The Assemblist Letter 14 - Join us at the Brand Assembly Square
Photo by Joanne Pio for The Assemblist
"It is always a good thing to surround yourself with other talented, smart people. Being at the Brand Assembly Square has allowed for creative collaboration, exciting events and has given us a home. It is a great vehicle for small brands. They really make you feel at home and part of a bigger team." - Phyllis + Rosie
THE POINT OF OPENING THE BRAND ASSEMBLY SQUARE BEGAN FROM OUR PASSION TO FILL A NEED FOR BRANDS THAT WANTED TO KEEP OWNERSHIP OF THEIR OWN SALES BUT STILL BENEFIT FROM BEING IN ONE LOCATION LIKE A TRADE-SHOW, WITH THE BUYER TRAFFIC.
We wanted to do something that was long-term where buyers also felt relaxed about being able to come and visit these brands freely. So we came up with three levels of membership to cater to certain-sized companies and their needs and wants. Another inspiration for this comes from knowing that many of these smaller brands live and work out of a small studio or even their apartment. This allows them the opportunity to get out and collaborate with people, which is so crucial to a designer’s overall happiness! Open to our memberships, people can do sample sales and private sales and we also organize press days for all of the brands who are participating at any level. Market week is subject to availability, but our members already have immediate access, which is a great benefit!
IT’S CRAZY TO THINK THAT WE’VE ONLY HAD THIS SPACE FOR THREE MONTHS.
The biggest initiative we have for 2016 is to be able to do some programming in the space that will benefit all of the levels of membership: whether it’s talks once a month or a yoga class in the space, we’re working on fun things to keep the excitement going! We also have a seamless here, so our brands can have space to do flat-shots or e-commerce photography which is great to execute in this space. Additionally we have a growing list of partnerships going where all of our members can benefit from local benefits and discounts. At the end of the day we want to this to be a place of community and have Brand Assembly known as a one-stop shop for all things fashion and creativity.
There have to be times allotted for collaboration. It’s really great to see that in the Square that all of our members collaborate with one another in varying capacities. I personally work better in a private space but I also love to have certain times of the day where we’re sitting with the team for meetings. From experience, here are a few things I would consider when looking for space at the Brand Assembly Square:
RECOGNIZE WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS YOU HAVE
Is it mainly wholesale? Retail? We have people here that really benefit from buyer traffic and we also have brands that do really great e-commerce business. For example Phyllis + Rosie has a huge e-commerce business but they operate out of this space doing most of their shipping, packing and other day-to-day necessities which is amazing. So to be able to provide a space to do that is great. When deciding on a space it's really about looking at the type of business you have and the level of privacy you need. The nook is great for someone who has a little less budget but would benefit from having a home-base for these kinds of tasks.
CONSIDER THE OTHER BRANDS WITHIN THE SPACE
We’re really still within the women’s contemporary market, so it’s important to know brand alignment and if there is a match that’s where our members will get the most benefit from buyer traffic.
LOOK AT MUCH TIME YOU HAVE ON YOUR HANDS
Having a permanent space with a team like Brand Assembly to help execute odds and ends can be really beneficial. If designers end up missing a market appointment or a chance to meet a big stylist it can sometimes gravely affect an emerging brand.
We’re so proud of the community we’re building here at Brand Assembly and invite you to join in the fun. For more information please visit our website and contact us directly - we’re more than happy to share any information on membership! There are a lot of different ways to work within the space and we’ll help formulate a plan and strategize the best option for your brand. We look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait to see what you start assembling daily!
- HILLARY FRANCE, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF BRAND ASSEMBLY
The first level that we have is the Studio which is a private studio that has the ability to open during market times - they’re all glass windows so you can kind of see in, but if you have to have a private conversation it’s the perfect set-up. It allows for brands to have multiple people in one space and can be more of a working space too. We have people using it as a showroom, a workspace and even a design studio.
The nook is a dedicated space year-round or month-to-month within the open floor-plan of the Square. It basically gives you all of the amenities that the studio has but without the extra level of added privacy. You have a dedicated space, racks and it still gives the brand exposure and opportunity to be here and use it as a place for editors, buyers and more.
The library membership is really open for any kind of creative to be able to come here and utilize the space. We have several hang-out areas that are great to do meetings, talks and we do have a private conference room that all of our levels have access to at any time. It’s for collaboration really. For example, it can be geared towards a stylist that needs a permanent address or samples to be sent, etc. If a brand wants to try to separate their personal lives from their business, the library is a really great option.
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