Enterprise Nation is hosting The Fashion Exchange for an all-day fashion tutorial for ambitious fashion entrepreneurs, on Thursday 17 September 2015, at Microsoft, Cardinal Place, 80-100 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5JL.
The aim of the event is to give fashion entrepreneurs the opportunity to hear from inspiring fashion experts, entrepreneurs and top British retail chain representatives, on how to start up or build upon their fashion business.
You will receive practical business advice from fashion and retail experts and have the opportunity to pitch to top buyers from John Lewis, House of Fraser, Liberty, ASOS, Mothercare and River Island.
Marc Worth, entrepreneur and Stylus founder, will also be offering fashion predictions, and Made In Chelsea star Caggie Dunlop will present her new fashion talent-spotting e-commerce platform ISWAI.
Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones said: “Breaking into the fashion industry takes bags of talent, relentless hard work, good connections and impeccable timing. This event listing reads like a who’s who of the fashion world. It’s designed to offer insight into new fashion trends, inspiring stories and introductions to industry influencers. For any ambitious fashion brand looking for an in, this is it.”
Letitia Allman, senior seller development manager at ASOS is also around to offer tips on how to help your brand stand out and sell.
A panel of top fashion journalists and bloggers, including Anna Fielding, editor of Emerald Street, will share tips on how to present a new brand and get noticed by the press.
Find out more and book tickets here.
Full Agenda
10.00am: Welcome
Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation | @emmaljones
10.10am: Meet the Buyer
Lindsay Dickson, Girlswear and Accessories Buyer at John Lewis
Beth Pettet, Buyer of Menswear Brands at John Lewis | @lady_buyer
10.40am: Innovation in the world of fashion
Marc Worth, founder of Stylus, serial entrepreneur and technology enthusiast. Founder of WGSN and CEO of Stylus an innovation and advisory firm | @marcworth
11.00am: Meet the Buyer
Stephen Ayres, Head of Fashion at @LibertyLondon. Responsible for overseeing the buying and merchandising functions for men’s, ladies and children’s fashion at Liberty | @liberty_stephen
11.20am: It Starts With An Idea
ISWAI is a unique fashion brand created by Caggie Dunlop and her mother Sarah Rutherford that enables young designers and artists to share and develop their talent | @caggie_dunlop | @ISWAI_London
11.40am: Coffee
12.20pm: Meet the Buyer
Nicola Perring, Global Product Director of Clothing at Mothercare | @mothercareuk
12.40pm: Paid, Owned and Oh My Gosh
Learn how to market your brand with earned media with Gina Jones, Director of Style Tribe. Gina Jones is an IDM qualified social media practitioner and digital marketing expert, helping fashion brands to embrace digital marketing and connect with bloggers. She is also chair of the South West Bloggers Network | @GDyer | @StyleTribeUK
1.10pm: Lunch
2.00pm: Meet the Buyer
Bethan-Elena Jones, Womenswear Buyer at House of Fraser | @houseoffraser
Q&A chaired by Richard Hurtley, Director of Rich Insight, founder of Rampant Sporting and Chairman of UKFT Rise | @richlion | @UKFTRise
2.30pm: Selling online via ASOS Marketplace – and How to Stand Out From the Crowd
Katie Oldham, Senior Marketplace Manager for ASOS Marketplace | @ASOSmarketplace
Steve Taylor, House of Jam
Amy He, Mod Dolly
2.50pm: Customer Convenience: Key Ways to Succeeding Online
Melissa O’Malley, Director of Global Merchant and Cross-Border Trade initiatives at PayPal. Melissa is responsible for creating and executing global campaigns that helps millions of merchants conveniently and safely sell in the 203 markets where PayPal operates | @PayPalUK
Helen Colclough, eCommerce Development Manager at River Island. Helen is an experienced multichannel retail professional with over 12 years of experience on and offline | @Helenc12
Michelle De Conto, British Fashion Council | @DeContoMichelle
3.10pm: How to Approach and Pitch to Buyers
Alison Lewy, Founder of fashion business support agency, Fashion Angel in conversation with Sarah Riggs, Director of sales & branding agency Vartula, talking about creating a commercial product that fashion retailers want, how to get noticed, preparing the sales pitch, and the pros and cons to be aware of when supplying large retailers.
3.30pm: Meet the Press
A panel of journalists from leading fashion publications outline how you can get your business in the press, including:
Anna Fielding, Editor of Emerald Street | @anna_anna | @EmeraldStreet
Paula Moore, Fashion Editor of Woman Essentials, Woman’s Own and Woman’s Weekly | @PMooreFashion | @Essentials_Mag
4.00pm: Networking
5.00pm: Close
Image credit: Enterprise Nation
Have you attended an Enterprise Nation event for fashion entrepreneurs? We’d love to hear about your experiences!
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