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This is a show for burnt-out fashion designers (and TDs, PDs, patternmakers and beyond) who want more flexibility while still doing work they love. As a freelance fashion designer, you can build your fashion career on your own terms. Freelancing in fashion is the only way to get freedom in your day (instead of being tied to a desk). Whether you want to earn extra money on the side, fund your fashion brand, or replace your salary, the FDGP podcast will help you get there. Listen in for actionable tips and strategies to kickstart or grow your career as a freelance fashion designer, build your confidence, and create the life you want. Hosted by $100k+ fashion freelancer Sew Heidi, the show features interviews and strategy sessions with successful freelance fashion designers from around the world who've ditched toxic fashion jobs and taken control of their own destinies. This is the only place to get REAL insights from REAL freelancers who have built REAL careers on their own terms. (Formerly the Successful Fashion Freelancer podcast.)
Heidi [00:00:00]:
Imagine walking into a trade show with over a 100 or even a 1000 suppliers and having no idea where to start. Whether you work in house, have your own brand, or are freelancing, if sourcing is new territory for you, this is your chance to get all your questions answered from an industry insider. In today's episode, we've got a live podcast from New York City with the VP of Sourcing at Magic on the mic. Andrew David will break down essential strategies for finding the right suppliers, navigating sustainability claims, and keeping your projects on time and budget. These are all the sourcing secrets you need to know. You're going to love this episode. Let's get to it. Hello, everybody.
Heidi [00:00:36]:
Whoo. Thank you so much for coming out. Welcome to the very first live podcast episode I've ever done. Don't make me cry. I'm gonna save that for tonight. This is my lovely guest, Andrew David. Andrew is the VP of Sourcing at Magic here, and we're gonna chat through how you guys can make the most of this show. Does that sound good? Yeah.
Heidi [00:01:03]:
Let's do it.
Andreu David [00:01:04]:
Hi, everyone. Welcome. Welcome to Sourcing at Magic.
Heidi [00:01:09]:
All right, Andrew. So if someone is new to the sourcing show, can you first start by giving us an overview, a little lay of the land? What do we have going on? What are some resources that people can take advantage of that they might not know about?
Andreu David [00:01:20]:
Right. The show is broken down by category, unlike our Las Vegas show. How many of you actually been to our Las Vegas show? Great. Thank you for going to both shows. So our New York show is curated and it's curated by me. I see every single exhibitor and make sure that they are on par with what the positioning of the show is, which is speed to market, lower minimums, and we have a quite a great selection of different categories here. Apparel, accessories, footwear, and, we have a fashion tech section and then fabric and trim. So all the suppliers here, if you work with them, is under a 1000 units, which is big for us in this industry.
Andreu David [00:02:05]:
Right? Trying to produce less than a 1000 units is very difficult. And so we have several countries here where you can do that from. Number of them is like Portugal, Turkey, trying to think there's India here, a company from Madagascar which I'm really excited about. The Dutch children's wear. Really beautiful product, and really beautiful booth by the way. We also have, Peru. So all these countries, what's important is, to know is that a lot of these countries produce at a small run. Right? Whereas comparatively if you go to China, they you have to produce more than a 1000 units.
Andreu David [00:02:45]:
So that's the difference. We do have some Chinese exhibitors here who do small runs. We have Vietnam as well. There's really an array. So that's where why we did this show. Also, knowingly, because I'm industry, I used to be a designer for over 25 years. Worked for Ralph and other brands around here, in New York. And I I know that, you know, to understand what the benefits are for each of the countries is really important.
Andreu David [00:03:14]:
So really have these conversations with the manufacturers, understanding the lay of the land, what they specialize in, because every country specializes in different types of products and categories.
Heidi [00:03:25]:
That's amazing. I did not know that every supplier was under a 1,000 MOQ. Is that a new thing for you guys?
Andreu David [00:03:31]:
That's not new, but for New York, that's the positioning. The, you know, in New York, I believe that's September because any designers, we start designing and sourcing raw materials in July. And so when it comes to September, it's like, oh, it's really late. We've already started our tech packing. We're probably in the product development phase now, right? So why do come to a sourcing show? Other than you're looking for the manufacturing partner to develop your samples. Right? That's the point. So I real you know, made the realization and the decision that this New York sourcing show, because it is so late, it's about what are you adding to your line that you've already designed. So what is the supplement? What's the top sort of editorial pieces that you want to do at a small run and also at a price point that you can position at a higher price? Right? It's not the drivers.
Andreu David [00:04:25]:
You're not looking to do driving products or categories here.
Heidi [00:04:30]:
Awesome. Now you mentioned sustainability, and one thing I'd love to talk about is, I know a lot of designers out there are they wanna make sure that the factories and the suppliers they work with are well vetted. And so what can they do or what have you guys, as Sourcing at Magic, done to ensure that the suppliers here are meeting certain standards in that capacity?
Andreu David [00:04:51]:
So I'm, proud to say that we have 9 exhibitors that have been vetted to be verified sustainable through and through their business practices. And so we we have eliminated green washing completely out of sourcing at magic shows. Unlike our competitors' shows, right? I don't want to say competitors, but our, the shows that we rival against, and I don't, I'm not going to name them, but I think you guys know who they are. They don't do what we do. We actually have a third party, independent third party, which I have to it's important. It's an independent third party who has no association to us, so we have no say in who gets verified. We send the list over, and then, Hey Social Good is our third party, contractor. She'll doctor Cindy Lin, who actually used to work for the EPA, so she's very well experienced in this.
Andreu David [00:05:43]:
We send her a list of our exhibitors who have selected, self identified as sustainable. She takes that list and then runs the assessments through them instead of 4 tier process. And then at the very end, the last tier is she has her own eyes to verify and look at all the documents and certifications of that company and then makes that decision of whether they are. She has conversations with them, and it isn't just about sustainable raw materials. It's also the business practices that are on the sustainable efforts as well as ethical, practices. That is really important too. The social aspect. We talk about sustainability from a raw materials standpoint, but we rarely talk about it from the human standpoint.
Andreu David [00:06:29]:
Right? Which is also very important that their workers are being treated well, and that they are, you know, making fair wages. Right? That is also very important.
Heidi [00:06:39]:
And so as an attendee, how do I know which exhibitors are? Are they marked on the map?
Andreu David [00:06:43]:
Yeah. So if you at the very front of the show, we have a, what we call the sustainable gallery. So we have showcase on mannequins. Sample of a garment of all the exhibitors who have been verified. And then, with a little plaque that gives you a little story about the company and then their booth number. So you can do it that way. Or if you're just walking around, you happen to see a sign in their booth that says verified sustainable. So that, then you can really trust that they are.
Andreu David [00:07:12]:
So if you don't see that in a booth and they say they're sustainable, then that means they're greenwashing.
Heidi [00:07:19]:
K. Thank you for that. That's amazing. You guys are putting so much effort into, making sure that who you're representing is really doing good work. I appreciate that. I'd love to get a little show of hands. Who out here is a freelancer? I'm seeing some new familiar faces too also, which is exciting. Okay.
Heidi [00:07:34]:
We have a lot of freelancers here, who are here for a long list of reasons. One of which might be to source for their clients. Sometimes, freelancers come from a capacity where they might have worked in house in a job where sourcing was not necessarily their role. So this might feel like a new space to them. I would love for you to talk through what are some tips and strategies as someone maybe new to sourcing for the first time, you know, leading the conversations at the booth, what types of questions might I be asking, what can I expect when walking into a booth?
Andreu David [00:08:08]:
So I like to know what the portfolio of people the freelancers here are they designers product developers because of different information that you know I happen to have done all of it so I where are they in that scale or is it a wide array of various types?
Heidi [00:08:25]:
Sorry. Say that one more time.
Andreu David [00:08:26]:
Where where are they in that? How much experience?
Audience Member [00:08:29]:
We do pattern makers, pattern makers, technical design.
Andreu David [00:08:34]:
Technical design, pattern makers. Okay. And then you're all sourcing for these clients?
Heidi [00:08:43]:
Potentially.
Andreu David [00:08:43]:
Yeah. Okay. So really important question. Price point. What is the price point that you're developing it at? Right? Very important because that is the the main driver of where you're going to produce your goods.
Audience Member [00:08:58]:
I like that. Right? Can you elaborate on that a little bit, like, when you write price points?
Andreu David [00:09:03]:
Price points. Price point meaning? There's a little bit of an education. By the way, I'm an, professor at Otis College of Art and Design, so I teach bat fish and fashion and business. And so I what I'd like to do with my students is, understand the fashion industry as a whole. Right? We have 7 different market levels. Right? If you don't know what market levels mean, Google it because it'll come up with a list of the 7. And in there, in that 7 is all the different price levels that our industry operates on. Right? And so that's really important to know where your client participates.
Andreu David [00:09:45]:
And that'll set the guideline of where they're pricing their product and thus where you will produce those goods.
Heidi [00:09:53]:
So an example might be fast fashion versus luxury.
Andreu David [00:09:57]:
Yes. Well, yes. So there's luxury, contemporary, mid market, which is fast fashion, or there's mid market and then there's fast fashion. And then there's a value discount, which is low end, which probably no one here is doing. Nor you would be in the wrong show if you're doing sourcing for that. Because there's, a lot of So here in this show, it's a lot of more contemporary, higher price point I would say. Maybe a little bit of mid market. Right? But definitely not fast fashion.
Andreu David [00:10:28]:
Because of this the lower units. They char they will charge you more because you have to understand with a manufacturer, it's about making profit as well. Right? So for them to produce smaller runs, it's very costly. If you're producing more than a 1000 units and they can just churn that out, like, just keep producing and there's and there's also you have to understand that product goes through a sewing line, the number of hands, also the number of times a sewer or an operator touches that product, the higher the cost. Right? It's all about operations in a factory. How many times does a actual physical human being touch that garment, the higher the cost will be.
Heidi [00:11:10]:
So this show is a little bit more on that upper scale. Can you talk a little bit about how this show compares to the sourcing at Magic Show in Vegas? And and if people are maybe looking for different or more things, what they might find over there.
Andreu David [00:11:24]:
So I get asked that question a lot. What's the difference between the New York show and the Las Vegas show? I say, well, the Las Vegas show is the New York show on steroids. So just to give you a guideline, if you don't I'm not sure if anyone understands square footage, but this show is about 10,000, 11,000 square feet. Our Las Vegas show is a 160,000 square feet. So much much bigger. It's actually bigger than I think we can't even fit in Javits. It's that big. Like, one word floor Javits.
Andreu David [00:11:57]:
It it's this is just small.
Heidi [00:11:59]:
Just for sourcing? Just for sourcing. Oh, it's mega.
Audience Member [00:12:01]:
And then
Andreu David [00:12:02]:
we have MAGIC, which is another equal size. And then we have project, another equal size. Right? So we would actually not fit here. It's that big. So if you haven't been to Las Vegas, I highly, highly recommend that you go. Especially for price points. Also the experience. Some of you are entrepreneurs.
Andreu David [00:12:21]:
Yes? Starting brands. We serve, this industry or this group very tremendously. We have I think you have Ashley McPherson coming up at 11. Our She's doing a sourcing 101, session. And she leads a lot of our entrepreneur sessions where we educate, give you information. We do workshops there, like how to do costing, how to do a tech pack. And so that's what Las Vegas offers. It's much more robust, because we can fit and do a lot more and also the traffic is much larger.
Andreu David [00:12:56]:
Like, there's so much activity. I was just speaking to someone, Asiana. I don't know what she is. She's here. We were just talking about, as an entrepreneur, it's it's quite important to have, connectivity, like networking and so that you don't feel alone. Because as an entrepreneur, you're working by yourself and you intend to end up feeling isolated and wonder if you're making the right decisions. Right? And if you have that camaraderie with other entrepreneurs, it really tells you that you're not crazy. And that you you help keep each other sane.
Andreu David [00:13:29]:
Right? And and also brainstorm. Like, next steps. What are you guys what are you doing? Is that and what do you do? Like, really compare notes. It's really important to build that community with each other to support. Right?
Heidi [00:13:42]:
Yeah. Absolutely. It's one thing I talk about a lot in our communities. No matter how you're feeling, I guarantee you, there are a ton of other people that are feeling the exact same, Who here maybe felt a little bit nervous to come and maybe attend the show and talk? Let's not be shy. K? I did too. I mean, I was I've been open about the anxieties. Right? We have to go out and talk to other people and and build those relationships cause everybody's doing something that makes them a little bit nervous.
Andreu David [00:14:08]:
And also find mentors. Right? Someone who's actually done it or been maybe a couple years ahead of you of doing it. And they are they're more than willing to share. Yeah. Yeah. Right?
Heidi [00:14:21]:
I'd love to go back a little bit to what we were talking about with, you know, the, a thousand and under MOQ. What are some of the other trends that you're seeing from the factories, from the suppliers, as the fashion industry is changing with a bigger push on sustainability and not greenwashing and lower production quantities as we're learning, like, we don't just need to make a ton of stuff. We need to make the right amount that actually is gonna sell. So what are some of the trends that you're seeing in terms of the suppliers reaction to how the industry is shifting?
Andreu David [00:14:49]:
Sure. The biggest influence right now on our industry is AI. Huge. It's a being it's giving us the ability to predict and forecast, as well as get to know what's selling, who our customers are. And reviews. Right? Very important now. So AI is the thing. If you don't know so much about it, really get to understand it.
Andreu David [00:15:16]:
Because a lot of those apps and programs and systems are really being integrated into our industry. As well as the platforms that you guys are you're on that you're working on and doing tech packs is soon going to be, you you know, very seamless in the fact that there's this integrated system in your that's making helping you make the right decisions. And then the other is 3 d. 3 d is so important. We had this I I just, we had this exhibitor, style 3 d. Look at check it out. For those of you who are pattern makers, fascinating. Because it's a 3 d rendering system and as you're designing on the 3 d model, it's actually making your pattern in real time alongside.
Andreu David [00:16:08]:
And then if you make adjustments to that pattern, it's adjusting it on the 3 d model. And they're working it's it's fascinating. I was blown away by that. I I'm like, I wanna subscribe to this. I'm not even really designing anymore, but I wanna subscribe to it just so I can learn. And so, you know, then it really takes that element of gas and having to make a sample and then waste that money to make a sample because you're like, I actually want it an inch shorter or longer, and now I have give that to the factory to make that adjustment, then you wait a week to get the sample back and then fit it again to on a fit model. This is on the screen. You get to see it, and then it makes the adjustment, and you just keep tweaking back and forth.
Andreu David [00:16:52]:
And it's correcting the pattern in front of you, which is, like, wow. So important.
Heidi [00:16:58]:
It's wild. I know some of our people in our community are doing some really powerful stuff in that space. Can you expand a little bit on the AI thing? Because I think when you say, and then AI is gonna be creating tech packs, people are like, but am I gonna have a job? Like, people get really nervous. So Yeah. Talk to us a little bit.
Andreu David [00:17:14]:
There's for me, yes. AI is fearful because we watch a lot of movies. I think that's what really, we watch AI movies, like, oh, wow, it's gonna take over the world and, you know. I see AI as more of something that helps us enhance. Right? Sort of like, Chad, GBT is enhancing how we work and makes things faster for us. It makes things more accessible. Right? I see it as having it help you enhance what you're doing rather than replace. Right? That's how I see it.
Heidi [00:17:48]:
Yeah. And I think that there's when when does there exist a day that you can push a button? A garment is so complex to get fit and construction and structure and all the components that I just I don't see it possible to just click a button.
Andreu David [00:18:01]:
That that's the one thing, you know, when we talk about technology in our industry and why it hasn't really progressed as far as we imagined it, it's we've made a lot of progress. But the one thing that will never be replaced is that tangible aspect. In our industry, color and hand feel, very important. And I don't ever see us in this generation, I don't believe, maybe I'll be wrong, because technology moves very quickly. But I don't see us ever replacing that. That human connection, the the touch. Right? You have to see color, to make that because there's so much variation in terms of shades and hues. And then as well as that tangible aspect of being able to touch in at what it feels like.
Andreu David [00:18:44]:
Right? You know, the 3 d rendering allows you to see drape, right, and how it flows. But when you see it with the human eye, it's a much different reaction. So at the end of the day, you will still need to see a sample on a human body to make sure that it is exactly what you envisioned. Right? Yeah.
Heidi [00:19:05]:
Awesome. Thank you for sharing that. I'd love to circle back. We had talked about approaching the suppliers and the vendors in terms of a price point mindset. So how do I, as a show attendee, know which vendors are in which price point? Are they is this mapped out or is this something I go up and just talk to them about and kind of feel out in real time?
Andreu David [00:19:26]:
I wish we could, but it's a very difficult thing to do because manufacturers have different levels and capacities of what they can manufacture. Some will manufacture really high quality, but and at the same time can really dilute that to fit a price point that you can. Right? But it is all about the number of units you're going to produce. And how fast you want them to produce it. So that all comes into play into the calculation of what it is that they're going to do for you It's MOQ and price point And any manufacturer, pretty much, will do it for you Money talks, right? So if you can afford to do a higher price point at lower units, then they'll say yes. Some of the actually a good sort of, hack is a lot of manufacturers in China, they say, oh I will do it for you for 3,000. And you're like I can't do 3,000 units. But if you speak to them in terms of what will you do it at at lower, run, the number of units, but at a surcharge.
Andreu David [00:20:32]:
Right? You can negotiate that surcharge. I did it quite a lot actually. And so they'll produce it for you, yes. But then you are paying 30% more of the cost of what it would have if you hit their, MOQs.
Heidi [00:20:47]:
And you really need to crunch the numbers too. You often think, oh, the lower price just makes so much more sense. But if you can't sell all that or your client can't sell that, it really doesn't make sense on so many levels.
Andreu David [00:20:58]:
Do not be stuck in inventory. Like, that is the worst business decision you could ever make is to have and sit on inventory because inventory is dead cash. Right? It's sitting there. It's not selling. And then you will probably never sell it. So you've just now blown your, money. Right? Revenue into in your investment. Investment.
Andreu David [00:21:21]:
I just want to So make sure that you're really understanding what the buy is going to be, the investment, before you start producing. Don't put your money all into a product that you don't know if it's going to sell. The other important thing is understanding and you please work with your clients on this. It's understanding who is going to buy that product before they produce it. Right? It's understanding who that audience is, who are the buyers, who are the how are you getting those goods in front of those buyers, those consumers, because that's really important before you start producing the goods.
Heidi [00:21:57]:
Okay. So I'm talking about I'm thinking about MOQ and price point and then I there's some room for negotiation with surcharges. And then what are some of the other questions outside of maybe the sustainability components that I might wanna be thinking about when to the various suppliers? Things like just how they work, what are various lead times, just Yeah. What might I wanna think about?
Andreu David [00:22:16]:
How do you know what's really important now is transparency. Transparency is number like, if you are and never been or or haven't worked with this factory before, you need to go visit their factory. Right? I said this yesterday actually in my session. I say this all the time. It's, you know, most of us who are launching a brand or developing product for the first time, it's like birthing that brand. Right? Birthing giving birth to it. So if you were as I, analogize, if you were having a baby and you had a baby, are you gonna give that baby to some stranger that you don't know who it is across the world to take care of? No. So why would you do it with the brand that you're birthing? And and So you want to be able to go and visit that factory, get to know who they are.
Andreu David [00:23:03]:
Also, if they get to know you, they'll do more things for you. Rather than an electronic, you know, very non, you know, human interaction. Electronic is they can ignore you, wait till later to respond. You know, it's it's when they get to know you, it's a human connection. Right? Making that, connection with them so that they will do more for you, I think, if you go visit. And also, when you go visit their factory, you get to see exactly, through their own eyes, what they're doing and how they produce your goods.
Heidi [00:23:35]:
Yeah. So as a freelancer, I think that can be very hard. Right? You might be working with multiple clients. Now you can help them find the right factory, the right supplier, but then maybe encourage them to go visit.
Andreu David [00:23:47]:
Well if you're a sourcing agent, which is what I think that's what it is, freelancer slash sourcing agent, you should get key factories that you align with and work with and use the same factories for all your clients. Don't have one client, one factory, and then another client in a different factory. Right? Consolidate and have your key partners, create partnerships with these factories. They'll also then know that you're gonna keep bringing business to them. So if you're doing small units here, small units here, but in total it's a large number of units. Have a strategy behind it. Right? And then make partnerships with key factories. Maybe you do 1 or 2 per category.
Andreu David [00:24:31]:
So you have one for apparel, one for footwear, one for you know Just make those relationships. Right? Also think about what country you're going to do it in and maybe you're consolidating and doing it all in Colombia. And so now you just make that one trip to Colombia and visit everybody.
Heidi [00:24:47]:
Yeah.
Andreu David [00:24:48]:
Yeah. So it's And then you become that, you know, you specialize and say I'm a I'm a sourcing agent and I do everything in Colombia. Or I do everything in Africa. And so now you have a bill a client base who's interested in that's where I want to produce my goods. And then you have something different than another agent that's offering some. Right?
Heidi [00:25:10]:
Now you mentioned when you go visit in person, you get a connection, that human connection, and they're less likely to ignore you digitally or, let's say, ghost you. And I think all of us have either experienced or heard stories of factories over promising, under delivering, maybe just completely ghosting, productions running obscenely behind or comes out as not expected. What are some of the strategies outside of going to visit in person that you would recommend for people to ensure that, you know, they don't get in too deep and then all of a sudden they're getting ghosted and everything gets pushed back and they're just like the factory's basically blowing them off. It happens.
Andreu David [00:25:49]:
Well, so I go back to that word transparency. Transveriously meaning that communication. Communication is top. Right? If you're having a good flow, communication with a factory, then you know your, working relationship is gonna be seamless. If it's a struggle, where you're waiting a week to get an answer or a few days, or they're not telling you everything upfront, then that's kind of a red flag for me. Right? Also, one of the biggest things that I when a factory says that they can do a product, and you visit their booth, and you're like, I do I wanna do swimwear, and their booth is like all outerwear pieces, red flag. Because the factory factories are set up by machinery and skill of workers. Right? And each of those factories specialize in that.
Andreu David [00:26:43]:
They may have contracted other factories, but that means they don't own that factory. So you wonder then, what's their control over the production if it's a contracted factory that's making those goods? So really be smart in the thinking, like, so ask a lot of questions. Right? It could be partnership. If it's a partnership, then that means they have a stake in it. Right?
Heidi [00:27:07]:
I always say with red flags, maybe you think you found the perfect match and you're like, oh, I, it's I'm just gonna ignore it. You tuck it under the rug, but red flags only get bigger. That is my experience with everything in life.
Andreu David [00:27:23]:
You know, I'm very big on gut instinct. If you're feeling something's wrong, probably is. It's not your imagination. We all have instinct. Right? Especially as an entrepreneur. You make these decisions, and you have to calculate risk. Calculated risk is, like, really important as an entrepreneur. So go with that gut feeling.
Andreu David [00:27:45]:
It's probably true what you're thinking. So and there are so many suppliers in the world. So many. You don't have to if that's the only one that's gonna do it the way I want it, No. It's not true. You just have to keep digging and searching. Right? And then coming to a show like ours I'm gonna do a little plug. Sourcing at Magic where you can meet more than 1.
Andreu David [00:28:04]:
And the best thing is to get bids. Right? You get at least 3 companies or factories, suppliers that you want to work with, you think that they can do it, and have them bid, meaning that you send them a design. Don't send them the best design you ever have because they might knock it off. But send them like a basic design that really has not so much meaning to the 3 factories or more, and then they'll come back to you with costing. Right? And then you see who was the most seamless in that communication, so it's not just about the cost. How was it easy to work with them? Right? What was the level of communication? Right? Because you want to make sure that they speak English if you're only English speaking or if they're speaking another language that they have someone that can support in the interpretation. And then, of course, the quality. Right? When it comes back.
Andreu David [00:28:57]:
That sample, you're like, well, is it good? Is it bad? How is it? And how much more work does it need to take? So you take all this, and evaluate it and make that decision. Again, it's calculated decisions.
Heidi [00:29:08]:
Yeah. Now you're not allowed to say that comment about knocking off without me asking about it. People get really scared. Right? There there's a lot of protection in this industry of, like, my design and it's very hard to actually protect your designs. I don't wanna scare everybody, but I think it's actually important to be informed. What do you see in that capacity with knockoffs? And and what can we do to protect ourselves?
Andreu David [00:29:32]:
That is a very tough question, Heidi. I get that all the time. I've gotten that through my career, and I've also, as an entrepreneur myself, gone through that. Right? And the answer to that is usually someone will say, have an NDA. NDAs are a joke in our industry. And they're very hard to enforce in a foreign country. Right? So forget about that NDA. So the thing that you should protect, 1st and foremost, is IP, which is intellectual property.
Andreu David [00:30:04]:
Intellectual property means branding. Right? Branding, the identity of the brand, right, the colors, Everything. If you don't know what branding is, definitely research it because it's an important part of a business today. That is what you protect. The actual designs itself is gonna get knocked off no matter what you do. So if there are, what I call it, your babies, like the ones that are really meaningful to you, that are maybe it's a different fit, a silhouette, or a cut, or a pattern, don't give those away. But the basic ones, like a t shirt, where, you know, you just moved a seam here and there, so what? Like, anyone can do that. That's where you until you trust that factor, you've visited them, you're ready to let them take care of your baby for a few months, then you give away these things.
Andreu David [00:31:02]:
Because you've built that relationship. Right? And you also go with that gut feeling, I know this person is not going to take advantage of me or knock me off. That's when you do it. Again, calculated decisions. Right? You've researched. You've made sure. Right? But there's, of course, there's no way we can be a 100% sure. Right? But you go with that I like to do percentages, the 80 20 rule.
Andreu David [00:31:26]:
You're 80% sure that it's going to be a success. If it's less than 80, I would think a bit more about it or do a bit more research before you feel comfortable.
Heidi [00:31:37]:
Just wanna okay. We, I think, are about to probably time to wrap up, but I would love to open it up to the audience. Since we have a live audience, which is so exciting, does anybody have any questions for Andrew? Don't be shy. Yes. We have someone over here. How do you find a mentor, entrepreneur to start your own brand?
Andreu David [00:32:00]:
Coming to places like this. Here is a full room of people that you can now connect with. Right? And then also I'm very big on connecting, especially on, apps like LinkedIn. Right? Because when you meet someone, that can lead to somebody else. Right? This industry is about networking. You don't know who's sitting next to you. So talk to them. Exchange informations because you don't know where that's gonna lead to next.
Heidi [00:32:31]:
Great tip. Thank you. Who else? Yes. If you're looking for a price point,
Audience Member [00:32:37]:
you start having you don't have something specific. Sorry? You don't have something specific that you're looking for, but you're researching a new, manufacturer and seeing what they're like. How do you navigate the price point question?
Andreu David [00:32:51]:
Let me see if I'm understanding the question. So if you have a client
Audience Member [00:32:56]:
No. If you're sourcing for new manufacturers Mhmm. To gather, like, a list of manufacturers that you could potentially work with, but you wanna know what their price point is like, how do you navigate that question?
Andreu David [00:33:11]:
Straightforward. Just ask them what are your price points? What is your cost of your goods? Right? Do you know how to do costing?
Audience Member [00:33:18]:
I was here yesterday when you were talking
Andreu David [00:33:20]:
about it. Okay. So the answer to that is understand and know how to do costing. Right? If you don't know how to do costing, take class or YouTube it or something. Before you start in this business, you have to understand costing, because costing will affect all the decisions you make. Right? From price points to markups, retail, it starts from there. Number one rule is your prices need to cover your costs. Number one rule.
Andreu David [00:33:52]:
So you start with that. You understand. And if you're working and talking to manufacturers here, suppliers, you ask them, well, what's the cost of your goods? What's the average cost? They may go into per category. Right? It's important to also know by category. But then also the average cost that they do across the board with all of them. And that's the same question when you have a client. You say, you have so what's the price point you wanna, you want to retail at? What's the average cost? As well as what's the average range cost of the product that you're developing.
Heidi [00:34:27]:
Thank you. Great question.
Andreu David [00:34:28]:
Answer your question then? Yes? Answer the question. Yeah.
Audience Member [00:34:32]:
Okay. I'm gonna stand so you can see me. I have it's just my personal question, because I can see how as a designer and creative, if you're an ambitious person, like, doing a trade show is, like, you know, a natural progression. So I'm curious how did you make the transition from being in the design world to eventually doing a trade
Andreu David [00:34:53]:
It was all totally by accident to be totally honest.
Audience Member [00:34:56]:
Sounds about right.
Andreu David [00:34:56]:
So here I am on my journey to be, an entrepreneur. Right? So I I worked for, like as mentioned, worked for many brands here. I did even did a stint with Hermes in Paris. So I actually worked and lived in Paris with Hermes as a men's designer. And so coming back here, I lived in New York, then I moved to Los Angeles and started consulting, having my own start launched my own brand. Right? And the money ran out. I needed to get a job. So I was doing consulting.
Andreu David [00:35:34]:
I, was still doing my brand. And then I had a job here with Sourcing of Magic where I was buyer relations. So I was interacting and so it was about networking for me. Right? I got a job so I could really utilize being able to network. And so from there, just things in the world changed, the pandemic happened. Right? And I ended up in I was still with the company. We had all gone digital. Right? No shows.
Andreu David [00:36:03]:
There were no trade shows. And so at that time, they needed someone to, like, lead the team. And since I had such industry experience, I said, well, I'll do it. And so from there, I was offered the job to now we're back live and they said, Andrew, lead the would you become the head of sourcing? And I said, oh, well, it's a natural. I know this industry through and through, and and what really attracted to me that was now I actually have a platform to make change. Right? And I can help influence change in an industry with sustainability. That was my number one. And that is what we have done with Sourcing at Magic is to really influence and remove green washing from our industry.
Andreu David [00:36:49]:
That was my passion from always. Like the green washing that happens in our industry, the negative impact, And so that's really what inspired me to be here and persevere with sourcing at Magic, and create a show that is different than any others. Right? To try to influence that change.
Heidi [00:37:10]:
Amazing. And from what you told us earlier, it sounds phenomenal how you guys have integrated that integrated that into the show. So thank you. You're doing an amazing job.
Andreu David [00:37:17]:
And I'd like to tell a story how you have this the importance of it is that we have more than doubled or tripled the number of exhibitors who have been verified since we started it 2 years ago. And every year it doubles and increases. And the interesting thing about it is not those who have become verified. That's great. You know, these companies get verified. But it's all the manufacturers and suppliers who want to become verified. We have now because that's that's the momentum that we've provided, is they see the benefits of it. And also, we like to speak about all the ESG regulations that are gonna they're actually here.
Andreu David [00:37:57]:
But it's only become more important in the US. It's already in Europe. And so where the brands and, the brands and the companies have to report on what their ESG responsibility is. Right? So that alone and now the manufacturing suppliers, well, if I want to do business in America, I need to provide this transparency and this information. So I know now I need to become verified. And so I think what's important are with what we've done with the show is create a change and mindset. And and that's what I'm really proud of and and really excited about with with what we do at Sourcing.
Heidi [00:38:39]:
It sounds like there's a time in the not too distant future where it's gonna be it's just sustainable. That's just what it is.
Andreu David [00:38:46]:
Exactly. And I get that too. It's like, well, how much of your show do you want to be sustainable or very sustainable? It's like, I want it all. I want the entire show, but the reality is it's probably not ever going to be. That's the reality. That's our industry. Right? Because our industry is driven by price, and unfortunately, I think there are communities and places in America, when when we're speaking about America, but I guess it could stand in the world, where price matters. But I also think of it as, it equates to our food and health.
Andreu David [00:39:19]:
Right? There was a time where a lot we couldn't there were some communities who can't afford, better healthy food. But that's changing. Right? I see that the same in fashion. I think it'll take some time, but I do believe that price points will lower as we become more educated and understand the value and and the importance of it. You know, doctor Cindy Lin from Hey Social Good and I have many conversations about sustainability and the effects of non sustainable clothing. The toxins that are in the prints, dyes, and and, the dyes in our fabric and the way we process garments is actually just important as food that we intake because it's against your skin. So the chemicals that are in our clothes are actually being seeped into your skin as you're wearing it. So it's really important to educate and start understanding that, you know, negative impact on our on our livelihoods.
Andreu David [00:40:14]:
And I think once we understand that, then that's where change will happen.
Heidi [00:40:19]:
Thank you for that. I really appreciate your insights. I think we might have time for one more question.
Audience Member [00:40:24]:
Heidi [00:40:24]:
minutes. 5 minutes. One
Audience Member [00:40:25]:
more question. Thank you so much for all the wonderful tips and tricks you're giving us. I am curious if you have anything you'd like to advise. In networking, it can be just as important of what you don't do as what you do choose to do. Are there things that you would advise maybe to avoid or a full pause that maybe somebody that's new to a show a show like this might not know to kind of avoid in their interactions with others?
Andreu David [00:40:54]:
I would say, I guess, as the commercial leader of the show, I get feedback from our exhibitors is the number one thing is do not go into a booth with not knowing what you want to ask or know even about what MOQs are or what prices. Don't go and visit an exhibitor if you don't haven't done the homework. It's just really frustrating for them to try to do business if you don't know what you want. And what then they come they communicate to me is I'm trying I have to educate I don't want to have to educate a buyer Right? So definitely do the homework before you go into these booths understand what it is as I mentioned like understand what the price point is, understand the quality of the goods that you want, the categories that you want to, produce and source. Right? Understand all of that as well as understand what the com the benefits are of producing in that country. There are many benefits to each of the countries, especially the ones who are duty free. If you don't know what duty free means, understand what that means, because that really makes such a difference. Right, Heidi? On producing somewhere where you can import those goods into the country of the US without any taxes.
Andreu David [00:42:10]:
Versus another country where you have to pay those taxes. And what are the, you know, the percentages of tax from importing from that other country? And that's where you then you balance and understand, well, if I produce it in this country, there are these taxes and then, you know, add that to the cost of the goods versus this country. Yes. The price point is a little higher to produce it there, but I can import it for free. So understand what all the cause and effects are with all those decisions.
Heidi [00:42:37]:
We could have a whole another conversation about FOB and DDP and all the different ways you can manufacture. I would love to wrap it up with the question I ask everybody at the end, and that is what is one thing you wish people would ask you about working in the fashion industry that they don't?
Andreu David [00:42:54]:
Tough question. I get a lot of questions, Heidi. I would say, like, I would love people to ask where, you know, what is the next? Right? Where are we taking this industry? Because I believe in that, you know, we can't operate on our own, by ourselves, on an island. We have to do it together. Right? So I believe in common vision, common goals, so for me, my biggest one is sustainability. So I want anyone to ask me about what's the future for sustainability, how can we make it better, how can we do it together, that's really what I would want someone asking because that collaboration is so important to make a difference and make change.
Heidi [00:43:41]:
So if you wanna personally connect with Andrew after this, you know what to go talk to him about. Thank you so much, Andrew. I really appreciate your time. It's been lovely to chat.
Andreu David [00:43:50]:
Thank you, Heidi. And thank you, audience. Really great.