“Independent designer are now discoverable, opening up opportunities for customers to purchase goods that are truly unique. Transparency and authenticity are key drivers for 2017”, – Stefan Siegel said in an interview with the cultural and political magazine “E-Vesti”, NJAL (Not Just a Label) founder, Internet platform for young designers.
Location of the company is in Los Angeles and it is no coincidence as Krisztina ‘Z’ Holly said – the founder of the Make It In LA , NJAL partner – the unique strength that LA has over the fashion capitals of the world is that a designer can see a product from conception to completion within days in LA, maintaining control over the entire process throughout.
Adrienne Lindgren told that “Make It In LA’s mission is to inspire entrepreneurs and manufacturers to launch and build their products in LA. We provide linkages to resources, tools to help businesses scale, policy guidance, community-building, and an awareness campaign. We are here today to support and nurture our existing ecosystem through curating content and pulling together the local fashion and manufacturing community. We seek to share insights into the strengths and opportunities of Los Angeles’ fashion and manufacturing community, while participating in a global dialogue about these evolving industries. To Make It In LA, it’s important to leverage the City’s diversity and robust concentration of the industrial ecosystem, which includes designers, manufacturers and retailers, as well as a large consumer marketplace. Mayor Eric Garcetti demonstrates strong support for this ecosystem through the launching of Make It In LA, partnering with organizations like NJAL, and attracting over 1 billion dollars in investment through our designation as one of the first federal Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership”.
Russian designers actively participate in the project, Stefan Siegel said: “There is now a huge interest to invest in emerging brands coming from new regions and markets, Russian designers have always done very well on NJAL and we organised a series of lectures in march with the Russian Fashion Council to put a spotlight on these designers. I strongly encourage emerging designers from less fashion-conscious countries like Russia to embrace their local cultures in their design. The most successful brands on our platform rely on a strong regional identity. Many Russian designers on NJAL are already incorporating the country’s traditional fabrics or patriotic elements into their work. It mirrors a surge in a new Russian identity that has peaked in the last two years, despite the fact that the economy is tanking and the textile and retail industries are still being developed when it comes to production and e-commerce”.
Source: NJAL
