NEW YORK — The five designers represented in the Next Generation of Fashion Designers’ group showroom have decided to close the facility, allowing each of them to seek representation with more established sales agencies. It will close at the end of this month.
Rose Marie Woulfe, one of the designers and co-president of the Next Generation — which was established as a networking group for young designers — said the organization is still functioning and will not be affected by the closing.
The Next Generation also is still planning a runway show this season, said Allen Cohen, its executive director, and a partner in A+B Communications, the public relations firm that represents the group.
Located at 242 West 38th St., the showroom was established in November 1991 for Next Generation members who did not have representation elsewhere. Part of the current showroom space will be retained by A+B Communications, and will continue to serve as the group’s headquarters. Woulfe will take over the rest of the space to expand her design, patternmaking and sewing facilities currently next door to the showroom.
Woulfe, like the other designers in the showroom — Michelle Bergeron, Lars Nord, Neslihan Danisman and Charmaine Wells — said she is negotiating with several agencies to sell her line.
In separate interviews, the designers said they felt that while the initial idea for a group showroom was a good one, the facility was not well known enough to really help get their businesses off the ground. They also noted that even though they had a salesperson, Julie Porwick, too much of the sales and merchandising responsibilities fell to them.
“The showroom isn’t as strong as it needs to be, in terms of drawing the major retailers,” said Woulfe. “And none of us have the time to be involved in selling, as much as it’s a great learning experience.”
“This works great for a new business, but once your business becomes something, you don’t have time to be involved in the showroom at all,” said Danisman. “That’s when a co-op situation becomes limiting, because you do have to be involved.”
“Like everyone else, I’m so busy that I just need to have a rep who can say, ‘OK, this jacket needs this change, and we need another 17-inch skirt,”‘ said Bergeron. “The other point is that all of the designers in the showroom are so different that it didn’t work to have us hanging together. On top of that, we were not an established enough force to really be a draw. It’s important to be with a rep who can pull in the stores.”