COTTON CLUB - The Row Satin Handbag -$990, Alexander Wang Cottin Blouse - $550.00, Ferragamo Ruffle Dress -$1,630.00, Prada Embroidered Cotton Dress - $4,845.00Every four years, right about now, Americans are inundated with rhetoric from both major political parties in the lead up to our Presidential election. Over the last two decades the overall tone of this rhetoric has become more and more negative which creates a mood of fear and discontent in the economy. When high wealth customers start to feel insecure about the economy - they stop spending. 
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO - SPRING 2016 Regardless if they have real reasons to watch their clothing budget - they often do just that. 
AND ANOTHER REASION TO BUY A SOFIA BAG. 
AN ENTRANCE MAKING SOFIA - RAY OF SUNSHINE FOR $2,250.00They...wait....to....buy. In the big picture there is little any one person can do. 
AS SEEN IN ELLE MAGAZINE However, there are many things a major fashion house can do to entice customers to spend. To get them to CHOOSE US. One proven method - design with Happy Colors. Fashion is meant to express our emotions, our feelings, our desires as we present ourselves to the world. Luxury fashion is meant to be the pinnacle of design. Fashion runways therefore are the ultimate expression of fashion design. 
HIKARI YOKOYAMA - LONDON BASED GALLERIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF PADDLE 8 - CELEBRATES "THE SPLENDOR OF LIFE" IN FERRAGAMO RUNWAY Well at least they should be!
The Spring 2016 Ferragamo collection was full 
THE PERFECT SANDALS TO GO OVER THAT RAINBOW!of sophisticated looks peppered with bursts of beautiful color. Bright colors. Bold, yet wearable colors. It doesn't matter if a shopper "would never wear" what they see on the runway. She will be enticed. This means she will remember Ferragamo when she does go shopping. The stunning and playful editorials and ads for the collection will seduce her, or at least begin the romance. Romance is exactly what fashion is meant to do. Women should feel confident, sexy, and powerful. It doesn't matter if she is shopping for shoes, a jacket, or silk scarf. Everyone wants to feel like they are making the right purchase.
What happens again and again in this cycle is that some fashion houses start creating more and more outrageous designs for the runway to gain attention and bring customers into their boutiques. This can be risky when you are trying to attract the chic shoppers. When designers start putting what I've described as "Circus Shoes" on runways *featured in the previous FEED - this can alienate the true high-spend client. The short term spender is on board - but that ultra-luxe long term client might be turned off.
So the trick? Offer beautiful, chic, luxurious items that your client can't find anywhere else. Your Ferragamo boutique has more options and offers than a shopper can see in most designer salons of department stores. 
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO FALL RUNWAY - AS DRAWN BY DESIGNER ILLUSTRATOR - MICHAEL WARD Enjoy your options. Have fun showing her that new handbag. That new print in the silk collection that just came in. She doesn't wear silk scarves - who cares - show her - she just might start. That new knitwear item that is produced in limited quantities - show her! Take ownership of the fact that what you have to offer is unique. The bright colors will continue to bloom in-store into the Fall collections. This will help build the sale and reconnect with shoppers that bought Spring. You can curate a colorful bouquet that crosses collections and categories. Encourage color!
COTTON CLUB - ELLE MAGAZINE
The June issue of ELLE featured some chic options for Summer dressing. Big focus on the most natural of fibers - Cotton. Man has had a love affair with cotton since ancient times. The richest Egyptians wore cotton fabrics - imported from India - where it was already being woven. The finest cotton fabrics have been a status symbol for centuries. The fabrics do require high maintenance - but that is exactly why they are a luxury. In the editorial COTTON CLUB, the magazine chose stand alone pieces that make their own statement. The strap-less dress with ruffled skirt and bowed waist tie has been featured in countless magazines and instagram feeds. That is when you know a look is hot! If you have a client lucky enough to wear a dress like this - get it on her!
GARGANTUAN GANCIO
When we're passionate about something, we tend to see reminders of that thing wherever we go. As I travel through my day here, there, and everywhere - I see Gancios. To say I have Ferragamo on the brain - might be an understatement. I can't help it, but I find myself noticing Gancios and Vara bows - everywhere! Imagine my surprise when I entered one of my favorite places - Madison Square Park at dusk one recent evening, to find a 40 Foot tall being with what I think is the biggest Gancio in the world! At least, that's all I see.
The park conservancy commissioned American Sculptor - Martin Puryear created "BIG BLING" with wood, metal, and gold leaf. The sculptor often creates fluid shapes using natural materials. His work is found at many major museums like the MOMA and the Guggenheim. 
SCULPTOR MARTIN PURYEAR - "BIG BLING" ON DISPLAY IN NEW YORK'S MADISON SQUARE PARK THROUGH JAN 2017 (MOVING ON TO PHILADELPHIA) The creations possess a sense of movement and grace. They are large, but somehow calming.
Art and Fashion are so closely related. You might not even realize how much influence artists have on our lives. The act of Design shapes most things we do - from what we wear, to where we live, to what we drive... All of these things are designed by an artist of one sort or another. 
Martin Puryear - BIG BLING - GANCIO?
I really believe when we can connect a passion with something bigger -
MODEL OF "BIG BLING" - MARTIN PURYEAR in this case literally bigger - it absolutely enriches our life. These connections make us more interesting people, and more valuable employees. I know it does! Our thoughts are powerful, and what we keep in our mind - we can manifest in real life. I hope you find your own 40 foot tall Gancio this week!