A letter to the next generation of designers, style-followers, producers and sellers….
The fashion industry is on your doorstep!
Fashion is NOT an elective, it is a necessity. Today we know that ‘style’ levels the playing field across socio-economic boundaries, and bridges the ethnic gaps. Even in these difficult times, fashion continues to transform and affect dreams….whether seen on the runways, on celebrities, or on the trend-setter in the neighborhood.
To thrive, Los Angeles needs a world class education system that embraces ALL students. Teach history, geography and math, along with the technology - all with a focus on fashion - and we will keep students interested in school, and help them focus on goals.
Those of us already in the business of apparel and textiles have been forced to adjust our business strategies to adapt to some of the most challenging economic times on record. Few industries have felt the effects of the recession as acutely as the design-to-manufacture-to-retail process, all due to lowered retail inventories, a ‘discount mind-set’, and the continuing credit crunch. Clearly, the ability to change quickly and successfully is more critical than ever.
BUT, we are ever optimistic….THE NEXT BIG THING IS OUT THERE! There are hidden corners of opportunity, while we find new ways to be creative. From textiles to services suppliers to apparel manufacturing, the entrepreneurs in this industry are capable of changing quickly and successfully. The best of the best are taking advantage of market and industry shifts; not merely responding to the current fashion trends.
Historically, we reinvent ourselves here in the California industry, and radically change our business models as each opportunity comes along; with the entire global industry watching and following. New designers make their mark, brands come into the fashion spotlight and are then ‘discovered’ by the mergers & acquisition (M&A) hunters. This market is so dynamic; acquisitions are being made for the people, not the assets
By expanding our reach, we have become impossible to ignore.
About Me
- Ilse Metchek, California Fashion Association
- Los Angeles, CA
- Ilse Metchek, the President of the California Fashion association (CFA), created the organization in 1994, with assistance from the major financial and manufacturing participants of the region’s apparel industry. The CFA provides leaders of the Southern California’s manufacturing and textile community with the opportunity to share information about the business of conducting business in the current global economy.
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