How do you buy from collections?

[jamesd]

For example, Robert Geller and other labels without a brick and mortar store?

I guess this applies especially to people outside of the big cities where it would likely be sold.

My approach has been this for Geller:
I look at the collection on men's style, which is the only place I can find good pictures. Then I get the stockists from the Geller website and try calling up stores. That's where I have problems. If they have some of the collection in stock, it's difficult to describe the items from men's style to the salespeople and match up what I want with what they have. And if they haven't received the collection yet, the salespeople invariably do not know what has been ordered.

I've noticed that some members know what pieces individual stockists have ordered, like for Engineered Garments. How do you find out this information? It would make things much easier.

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

Try searching through the forum with individual brand names. I think blackbird in Seattle does an excellent job with the sort of thing you seemed to be interested in.

 

[jamesd]

Yes, I agree that Blackbird does a good job of posting pictures of what they have on their blog. I was mostly wondering whether there was some site that listed what stores have ordered from different collections.
This is why I think what Mauro is doing with his new store is so great -- taking special orders from people. I have asked other stores if they do this, and none seem to -- not that I blame them, perhaps you have to establish yourself as a regular customer first?

 

[garmentmerchant]

You have to remember everything in a collection isnt neccesarily produced. Clothing companies as most everyone knows work seasonally so the collections they are showing now are for the spring of next year. If the buyers of stores show no interest in a certain peice then the company wont even produce it. Sales associates at stores dont know dick about what they are getting and in what quantity. If you can somehow get to know a buyer then you will know how much they ordered of what peice, but that still doesnt mean you can buy it from them. Buyers will place there orders now, for a february- march delivery of next year.
so you have a very small window from the time the store gets it until they put it on there shelf for that season. It helps to know the style numbers of an item and its description that way you could call a store and say hey im looking for this piece style number will you be getting any in your store. In order to find what pieces they will be getting you will have to talk to the buying agent for the store or the Manager may know what they will be getting.
Also remember there are open stock items and there are preorders. Open stock items are generally core pieces stuff that a company will carry all the time and can reorder at will. Collections are pre orders most of the time and once they have sold them all they cant restock or order any more.

 

[garmentmerchant]

PS I know it doesnt answer your question fully, but some things to think about when you see a new collection that you really want a piece of