On Saturday at Black Radish Kitchen in Point Breeze, about 70-some sharply dressed movers and shakers gathered to toast the completion of the Style 412 discussion series -— and what’s next for the initiative, one of the latest to take a stab at elevating the visibility and viability of Pittsburgh’s fledgling fashion industry.
For the past year, a cross section of the city’s designers, stylists, bloggers, photographers, artists and other style influencers participated in intimate group chats -— mostly at Adda Coffee & Tea House in Shadyside — about topics such as manufacturing, financial opportunities and marketing. The ideas and laments they shared along the way were compiled into a report, which was released at the retrospective event.
Style 412 is the brainchild of Elysia Purnell, a business development associate at the North Side branding design firm Wall-to-Wall Studios and a self-described longtime fashion lover. After moving to Pittsburgh eight years ago, she noticed a disconnect between the rich talent pool and passion for fashion in the city and the resources for all of that potential to evolve. The findings from the discussion series is an attempt to resolve that -— and the timing is right. Beyond Pittsburgh, comparable conversations and initiatives are underway in other cities that could serve as a model for Style 412.
Guests mix and mingle on Saturday, July 15, 2017, at the Style 412 retrospective event in Point Breeze, where the inaugural Style 412 state of the fashion industry report was released. (Sarah Collins/Rose Colored Creative)
The 40-page Style 412 annual report was made available to the public Monday and can be viewed at https://issuu.com/stylefouronetwo/docs/annualreport. Some of its key takeaways include:
• Beyond retail chains, there is demand in Pittsburgh for more ethically sourced, sustainable shopping options created by local designers, makers and technologies.
• Pittsburgh is losing fashion/design talents to other cities because of limited job opportunities for them here.
• In a poll identifying what types of initiatives/resources the local fashion community would like to see, 37.5 percent favored the creation of an e-commerce incubator to showcase local brands; 25 percent wanted a brick-and-mortar incubator facility (similar to AlphaLab in East Liberty) to house and mentor aspiring Pittsburgh-based designers and fashion labels; 18.8 percent said the city needs a full-service garment manufacturing facility for area designers; 12.5 percent opted for a style directory outlining specialists and resources for services such as photographers, makeup artists, models, etc.
• The Pittsburgh fashion community craves more collaboration and inclusiveness, both within the style scene (e.g., local boutiques carrying homegrown brands) and with other industries that might overlap with fashion.
• When it comes to quality, the city’s fashion community can be a “wild west.” Pittsburgh’s fashion community needs to figure out how it defines “quality” and how to consistently meet that standard.
To help put some of these observations into action, Style 412 is in the process of assembling a nine-person counsel, whose mission will be “to connect, build and develop a platform of resources for fashion industry professionals.” More than 50 people applied, and so far six have been selected, based on industry experience, diversity, professional skill sets and demonstrated commitment to the cause. The inaugural members to date are Aire Plichta Reese, a personal stylist and fashion marketing professional; Brittney Thieroff, a talent recruitment specialist; Eileen French Jordan, partner at Revive Marketing Group; Kelly Gualtieri, a design consultant; Elisa Llera, a marketing strategist and freelance fashion writer; and Sara Longo, who has a background in fashion app development.
From left, recently elected Style 412 counsel members Aire Plichta Reese and Eileen French Jordan, with Style 412 founder Elysia Purnell, at the Style 412 retrospective event on Saturday, July 15, 2017, in Point Breeze. (Sarah Collins/Rose Colored Creative)
Style 412 is by no means the first group to take on these issues in Pittsburgh. In recent years, there’s been a renewed effort to revive a local chapter of Fashion Group International, a nonprofit headquartered in New York City that helps unite and promote fashion communities around the world. The group reached provisional status but has yet to be deemed a full-fledged chapter, which would mean it would hold several events per year, give locals access to a directory of national/international fashion professionals and help connect the Pittsburgh style industry with professionals from other cities. (About 20 years ago, Pittsburgh had a Fashion Group International chapter. However, its leadership was rooted in the major department stores in the city at the time, and when they went under so did the group.)
Pittsburgh has its fair share of fashion shows, which are great for exposing established and up-and-coming talents but don’t necessarily translate into long-term sales and growth. What Style 412 has outlined in its report is what Pittsburgh’s fashion industry so desperately needs: more substance, less spectacle. Right now, Pittsburgh lacks ways beyond these kinds of runway shows and presentations for emerging brands to take their businesses to the next level, unless they outsource production and/or move to or partner with a larger city’s fashion network. Incubators, manufacturing facilities, accelerator programs and the like could help fill this void and, in turn, possibly retain fashion talents here and attract newcomers to Pittsburgh.
A report of this breadth is commendable, encouraging and past due, but a lot of its findings lack a detailed plan for execution. Rather than looking to the Manhattans and Milans of the world, it would be in Style 412’s best interest to learn from other mid-sized cities when trying to figure out how and which plans to put into action. For instance, a few years ago Nashville was in a similar situation -— it had the talent but not the infrastructure to sustain it. In 2015, the Nashville Fashion Alliance was formed to help build the regional fashion industry. That same year, it raised $100,000 in seed funding through a Kickstarter campaign and hired a CEO.
The Nashville Fashion Alliance maintains an online job board, events calendar, a shopping section promoting local designers/brands and a directory for services such as marketing, models, legal experts, photographers and event producers. The governing body also provides special benefits for paid members. Nashville’s burgeoning fashion influence was spotlighted in May in The New York Times, alongside shout-outs to Columbus, Ohio -— another city that’s been hailed as an unlikely fashion hub. Beyond New York City and Los Angeles, it’s the third largest metro area for fashion designers, according to publicity firm DCI, and is home to start-up brands with nationwide reach like Homage, a retro-inspired apparel brand known for its sports and pop culture graphic tees. (The company opened its seventh store in East Liberty in June.)
Pittsburgh also could learn a thing or two from Detroit, where the nonprofit Detroit Garment Group “provides education and opportunities for Detroit’s fashion community and cut and sew manufacturers of all cities.” Started in 2012, it produces a networking/education conference on the business of fashion; an incubator program equipped with production and office space, industrial sewing machines and a photography/design studio for product and fashion shoots; and an industrial sewing certificate program through a partnership with area colleges. In August, the group will hold a two-day fashion trade show called Verge, showcasing Michigan apparel and accessory brands for women, men and children.
Through its report, Style 412 has proven that it can talk the talk. Time will tell if it can walk the walk. But if Saturday’s event is any sign, the future looks stylishly optimistic.
Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.
First Published: July 17, 2017, 10:00 a.m.
