AFINGO TAKES “BEHIND THE SEAMS” ON THE ROAD

The Fashion Industry Forum Lands in LA

November 20th, 2010

AFINGO.com, the leading social-networking platform for the fashion community, will host “Behind the Seams,” a Fashion Industry Forum on Saturday, November 20.  Building on the success of the recent sister event in New York, Behind the Seams is coming to the West Coast for its Los Angeles event at Raleigh Studios.  

Behind the Seams is a veritable “how-to” for attendees, benefitting from panelists including top designers, retailers, multi-media fashion journalists, and celebrity tastemakers. Attendees gain critical insights and hard-won wisdom from success stories and icon through four panels on timely topics, as well as valuable networking with both the panelists and one another. 

“After seeing the immense, positive response to Behind the Seams in October at FIT in New York, it became quickly apparent that there is a real need for and interest in the dialogue we are providing,” says Liza Deyrmenjian, CEO & Co-Founder of Afingo. “We’re excited to engage this market in the discussion, tailoring both the mix of esteemed panelists and the questions they’ll address for the needs of the fashion industry on the West Coast.” 

(9:00 AM) MARKETING 2.0 As consumers become increasingly deluged with Social Media-driven information, professionals will demystify the process of breaking through the clutter in order to create, market and sell in the age of new media.

• Emily S. Heintz, Business Development Director, California Fashion Association (Moderator)
• Karalynn Sprouse, Vice President of Sales, MAGIC
• Kaylene Peoples, Founder and Editor in Chief, Agenda Magazine
• Macala Wright Lee, CEO & Founder, Fashionably Digital
• Rikk Galvan, CEO and Founder of ShareYourself Media 
• Merle Ginsberg, Author & Freelance Fashion Journalist, Harper’s Bazaar, W,  WWD, etc. 

Networking / Break: 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM

(10:30 AM) TREND FORECASTING Experts will give their insights and discuss the “science” of spotting the next big thing, and how to tap into the zeitgeist in order to predict what the consumer will want before they know they want it. 

• Michael Segal, CEO, Fred Segal (Moderator)
• Kate Mulling, LA Editor, Refinery 29
• Shane Cisneros, Celebrity & Editorial Fashion Stylist
• Erin Weinger, Publisher & Co-Founder, Style Section L.A.
• Fran Sude, Founder, Design Options

Networking / Lunch: 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM

(12.30 PM) SUSTAINABILITY: BUSINESS AS USUAL Eco-friendly fashion specialists will discuss whether “going green” is just another trend or a necessary, fundamental shift in how the industry works, as well as how to make the change at a level that is more than skin-deep.

• Susanne Schick, Founder of Sustainable Fashion LA (Moderator)
• Raissa Gerona, Designer, Brigid Catiis
• Dale Denkensohn, Founder & President, econscious
• Jason Kibbey, CEO & Founder, PACT
• M.J. Prest, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, EthicalStyle.com
• Anna Griffin, Editor-in-Chief & Founder, Coco Eco Magazine

Networking / Break: 1:45 PM to 2:15 PM

(2:15 PM) READY TO LAUNCH YOUR LINE? Top designers and retailers will share their stories and give practical advice on how to effectively make the leap from sketch to sales, including how to avoid dangerous pit-falls to position a line for success.  

• Liza Deyrmenjian, CEO & Co-Founder, Afingo.com (Moderator)
• Cameron Silver, Founder & Creative Director, Decades Denim 
• Courtney Rotolo, Buyer for American Rag
• Tiffany Tuttle, Founder, LD Tuttle
• Corinne Grassini, Founder & Designer, Society for Rational Dress
• Gillian Munro, Buyer, 11^th Moon

Networking:  3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit non-profit Goods for Good (www.goods4good.org), specifically the organization Tailor-in-Training program, which reroutes new and unused surplus fabric from the fashion industry to under-resourced vocational training programs in Malawi. This program has utilized thousands of meters of fabric that would have otherwise been destroyed to train young adults in the valuable skill of tailoring while simultaneously creating school uniforms for orphans. Since its inception, this program has created over 22,000 new school uniforms for children who would otherwise go without.

To register for the event, visit: 

http://afingo.com/events/afingocom-behind-seams-la-nov-20th.

About AFINGO: AFINGO.COM is the first online platform to merge social networking and fashion industry sourcing in a single, stylish, functional interface. A virtual showroom, essential news aggregator, and easy-to-use manufacturing resource, Afingo.com is an online community of designers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers connecting and interacting in real-time. From sketchpad, to factory, to boutique rack, Afingo.com provides a unified platform as addictive as style itself. For more information on Afingo please go to: www.afingo.com 

Students Please Enter the discount code as seen in the screenshots below:

Step1) Click the Enter Discount Code Link

Step 2) Click the Field to Enter the Discount Code "Student" And click Apply Discount.  **Students will be asked to show student id cards at the door.