Breaking into the fashion biz: career opportunities.

It's an industry cloaked in glamour, yet black designers need more than just talent to thrive

INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN FASHION DESIGNER JEFFREY BANKS KNEW as a child growing up in Washington, D.C., that he wanted to be a designer. "I was only 10 years old when I designed an Easter suit for my mother," recalls Banks, 43. "The dress was raw silk and it had a banana-colored, wool jersey coat that buttoned to one side. I picked out the fabric, went to the dressmaker with my mother and even picked out the accessories. She loved it and wore it with lots of pride."

Today, millions of people around the world are wearing Banks' designs. From Bloomingdale's in New York to fine shops in Japan, his name appears on everything from wear. Last year, his two companies, Jeffrey Banks Ltd. and Jeffrey Banks International, had sales of almost $20 million.

"Fashion is not art," states Banks. "It often comes very close, but at the end of the day it's commerce. The more you know about business, the better designer you'll be. Many young designers don't realize that they can't go to a bank or the investment community without a business plan. They just think that everyone will look at their sketches and see their talent shining through." But, he adds, "there are a lot of talented people who aren't working and untalented people who are."

While the number of young black designers is growing, many are having a hard time staying afloat. One reason is that many lack knowledge of the business. It can cost millions to launch a line of clothing, and finding capital is difficult. Getting your designs in major department stores can also be an uphill battle, and the undercurrent of racism in what's known as a "cliquish" industry can also serve as a barrier.

But there's big money to be made. The American Apparel Manufacturers Association estimates that last year, more than $138 billion was spent on apparel and related products. In 1995, African Americans spent $19.2 billion on apparel--the fourth largest expenditure in black households in the U.S., according to a report by Chicago-based Target Market News. Studies indicate that African Americans, on average, spend more on most clothing items and accessories than other races. Yet, few of those dollars are finding their way into the hands of black designers such as Banks.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A DESIGNER

Today the fashion industry is comprised of multibillion dollar corporations. Gone are the days of mom-and-pop garment shops. Preparing yourself for work in the. industry involves more than simply knowing how to sew. In fact, many designers don't even know how.

Karl Kani of Karl Kani Infinity, a BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 company, took his urban wear designs to local tailors and eventually built a $59 million enterprise--all without any formal fashion training. But "there are few people who make it in this business without school," explains Adrienne Jones, a professor at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, one of the nation's top fashion design schools. "You have to know how to put a garment together. What your grandma might have taught you is different from what you're going to be doing in the fashion industry," cautions Jones, who teaches fashion fundamentals and construction.

"Most of your instructors are people who have worked in the industry. It's not just about coming in and knowing how to sew and design. You need to know marketing and business," says Jones, who has worked in the industry for seven years.

Despite the fact that Houston designer Toni Whitaker, 40, began designing and sewing at the age of six, she wanted to know all she could about the industry. So after earning her bachelor's degree in fashion design from Syracuse University, she headed to North Carolina State University where she got a second B.S. in textile technology. "I learned everything there was to know about the fashion industry before I decided to open for business. College was a big plus for me."

Whitaker recently opened a women's clothing store that bears her name in Houston's Rice Village section. Her ready-to-wear line runs from $200-$500 for casual pieces and day dresses. Her custom line, which includes dinner suits and bridal wear, can range from $500-$3,500.

While still in college, it's best to do an internship at a design house. Most fashion colleges require one and they are very beneficial. "What you're learning in a classroom is the technical," says Jones. "Doing an internship helps you understand how to apply that technique. There are always things that you're learning on the job that you're not taught in school."

Few know this better than Anthony Liggins, who did an internship before graduating from the American College for the Applied Arts in Atlanta in 1989. He then spent several months working with French couturier Claudine Taubault who was in Atlanta at the time. "The experience was invaluable," remembers 31-year-old Liggins. "I learned so much from her, including draping techniques, which the French do so well. She also gave me valuable insight into the business, such as the need to specialize and to make myself known." Liggins used that advice to build an international reputation as the "Blouse King," for his creations for such stars as Halle Berry, Jada Pinkett and Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino.

Recently, Liggins expanded his line to include separates for women, dresses, shirts and two-piece suits. His collection now includes about 70 pieces, and last year the Atlanta-based design studio, with showrooms in Atlanta and New York, had sales of nearly $1 million. Liggins' clothes are carried at Nordstrom's and Jacobson's and another 80 specialty stores worldwide.

For students of fashion, the job search should begin well before leaving college. "Once you finish your internship and school, you've got to hit the streets," advises Jones. "Let everybody know you're available. Use the job banks at school and determine what type of company you want to work for." A portfolio of design sketches is a must to show prospective employers and is one of the tools that help market a designer. Yet, she warns, it must conform with the company. "Don't go to a bridal designer with sketches of swimsuits in your portfolio. Also, know the background of the company. Find out what their sales were last year and which of their clothing items are hot sellers."

A DESIGN BY ANOTHER NAME

While many fledgling designers want to go out on their own, "not everybody wants to be in business for themselves," says David Rice, chairman and founder of the Organization of Black Designers in Washington, D.C. "Working behind the scenes may be all you want," adds Rice, who heads the 10 chapters of OBD, which represents many African American fashion, graphics, interior, industrial and architectural design professionals.

In fact, many of the most recognized designers the world over have clothing lines that are created by African Americans. Edward Wilkerson, a designer at Signature Donna Karan in New York, is one of them. Wilkerson, who had worked for Anne Klein and Calvin Klein before going to Donna Karan in 1990, says he is proud to have "grown" with Donna Karan. "It takes so much money to start that I'd rather make the money I'm making here, than to be small, on my own and making less." With no interest in the business end of the industry, Wilkerson, who attended New York's Parson School of Design, has expanded his creative horizons as a photographer and is currently working on a book about African American art, poetry and prose.

Wilkerson warns aspiring designers that fashion houses don't need business partners. "Creativity is key. They are not looking for business clans, they wan creative plans. You have to have a vision of where you want to take the company." With salaries at some design houses starting at $35,000, many designers can still arch their creative backbone without the entrepreneurial risk. With at least 10 years' experience many designers can rake in salaries in the six-digits. But, warns one designer, the bigger the name doesn't necessarily mean the bigger the paycheck. Cachet is part of the reward, and some designers will forgo high salaries for opportunity and experience.

NO MONEY, NO CLOTHES

Yet, for those who want to set up their own companies, access to capital is one of the major barriers. Compound that with increased competition, soft sales and few financial resources, and the odds are stacked against the aspiring designer.

Mary Ann Wheaton, president of Wheaton International, a New York sales, marketing and public relations firm, knows how difficult it is to get financing. Wheaton has helped launch the careers of many designers including African Americans Patrick Kelly and Byron Lars. "No designer should even attempt to launch unless they have $5 million," she counsels. "In the past we had much more money. The Japanese poured a lot of money into our fashion industry. But a couple of years ago, they all decided they didn't want to `play' fashion in the U.S. anymore and they picked up and went home. It's never been as difficult getting money as it is now."

While many industry analysts agree with Wheaton on the need for large sums of capital, a number of African American designers have launched their companies with much less cash and are building substantial small design houses, showrooms and boutiques. One is New York's Shaka King. The Brooklyn-based menswear designer was recently hailed by DNR, the menswear industry bible, as the "King of Chic" and it included him as one of "New York's Best." His client list includes Boyz II Men, Lou Gossett Jr., Branford Marsalis, Malik Yoba and NBA players Juwan Howard, Chris Webber and Tim Hardaway.

Like Karl Kani and "urban gear" designer Daymond John of FUBU, who bypassed the fashion establishment to go directly to the masses, King, 37, started small and is now building on his success. After finishing Pratt Institute in 1982, King spent about $50 on some material and designed and made 10 scarves and six vests. He took the samples to two New York boutiques and both placed orders worth about $2,000. It wasn't long before King had created a 30-piece menswear collection, selling 400 pieces his first year.

"I couldn't get bank loans," says King, who was recently given Playboy's New Talent Showcase Award. "I had no collateral and banks wouldn't take a chance on my talent alone." For the past few years, a lack of additional capital has forced King to slow his growth but now he is working with a client in Paris who wants him to design a men's line that will appeal to the urban consumer.

The client would pay King to design the line under his name and give him a percentage of the sales. King estimates he will need $2.5 million in capital from the client to get such a line off the ground. In the meantime, King has taken $8,000 and developed a 21-page brochure of his men's clothing line, which he is sending to some 2,000 customers. "I'm doing whatever I can to create more interest in Shaka King's Menswear. I hope that will create the cash flow I need. The money comes in before the clothes go out. If I get a $10,000 order today, I'm ready to go into production," he adds.

Another designer who started off small is Leslie Coombs, owner of Nu-Heaven's Bride Inc., a New York City-based bridal design and manufacturing company.

The Boston University School of Fine Arts graduate was a freelance costume designer for theater and movies before her marriage in 1985. Unable to find the perfect wedding gown, Coombs designed her own. It was such a hit that friends asked her to design their wedding gowns as well. In 1988, she started her company in her home, and a year later moved into a small 300-sq,-ft. space. Known for her European-styled wedding gowns with ethnic touches, Coombs' gowns, which average $1,200, are sold in 40 bridal stores across the U.S. Her 1996 sales more than exceeded $225,000.

"Much of my capital has come from my husband," explains Coombs, who just moved into a new 1,000-sq.-ft. studio on Broadway. "It is still difficult getting money," she says. "In the past we've gone to the banks but without success. We're getting ready to go again. If I had a measly $50,000-$75,000, I could do $1 million in sales. That would allow me to advertise more and really penetrate the market. We get a lot of orders but we can only ship out according to the cash flow," says Coombs, who has five employees.

Coombs isn't the only one who relied on family members to provide capital to help sustain her business. When Whitaker decided to open her new showroom and design studio, she too went to family members for cash. "With a family loan of about $13,000, I was able to lease my space, finish out the dressing areas, buy fabric, hire people and design and manufacture about 50 garments to stock the store. Without my family's assistance I would not have been able to do it."

Still other designers have found additional ways of raising capital. OBD's Rice is currently working on a project raising capital for a line of sports-inspired clothing. "We have gone after high salaried athletes as a limited offering or private offering," says Rice, who would in part own the line. "The theme of the sports-inspired clothing line appeals to them. We need $7 million to get the line off the ground and we're more than halfway there."

While it's difficult getting big dollars to launch and expand lines of clothing, some African American designers have been lucky. One is Byron Lars.

A native of Oakland, California, Lars decided in grade school he wanted to be an architect. But that changed when he couldn't find the right cut of baggy pants. At 15, he sewed himself a pair and it wasn't long before he was designing prom dresses for his classmates. His first professional collection of women's clothes was shown in New York in the spring of 1991. It was an instant hit. In a cover story, Women s Wear Daily hailed Lars as "Rookie of the Year" and the New York Times later grouped him with Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan as "Designers of the Year" in an article called "The Magnificent Eight."

Lars has been helped along the way by Wheaton International, which has helped him find financial support to grow his $7 million business. Lars, whose women's clothes are sold in over 100 U.S. stores, is best known for his Byron Lars Shirt Tales collection, which includes shirt dresses and related separates. The 32-year-old designer is also a licensee for sportswear, furs, fake furs, hats, handbags and knits. Lars is also working on a fragrance deal that could make him one of the first African American designers to have a major fragrance product.

Despite his success, Lars still has trouble obtaining capital. "I guess I have been lucky enough to get substantial amounts to help finance my company and my line. But it's always a struggle. And just because one line is successful this season, doesn't mean your next one will be a hit. It's a risky business," he cautions.

Another source of money comes from institutions known as "factors"--money vendors who purchase orders and provide up-front capital for production. Factors can be banks, private individuals or investment companies in the fashion industry.

Let's say you have shown your line of dresses to the buyers at Macy's and they give you an order for $100,000. You can take that order to a factor and ask for financial backing. The factor will verify the order, look over your company and decide whether to give you money up front to manufacture the line. If they loan you the money, their commission could be as much as 15% off the top of the $100,000 order. But the money they give you can help manufacture the line and get the dresses to Macy's, depending on the contract's delivery date, and still give you some profit from the sale.

GETTING EXPOSURE

While it can be a challenge getting money the conventional way, good media publicity can help you grow your company. Advertising your line of clothing can be expensive, but there are opportunities for free publicity. Whitaker has been featured in several publications, including the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post daily newspapers. "I've gotten great media exposure and it has been really good," says Whitaker, who, in addition to running her own design studio, teaches a class in fabrics at the University of Houston. "People see my name on the awning of my store and they come in and say, `you're the woman we read about,' even if it was done a year or two ago."

"Media exposure is extremely important," explains Jelani Bandele of Bandele Communications Group, a Brooklyn, New York-based public relations company that works with a number of black designers. "The media exposure is what brings you to the masses. It brings you to the consumer, and without that the consumer really doesn't know who you are. It's so much more important for black designers because they don't have the multimillion-dollar advertising budgets that others have. But, adds Bandele, that exposure is difficult to come by. "They'll focus on a few during Black History month, but that's pretty much it. The media in fashion is no different than the media around politics or anything else. Black people are not the primary focus."

Another barrier to the success of African Americans in the fashion industry, according to many designers, is racism. Some designers believe no matter how talented they are or how much money they are able to raise, the industry is still a closed one with a "Do Not Enter" sign outside.

"I think there is some racism, although Seventh Avenue wouldn't say that," says Veronica Jones, owner of New York City-based Veronica Jones Showroom. Jones has been in the apparel industry more than 25 years and represents designers and manufacturers, selling clothes to catalogs, department and specialty stores across the country.

"Seventh Avenue is a Jewish business. They are the merchants of the world and this is one of the areas that they created. So when someone black approaches them to do a business, it's much more difficult to get their support. They support each other," says Jones, who is also the president of New York City-based Fashion Outreach, a group of fashion industry professionals working toward improving minority representation in the fashion business and educating the younger generation about the industry.

"The mentality on Seventh Avenue is that blacks can work for the most part in the back rooms," says Rice. "You have to be an insider to get in. The garment industry is not an outsider business." Even those who have been relatively successful in the fashion industry believe racism has had an effect on their careers. "I can't discount the fact that for black designers there might even be some sort of quota system in this business," notes Lars. "Since Willi Smith and Patrick Kelly [Smith died in 1987 and Kelly in 1990], it's almost like there's got to be only one top black designer at a time."

But Fern Mallis, executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, one of the most powerful designer trade associations in the world, says African American designers are equally well respected as are other designers. "From my vantage point I don't see race being one of the obstacles," she says. "Talent is talent. When people look at clothing, they most often don't know who designs it or what color their skin is. The talent shows through in the product. And in our industry, the final product is what people are going after."

BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DOLLAR?

Black designers say another barrier to their success in the industry is a lack of support from African American consumers. While blacks spent almost $20 billion last year on clothes and accessories, only a small fraction of those dollars went to black designers. The vast majority of those dollars went to white store owners and designers. Had just a small portion of those dollars gone to black designers, many of them would have multimillion dollar fashion empires.

"The Patrick Ewings and the Charles Barkleys of the world are steadily getting custom wardrobes from the Donna Karans and the Ralph Laurens of the world," says New York designer Shaka King, who is also the president and one of the founders of the Black Fashion Collective, an organization formed to support and assist African American designers.

"We need the support of one another," says Bandele. "You know when you were a child and you used to pUt your hands together and give your friend a boost over the fence? It's the same principle. If I'm an entertainer making millions of dollars, I can afford to buy an Armani suit, but Armani doesn't really need my money and I'd be better serving my community by buying a suit from a Shaka King or an Anthony McIntosh. Blacks, not only entertainers and sports figures, need to spend money in our community and help strengthen it," explains Bandele.

While it's difficult pursuing the dream of becoming the nation's next "hot" fashion designer, it's not impossible. Black designers are still making inroads into this very competitive business and, in many cases, serving as the driving force behind the fashion industry.

It goes without saying that you must have the talent to survive. But it takes much more than that to make it in the apparel business. "The fashion business is 60% creativity and 40% marketing," says Liggins. "You're an artist, but you must know and understand the business and the corporate structure. Have a strong business component. If you don't know the business side, hire someone who does."

Lars echoes this sentiment, "Learn from other people. Work for other designers and learn something about your business on somebody else's money. That's an absolute do." But most of all, to succeed in the fashion industry you must have patience and perseverance. "You have to want this like nothing else," explains Pratt Institute's Jones. "You've got to go in there and say `I can do this job better than the other people.' You can be a success in this industry if you believe in yourself."

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Jeffrey Banks International New York City 212-889-4424

Alvin Bell New York City 212-869-9797

C. C. Unlimited Brooklyn, New York 718-542-4875

Leslie Coombs New York City 212-234-6446

Freedom Apparel Inc. Chicago 773-488-FREE

FUBU Clothing Co. New York City 212-564-2330

Anthony Mark Hankins Dallas 800-789-4AMH 

Veronica Jones Showroom New York City 212-967-0814

Karl Kani Infinity New York City/Los Angeles 212-382-3900 213-232-4411

Shaka King Menswear Brooklyn, New York 718-638-2933

Byron Lars New York City 212-355-3235

Anthony Liggins Atlanta 404-842-0621

Moshood Brooklyn, New York 718-243-9433

Montgomery New York Brooklyn, New York 718-953-5868

Nigerian Fabrics & Fashions Brooklyn, New York 718-260-0514

Wheaton International New York City 212-355-3232

Toni Whitaker Inc. Houston 713-520-8555