Designer Opportunity

As a designer starting out in the world or even with experience, you want to make your mark and be noticed.

There are a number of ways of doing this. You could have a job as the assistant in a well-known design house and step into the breach when the main designer leaves, as did Pheobe when Stella moved on.

You could sink thousands or beg for sponsorship to be a two-season wonder at London Fashion Week, or hang around for hours waiting to grovel to the dragon buyers who pick and discard pieces of your collection to fit into their concept. You could also operate from a studio, but this can be an isolating experience, or go into partnership with all the well-documented problems that this involves.

Or you could open a shop to test and read the market, organically tailoring (literally) your collections to a stage where you have a firm base from which to launch yourself onto the press for your entrée into the world of fashion.

Of course opening a shop is a pipe dream for aspiring designers with little funding. So why not look at a brilliant scheme where you can be part of a shop where you have space in which to show your complete collection as it is meant to be. This would enable you to evolve, hone and develop it, get used to dealing with the seasons, see the clothes on many different bodies, and generally learn the business.

The Chelsea Collections offers just such a scheme.  The shop aims to operate a support system to help designers operate at optimum creativity without the worry of all the mundane and annoying matters involved in retailing, help and advice in matters of production and promotion, and generally provide a friendly and involved concern for their future success.

The market for the shop is mainly special occasion wear.  Designers display their collections in the shop to show customers their 'style', make to measure when required and also fulfil special orders. Designers are charged a concession fee, which covers some of the selling costs and a small commission charge when there is a sale.