I thought it be best I buckle down and write my latest diary. It seemed so long ago since my last diary. But I’m back!! Well this is what has been happening at the house of ‘Emure’.
1) Selling online through www.apizeadoo.co.uk. A new and fantastic shopping portal for you admirers and buyers of ladies fashion. The online facilities are superb, and very easy to order the goods. You can see the ‘Emure’ range there and place any orders.
2) In negotiations and about to finalise my new USA stockist, which is based in downtown L.A. This stockist happens to be my cousin’s boutique. I should have thought of his shop a while back!! And plus I get a chance to sell in America. You have to remember how big the US clothing market is. So hopefully this will lead to better and bigger things. If all goes well with this I would like to forward onto my cousin LFF designers such as Max Impact, Craven Gene, and Romeo Pires etc. who I am sure will do well over there. I will notify fashion capital of future developments.
3) Other appointments with potential stockists. You will have to see my official website for future details about this. It’s good to keep a few business secrets to myself for now you know! Lol.
4) Financing & Investment – there comes a time when you soon realise that you need more funding, and this is what the ‘Emure’ label needs. I’ve posted ads almost everywhere, and I’m still waiting on the right funder. I am hoping that the investor becomes a business partner too. But even having a business partner would be great in itself. So if any one has that bit of spare finances and are thinking of going into investing, then please do email or call me for further information. See below for my contact details.
5) Work Experience – I have lately posted adverts through fashion capitals forums looking for work experience candidates. So far I have one on board for marketing. I am still looking for an assistant designer. So please email me at
with your CV, and where possible examples of your work.
To sum things up it has been an up and down rollercoaster of late for me. Running your business as most of you know is hard work. But perseverance, determination, and ambition are what is driving me forward. One day I am hoping for a break. So wish me luck fellow fashionistas.
I would also like to take this opportunity to talk about some fellow fashion labels.
1) Howell2bHarsh – I have known the fashion designer Harsharan Landa for eleven years and her business partner David Howell for two years. I launched with their label at the same time during London Fashion Week on February 18th 2004 and over the years I have seen their brand Howell2bHarsh grow successfully, and after having a productive meeting with the LFF, this label is definitely one to watch out for. I see them as next years hottest label to hit our LFF network and the fashion industry. Harsharan Landa has sold her range exclusively through Topshop boutique, and various boutiques in and around the capital. Music producer David Howell has blessed BMG with his immense skills in music production and continually is finding and developing the hottest artists. Some of the artists he has help produce include Cassius, a prominent RnB star on the UK music scene who has had his videos played on MTV Base. So watch this space!!! See www.harsh.tv for further information on the great work Harsharan and David do!
2) Max Impact is a ladieswear label that in its first collection has surely come forward as a hot new label to keep an eye on. Design duo Michelle & Ian Truong have taken this label from just talking about the idea into a real fashion player in today’s market. They have regular features in magazines such as Closer, More, and Heat. With a great PR machine behind them they are destined for big things. They have already within a matter of months exhibited at the last Pure event, Profile 6, and The Lifestyle Show in London. Having worked with them closely I can see how the design and pattern cutting talent of Ian Truong and the production know how that Michelle Truong has is remarkable. I look up to them a lot, and they always guide my ‘Emure’ label when I need the help. They are the backbone of my company. So I got to give them their dues.
Watch out for further major ‘Max Impact’ publicity events. They have shown in numerous fashion shows throughout London, and are looking forward to the new season. They will do well, and I can see a strong future for them. See www.maximpactstyles.co.uk for further information.
3) Finally one label I am seeing everywhere right now is Romeo Pires. If I didn’t have ‘Emure’, then this is one of the few labels apart from Craven Gene, Max Impact, Forrest, and Mami I would submit my CV to. I recently was in Topshop, on Oxford Street, and I myself am thinking of applying for a concession in there. I went to see how the concessions are laid out and I instantly noticed ‘Romeo Pires’. I’ve met one of the designers Nick in person by chance whilst stocking together at LFF boutique, Bluewater, and I could see how devoted they are to their label.
I spent abit of time looking at their current collection in there, and I was blown away by the use of colour and print on their collections. If the mainstream current pack are raving about Jonathan Saunders then they need to check out Romeo Pires!!
I’ve studied for years in fashion design, and I have never seen a label use colour and print so well. The yellow and purple striped bolero jackets, to subtly printed, light and flowy dresses in white just made me love their collection even more. I also have seen them at Portobello Market, and Spitalfields. And also know they stock all over the country as well as Japan. I am a fan, I would like to see Romeo Pires branch out into menswear. I love wearing printed t-shirts, and I can imagine a limited edition Romeo Pires menswear range. I can see why they won Profile 6!!
Aims & Objectives for ‘Emure’
My ambition is to be up there with the best of UK designers. I am so looking forward to Profile 7. I have an Autumn/Winter 2006/07 collection waiting to be launched then. So far the designs and early production signs are promising. This will be my best collection to date by a mile!! If you thought my Godet dress in vibrant yellow was hot, then wait until you see this collection. As long as I’m happy with it, then that is all that matters. And a few positives from the fashion industry would be a nice welcome too.
In the meantime I hope all you fellow fashion labels are out there doing your thing. Make the most of your talents. If you need money, then get out there and find it. If you want a stockist, get your range together and go to boutiques in person. That’s what I do. Right now it may seem you are doing the hard graft, someday the industry will be coming to you. Never give up. And that’s what I have learned in the last couple of weeks. Stay positive, and do the best you can. If you believe in your ability and are determined and ambitious you are going to kick some a**.
Well guys it’s been a while since my last diary entry but there’s so much to talk about. It’s been a tough and often challenging few weeks for me and my label ‘Emure’. Where do I begin!!
Firstly the Asian earthquake in Pakistan affected my family and village and I lost some family in this tragic event. I want to send a big thanks to all those that have pledged money, food, and essentials to the relief aid. Your offerings haven’t gone unnoticed. It was sad and disheartening to see my fellow people suffering from their biggest natural disaster. My families’ homes were broken and their land split into two. It was very shocking indeed!! We managed to get most of our remaining family away from the disaster zone and moved them into the city. Just like New Orleans some parts of Kashmir will never be liveable again. This year for me has been full of tragic events. So what’s next?
No one deserves such sadness and horrific occurrences. No one at all!!! All we can do is continue to donate and in time normality will continue. Fingers crossed!
As you may have all heard the LFF boutique in Bluewater closed its doors last weekend. That boutique was the best thing that happened to my label. I had stocked the ‘Emure’ range in their since February 2005. I gained new customers, greater brand awareness and most importantly an increase in sales revenue!! Which for a small label like mine was fantastic. I closed down three other stockist accounts to solely concentrate on supplying to Bluewater, as it was keeping my hands full. I want to send a big thankyou to all the staff at Bluewater for their service and exquisite professionalism in aiding my ‘Emure’ labels success. You guys (and you know who you are) were and still are fabulous!!
It felt sad to pick up my remaining stock from the boutique and say goodbye to the staff. But just like in life, you have to move forward.
I am hoping the LDA do something about this situation very soon. I’ve sent my email to them raising my concerns about how important it is for us up and coming fashion labels to have great exposure like Bluewater again. So send your emails in too. It would be great if there was another LDA/LFF boutique initiative, and it worked very successfully on both occasions with Kingly Court and Bluewater. So keep the pressure up guys!!
I decided not to pursue new stockists for now and just concentrate on my Spring/Summer 2006 collection. And good news is my collection was fully completed last week. It’s hard being a one man team and I was worried that my new collection would never see the light of day. But it did and I am so happy with the garments and I have taken on board a publicist who will help me to promote this collection. I’ve included a sneak preview for you fashion capital readers. So hope you guys like it.
I am hoping to get orders for this new collection and have planned and scheduled in a major Spring/Summer 2006 campaign. So watch this space for further information and publicity events!!
Work on my A/W 2006/07 collection has already begun, and for my label that is the way forward. I will be working on pre-collections from now on and getting them ready for the buyers and press in good time. Ive been supplying to individual stockists for a couple of years now, but I think its time to change and I am ready to work this way. Despite what some doubters may think, I know what I am doing. I believe and love my product and my ‘Emure’ label and with my determination and creativity I am sure I will be having fun with this new collection. So wish me luck guys!!!
Well guys here we are after seven mild, rainy, and sunny days, and all this happened in a week, wow, British weather turns out more varying styles than the amount of times we blink! Ok that’s an exaggeration, but it was worth a shot.
So this week I was glued to the US Open Tennis, and the Williams sisters are mixing boho with tennis wear. What is going on? Is boho going to be with us for a while yet? Venus Williams was sporting beaded jewellery and over sized ethnic earrings whilst playing tennis, and the way both the sisters hit the ball it makes me wonder if all we are watching is a high energy fashion show. But you gotta give it to the ladies of tennis, they sure know how to mix sexy sports gear with glamorous jewellery. Guess the headbands and shorts look is out then! We have also this week been inundated with the final test match between England and Australia, and again I think its time they or whoever is responsible spice up cricket gear. Its just white clothing, dodgy trackie bottoms with a voluminous t-shirt. Think they need a Burberry makeover right now!
It’s vital as a designer to be aware of what’s happening around you. The latest events, music, art, and of course what’s the hottest place in town right now is always fab for inspiration. It always helps to be innovative and unique. Fellow fashionistas as some of you may know that there is hardly any time to party when you have a collection to make and orders to meet. But it’s good to attend a few key events and make good useful contacts. Sometimes it helps to take a break from fashion every now and then, because too much thought process will lead to a creative block, and who has the time to have a creative block, I sure don’t!
This week I have been concentrating on my new A/W 05/06 stock and getting it ready for the shop floor. It’s been a busy old week. And the amount of time I’ve spent whizzing around to get the order done is crazy. But I am feeling confident. I had a great summer in terms of sales and success, and I want to build on that. At the moment I am a one man team, but I have a network of people around me to help and aid me in all sections of my business. I have a business manager when I get stuck for financial solutions and also how to fill out the dreaded tax return form. I have my glam squad of stylist/hair/makeup who are amazing, and my manufacturers who are always on hand to help me out. And the LFF are always there when I need advice.
My suppliers in general are understanding and easy to negotiate good business with. What’s important here is great communication and mutual respect of each others work. You have to have an open mind and politeness goes a long way. And abit of charisma too! Your suppliers are the backbone of your company, and without them you would have no product to sell to any buyers.
My S/S 2006 collection is nearly completed and I can’t wait to unveil it. You will get the exclusive pictures on my official website soon. I enjoy the design process right to the end when I see the finished product. I’ve trained in design and pattern cutting and both of them skills put together makes life a lot easier for me. It’s good to be versatile as a designer. You need to understand garment construction efficiently before you can put together a collection of garments that are beautifully cut.
Right now we have New York Fashion Week going on. I’ve already seen some of the collections, and my favourites so far are Nicole Miller and Diana Von Furstenburg. The trend seems to be heading towards a clean, feminine, pretty look, which suits my ‘Emure’ label brilliantly.
Diana Von Furstenburg ss 06
Kenneth Cole ss 06
Marc Jacobs ss 06
Sarigueron ss 06
United Bamboo ss 06
Whilst out and about this week I’ve been focusing and seeing whats happening on the High Street. And exclusively for this article I am going to talk about Menswear. I as a man love to buy appealing, well fitted clothing. I was in Oxford Street the other day and I noted down a few of the trends coming through. Most of the top retailers are going into the biker look with the combination of prep and vibrant prints. There are the usual printed, distressed tops and jeans but I noticed the cowboy look, and the smart suit prep look. I noticed a lot of waistcoats, and this truly inspired me to re-think my A/W 05/06 wardrobe. Velvet, corduroy, pinstripes, cardigans, and heavy sweaters were everywhere. I feel you can have your own individual look if you style it well. The biggest mistake I saw this week was a lady wearing a white sparkly halter neck dress over a cardigan. Maybe she was in between work and club hopping but it looked awful!! It was fashion suicide!!
Keep tuned in to further diaries and articles as I am working on some exciting new features which I am doing to help all fellow professionals be more aware about various parts of the fashion and retail industry. So for now I say ciao, aurevoir, and adios. Have a great week!!
The entire weekly goings on in the fashion label ‘Emure’ by Munib Ur-Rehman.
Well this is my first diary. I am going to let you fellow fashionistas know all about the goings on within my design label. I will talk about the good and the bad and I promise no tears. Just good old fashioned journal writing with an ‘Emure’ twist.
I always begin my working week on a Sunday where I just do very light admin work, you know like weekly schedules and budget forecasts. Fashion is a non-stop 24 hour business. If you love fashion like I do you will know what I mean. It’s important to keep balance within your life and time management is so important. As kids and teens growing up we are always told never to turn up late for class and appointments and who wants to do business with a designer who says they are turning up at 9am when they actually turn up at 3pm instead! I guess socially these rules can be bended a little but only if you have forgiving friends!
I’ve learnt that having a solid weekly plan and outlining what you want to achieve realistically within that week is key to building a successful business. We all want to be successful and recognised by our industry but we have to work hard and show great efficiency and professionalism within our businesses. So if you’re a sloppy joe then you know you’re not going to really show your potential! Plan what you want to do on a daily basis and set yourself short and long term goals. If you want to be the next Tom Ford or Donatella Versace then you better start sorting yourself out very soon. If you’re stuck for ideas or generally don’t know how to go forward then help is out there. Make use of the advice you get from Fashion Capital, The London Fashion Forum and other organisations because they are there for you!
Currently the weather has been amazing. I was wearing a jacket two weeks ago and thought the cold damp weather was just beginning. Guess I was fooled by Mother Nature. I’m not a big fan of Mother Nature at present especially with what’s happening in the States right now. On a personal level I guess I was quite disappointed by the US government for not acting too soon, but at least help is on the way now….finally.
Weather for me has been a key factor. The high streets have already begun selling and promoting their A/W 2005 ranges, but I think it’s been done too soon. It is warm at the moment and who in their right mind is going to buy heavy cardigans right now unless you are on your way to the arctic! The good thing is I am still supplying my current stockist with summer stock and that is only because of the fab sunshine we are getting right now. But I know that Autumn will be falling upon us soon, and my A/W 05/06 collection will be in store just in time.
Speaking of the high street, I was in Kingston this week and had a good look round. I like the vibe in Kingston, and the fashions were consistent and solid throughout. As well as the majors it was good to see the smaller independents buzzing with customers at the same time. I noticed a lot of summer sales and final reductions. Having worked extensively in the retail industry for many years prior to launching my own label I think the retailers are doing the good thing in shifting summer items. The sales are a good time to get rid of old stock and introduce the newer lines.
From what I have seen so far the A/W 05/06 collections on the high street are looking sharp. Again there are elements of the boho look which for me has been done to death! But I am noticing a clean, tailored approach to the garments. My favourite so far is the Victorian inspired blouses, and the Nautical/Military looks. I’ve noticed velvet coming through too. So for the new season I am going to really push my ‘Emure’ label. I do find the A/W season in general quite a short one as there are many trade events going on at the same time. I’m looking forward to launching my new collection into the fashion industry. I’m going into my fourth season now as a design label. And each season so far has brought in more success.
Every small design label does want to expand and grow effectively, but at the moment my struggles are with constant financing and sourcing investors. I am very confident in my product, so hopefully some other fellow professionals will see that too.
With a S/S 2006 collection deadline looming I better get back to work. Keep a look out for the next diary.
Just one more thing every week I am going to let you know the hottest labels to look out for and who I think will achieve big things. Any labels that are seeking that bit of extra brand awareness should feel free to drop me an email and you could be in with a chance of being in my top five. Remember Fashion Capital gets a lot of hits! And what a fab way to get your label noticed.
