Contemporary Conversation with Production Showroom
SINCE OUR INCEPTION, WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO CULTIVATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CONNECTION WITHIN THE CONTEMPORARY FASHION MARKET.
While we're all about fostering the growth of emerging fashion designers, we have also come into contact with other like-minded individuals. Tracey Moulton, the co-founder of Production Showroom is one of these talented people, and she has made it her mission to help designers seamlessly connect with fashion editors, stylists and other pertinent contacts.
We recently partnered with her on our press day and now with The Style Line we've rejoined forces to share a more detailed look into her day-to-day adventures. For this feature we shadowed Tracey and (co-founder) Meredith Blake for an afternoon. Below you'll get a look into their meeting with Brand Assembly designer Maria Korovilas at her studio in Downtown Los Angeles. Also head to The Style Line for the second part of our feature and the rest of our day with Production Showroom.
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF!
Tracey: My name is Tracey Moulton, I am an entrepreneur, stylist and costume designer based in LA, but born and bred in NYC.
I live in a tree house on the east side with my love Aaron and our pup Sadie both of whom make me smile daily. I love traveling , and exploring new areas, especially around Southern California. I am an avid runner, and a sometimes cook who has a very love hate relationship with Instagram. I derive most of my inspiration and well being from an outstanding group of friends and family whom I rely on for pretty much every decision I make, including my business partner and former college roommate Meredith who makes me laugh harder than anyone ever. I am a lover of clothes, and the expression it affords us. I have tried every aspect of this business from owning a store to designing a line, and I finally feel like I made something that can make a difference for young designers. I am grateful and excited to be creating something that uses my experience, and can help young designers with. I have such respect for people who are starting their own business, and building it from the ground up. It’s super brave, and I want to be around that energy as much as possible.
Meredith: My name is Meredith Blake and I handle the business side of Production Showroom.
Outside of my work, I am married to a screenwriter and we live in Hollywood with our dog Hobart. I grew up in Greenwich CT, where I also worked previously as a daily newspaper reporter. I too enjoy traveling, discovering new restaurants, hiking and watching almost any show on Bravo. Over these past 2 years, I have absolutely loved learning about the fashion industry, meeting wonderful designers and connecting with talented stylists. What I value most in my life are my relationships with my family and friends. Tracey and I have been friends for more than 15 years and she constantly inspires me with her passion for our site and the service it offers and her commitment to our brands. We truly love what we are creating here with our developer, Jake Drew and are excited to see where it goes.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE CONTEMPORARY FASHION AND WHAT ROLE IS THE CONTEMPORARY MOVEMENT AND MENTALITY PLAYING IN THE EVOLUTION OF PRODUCTION SHOWROOM?
I think the definition of contemporary fashion is changing. I see some rebellion against the traditional design seasons, and implied structure. There aren’t such strict groupings anymore. High end can mix with ready to wear, and vice versa. People are making their own categories. The emphasis on ethical manufacturing, and made in the USA movements are growing and becoming more mainstream. The consumer wants a little more transparency, they want to know the story behind the pieces, and where it was made. This access to more information and more tools is inevitably changing the landscape, making it more accessible and creating more opportunity.
Being a digital platform allows us to connect designers from Portland and San Francisco with designers and stylists in LA and NYC. The increase in tech in the industry has opened the doors a little bit and allowed for the contemporary market to flourish outside of the traditional fashion cities. The interest in independent and emerging designers is changing the landscape as well, and we hope to be a part of that. People aren’t so label obsessed, and they are curious about what else is out there. Production Showroom is dedicated to giving these designers a platform to help them with one crucial element of their business, that has previously been so cost prohibitive. In working with similar companies like Brand Assembly, who supports the sales side of emerging designers, we can cover all bases and help them reach maximum potential without the tremendous cost.
"LOS ANGELES IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO MAKE THE DREAM HAPPEN. IT IS EASIER TO GET STARTED HERE. THERE IS MORE SPACE FOR LESS MONEY. OUR BRANDS THAT ARE BASED HERE ARE SPREAD OUT FROM GLASSELL PARK ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACH. EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS IT’S OWN POCKET OF STYLE, AND VIBE, WITH HUGE BRANDS LIVING COMFORTABLY NEXT TO THOSE WHO SEW THEIR SAMPLES THEMSELVES. ALSO THERE ARE GREAT MANUFACTURING RESOURCES IN LA, AND TONS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THINGS LOCALLY AND ETHICALLY. WE LOVE THAT! THE STYLISTS AND EDITORS WHO WORK HERE ARE ALSO INTEGRAL TO THE PS ECOSYSTEM. WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE SPECTRUM FROM STYLISTS JUST BUILDING THEIR PORTFOLIOS TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS. BOTH FIND BENEFIT FROM THE PLATFORM AND ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH ALL THE BRANDS ON THE PLATFORM IN INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT WAYS."
THANKS FOR HAVING US OVER MARIA! PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I'm Maria Korovilas! I value a well-rounded, free-spirited, fulfilling life... wherever that takes me. I also value trust, friendship, and good, solid people. I think I decided a long time ago that every day my goal would be do to fulfilling and meaningful things so that when I look back, I'll see this great adventure that will have been my life. I've never really felt like there wasn't anything I couldn't do. My passions lie fashion, film, music, and travel. It fuels my imagination and my rose-colored view of the world. What I do for my profession is just a way I found to organize my favorite things and channel my wanderlust (mentally and physically) into something productive. I also have an amazing fiance, who is a musician, and a wonderful shih-tzu... They are two great loves of my life.
WHAT ROLE HAVE BOTH BRAND ASSEMBLY AND PRODUCTION SHOWROOM PLAYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR BUSINESS?
Production Showroom has been a wonderful addition to our platform of meeting and networking with stylists and other creatives in the industry. It's so well curated and edited by Tracey... in terms of both the lines on the site, and the stylists/creatives on the site, so it really helps to keep things elevated and of interest to both stylists and brands. We've had some really great placements through pulls on the site. It's also extremely streamlined and easy to use, so that helps with flow of my time and schedule.
Brand Assembly is another great platform for emerging brands in a very curated way. It's making waves as a "go-to" for independent designers, lending steam to all of us. More so than anything, my favorite part of the Brand Assembly experience is getting to meet other like-minded designers, and learning from each other. Inevitably, we are the next wave, so it's cool to establish those relationships now and watch each other grow.
WHAT IS THE MOST CREATIVELY INSPIRING ASPECT OF MEETING OTHER INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS LIKE TRACEY AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH TO DESIGN?
Creatively, it's always interesting to hear what other industry professionals think about the line: the silhouettes, the fabrics, the colors. I am a sponge for feedback, so I'm always filtering through my brain what is working or what could be better. It's also inspiring to see what other's see in my pieces... things I never would have thought of. One of the stylists I met saw a top I created and just assumed it was reversible, which it wasn't, but soon became! Another set of fashionable eyes definitely has its merits.
"MY LINE IS TECHNICALLY "READY-TO-WEAR" BUT WE STRADDLE THE CONTEMPORARY MARKET. I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE NEW "CONTEMPORARY" LIES. FAST FASHION HAS FILLED THE "EVERY-MAN/FAST" GAP, AND READY-TO-WEAR GENERALLY SITS $800+. I BELIEVE THERE IS A SPACE CALLED "READY-TO-WEAR/CONTEMPORARY" WHICH BLENDS THE PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS OF FASHION DESIGN, AT APPROACHABLE CONTEMPORARY+ PRICE POINTS. IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD TODAY, AND WE MUST BE ABLE TO ADAPT AND KEEP "PROCESS" ALIVE."
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
