DON’T BE KANYE. USE NINETEENTH AMENDMENT.
On the heels of Kanye West’s second fashion preview — where he presented his latest album and collection to thousands of people in Madison Square Garden- he broke his biggest news story to date, he is in massive debt.
According to news sources and Kanye himself, he is over $53 M in debt and $16M of that debt is from the production of his latest collection and show.
To be fair, Kayne’s show was impressive. In typical Fashion Week style, he recruited over a thousand models for a preview and a star-packed front row(s). However, for all that money spent on the show, his clothing was not available to purchase immediately.
Don’t tell Kanye, but this story is old news. Thousands of designers spend their funds on producing shows and hiring press, neither of which guarantee sales (though not to the same scale). Too bad Kanye was not one of the over 400 designers to have discovered and been accepted to Nineteenth Amendment.
At Nineteenth Amendment, we help designers manage and market their products to “stiletto-strap” a line. If Yeezy had come to us first, we would have had him sell straight from the stage at MSG — how?
1. Limit the looks to pieces that differentiate his brand
Kanye packs so much of his work with meaning but often gets criticized on the design side. We would have suggested putting more of himself into his clothes. Or maybe a heaven themed line to honor his mother? Something a bit more than the neutral styles he has gone for in the past.
2. Source fabric from domestic distributors
To make a collection shoppable and manufacturable in a month, you need to solidify and simplify your supply chains before the collection is presented.
3. Make the product available….now
Kanye did not have the collection available for purchase and had some issues releasing the album. If you are going to spend so much time and effort to show it, let people buy it — right away. Why not? It’s a win-win for both sides.
4. Integrate the music in the shopping experience
What if he had included a chip or bar code within the clothing to a free download of the music. The customer could literally wear the music and connect the two experiences in their mind forever. Not only that, but if the garment is passed down, the next wearer could enjoy.
All of this and more is available for Nineteenth Amendment designers without the immense price tag. In addition to this, as a designer on Nineteenth Amendment:
- We help you produce your line with our network of US manufacturers
- We provide packages for the editorial photos featured on our site and licensing packages for the product shots features
- We give you access to event, preview, and runway opportunities
- We give you Press Releases and contacts for your launch
- Most importantly, we show you your own sales dashboard to see what resonates with shoppers and what’s selling to your customers
Don’t be Kanye. Use Nineteenth Amendment to help you sell your collection!
P.S. Don’t worry Yeezy, there’s always next season! Give us a call.
(Photo via: thelineofbestfit.com , original by Paul Morigi )
