The September issue of The Styleapple Juggernaut is now available, Here is an excerpt:

It's Fashion week in New York City. A time for the fashion industry to enjoy all the fruits produced from fashion designers who have worked around the clock to create collections they hope will invite rave reviews from critics and spectators alike.  For that reason We've dedicated this issue to all of our fashion designers in the Styleapple network.  Read the complete issue here.

Fashion Illustration by Camille Wilkinson

Are You Looking To Market and Promote Your Fashion Design Portfolio? 

Join The Styleapple Design Network: Learn More>>

Sponsor  iPage - Small business web hosting $3.50/mo!!

I know as a design professional, finding the right designer to do a specific job can be time consuming and somewhat difficult, much less trying to find one when you're outside the design industry and not familiar with design at all. I've created the "Hire A Designer" series to help clients find the right designer by giving them some valuable tips on what to look for when hiring for their next big project.

I will be selecting design professionals from within the Styleapple design network to participate in this series and present what they feel are the top 10 most important things to look for when hiring a designer.

This week I've managed to secure Camille Wilkinson to discuss what she feels are the ten most important things to consider when hiring a fashion designer. Camille Wilkinson has worked in the fashion industry for over 25 years and has created a reputation for working with some of the top brands in the industry. I have had the chance to work with Camille and found her to be both professional and very creative. You can see some of her design work on Styleapple.

The designer tips in this series will be introduced on Branded Designers but the complete list will be posted on the Styleapple "Hire A Designer" pages where clients are submitting quote requests to the Styleapple Network.

Here is a briefing of Camille's Top 10...

POINT 1. From the first online (or offline) portfolio to the last portfolio you sift through, ask yourself: Which one blew you out of your socks?

POINT 2. Those portfolios that knock your socks off are where to start your follow-up.

POINT 3. What made them catch your eye, hold your breath, and call in the rest of your team to see what you see. If you know what you need, seeing what fits the bill should be easy. The plus of looking, is if you find something more, something je ne sais pas (I don't know what), but when you see it - wow - you know it.

It might be good to know what kind of environment they best design in... It is not just a passing curiosity to know how a designer thrives best. And aside from the physical environment, what is the computer environment or OS (operating system) - along with the programs - that made their work pop. Genius may also have its source in the tools used.

POINT 4. A good portfolio contains - like manners - a designer's best foot forward, their best work, their best representation of all of what they can do as a designer. And like manners, it's not a façade, it's not a put-on, it's in fact the super powers that they have cultivated throughout their career to the point where they are now: Now, ‘You Are Here'. So no worries, they should be able to back up what ever they have presented. That is to say, they should be able to apply all their talents and skills to whatever you may challenge them with.

POINT 5. Check and balance your initial awe of pretty pictures with sound design process practicalities. If you don't see it in the portfolio, and you still want to investigate what the designer is capable of, let this be one question in your first line of defense upon interviewing:

QUESTION #1. Are you capable of detailing your designs in a tech pack?
You should also ask:
QUESTION #2. Are you capable of leading fit meetings for your designs?
And since you are on this track, ask this:
QUESTION #3. Are you knowledgeable of fabric types, constructions, knitting qualities, and gauges?

Yes, you need to get technical with a prospective designer, to know the perimeters of their skills. Even if you have departments who this work is delegated to, a designer must know how to communicate with them to get their designs to the next stage. 

See the complete list here>>

If you are interested in writing a top 10 for your discipline in design. Feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly at calvin [at] styleapple [dot] com

Are You Looking To Hire A Designer? 

Get A Free Project Quote From The Styleapple Design Network: Get A Freelancer>>

Sponsor  iPage - Small business web hosting $3.50/mo!!

I was asked to pass this information along to my creative fashion designers out there. The company is called Belles and Bulls. The company's mission is to help launch the careers of new and emerging designers. Unfortunately, I'm not very familiar with the company, so I can't recommend them personally. But they seem to have the right idea and focus. I'm always happy to share with you new opportunities, that will help in your success. From what I've learned so far, Belles & Bulls are looking to do the same. So give Ebonni Bryant (Partner at Belles & Bulls) a call and ask her the tough questions. For those who go on Saturday, please share your experience on the event in the comments. To get more information on the company and founders you can listen to this radio interview.

 Many Thanks.

Here is the info for the event below:  

-------------------------------

May 1, 2009, New York, NY - Launching the careers of new & emerging designers, Belles & Bulls connects the world to the future of fashion.

On May 9, 2009, Belles & Bulls is inviting designers to present their portfolio to a panel of judges, partners, and established designers. Along with being a part of Belles & Bulls, chosen designers will be featured in the Brooklyn Fashion Weekend this fall, among other designer benefits. The showdown is from 2:00pm - 5:00pm in New York, NY.

Judges include:

Daniel Saynt, Founder, Fashion Indie
Angelo Lambrou, Designer
Rick Davy, BK Style Foundation/BK Fashion Week
Samantha Von Sperling, Founder, Polished Social Image Consultants
Johanne Morris, Partner, Belles & Bulls
Ebonni N. Bryant, Belles & Bulls.

***********************************************************************

Belles & Bulls works with designers from Parson's, FIT, and other artist based programs. The company is a state of mind, connecting the world to the future of fashion. Curators of design, the company provides a marketing platform and buying events. Fashion designers create haute-couture pieces for the Belles & Bulls Contemporary.

For further information about the company and showdown contact:

Ebonni Bryant-Partner/ Ebonni@bellesandbulls.com/ 718.676.5509

Ebonni N. Bryant
Partner
bellesandbulls.com

connecting the world to the future of fashion.

Sponsor  iPage - Small business web hosting $3.50/mo!!

It's Official, Styleapple - The Branded Designers Social Network Has Launched

We have arrived.  Our website is now live and we are so excited.  After several months of very hard work, I am happy to announce that we are officially "open for business"  If you haven't already, remember to create your designer or design company profile on the Styleapple website.  Our appetite for helping designers "Get Branded" are bigger than our stomachs, so don't miss this opportunity to partner with us on our mission to get you branded.  

Thank you everyone for all the support and hard work you've put into this project. 

I've included our press release below:

btw:  Our release is also on Yahoo News, please buzz us up: Here is the link: LAUNCH SPRING 2009:  New Social Network Launches To Get Designers Branded   

Thanks again guys.

---

(1)   Differentiate: Focus. Focus. Focus - Who are you? What do you do? Why does it matter?
(2)   Collaborate: Your brand is not what you say it is, it's what they (clients and customers) say it is. 
(3)   Innovate - Creativity is what give brands traction in the marketplace. "How do you know when an idea is innovative - When it scares the hell out of everyone." 
(4)   Validate - Feedback. Feedback. Feedback. Bring your audience into the creative process.
(5)   Cultivate: Brand building is a process, not an entity. A living brand is a pattern of behavior, not a stylish veneer.

"The challenge is no longer only about finding a creative vision, it's now more so about bringing that vision to the marketplace successfully," explains Calvin.

As Styleapple continues to develop a network for design firms to successfully market their brands. They are adamant about the development of effective social media tools that will expand their members brands seamlessly across the web, ultimately and intuitively reaching their demographics while separating them from their competition. As is evident from the Styleapple tag line: STANDOUT-- Get Branded.

"We are very excited about bringing Styleapple to the design community. Our mission is to provide the marketing (tools, space, resources, framework) that enables designers to be successful at what they do best," concludes Calvin.

ABOUT STYLEAPPLE
Styleapple Is The Branded Designers Social Network. Styleapple is a social network developed for creative professionals seeking to effectively promote and market their design businesses, whether you are a novice freelance designer or an established design firm looking to build your brand.

Founded by Calvin Cox, a former New York Fashion Designer and a Fashion Institute of Technology Alumni, Styleapple's global design community boasts a cross section of creative pros with backgrounds in art, advertising fashion design, industrial design, interior design as well as interactive design, illustration, animation and web design to name a few.

Our goal is simple, to develop a platform that will effectively utilize social networking and inbound marketing techniques to promote and build your design company's brand. For more information please visit styleapple.com

Source: Styleapple, Inc
http://www.styleapple.com

###

Sponsor  iPage - Small business web hosting $3.50/mo!!

Sponsor  10 Steps to Powerful Self Promotion For Designers

I've been on a mission searching for fashion designers  or  fashion design companies who use their blogs to effectively promote their businesses.   This list will inevitably grow, so if you'd like to be included send me your link.

The Smashing Blog - All Things New and Smashing From the Front Lines of The indie Fashion Revolution. This blog spotlights young fashion designers and also have some great interviews of up and coming designers. The smashing darling website is also a great place to sell your new collections; great for young fashion designers.

Independent Fashion Bloggers -  A Fashion community made up of fashion design bloggers and pros  sharing ideas and growing their businesses. A growing resource of information for young  fashion designers or anyone in the fashion industry.

Fashion Incubator - Lessons from the sustainable factory floor.   Definitely a great resource for fashion designers, pattern makers or any fashion professional looking for advice from freelancing to billing clients to pattern making tutorials. 

Jack + Bill - Jack + Bill is a public relations agency dedicated to identifying, branding and publicizing emerging fashion talent.   I need to do a bit more research on them to get more details on how they business, but seem to have a genuine interest in growing young fashion designers.

Final Fashion -  fashion and fiction.  Danielle Meder is a fashion blogger/fashion illustrator who's work I've admired for a while.  Great blog. Very talented illustrator.

Truegrey - Adventures in Fashion Design & Illustration.   Megan Thomas is a fashion blogger/fashion designer who uses the blogosphere to effectively promote her design and illustration projects.

StyleBubble -Fashion blog.  What I like about this blog is how fun it is. The author, Susie is very creative and gives her reader a reason to keep coming back to see what's new whether it be a cool fashion trip she took or simple an outfit that she put together.

Compai - Compai is a crafty, green design studio dedicated to creative projects that employ recycled materials.

Fashion Design Blog - A Collection of Fashion Designers and Design Boutiques blogging and showcases their collections.

Jennyvi Dizon Couture - A custom bridal and eveningwear fashion design label effectively utilizing their blog to promote their business.

Sponsor  iPage - Small business web hosting $3.50/mo!!