So put together a selection of your favourites that not only showcases your features but also the range of the work you do. Remember – this might be a different mini edit for different audiences.
Tip 4. Know your numbers
Pricing, payment options, payment terms – these are all make-or-break dollar dazzlers for ALL brands. Make sure you know these inside out and back to front. How much will it cost to produce, sell and ship each piece, and how will you convert that into USD for international stockists? What are your minimum production numbers? Are you open and able to produce ‘exclusive’ pieces if a buyer asks?
Tip 5. Never, ever miss a follow-up
Hopefully, you’ll achieve a series of breakthrough conversations or connections at MBFWA this year, so you need to make certain that you are ready to activate those new opportunities as quickly as possible.
Ensure all of your high-res look book and runway images are uploaded to Flaunter with detailed notes, so any journalist, stylist or buyer you meet can check access your full range of work and download-to-publish immediately.
“In the lead up to Fashion Week, I wanted a portal that I could direct all media to, to get images in real time so I didn’t have to send everyone images days late [#nightmare!]. My friend introduced me to Flaunter and I was sold. Not only did we use it for FW with great success, I decided we needed it on a full-time basis and have used it ever since.” Lauren Platt-Helpworth – MAC Cosmetics
Almost 90% of Australia’s fashion, beauty and design journalists and editors are on Flaunter, as well as many internationals, so make it easy for them to find and fall in love with your work.
Bonus tip
Remember to enjoy it! And come say hi to the Flaunter team, who are always up for a chat about how to take your brand’s reputation and success to the next level. Get in touch on via Instagram @flauntermedia_ and hello@flaunter.com, or find us on site.
