To be a successful fashion designer or brand requires more than just mastering the creative side of the industry. With the vast competition these days, designers and entrepreneurs must also learn the ropes of the business and marketing side and harness the power of social media to gain a wider reach. While those aspects can be learned in schools, hearing stories straight from the industry's movers and shakers can provide valuable lessons to them.
That’s the goal of PHx Fashion Group as they invite everyone to its first-of-its-kind, designer-led initiative that is PHx Fashion Conference. Its goal is to inspire up-and-coming fashion labels and designers to set up their operations to a global standard. To do that, the conference is bringing together some of the most experienced names in fashion to discuss both the creative and business aspects of the industry.
First is Paris-based Filipino-British designer Norman René De Vera. An alumnus of the London College of Fashion, he will open the conference through a conversation with Vogue Philippines fashion editor, Pam Quiñones. Norman previously worked with Celine, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Versace, and Calvin Klein and now is the design and image director for the French legacy brand AZ Factory.
Joining Norman at this year’s PHx Fashion Conference is TFC Press founder Philippe Terrien and his wife, former fashion editor, Giselle Go. TFC Press is a full-service PR agency with an impressive body of work covering business development, commercial activities, and PR and digital communications and has worked with brands like Dries Van Noten, Aesop, Carven, Emilio Pucci, and Courrèges.
PHx Fashion Conference also provides a chance to select participants to present their designs to the panelists in its Portfolio Review segment. Norman René De Vera, Vogue Philippines, and TFC Press, among others, will give them unique creative, design, and commercial perspectives regarding their works
Also part of the 2023 edition of the conference is Filipino designer Carl Jan Cruz as well as co-founders of bespoke jewelry brand 13 Lucky Monkey, Dante Dizon and Noli Coronado. They will share their best practices and their journeys in the international fashion business.
Aside from the series of creative talks, panel discussions, and workshops, the conference will also explore the critical aspects of protecting and leveraging a company’s brand identity through intellectual property strategies. The segment will be led by designer and entrepreneur Dan Matutina, co-founder of multi-disciplinary design studio Plus63 Design and design collective Hydra-design Group.
This year’s PHx Fashion Conference will take place from Nov. 17 to 19 at the Ayala Museum in Makati City. Early registration for PHx Fashion Conference 2023 is now open on www.phxfashion.org. Discounted early-bird tickets are available until Oct. 31, 2023.
PHx Fashion Group is conceptualized and led by fashion entrepreneur and educator Esme Palaganas and contemporary fashion designer Seph Bagasao, with the support of Trickie Lopa. Its conference first debuted in November 2019, with the goal of enabling a creative business environment through education and market incubation. The event fosters innovation, mentorship, and industry collaboration to help broaden the horizons of Filipino fashion designers working on their labels.