Name: Fatiah Hosein

Company: Garment Industry Development Corporation

Crème Magazine: What's the mission of GIDC?

Fatiah Hosein: Our mission is to support and sustain the apparel industry in New York partly by providing training and technical assistance in all areas of garment manufacturing to businesses and its workers; which will help increase competitiveness in a global marketplace. We also offer assistance with business development and sourcing.

Crème Magazine:Why did you decide to open up a showroom?

Fatiah Hosein: This idea was the brainchild of our former Director of Sourcing, Deborah Goodwin; she saw a need amongst the up and coming designers that she worked with for an affordable place to do business within the Garment Center. A proposal was submitted to the State of New York mapping out the idea for the Showroom.  NY State backed the idea and funded the pilot program and that is how this showroom came to fruition.

Crème Magazine: Have you implemented any new programs that cover the whole spectrum of the fashion industry for marketers, people in retail or job placements?

Fatiah Hosein: We have Business Solutions, Enforcement, Business Development/Job Development and Education and Training Programs which we have been running since the inception of GIDC.

Crème Magazine: What type of process does a new designer have to go through when working with GIDC?

Fatiah Hosein: We request designers go through an application process where we can confirm the following:

a.  Designers must be working with Local Contractors

b.  Designers are required to submit draft or final business plan for us to confirm business expectations

c.  Product requirements: Designers are required to submit upcoming collections through storyboards or samples.

d.  Designers are required to submit 3 business references that will be verified.

e.  Designers can not be represented by another multi-line showroom or representative.

f.   Finally, we need designers to submit proposals on why they should be considered to participate in Showroom NY. 

Once the designers are approved for the showroom they are asked to be extremely proactive and responsible for all sales collateral and account targets and will often be called upon to help with presentations.

Crème Magazine: What kind of designers are you looking for to showcase in the showroom?

Fatiah Hosein: The most important criteria that we look for is appropriate pricing strategies. Better, Bridge and Designer markets are our targets and can sustain local production. Contemporary Women's and accessories are areas where we have been successful in recruiting new design talent. Obviously, talent is our most important criteria [but] we need to assess credibility in all other areas first.

Crème Magazine: What are some promising designers that you're working with now, which we should look out for in the near future?

Fatiah Hosein: Karen Sabag: recent FIT graduate who has been creating couture Wedding dresses since she was 15, and has built up a very successful couture operation. We are looking to launch Karen's RTW cocktail and evening dresses that have already created a lot of buzz including an upcoming article in WWD. Dinna Soliman: Dinna is another FIT graduate who is combining techno fabrics with contemporary styling to create a modern approach to career and casual dressing. Naeri Park, 2Fer: Naeri has created a beautiful contemporary collection that is an updated professional look that has application not only in our domestic market but also in the lucrative Asia Pacific market place.