It is rare to find an intersection between my professional and personal interests, and my favorite country (aside from the U.S. of course!). Last week I had the opportunity to attend an event that brought it all together – the law, fashion, and Spain!
The NY Chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade collaborated with the Spain-US Chamber of Commerce and the organization, Catalonia Trade & Investment, for a panel discussion on breaking into the U.S. market, which was hosted at SUNY’s Fashion Institute of Technology, the fourth collaborator of this event.
With the fashion momentum sweeping over the Big Apple thanks to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, during the panel I had the pleasure of joining two world renowned designers from Spain to view the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of Toni Francesc and the Fall 2010 collection of Jose Miro as presented at Cibeles Madrid Fashion Week.
Toni’s collection “Urban Forest” was breathtaking. It was predicated on the earth elements, with wood being the primary symbol of the collection. There were actually multiple designs where the wood was incorporated into the dress itself making for some very innovative fashions. Toni sought to express the different moods that we as people have, likening them to elements, and used different fabrics and cuts to suggest for example, the flow and energy of water.
Belts as shoulder straps or as a non-functioning decorative accessory, soothing colors, flowing fabrics and beautiful textures, some of which reminded me of stones, were all a part of this dynamic collection.
Jose Miro’s equally gorgeous and impressive Spring/Summer 2010 collection was likewise very feminine, with beautiful combinations of sheer and gathered fabric, many of which evoked an image of a flower or a large bow, accessorized with color coordinated shoes and butterfly hairclips. I loved it!
Jose described his company’s development of a line of high end shoes – a business move that would complement his thriving apparel line – as well as further expanding the manufacturing of his merchandise using organic materials, with a focus on preserving the environment.
He also talked about e-commerce and the benefits of having an online store so that new designs can be ordered and made in real time, in addition to the ability to circumvent the use of a middleman as it is a transaction directly between the buyer and seller.
Not only is that good for business, but it is also good in terms of dealing with US Customs and avoiding “first sale” and middlemen issues.
As for breaking in to the U.S. market, both designers believed that entry into the NYC market was the entry point into expansion across the country. Hence their participation in the events of NYC’s 2010 Fashion Week!
Questions/comments? Post below or email me at clark.deanna@gmail.com
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
International Trade, Bananas and Costa Rica
Riding along the carreteras in Costa Rica gives the impression that this country has a thriving economy. Its tourism industry is well organized, has no shortage of nature activities to offer, and even when the weather isn’t the sunniest, there are still many of us eager to take on the class 3 and 4 rapids of the Rio Pacuare (a journey I highly recommend!)
Tourism aside, one ubiquitous feature on the Costa Rican highways is all of the containers. It seems that every time I look up, a container truck is rolling past me. Hamburg Sud, Maersk, tex, Genstar, Crowley, Triton, Florens, and so on and so forth. According to my driver, highway 32 takes us directly to Puerto Limon, one of the main ports on the Carribbean Sea side of the country.
Across the landscape I have seen coffee, sugar cane, rice, pineapples, and of course, bananas (pronounced “bananos” in Costa Rica), growing. Del Monte trucks are abundant on the roads too, and I had the pleasure of visiting one of its banana plantations and witnessing the harvest and processing of bananas for export. While labor intensive, it was otherwise a relatively simple operation.
The first thing to notice was that all of the banana trees had large blue bags on them. Turns out these bags cover the bananas to protect them from birds. While the birds do not eat the fruit, should they land on them, the skin would be compromised due to their claws. Pests were not an issue as they sprayed the plantation with pesticides (and coincidentally, even the airplane that did the spraying was also yellow!).
The processing itself entailed a worker cutting the entire branch of bananas off of the tree which was then placed on a hook on a portable cable. When enough had been hung on the cable, a man would wrap a harness around his waist and then walk briskly towards the processing center along a designated path, with the bananas whizzing along behind him.
Upon arrival, the banana branches were lined up until they got to another man who quickly cut off bunches of hard green bananas with a giant machete, and placed them on a turn belt. The bananas then went into a water bin where they were rinsed and sorted through by women. After traveling through this water system, a man then retrieved the bananas and placed them onto a drying belt, where they were ultimately packaged by women.
Bananas that are “blemish-free” make the cut to be exported. Those not quite so cosmetically perfect get sent to a secondary plant for processing into products such as baby food (at least this is what my guide told me).
Hearing this got me thinking about how we (as a population) in America prefer to have in-store products look as if they have been airbrushed, that is, unless it is picture perfect and dirt free, we question its quality, seemingly forgetting that food is grown in soil (and therefore, in contact with dirt).
I remember my days in Malta where the produce truck would pass through the neighborhood for a couple of hours, a few days a week, and I had to go and track it down if I wanted to eat. There were plenty of wonderful fruits and vegetables that I consumed that did not look “perfect” and which required me to wash the dirt off of them.
I recognize there are legitimate reasons for the United States importing “bird claw-free” bananas, but it begs the question - Why is it that we are so easily swayed in our opinion based on appearances?
Questions/comments? Post below or email me at clark.deanna@gmail.com
Tourism aside, one ubiquitous feature on the Costa Rican highways is all of the containers. It seems that every time I look up, a container truck is rolling past me. Hamburg Sud, Maersk, tex, Genstar, Crowley, Triton, Florens, and so on and so forth. According to my driver, highway 32 takes us directly to Puerto Limon, one of the main ports on the Carribbean Sea side of the country.
Across the landscape I have seen coffee, sugar cane, rice, pineapples, and of course, bananas (pronounced “bananos” in Costa Rica), growing. Del Monte trucks are abundant on the roads too, and I had the pleasure of visiting one of its banana plantations and witnessing the harvest and processing of bananas for export. While labor intensive, it was otherwise a relatively simple operation.
The first thing to notice was that all of the banana trees had large blue bags on them. Turns out these bags cover the bananas to protect them from birds. While the birds do not eat the fruit, should they land on them, the skin would be compromised due to their claws. Pests were not an issue as they sprayed the plantation with pesticides (and coincidentally, even the airplane that did the spraying was also yellow!).
The processing itself entailed a worker cutting the entire branch of bananas off of the tree which was then placed on a hook on a portable cable. When enough had been hung on the cable, a man would wrap a harness around his waist and then walk briskly towards the processing center along a designated path, with the bananas whizzing along behind him.
Upon arrival, the banana branches were lined up until they got to another man who quickly cut off bunches of hard green bananas with a giant machete, and placed them on a turn belt. The bananas then went into a water bin where they were rinsed and sorted through by women. After traveling through this water system, a man then retrieved the bananas and placed them onto a drying belt, where they were ultimately packaged by women.
Bananas that are “blemish-free” make the cut to be exported. Those not quite so cosmetically perfect get sent to a secondary plant for processing into products such as baby food (at least this is what my guide told me).
Hearing this got me thinking about how we (as a population) in America prefer to have in-store products look as if they have been airbrushed, that is, unless it is picture perfect and dirt free, we question its quality, seemingly forgetting that food is grown in soil (and therefore, in contact with dirt).
I remember my days in Malta where the produce truck would pass through the neighborhood for a couple of hours, a few days a week, and I had to go and track it down if I wanted to eat. There were plenty of wonderful fruits and vegetables that I consumed that did not look “perfect” and which required me to wash the dirt off of them.
I recognize there are legitimate reasons for the United States importing “bird claw-free” bananas, but it begs the question - Why is it that we are so easily swayed in our opinion based on appearances?
Questions/comments? Post below or email me at clark.deanna@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Join Me for a Panel Discussion With Apparel Designers From Spain During Fashion Week
“Panel on Spanish Apparel Designers in New York City” featuring
Toni Francesc, Designer of Toni Francesc brand; Jose Miro, Designer of Jose Miro brand; and other industry experts.
Register now for the September 16th meeting of the Organization of Women in International Trade, New York Chapter (OWIT-NY)
IN COLLABORATION WITH
The Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, The Catalonia Trade & Investment Agency (Acc1o), and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
This event will provide case studies on how Spanish apparel companies have successfully entered the New York City market, and illuminate the significant economic impact of the global apparel trade in New York City.
Discussion topics may include, but are not limited to: strategies for New York market entry, perspectives on the New York apparel marketplace, and Spanish fashion trends.
Time: Networking and refreshments at 6:00pm.
Program commences at 6:30pm.
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street, New York, New York. Event being held in the "Boardroom" C-building 9th floor.
*** Cost ***:$20 for OWIT/Spain-US Chamber of Commerce members, students, and government employees; $25 for non-members.
To attend, please register on-line Click Here. Online registration is available up to 24 hours before the event. If you miss the on-line registration, you can choose to pay by cash or check at the door provided there is still space available. Please note that the event is limited to 60 people.
For the latest copy of the OWIT International newsletter, where OWIT-NY is prominently featured please go to www.owit.org and login to the member area.
Great new membership benefits:
20% discount off all of World Academy Seminars and consulting services.
20% discount off membership to the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce - this offer is only valid until September 30th.
Finally, don't forget to follow us on Twitter.com/OWITNY.
I will be there and look forward to seeing you at the next OWIT-NY event!
Questions/comments? Post below or email me at clark.deanna@gmail.com
Toni Francesc, Designer of Toni Francesc brand; Jose Miro, Designer of Jose Miro brand; and other industry experts.
Register now for the September 16th meeting of the Organization of Women in International Trade, New York Chapter (OWIT-NY)
IN COLLABORATION WITH
The Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, The Catalonia Trade & Investment Agency (Acc1o), and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
This event will provide case studies on how Spanish apparel companies have successfully entered the New York City market, and illuminate the significant economic impact of the global apparel trade in New York City.
Discussion topics may include, but are not limited to: strategies for New York market entry, perspectives on the New York apparel marketplace, and Spanish fashion trends.
Time: Networking and refreshments at 6:00pm.
Program commences at 6:30pm.
Location: Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street, New York, New York. Event being held in the "Boardroom" C-building 9th floor.
*** Cost ***:$20 for OWIT/Spain-US Chamber of Commerce members, students, and government employees; $25 for non-members.
To attend, please register on-line Click Here. Online registration is available up to 24 hours before the event. If you miss the on-line registration, you can choose to pay by cash or check at the door provided there is still space available. Please note that the event is limited to 60 people.
For the latest copy of the OWIT International newsletter, where OWIT-NY is prominently featured please go to www.owit.org and login to the member area.
Great new membership benefits:
20% discount off all of World Academy Seminars and consulting services.
20% discount off membership to the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce - this offer is only valid until September 30th.
Finally, don't forget to follow us on Twitter.com/OWITNY.
I will be there and look forward to seeing you at the next OWIT-NY event!
Questions/comments? Post below or email me at clark.deanna@gmail.com
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