I read this in the print edition - it was awesome! Glad you chose to feature the smaller designers like this.

A lot of them agree that they wish store buyers were willing to work with smaller designers a bit more often. Any idea how a big store buyer would respond? What are the difficulties associated in buying from small producers? Can we knock down those barriers, somehow?

Because the big stores can earn greater profits by buying clothes that are either outright sweatshops or at least underpay their workers. Worse still, from what I've heard, many clothing lines that are stocked in chain stores are designs that were intentionally ripped off from small, independent designers who are doing unique things in cities such as Portland.

I left out a few words in that first sentence: clothes made in factories that are either outright sweatshops or at least underpay their workers. I wish we could edit after posting.

Cash For Gold Inverness

the difficulties in buying from small producers? price and capacity. if the small producer can not produce in quantity, quickly, their scale of operation does not allow for both supplies to be high enough to order and stock, and for prices to be low enough to for a large retailer to consider buying as the cost would be too high to resell and make a profit. you have to be big enough to produce in quantity and a low price for large retailers to pick up any product including clothing.

and i'd like to correct marjorie on this article. the local designers were there in the first year or two pfw was around. they not only didn't care for the inflated entry fees for a small time show, but they didn't care for the production and quality of the show either and many didnt and still don't feel the show is up to their quality and standards. the presentation show is a good idea and a good PR nugget to toss out but the local fashion community wised up to pfw years ago and their reputation is already in the tank