Downtown Community Development Corporation | (412) 235-7263 | info@downtowncdc.org
100 Fifth Ave, Suite 614
Pittsburgh, PA 15222





In this Issue:
Pittsburgh's First Annual Fashion  Summit

Executive Summary
Mayor William Peduto and The Downtown Community Development Corporation will host Pittsburgh's first
ever Pittsburgh Fashion Summit on Monday, February 24, 2020 at the Union Trust Building. With an aim to put Pittsburgh on the fashion map, the Summit will include panel discussions, keynote speakers, workshops and networking events. These educational experiences will focus on taking ideas to fruition for designers, operating brick and mortar stores, online shops, and a special workshop for makers. 

Opportunity
The Pittsburgh Fashion Summit will be open to everybody in the fashion community, from designers, makers and manufacturers to models and influencers. Regardless of the connection to fashion, be it a boutique, a jewelry store, a salon or shoes, everyone is welcome. 

Around 400 people are expected to attend. The venue has a theater auditorium along with classroom space to accommodate four different workshops in addition to lunch and a networking event.

Products and Services
Features and Benefits 

The Downtown CDC will announce six new fashion initiatives for the Pittsburgh Fashion Summit: 
  • Bringing local designers and boutiques together with the goal being the boutiques will carry the designers clothing lines
  • A monthly spotlight on up and coming designers
  • Discount ticket program to fashion shows and events
  • Collaborating with educational institutions in regards to business classes
  • A mentorship program
  • A fashion directory 
Marketing Plan
Strategy

To promote the Pittsburgh Fashion Summit, we have several channels that we want to utilize: 
  • We will use our two newsletters, The Downtowner and Pittsburgh Fashion Alert are to feature and promote the Pittsburgh Fashion Summit. Pittsburgh Fashion Alert targets Pittsburgh fashionistas including boutiques, designers, models, makers, salons and anyone who is an influencer or just enjoys fashion. Pittsburgh Fashion Alert not only highlights what's currently happening in the fashion industry, but also features local designers and boutiques that will be included as part of the Summit. 
  • Downtown CDC's Resident Ambassadors program 
  • Pittsburgh Fashion Week's Brand Ambassadors.
  • Local designers websites 
    • Boutiques' websites
    • Social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
    • Print media
    • Flyers
    • Television and radio
    • Downtown CDC's YouTube channel
Schedule
  • Check-in 12 to 12:30 pm
  • Lunch 12:30 to 1:30pm
  • Mayor Peduto, speaker 1:30 to 2pm 
  • Panel discussion 2:00 to 3:00pm
  • Coffee break 3 to 3:30pm
  • Workshops 3:30 to 4:45pm 
  • Break 4:45 to 5:30pm
  • Dinner and keynote speaker 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Outlook and Future Opportunities
Economic Opportunities 

With its comparably low costs, Pittsburgh has great potential for manufacturers and makers to have the raw space to go from idea to implementation. While still being affordable, products would be high quality and made in the USA. This would result in the city being highly competitive in the field of crafts and manufacturing. A Pittsburgh fashion industry would bring many economic opportunities to the city, continuing its rebirth.

Growth
Our goal is to support the growth of local fashion professionals through education and community involvement. The Downtown CDC offers workshops, classes, a fashion newsletter, fashion events and much more to further the growth of fashion in Pittsburgh. We envision Pittsburgh as an internationally known fashion city. 

Another goal is to establish Downtown Pittsburgh as a retail, shopping district. We want to turn Smithfield street into Fashion Row, with the Pittsburgh Fashion Summit bringing exposure and opportunity to boutiques, building owners, and real estate agents to make Fashion Row a reality. The first step in this process is to educate and bring together the fashion community in the Pittsburgh region.
Holiday Pop-Up Shop:
The Vintage Valet and Magnolia on Main
By: Hattie Charney

Now that the Friday Fashion Markets and Saturday Night Markets are all wrapped up for the season, The Vintage Valet and Magnolia on Main, two fashion trucks, have decided to set-up in Fifth Avenue Place for the holiday season.

The two have unique and individual pieces available. Marissa Zimmerman from The Vintage Valet said, "We're both fashion trucks collaborating to do this pop-up shop."

The two boutiques will be at the lower level, Fifth Avenue Place location until Jan. 4, 2020. They have collaborated on a Holiday Pop-Up shop in the past so they are back as a must-see boutique in Downtown during the holiday season.

The store will be open Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Beginning on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 30, 2019), and all Saturdays after, the store will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The two traveling boutiques offer something a little different for their customers.

Kim DiMarco, one half of Magnolia on Main with Bernie Rupcich, said, "As far as clothing goes, it's just things you could wear to work, casual, soft, everyday clothing. We carry Project Social which kind of lends itself to the weekend."

DiMarco said that the pop-up is a great place to go Christmas shopping for yourself or for those significant people in your life.

"They can find a lot of gift items; scarves, gloves, we've got earmuffs, lots of handmade pillows," Zimmerman said. "As far as the Vintage Valet goes, they can expect to find, the usual stuff I carry in the truck, it's all vintage inspired clothing, so a lot of lace, crochet, pleats, embroidery, very feminine, whimsical."

The pop-up is participating in Small Business Saturday as a way for the Pittsburgh area to get to know their small businesses.

To find out more on The Vintage Valet and Magnolia On Main, visit their websites at magnoliaonmain.net and thevintagevalet.com . 

Check out Magnolia On Main on Facebook and Instagram @magnolia_main. Once there head over to see The Vintage Valet on Facebook and Instagram @thevintagevaletllc.

"Whether you work Downtown or live Downtown or are visiting Downtown, if you're visiting the Holiday Market," Zimmerman said, "come on in and get some good gifts."

Henne Jewelers: Relationship Oriented
By: Hattie Charney

Henne Jewelers is proving that they get better with age. After being open for 131 years and being passed down through four generations, Henne Jewelers was named the Best Local Jewelry Store by the City Paper.

Jessi Johansson, media management director for Henne, focuses on social media and community engagement within the Pittsburgh area.

"My focus has been to reach out into the community and find fantastic opportunities for collaboration, such as Pittsburgh Fashion Week!," Johansson said. "We were very excited to be a part of this as it was something we had never done before! My job was to coordinate our participation but it was truly a team effort!"

Henne Jewelers is located at 5501 Walnut St. in the Shadyside neighborhood. Henne's offers everything a full-service jeweler would do.

"We do custom watch repairs, we have a watch repairman on site who does overhauls of watches," Johansson said, "We also specialize in bridal and fashion jewelry."

Henne's pride and joy is their bridal jewelry and the relationships they form from helping one pick out their forever ring. They have generations of customers coming back for their children's rings.

"We have the parents of the parents who got their rings here and then their children get their rings and then their grandchildren's rings," Johansson said.

Johansson said that the greatest thing that sets Henne's apart from any other store in the area is their care for their customers.

"We go out of our way to make sure they have the best customer service, to the point where we become an integral part of their lives," Johansson laughs. "We've been invited to baby showers and weddings before."

Henne's doors are open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. You can find out more information about all of the services Henne's offers on their website, www.hennejewelers.com .

Johansson said, "We are not sales-oriented, we're relationship-oriented."
Supercuts Services Pittsburgh Area
By: Hattie Charney

Supercuts is helping people have the best hairstyles possible with locations in South Side, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Oakland and more.

Supercuts offers a variety of services from just cutting hair to offering tea tree scalp treatments.

Supercuts has more than 2,500 locations around the country. They are staffed with skilled stylists that help make your haircut enjoyable.

They offer four different tiers of haircuts including a Supercut Jr. The first level is the classic Supercut which includes a haircut and a hot towel refresher. The second level is a Supercut II that includes a shampoo, haircut, and hot towel refresher. Supercut III is the top tier that includes a shampoo, haircut, a hot towel refresher and then a blow-dry. Supercut Jr.'s are for children aged 12 and under that include a hot towel refresher at the end.

Not only do Supercuts offer haircuts but they also offer beard trims to keep one's beard looking sharp and waxing of the brow, lip, or chin. They also offer a tea tree treatment that mixes Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Special Shampoo and Conditioner and a steam towel for one's face during the washing.

Supercuts is helping its customers by offering a check-in feature on their app and on their website. It allows you to check-in to a salon near you. You choose your stylist and what services you would like done with little to no wait time. 

Supercuts website also offers articles that give helpful advice to those wishing to take control of their haircare routine. The articles vary in content from "The Three Beard Rules You Shouldn't Break" to "Top 5 Easy, On-The-Go Hairstyles for Women."

For more information regarding a Supercuts near you, please visit their website at supercuts.com or download their app at the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Nike  Will No Longer Sell Directly to Amazon

In an effort to sell to customers online directly,  Nike  will no longer sell wholesale goods to Amazon. "As part of  Nike 's focus on elevating consumer experiences through more direct, personal relationships, we have made the decision to complete our current pilot with Amazon Retail," a spokeswoman told CNBC. "We will continue to invest in strong, distinctive partnerships for  Nike  with other retailers and platforms to seamlessly serve our consumers globally." The athletic brand originally partnered with the e-commerce giant in 2017. In exchange for Amazon being stricter on counterfeits and "unsanctioned sales of its products,"  Nike  sold products directly to Amazon.


Naomi  Campbell Is Opening a Pop-Up Shop

To support her charity,  Fashion For Relief ,  Naomi  Campbell is opening a high-fashion pop-up shop in London this month. Fans will be able to find limited-edition pieces donated by major brands, Campbell's friends, and even pieces from her own closet. "This is a unique opportunity for everyone to get their hands on some really special fashion pieces at accessible prices," she said. "Whether you are shopping for Christmas presents or just treating yourself, you can do so here knowing that the money is going to help improve the futures of young Londoners." The pop-up will be open at Westfield London from November 27 until December 8.








*Photography and media sourced from 3rd party sites in no way implies support or affiliation with the Downtown Community Development Corp., or any partners.

Copyright © 2019 Downtown CDC, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this message because you signed up for news, promotions, and features about Pittsburgh Fashion.