Ilse Metchek Shares Her Wisdom

How does one become successful in Fashion Design? According to Ilse Metchek, Executive Director of the California Fashion Association, knowing about the business side of fashion makes all the difference.

In a talk sponsored by the Association of Manufacturing Students, Ilse spoke with FIDM students at the Los Angeles campus on March 7th, about: what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur; where the designer fits into the entire manufacturing process; how to avoid labor law pitfalls when contracting garment construction; and about the important role of the California Fashion Association in representing the industry.

Ilse spoke about the need for designers to be versatile enough to make what the contractors need to have made and what the market demands. This involves understanding why styles you don't like may be the ones selling and why you sometimes have to design things you don't want to design. One of Ilse's first jobs was to design square dancing dresses, and suddenly she was up to her elbows in rick-rack, listening to square dance music. That experience gave her the perspective to understand that the consumer drives the market, not wishful thinking on the part of the designer.

According to Ilse, "A great designer is someone who can read the public. Maybe some of us will be brilliant enough to set the trends, but it's a very limited few. For the most part, designers are interpreters of what the consumers say they want."

Versatility and amazing design talent, however, do not ensure success as an entrepreneur on their own. According to Ilse, "The creative process is not by itself. If you're planning on starting your own business, you've got to develop your business sense. Eighty new companies register themselves each month and usually only 1 in 100 gets past the third year. What makes the difference is building relationships with professionals in the industry. For example, using bankers and accountants who know the fashion industry is key, because they understand that a warehouse full of clothes is not an asset in this business."

From her own experience she knows that future entrepreneurs will also benefit from job-hopping because it helps them acquire a well-rounded knowledge of the industry. "Anyone whose been somewhere for 10 years has been there too long. Move on as soon as you know as much as your boss. If you want to be an entrepreneur then work for small companies first so you get more involved in all aspects of running a business from answering the phones, to cutting samples and to showing a line."

Ilse also talked about the importance of following labor laws and carefully researching the contractors that you do business with. Since 96% of manufacturers contract out the construction of their garments, it's very important to ensure that the contractor's subcontractors (and any other subcontracting parties in the loop) are in compliance with the labor laws. In the end, the manufacturers take responsibility for violations such as sweatshop conditions or child labor use.

The California Fashion Association was originally created to debunk the sweatshop image that had been inappropriately created by media news stories. Since then, their public relations role has expanded into "the business of doing business" - making international contacts for trade, educating about labor law compliance, networking, and advancing apparel-related technology. For more information about the California Fashion Association, please call 213.688.6288.