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Steve Steinberg, QST Industries

Then again… those cantilevered shoes look somewhat familiar.

Didn’t we see those on runways last year, courtesy of Marc Jacobs?

YouTube clip via MentalFloss.com

Stella Ishii was well aware of the disconcerting maze young designers must navigate when she established The News. The muti-label showroom sits in the heart of SoHo, but its web of clients stretches internationally North, East, West and South. A major part of bringing the company into being was when Ishii tapped her talented niece, Aya Morimoto, to be her sales representative.

Brandon Graham: You’ve come from a fashion background yourself correct?

Aya Morimoto: Yes. My aunt was the one who started going into fashion and she pulled me in. My first job was at a department store [in Japan] and I was unhappy. And then she [Ishii] got me to work at Comme des Garçon. So I joined the company and basically I got the job because I could speak English. And they sent me every season to Paris, which was fun, really fun. Then I was in charge of Asian markets, I was able to travel to all different parts of Asia looking for clients and new stores. And then a few years later she [Ishii] got this opportunity to open a showroom in New York through a contact that she had and she said, “I need someone.” She lived in L.A. and she didn’t know anyone in New York, so she just called me up and I came. You know, very lightheartedly came, thinking “Okay!” and then I ended up staying here forever.

BG: Is this the building you originally started in?

AM: No, actually my aunt got an Italian sponsor. This Italian company had all these brands like Vivienne Westwood and Costume National. Brands that they make in their giant factory and they wanted us to be the showroom and do American sales. So they hired Stella and they bought a brownstone building on the Upper West Side and she, on her own, had to start the company. And then Diesel bought that company, so we either had to be under Diesel’s umbrella, being controlled by Diesel or buy the company out and start this showroom.

My aunt was interested in more of a young talent than established people, so she gave up all the big brands and started, slowly though, representing the young talent.

BG: What makes it difficult for young designers to market themselves?

AM: Designers trying to collect themselves is really, really hard because they [buyers] take advantage of young designers. So what we do, we try our best, it’s like a collective front of young designers and if you don’t pay that guy, we don’t ship this one either.

BG: Why else does it benefit young designers to work with The News?

AM: When we represented a ladies company for the first time, we tripled the owner’s business. Barney’s picked her up for the co-op floor and everyone wanted to buy. She couldn’t handle it all and she came to our showroom. So of course we treated her like any other brand and she got huge orders. Everyone went crazy. Then she couldn’t ship on time, and people waited like two months. I think she liked that personal touch, having a little store and knowing the customer. But when you start mass producing it, you lose that feeling and she didn’t want that.

Some people suffer a lot because their creativity suffers… In the end it’s up to each designer.

While The News is a very personal experience for a young designer, there comes a time when they outgrow their protectorate. Philip Lim is the most notable of those success stories. Like a proud parent Morimoto pulled a few recent magazine articles about Lim’s rave accomplishments.

The late Kal Ruttenstein and Phillip Lim at NEWS.

AM: Philip Lim, he was here. Then he grew to the point that he became corporate. So there are lines that grow out of the showroom.

Another designer who Morimoto beamed about was Japanese brand Sacai. Morimoto flipped through The News’ published mock newspaper from this season, looking for examples of Sacai’s work. The May issue of Essence magazine also sat on the coffee table in front of us and she pointed to first lady Michelle Obama.

AM: Actually Michelle Obama wore one of our belts, she’s been shot everywhere with the belt that we sold to a retailer [Ikram] in Chicago.

BG: So what is the best selling brand right now?

AM: It could be Alexander Wang. Maybe the second could be Clu.

BG: How does it work, are you in charge of certain designers or regions?

AM: I’m in charge of Clu and I have two other partners; one is in charge of the Japanese market. I’m in charge of the U.S. and overall, and then another one is in charge of overseas territories. But we work together.

I think different showrooms have different ways. A lot of the showrooms in this type of business they go by the region. So for example, let’s say I’m in charge of the west coast and I sell everything to the west coast. This showroom is not like that, we stick to the designers and we have a strong communication and we build the business that way.

BG: The showroom looks pretty empty right now.

AM: The busy time is in February/March, and for the Spring market, it’s September. February is New York Fashion Week. So right after the runway shows, people come here to place orders. You don’t even know it’s February because it’s gone! Really, really busy. With foot traffic of 500+ companies, you have no idea!

BG: What is the one thing you enjoy most about your career?

AM: I think listening to people. I like listening, that’s my style. There are different styles of sales and I like to make people talk.

BG: Have you ever thought about being a designer?

AM: No.

BG: No?

AM: I’m a salesperson. I can sell a banana, I can sell a computer, I’ve sold a lot of things. I’m a salesperson and I like to hear people’s stories and figure out what they need and go buy the right product, whatever it is. But yea, I could never be a designer. I don’t have that visual magic.

BG: How do you feel the recession has affected sales in the fashion industry?

AM: I’m very hopeful that it’s closer to the end of the suffering. To me, and the good thing about fashion, is it’s always looking forward, next- next- next. I remember when the mood was so dark and after awhile people can’t be dark anymore and people start dreaming. And that’s where fashion comes in full force because they can make something crazy and fun and make people happy. Whenever the economy is bad, I remember prints, colorful prints come. Bright colors! In the beginning of the recession everyone is dark but they can’t stay that way and they look up to fun things. Right after the down is always the floral.

The entire 5th floor of 495 Broadway is a sparsely decorated loft. However, it is clear that it is more that just a place of work. In the kitchen there is a bulletin board of photos acting as a scrapbook to Morimoto’s family and legacy. The room right off the kitchen was setup years ago to be an office nursery. Both of Morimoto’s sons grew up playing and mingling with the many people who have come through the showroom.

As Stella Ishii traveled, she began collecting snow globes which had an avalanche effect because clients and buyers began bringing her ones of their own. There are roughly a hundred globes sitting on shelves of a tall bookshelf in the gallery.

The News has managed to create a family. Some move on earlier than others but there is definitely a sense of unity and support within the company.

Currently there are 12 New York designers, three from Los Angeles, one Swedish, Japanese and British with fashion lines in the gallery. The News is always looking for the exciting and innovative perspective, and they believe that concept has no borders.