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ApparelMagic introduces cash grants for brands led by people of color

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Starting on August 10, 2020, ApparelMagic invites designers and professionals leading fashion brands to apply for a new grant.

The ApparelMagic Grant for Emerging Designers of Color aims to promote equality within the fashion industry through cash grants of up to $1,000.

In addition to the cash grant, winners new to ApparelMagic will receive one year of complimentary ApparelMagic service on the Professional plan as well as consulting and training. All winners will receive promotion and publicity to ApparelMagic’s thousands-strong community.

Targeting brands with five or fewer years in business, this grant seeks to uplift underrepresented groups in the fashion industry, specifically designers and professionals of color.

All US-based brands meeting this criteria are invited to apply by the deadline, September 25, 2020.

Interested candidates can apply for the ApparelMagic Grant here.

Applicants’ contact information will not be shared. It will be used exclusively for matters pertaining to the ApparelMagic Grant unless otherwise requested.

Winners of the grant will be notified by September 30, 2020.

Earlier this year, ApparelMagic has stepped up to do their part in fighting systemic racism through donations to nonprofits promoting equality.

Read more about our initiatives in this space.

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ApparelMagic client Bode nominated for CFDA Award

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ApparelMagic client Emily Bode’s eponymous line, Bode, has earned her a nomination for the 2020 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year.

Bode’s business, based in New York City, specializes in literally unique garments, many made of reclaimed textiles like quilts or hand-painted with folk-arty designs.

In addition to menswear, the label also has introduced home and baby lines. The home line is a furniture collaboration between Bode and Green River Project, LLC, and the baby line is full of tiny versions of the mainline’s signature shirting.

The CFDA nomination puts Bode in good company. Several ApparelMagic clients have won at the annual award show, many multiple times.

The CFDA Fashion Awards ceremony is one of the most important events in the fashion industry, drawing from top talent across the United States and from overseas.

Normally held in New York each summer, this year the event will be skipped and winners of this year’s awards will be announced on September 14 via social media.

ApparelMagic also partners with the CFDA in their Supply Chain initiative. Read more here.

Why Stitch Labs users are migrating to ApparelMagic

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With Stitch Lab’s recent announcement that they will be sunsetting their platform, many businesses are left in the lurch. The service may be discontinued as early as Spring 2021, and their support of the product is now limited to email only.

With that in mind, now is the time for Stitch Labs users to evaluate their options and begin their migration to a new service, before it’s too late.

Here’s why Stitch Labs users are migrating to ApparelMagic:

 

Easy Data Import

ApparelMagic provides easy-to-use data import templates that you simply upload into your new system, instantly populating it with your product records, vendors, and customers.

And once you’re in, training up is a piece of cake. Training sessions are offered weekly, and an intuitive interface walks you through the system step by step.

 

Your Central Hub

In your current set-up, is your data spread thin across multiple platforms? ApparelMagic takes all of your business, from transactions to records to reporting, and merges it into one unified web app. ApparelMagic functions as your business’s central hub, managing all the data you need right where it’s easiest to read and analyze.

ApparelMagic’s information-first design and straightforward workflow help you operate at high speed. It’s lean, modern, and powerful: exactly what your business needs to get the job done.

 

Connect to your favorite services

Did you choose Stitch Labs for its wealth of integrations? If so, you’re in luck. ApparelMagic integrates with many of the same leading services like Shopify, QuickBooks Online, JOOR, and more.

Whether it is ecommerce, online wholesale, logistics, or accounting, ApparelMagic connects to and automatically syncs with dozens of the industry’s best-loved platforms.

Need to connect to another service? Our Enterprise plans offer API access so you can develop your own connections.

 

Software Made for Fashion Brands

Operating apparel businesses out of standard issue ERP software can be a drag, and too many companies stick around making workarounds and makeshift workflows when what they really need is something built for fashion.

This time, migrate to a fashion-specific software like ApparelMagic. It manages apparel-specific qualities like sizes, dimensions, and colorways, no tweaks required. ApparelMagic is tailor-made for apparel and accessories.

 

Clear, Affordable Pricing

State-of-the-art technology doesn’t have to be expensive. When you select the tools that are right for your business, you’ll find that ApparelMagic offers the best value fashion software in the game.

With plans for everyone from the smallest startup to big, multinational brands, ApparelMagic pricing is affordable, transparent, and easy to understand. No hidden fees to worry about, and no surprises, guaranteed.

ApparelMagic partner CFDA announces initiatives for racial equality

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We’re proud to call the Council of Fashion Designers of America, or CFDA, an ApparelMagic partner. Like our clients, who have stepped up for the Black Lives Matter movement, the CFDA has announced initiatives to address the racial inequities in the fashion industry.

The statement, penned by Tom Ford and Steven Kolb, asked their members to take a hard look at what effect their businesses are making on Black workers and brands.

“Our industry is in pain and it is not enough to simply say that we stand in solidarity with those who are discriminated against. We must do something.”

Council of Fashion Designers of America

Using their powerful platform within the industry, both in the United States and around the world, the CFDA pledged to empower Black designers and fashion professionals with new workforce programs.

Identifying the workplace as an area of the industry that needs rectifying, the CFDA will create an employment program to pair Black talent with companies.

The CFDA also plans to add a mentorship and internship program for Black students and recent graduates, introducing them to their impressive membership base.

ApparelMagic has also announced its own plan to help provide better opportunities to marginalized communities. This includes a grant for young designers of color, a free computer science educational program, and monetary support to social justice advocacy groups. You can read our full statement here. Please watch our blog for the latest developments.

Through the Supply Chain Collective, ApparelMagic provides CFDA member brands and designers access and training to fashion inventory and business management technology. Read more about the partnership here.

For CFDA members interested in seeing what ApparelMagic can do for their companies, please email us at sales@apparelmagic.com.

ApparelMagic clients step up for the Black Lives Matter movement

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The ApparelMagic community represents more than just a diverse mix of business and product makers: our users are activists, thought leaders, and active voices in their communities. We’re proud that our clients have been using their platforms to spread messages of goodwill, turn their accounts over to marginalized groups, and speak up about how police brutality disproportionally affects people of color.

Here are just a few examples of ApparelMagic designers stepping up:

 

Frankie’s Bikinis encouraged their loyal following to get out and join them protesting together for equal treatment.

 
 

Jonathan Simkhai used their feed to promote Black authors and resources for education in antiracism.

 
 

Aimé Leon Dore announced their financial support to several initiatives, including the NAACP.

 
 

Naadam contributed to and promoted civil rights organizations, showing where their money was going and what would be done with it.

 
 

Baggu took this as an opportunity to reflect on their own business and how they can make themselves more inclusive.

 
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It’s important to us that you know we are listening and where we stand. Reposting our June 1st statement, without the hashtag and imagery that were clogging feeds. — Black Lives Matter. We are outraged and heartbroken by the murder of George Floyd, and the countless others who came before him. Systemic racism, injustice, and oppression are unacceptable. We have been slow to post, and for that, we apologize. Our intention was to thoughtfully speak about actions we could commit to and follow through with. We wish we spoke earlier, and never want to let any of you down. We have donated $10,000 to the @naacp_ldf and @colorofchange We have more work to do. We will be starting that work at home, by examining what we can do to better ensure racial equality in our own workplace. We have a platform and resources, and therefore a responsibility to our community to use them to advocate for long term change by continuing to listen and learn. Please be safe. We love you.

A post shared by BAGGU (@baggu) on

 

These are just a few examples of our clients’ activism. If you’re an ApparelMagic user, we’d love to hear from you how your business is helping!

An important message from ApparelMagic

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Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen horrific acts of racism, hate and violence more than ever before. This racism is not new. Black people in our country have been hurting from years of injustice.

ApparelMagic held an all-hands, virtual meeting on Friday, June 5th to discuss the issues affecting our community.

The fashion industry has a rich history of creativity, diversity, and inclusion. Brands and designers from around the world have voiced their support for the Black community. We have a duty to our community to speak up.

Together, the ApparelMagic team stands in solidarity with the Black community and all those who are discriminated against. 

Speaking out against racism is crucial, but that is just the beginning. We must take and inspire action if we want to effect real change. In light of this, we are announcing the following initiatives that will be undertaken by our team to help create systematic change both around the country and specifically in our industry:

Finances

  • ApparelMagic will make an immediate contribution to support organizations fighting for social justice and promoting equality for the Black community such as the NAACP and Campaign Zero.
  • ApparelMagic will also match all employee donations to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Equal Justice Initiative, Black Girls Code, Black Lives Matter, Campaign Zero and the Fashion for All Foundation.

Education & Resources

  • ApparelMagic is actively working on free computer science educational programs to engage with and benefit minorities in our local communities in West Palm Beach, Florida
  • ApparelMagic will create a Fashion Startup Grant, benefiting ambitious young designers in our industry who come from minority backgrounds.

Advocacy

  • ApparelMagic is actively in contact with local community leaders to support policies of equality.
  • ApparelMagic has, and will continue to participate in local events and roundtables promoting diversity and inclusion in our industry.

We love our ApparelMagic community and love that you come from so many different countries and represent so many different races and ethnicities.

We hate that racism affects the lives of the Black community and many other oppressed communities around the world.

We’re so proud of this team and so proud of our ApparelMagic community for taking a stand. 

Together, we can make a real difference.

Sincerely,

Brandon Ginsberg, CEO, ApparelMagic
John Murphy, Founder, ApparelMagic

Sportswear staples meet fashion week glam from Sandy Liang

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What does New York’s coolest brand do after almost single-handedly making fleece cool again?

For ApparelMagic client Sandy Liang, the answer was easy: remind everyone how cool you can make other forgotten fashion staples.

Simple looking babydoll dresses revealed hidden complexities in pattern. An apron dress was rendered very literally in a utilitarian-chic black leather. And ruched blouses were paired with strikingly hemmed denim. These were wardrobe basics no longer.

Of course, the fleece look was still there, now updated in sherpa and furry textures and in warm browns and ivories. A more grown-up fleece, if you will.

But the rest of the collection consisted of easy-to-wear separates effortlessly made of-the-moment (and even a little sporty) via Liang’s masterful touch.

While there were new takes on puffers (oversized or eyeball printed) and duster jackets (Wild West styled with huge lapels) the motorcycle jackets Liang presented during her fashion week show, in both bubblegum pink and classic black, were a real stand out. With their tiny pockets they echoed the mini purse trend, but with daring hoop piercings along the neckline, they bit back.

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Lauren Manoogian’s soft statement at New York Fashion Week

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It’s 2020 and we’re beyond trends. But then what do we wear? That’s a question that it appears Lauren Manoogian, an ApparelMagic client, asked herself with her collection for Fall/Winter 2020.

And the answer? Forget the hero pieces of seasons’ past. Don’t worry about making something instantly recognizable for a celebrity’s instagram post. Instead, make something seasonless, timeless, but somehow as au courant as ever.

Showcasing her line in an Axel Vervoordt-designed suite at the Greenwich Hotel in New York, she complemented the moody, dark ambience with moody, dark layers of her own in the finest knitwear imaginable.

Silhouettes were generous, all the better to show off the dimension of the fabric itself. Robe belts lay uncinched hanging off of waists, scarves were draped effortlessly around the shoulders. More than just the most luxurious throw blankets, though, these pieces were precisely tailored to float just so.

Wrapped in warm, wide expanses of wools and cashmeres, the fits were as relaxed as the models wearing them. In shades of ecrus, taupes, and charcoals, the fabrics hid in the shadows. Mysterious, yes, but also infinitely tactile. You want to walk up to one of Manoogian’s clients and ask to pet a sleeve, paw at a hem. The craftsmanship might be untouchable, but the clothes are the opposite.

ApparelMagic partners with the CFDA Supply Chain Collective

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The CFDA partners with the country’s best designers with their Fashion Calendar and management of New York Fashion Week: Men’s.

First reported on by WWD, ApparelMagic and the Council of Fashion Designers of America are partnering to provide state-of-the-art technology to CFDA members.

One of eight companies included in the CFDA’s new Supply Chain Collective initiative, ApparelMagic equips fashion businesses with critical inventory and business-management software.

The Supply Chain Collective, a suite of industry services that offer everything from sourcing fabric to shipping to the retail floor, benefits CFDA members with exclusive services and guidance from top service providers in their respective fields.

ApparelMagic, like other providers in the CFDA’s Supply Chain Collective, was chosen because of its high-quality solutions to the unique needs of CFDA members.

The CFDA, a not-for-profit trade association, represents some of the highest-profile designers in the country. Board members include Tom Ford, board chair, and Vera Wang. Its membership, numbering almost 500 designers, include ApparelMagic clients, established brand names, and up-and-coming talents.

Designers like these call on ApparelMagic and its over three decades of fashion experience as their brand’s central management hub, connecting every phase of operation, from style concept through finished delivery.

As a fully integrated app, data is kept in-sync as businesses manage sales, inventory, production, ecommerce, logistics, accounting and more without leaving their browser. Connecting to industry-favorite services like Shopify, JOOR, and more, it is an extensive solution for businesses of all sizes.

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ApparelMagic partners with CFDA on Supply Chain Collective

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Read the full article in WWD

Eveningwear from Naeem Khan makes a statement at New York Fashion Week

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When formal gets fun: that’s what ApparelMagic client Naeem Khan explored at his runway show during New York Fashion Week.

Making a very compelling case for ditching the little black dress, he pulled out all the stops: with gowns in every color under the rainbow, and frequently several of them at once, garishly clashing with insouciant aplomb.

Shown in famed late architect Zaha Hadid’s futuristic luxury condo building in Chelsea, the designs looked right at home with their ropes of fringes echoing the building’s swoops and curves.

A whole caravan of dresses felt safari-ready, with models parading down the runway in every animal print imaginable, from leopard to zebra to giraffe. Others followed soon after in sleek 70s caftans and floral prints that went far past psychedelic.

Khan, a maximalist par excellence, knows his customer well, and demonstrates this season that she’s one that confident enough in her taste and body to put the fun back in capital-F fashion.

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ApparelMagic client Prabal Gurung celebrates 10 years on the runway

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Of any designer on the New York Fashion Week schedule, ApparelMagic client Prabal Gurung might be among the most steadfast proponents of diversity and social justice. From fundraising after the earthquake in Nepal to consistently thoughtful model-casting, Gurung does the walk to his talk.

So what better way to celebrate a decade in fashion than to take his vision back to the source? For his spring 2020 collection, he reimagined classic Irving Penn and Cecil Beaton fashion photography from the 1940s, asking one specific question: what if our image of beauty came not just with white skin, but included everyone?

So with that conceit, he took off: ballgowns and classy separates in patriotic red, white, and blue. Then florals, both printed and appliqué, some paired with matching bouquets cradled in the crook of an arm. Feathers, too, made an appearance, of course, here used in huge marabou shrugs and across the bodice of gowns.

Seeing the range showcased by such a variety of models, however, was the main event. Gurung showed the industry how much it had been missing out on by only now beginning to come to terms with race.

Sashes across the models read “Who gets to be American?” like a surreal, woke beauty pageant. And with that, Gurung is up for another decade of challenging the industry to be more inclusive and just than ever.