LA FIELD EXPERIENCE MAG Issue 1

Emily Jenny Choulaghians - Woodbury University - May 4th, 2012

Table of Contents

Letter from the Editor 5

Bloomingdales 6

Haute Look 10

Pose 14

Louise Green Millinery 18

Patagonia 22

Bumpy Pitch 26

Edelman PR 30

BCBG Max Azria 34

Styling with 365 Hangers 38

3

Letter from the Editor

Hello Readers!

I am excited to share

with you all the first issue of

LA Field Experience Mag. LA

Field Experience visited eight

amazing, yet extremely

diverse Los Angeles based

companies this semester.

Everything from traditional

department store Blooming-

dale’s to extreme sports wear

brand Patagonia. We met a wide array of inspirational industry

professionals that gave insight to their companies and also tips on

how to make it in the fashion industry. What you will find inside

the next few pages are one of a kind stories, both company based

and personal, marketing techniques, and future goals. Read on and

enjoy!

Emily Jenny Choulaghians

5

Bloomingdale’s was the first company we visited for L.A. Field Experience and

I was thrilled to start the semester exploring such an amazing company. Blooming-

dale’s has been a colossal name in the retail segment of the fashion industry for

years and continues to grow

each year. Bloomingdale’s

prides itself on exceptional cus-

tomer service and exclusive

high-end merchandise for fash-

ion forward individuals. Its

competitors include Nord-

strom’s, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth

Avenue.

The department we visited was Studio Services in the Sherman Oaks location.

Studio Services is a sub-segment of Bloomingdale’s that caters to industry profes-

sionals and stylists. They offer Bloomingdale’s merchandise for TV shows, movies,

and celebrities during award season. They assist stylists in choosing merchandise,

checking merchandise out, keeping a credit card on file for any damaged items, and

receiving the merchandise back in. The garments must be fully examined before they

are put back on the sales floor for any damages. If there are damages the stylists is

required to pay the amount for the garment.

Friday, January 20th, 2012

The atmosphere and space of Studio Services in Sherman Oaks was fast-

paced yet fun. The staff members seemed to really enjoy each other’s company but

were still working as hard as possible. There were stylists coming in and out at all

times. They needed to be signed in, and given a badge to be able to pull items and

check them out. The team included Trisha, Charles, and Tania the intern, as well as

a few guests such as the BCBG Rep and Manny who was in charge of Visuals. I was

particularly intrigued by the tour of the Visuals; I had never known that they were cre-

ated as one of a kind sets for each location by the Visual team themselves. It was in-

teresting to hear that

there was a budget

and that most of the

items were re-

furbished.

Overall, I learned a

great deal from the trip

to Bloomingdale’s. Not

only did I learn all

about Studio Services but I was able to gain advice and guidance from Trisha and

Charles. I really appreciated their tips on how to make it in the fashion industry, ad-

vice such as writing hand-written thank you cards and never burning bridges with

anyone that you meet because they can possibly be a great connection in the future.

I personally would not be interested in working at Studio Services for Bloomingdale’s

because it is not where I see myself. The company is too corporate for my preference

and Studio Services is technically a branch of sales, catering to stylists rather than

the everyday customers. The retail environment does not suit my abilities and talents

but I did enjoy the visit and think it is a great company to work for. 7

Trisha Farah, Studio Services

14060 Riverside Drive Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

Trisha.farah@bloomingdales.com

818.325.2301

How do you guys decide whether to lend clothes out to stylist? Are there a

guideines or requirements they need to have?

They usually have worked with many of these stylists before so they have built

relationships and know them. If it is someone they have not worked with or do

not know they usually just require a credit card on file, lend the clothes, and ex-

pect it back within the term dates. If the clothes are not back in time or not in

the same condition as when they took them then the card is charged as if they

purchased it.

Does Studio Services make any kind of profit? If so, how?

Studio Services makes a profit by keeping a percentage of what is lent out.

Do you receive credit or mentions that the outfits/clothes were borrowed from

Bloomingdales?

The company does not receive credits or mentions if the clothes were bor-

rowed from them, only the designer is noted.

9

Friday, February 3rd, 2012 LA Field Experience visited Hautelook on Friday, February 3

rd and I was ex-

tremely excited to visit their headquarters being an avid fan and shopper. Hautelook

is a flash-sale website that was founded in 2009 and was recently sold to Nord-

strom’s. Every morning at 8AM Hautelook releases an email blast to its exclusive

members about the flash sale of the day. Their departments include women, men,

kids, home décor and even beauty at up to 75% off.

We met with Katie, head of Marketing at their headquarters in Downtown Los

Angeles. I was amazed to see such a huge office space for such a new company.

They had about

three floors occu-

pied and were ex-

panding to the

fourth. The atmos-

phere was quite

and everyone

seemed to be ex-

tremely focused

on their tasks.

They have technicians who are in charge of the website, sales personnel, a creative

team who set up the photo shoots for the garments, and the buyers who reach out to

brands to make deals available for their consumer. Katie also stressed the impor-

tance of social media to

Hautelook and how they are the leaders in likes/fans of all the flash-sale websites.

She also noted how im-

portant their brand image

was to them and that con-

veying the California Chic

attitude was key to their

success. They want to dif-

ferentiate themselves from

Idelli, and My Habit which

have more of a New York

demographic/consumer base.

I really enjoyed the visit to Hautelook. I love that it is such a new company that

has seen so much success in such a short period of time. The company is growing

tremendously and I could definitely see myself as a part of their team. They have a

very fresh vision, and execute it well. If I could pick one department to be a part of it

would definitely be the buying department. I would love to have the chance to negoti-

ate deals and contracts with big name fashion labels and make them accessible to

those who cannot afford it on a regular basis. Working at Haute Look would test my

abilities and would definitely challenge me personally and professionally. It is a new

and innovative company that is sure to take over the flash sale trend in the future.

11

Katie Hammill, Marketing Communications Associate

1212 S. Flower St. Suite 300

Los Angeles, CA 90015

213.741.1890 x244

How does HauteLook get designer collections and sell them for less?

Through personal connections, having Nordstrom backing them up, and

brands have now come to them offering them past season merchandise to

sell.

How do you guys market the company?

Through social media and word of mouth.

Where do you see the company in 3 years? Due to the success of it

currently.

On a larger scale, taking over the market share of flash-sale websites, dong

on-site events with brands.

13

Friday, February 24th 2012

The LA Field Experience

group visited Pose on Friday,

February 24th in Santa Monica. I

was unsure of what to expect be-

cause I had never before used

Pose (being a Blackberry user)

and I could not find enough infor-

mation about them online. Pose

has been up and running for a little over a year now and is growing rapidly. At their

offices I learned that Pose was an iPhone/iPad/Android App that allowed users to

download for free, take images of their “pose” aka outfit and post them to the site.

People then had the option of liking, commenting, and following each other on this

social media platform. I absolutely loved this idea and wanted to immediately start

using it. I was happy to learn that they had recently launched a website allowing

those who did not have the right devices to use Pose as well. I instantly signed up

when I got home.

Alisa was the contact person for Pose and head of PR. She was very sweet

and I immediately loved her energy. She was really passionate about the company

since she had been a part of the first team to create Pose. I loved the Pose space, I

enjoyed the collages and mood boards all over the walls.

What really drew me to Pose was the social media aspect and the fact that I

could draw people into my personal blog by using Pose. I really like the innovative idea

behind the company . It is one of a kind and has no competitors. I also really appreci-

ated the fact that

she asked us

questions back

and was very

mindful of our

opinions and sug-

gestions to making

Pose even better

than it is. After us-

ing Pose I can say that my favorite feature is the ability for one to comment on other

peoples “poses” and create a network of fashion lovers. The feed tab is also great be-

cause it shows a stream of new images posted by the Posers you are following. I think

the future is very bright for Pose, they have more than a million users from all over the

world. I would be very interested in working for Pose, I do not know which department

would suit me best but shadowing Alisa and being her assistant would be a great start.

15

Alisa Gould-Simon, Public Relations

227 Broadway, #306 Santa Monica, CA 90401

alisa@pose.com

917.488.2640

Will Pose be branching out into e-commerce?

For now no, but in the future possibly (even though I think they should not.)

How do you guys attract people to use your app?

Fashion forward individuals and fashion lovers immediately were drawn to it, word

-of-mouth, and teaming up with Facebook Timeline.

Where do you see Pose in 3 years?

Growing, every month there is a stage of growth, a new application or feature to

push users and attract new users on their platform.

17

LA Field Experience visited Louise Green Millinery Company on March 2nd,

2012. We had the chance to meet Louise Green herself and tour the entire company

headquarters, seeing every-

thing from the receptionist

and retail front to the actual

production line. I was unsure

of what to expect but as we

learned more about the

company, the history, story,

and mission behind it I be-

came more intrigued.

Louise Green found a passion for millinery while taking a class at a local Com-

munity College. She never imagined that she would one day become one of the top

millinery companies, catering to celebrities like Paris Hilton and creating extravagant

hats for the Royal Wedding. What started as a hobby, creating hats in her tiny apart-

ment turned into a successful millinery company years later. Although millinery is a

very specific segment of fashion there are many loyal customers and numerous events

such as the Kentucky Derby that need Louise Green’s help with hats.

Her hats are 100% her own, everything from the inspiration to the colors, trims,

fabrics and designs. Her inspirations come from anything and everything, colors on a

beautiful leaf, the sunset, or a simple print found on a napkin. She sells to big name

department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus but also can create

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

one of a kind

pieces for her

clients. Her

most popular

style hat is the

cloche hat., a

classic fitted,

bell-shaped hat

popular in

France in the

1920’s. Louise Green has become so popular that her hats are featured in TV shows

such as Gossip Girl, and Hart of Dixie. What I thought was very interesting was the fact

that she never gifts hats to celebrities like most designers do, every hat is bought for

the full price.

In an ever changing world, marketing has become a vital component to the suc-

cess of many companies. Louise Green is one of the very few that has triumphed with

minimal marketing efforts. She uses Facebook to connect with her clients on a deeper

level, posting status’s and pictures that are personal rather than promotional. Louise

Green has found a niche market, been true to her designs, and made her passion into

a profitable company.

19

Louise Green, Founder

1616 Cotner Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90025

310.479.1881

hats@louisegreen.com

Who are some of the people you have made hats for?

Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, Carlos Santana, and numerous TV shows

such as Gossip Girl, Heart of Dixie, and Desperate Housewives.

What inspired you to start int his field?

Louise Green took a class at a local community college and realized how much

she loved creating them, one thing led to another and she started a business

thereafter.

How do you market yourself?

Louise Green does not use traditional marketing techniques. She goes to trade

shows and makes connections but lets her hats speak for themselves, She does

not invest in advertisements, social media advertisements, or promotional

techniques such as gifting hats to celebrities.

21

Friday, April 6th, 2012 It was a beautiful drive to Patagonia on Friday, April 6th. LA Field Experience

met with Chipper Bro the receptionist at Patagonia’s Corporate office. At first I person-

ally did not take great interest in the business, it being a sportswear company but after

meeting Chipper and hearing the phenomenal story behind the brand I immediately

became intrigued.

Nestled in Ventura

counties coast Patagonia was

founded by Yvon Chouinard a

world-famous mountain

climber who saw a need for

fashionable sports gear. Be-

fore Patagonia, all mountain

wear was gray, forest green,

and tan. There was minimal

color, style, and design. Creating his own ensemble Chouniard was approached my

many other climbers to purchase what he was seen wearing. Within a week his small

stock was sold out and Patagonia was formed. The name Patagonia comes from

Chouniard’s excursion with good friend and fellow competitor Douglas Tompkins, foun-

der of The North Face. Together both climbed a mountain at the tip of Chile and

named the region

Patagonia, preserv-

ing acres of land for

wildlife and sustain-

ability.

There were

many things during

our tour of the facili-

ties that I really took

note of and was im-

pressed by. First and foremost is Patagonia’s mission statement seen in numerous ar-

eas of the company, “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business

to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis”. Chipper Bro stated time

and time again how the employees of Patagonia perform every task and job given to

them with the mission statement in mind. I also loved the fact that they had a sustain-

able kitchen allowing the employees to eat healthy, organic food for a cheaper price.

Chipper stated the productivity of employees do to the in-house food court.

As far as marketing goes, Chipper stressed the fact that Patagonia was “product

driven, not market driven”. They aim to make the best product possible and have the

product speak for itself. Although they do have a marketing team that places advertise-

ments in the correct target market magazines, they receive a lot more marketing and

brand awareness by giving back to sustainable organizations. Patagonia is a great

company to work for, it is corporate with an easy going work environment. They give

back to their community and create products that have a lifetime guarantee.

23

Chipper Bro

253 West Santa Clara

Ventura, CA

805.643.6074

How long have you been working for Patagonia and what do you like most

about the company?

Chipper Bro has been working for Patagonia for over 20 years. He came to the

company after touring as the World Frisbee Champion and realizing that he

wanted a stable job for his family. He first worked as the receptionist and slowly

grew to become the President along side Chouniard. He then decided to go

back to his original position so that he could once again spend more time with

his family and teach surfing on the side. What he likes most about Patagonia is

the family atmosphere and the fact that they work for a greater cause, they are

not just selling sports gear, they are selling a brand, and promoting a sustain

able lifestyle.

How does Patagonia market their products?

They use traditional marketing methods such as placing ads in magazines and

using social media. They use athletes as “testers” of their products rather than

“marketers” of their products to make sure they are creating the garment

correctly. They have realized that they receive much more press and brand

awareness by helping causes they believe in rather than just placing an ad.

Where do you see Patagonia in the next few years?

Patagonia is already such a successful company that there is only progress and

success ahead. They will continue to help the causes they believe in whether it

be the pollution of the water, natural disasters, or maintaining the Patagonia

region for the wildlife.

25

On Friday April 13th, the LA Field Experience group had the chance to meet

Benjamin Hooper of Bumpy Pitch at Woodbury University. Hooper is one of the

creators behind Bumpy Pitch, a soccer apparel line based out of Los Angeles,

California. The company combines soccer apparel that is produced in Los Angeles

with The Original Winger an online website that caters to their target market. They aim

to create a brand that sells a lifestyle rather than just a product.

The greatest aspect of Bumpy

Pitch’s apparel is that it is all made in Los

Angeles and supports US made products.

All pieces are fabricated by Bumpy Pitch,

they are drafted, cut, and sewn authenti-

cating 100% original pieces. Their inspira-

tion comes from the history and lifestyle of

the sport. Hooper an avid soccer player

brings together his own experiences of liv-

ing in LA with his soccer background to create Bumpy Pitch as a full scope soccer life-

style.

One of their key marketing efforts for Bumpy Pitch has been The Original

Winger itself, the online portal features soccer news, photography, videos, music and

Friday, April 13th, 2012

a beautiful women page that has articles, videos, and photos of beautiful women wear-

ing soccer gear. It has become one of the most prominent websites in the sports field

with over 3,000 Facebook followers and even more virtual fans. Advertisements seen

on the page range from cars to Nike to Heineken Beer. With the coming of the World

Cup The Original Winger and Bumpy Pitch are sure to attract even more avid soccer

fans across the globe. They have done a phenomenal job in creating not just a product

based line but a lifestyle based brand.

27

Benjamin Hooper

818.795.6969

bp@bumpypitch.com

In regards to marketing what method has been the most effective for Bumpy

Pitch - social media, spon sorships, etc?

The most success we have had through marketing has been the creation of our

own daily blog. We started a site called The Original Winger

(www.theoriginalwinger.com) after we launched Bumpy Pitch as a way of con

necting with our community better. It gave us a platform to not only tell the story

of Bumpy Pitch, but to build a better community. The Original Winger has grown

to be a very popular site so we are able to do a lot of marketing directly to our

customer base using the site.

Is there any one area/region where Bumpy Pitch sells merchandise and influ

ences the soccer lifestyle the most?

I would say the two areas we seem to have the most success in is LA and NY.

These larger markets have embraced us really well. Maybe people in these ar

eas are a little bit more forward thinking. Maybe they have more soccer fans due

to their shear size.

Where do you see Bumpy Pitch in 3 years?

In three years I believe Bumpy Pitch will have built out our retail side more.

From our online and wholesale sales, and possibly even a couple of our own

flagship stores. The next World Cup is in two years so we will use the excite

ment and awareness of that event to help grow our business over the next two

years.

29

Friday, April 20th, 2012 I was thrilled to visit Edelman PR on April 20th with the LA Field Experience

group. I had heard about Edelman some years back when I first started my PR jour-

ney. I knew immediately that this company would be one that I could see myself work-

ing for and growing in. We met with west coast Recruiter Nathan Small, Nadia Hernan-

dez Account Executive for their Multicultural segment, and Daniel head of Digital. I was

in awe of the facilities the moment I stepped foot in the door, modern, hip, tech-savvy

and corporate, everything fit for my liking.

We sat around a huge con-

ference table while Nathan, Nadia,

and Daniel shared with us their

background and how they ended

up at Edelman. Edelman is the top

private PR firm in the nation,

founded by Daniel Edelman in the

early 1950’s, it was one of the first Public Relation firms to think outside the box and

push the envelope. Some noteworthy successes include being the first PR company

on the web, and bringing together numerous pharmaceutical companies to offer a drug

savings card to seniors in need. Now Richard Edelman, Daniel Edelman’s son is CEO

and continues to build the companies reputation and reliability. Some big name clients

include Volkswagen, Starbucks, Burger King and even eBay.

What I found interest-

ing was the fact that

Edelman declines or

nullifies contracts if

companies do not give

over the full control of

PR, advertising, and

promotions to them.

They make sure to

engage with the target

market of the brand in a familiar voice and attract target consumers with images that fit

their demographics.

What I loved most about our visit to Edelman was the video Daniel showed us

about Social Media and how it has changed the way we think. It was insightful and in-

spiring to know that we each are a brand of our own and that we can create something

of ourselves by having a presence on the internet through Facebook, Twitter, and

Blogs. In an extremely fast-paced and dynamic world we live in advertising and PR

methods are continuously changing and it is important to keep up with the trend.

Above all the one thing I took away and will live by was said by Nathan Small, that

“Looking for a job is really advertising yourself”.

31

Nathan Small

5900 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323-202-1070

Nathan.Small@edelman.com

Who have some of your biggest clients been?

Edelman PR has worked with big name brands such as Starbucks, Xbox, Micro

soft, and Harley Davidson to name a few. Daniel is currently working on the

Volkswagen Digital campaign.

As far as social media goes, which platform works best for your clients?

Every client has a different need, so each platform such as Facebook and Twitt

er are used to attract those customers. Facebook is probably the most widely

used for the brands they work with.

How do you go about hiring the right people for the company?

Edelman, and specifically Nathan the recruiter use LinkedIn heavily as well as

conferences and summits to attract future employees. Usually people come in

as paid interns and progress to full-time employees with specific accounts as

signed to them.

33

Friday, April 27th 2012 LA Field Mag had the amazing opportunity to visit the BCBG Max Azria Corpo-

rate Headquarters in Vernon, California on April 27th. I was thrilled to see the inside

workings of such a major worldwide brand. We met with Julie, a Human Resource em-

ployee who took us on a tour of the entire building. We visited everything from produc-

tion, to marketing, to the “Executive Hallway” which housed the offices of founders Max

and Lubov Azria. I left the utmost inspiration and motivation.

Founded in 1989 Max Azria has

built a fashion empire from his love and

passion for the industry. With the help of

wife and Creative Director Lubov Azria

they have become one of the leading

brands for women all over the world, creat-

ing wearable garments that are trendy, for-

ward, and flattering. The brand embodies

classic French style with an American

modern twist. I was pleasantly surprised

that there were many brands under the

BCBGMaxAzria group, seven to be exact

which include BCBGMaxAzria, Herve Leger, BCBGeneration, Max and Cleo, Lola,

Manoukian, and BCBG Runway.

What I loved most about the tour was seeing the different departments and how

35

they worked under one roof towards a collective goal. Of course each segment has

specific tasks at hand but they all work towards making each brand the most profitable

and showcasing the company as a lifestyle rather than just selling clothing.

BCBG is heavily involved in social media, with extremely active Facebook, Twit-

ter, and Pinterest accounts, updating and interacting with their consumers constantly.

Their e-commerce website has been up and running for six years and sells up to thirty-

two million dollars a year. The group also had the chance to take a sneak peak behind

the making of a photo shoot, the head stylist informed us that they shoot 200 days out

of the year!

BCBG showed me what it would be like to work in a creative, corporate environ-

ment. Each employee had their personal art work displayed throughout the hallways of

the facility. Everyone seemed to be working hard, and each section had its own spe-

cific atmosphere that complimented the work being performed. I would love to work for

BCBGMaxAzria.

Cuit Gonzalez

Julie Barrientos

2761 Fruitland Ave.

Vernon, CA 90058

Cuit.Gonzalez@bcbg.com

Julie.Barrientos@bcbg.com

How does the company go about social media?

The BCBG Social Media team meets with Lubov, the Creative Director to fore

cast and set plans for the year. They look at current trends, ways to engage with

their customers, and innovative ideas such as hosting model searches to create

a lifestyle around the brand rather than just clothing.

Which brand within the company is the most successful?

BCBGMaxAzria, the original line is the most successful with BCBGeneration at

a close second and growing rapidly.

What marketing platform works best for the company?

BCBG uses all marketing efforts, from advertisements in major magazines, to

social media, editorials, and celebrity spokes models.

37

Styling is one of the

many perks of being in the

Fashion Industry. Of

course there is always the

good and the bad to every

occupation. Styling allows

one to be creative and de-

velop an idea that is exe-

cuted by a team of creative

individuals. Photographers, models, hair and make-up experts and of course the styl-

ist all have skills that bring to life beautiful images. There can be long days, heavy

equipment and the prepping of merchandise that are daunting tasks but the overall

outcome is worth it. I had the chance to shadow Reyna Carol a 26 year old stylist from

Northern California that works as a stylist for 365 Hangers.

Founded in 2009, 365 Hangers is a LA based e-commerce company that spe-

cializes in selling designer clothes for up to 70% off. Some brands include Free Peo-

ple, Marc Jacobs, and French Connection. The great thing about 365 is the fact that

they use models of different shapes and sizes for each segment to showcase the gar-

ments correctly. The segments are broken up by size, allowing shoppers to go directly

to their selection and view a model with their same body type.

I joined Reyna and the team on Sunday April 15th and Sunday April 22nd for

365’s late Spring Editorial Shoot that will be featured on their home page. We met at

an upscale Malibu sea-

side home which had

private paths and

beaches , the perfect

pack drop for their

Spring theme. There

were three models of

different sizes to shoot,

and three looks for each

model. The day was

jam packed. I was in charge of prepping the clothes, steaming, “de-linting”, and making

sure the garments were paired with the correct shoes and accessories. I was also the

time keeper, the most difficult task of all. We had the home for a specific time frame

and everyone was on the clock, I had to make sure the hair and make-up was finished

my noon to beginning shooting the many different locations in a timely fashion.

Not only did I have two fun filled Sunday’s but I also learned a lot by observing

Reyna in her element. She was very passionate about her job and the tasks at hand,

she wanted to tell a story with the images and capture a earthy vibe. She was great at

directing everyone, the stylist is like the director of a film. She was the central person to

let the hair and make-up people know the direction to take their art, and what facial ex-

pression the models should convey. It is important for stylists to be great communica-

tors with their words and visuals. One of my favorite things Reyna did was bring an in-

spiration board so that everyone knew the vision of the editorial shoot.

39

As a future career path I would love to be a stylist on the side, taking my week-

ends from my corporate career to have fun and let my creativity flow. It is definitely one

of the hardest occupations in the fashion industry, either you make it or not. Overall, I

had a great time with the 365 team, I love the mission behind the company, and the

shoot went well, I cannot wait to see the images and hopefully work as Reyna’s assis-

tant again.