You may or may not know that I do have a little love affair with fashion. Well, being that I was a Manager for Wet Seal for seven years and then went on to work for Nordstrom – it’s no surprise that the fashion industry is in my blood. So, when I find another customer service blogger (whom I admire, by the way) talking about the fashion industry – well, I get a little excited…

Susan Abbott of Customer Experience Crossroads has a Q&A session about co-creation and fashion brands. If there’s any industry out there that should be co-creating with consumers, it’s the fashion industry. Imagine being able to work with Isaac Mizrahi and letting him know what you do and don’t like about his designs for Target — then being able to offer your input as to what you feel would be great styles to create.

Fashion is a very subjective industry in that everyone has their own sense of style. However, if you are a fashion house, I feel that it’s important to connect with your core customer in order to find out what they’re wearing on a day-to-day basis and what compels them to buy a certain item. With fashion changing minute-by-minute (literally!) you want to make sure the bulk of your collection is something that people are going to buy and not end up on the sale rack next week – which happens quite a bit. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you know exactly what your customers want. What better way to know than to co-create with them?

By the way, Isaac, if you’re reading this…Can you make this jacket in white as well?

Today’s woman wants to be polished and stylish looking at all times, and women’s fashion accessories by today’s leading designers makes it possible without breaking the bank on clothing. These days, many women are realizing that while their weight fluctuates and many clothing trends don’t work for everyone, accessories like leather handbags or inexpensive fashion jewelry works for every body.
For years fashion was dictated primarily by what the designers were showing in clothing with almost no focus on the finishing touches like purses or earrings. It’s no longer the case now that many designers are creating their own line of handbags and other fashion accessories. In fact, many designers today will tell you that you can make or break a look depending on the accessories you choose.
Even the most luxurious outfit can look half-finished if you don’t include a stylish leather handbag or compliment a beautiful blouse with a few pieces of attractive fashion jewelry. The real advantage, of course, is that you can greatly increase the number of looks you have in your closet without buying any more clothes. The right accessories can completely transform a look from professional office attire to night-on-the-town chic. What better way to move quickly from day into evening?

Leather Handbags are Functional Classics.
You’ll have to look long and hard to find a woman who doesn’t take her handbag with her everywhere, yet many women only own a few purses. Fashion designers today suggest that instead of relying on just a few “plain Jane” standbys, you should invest in several handbags that are made from high quality leathers and make a real statement about your personality and style.
To make switching from one handbag to another simpler, invest in a few small, zippered makeup bags and put your stuff in them. One for makeup and one for essentials such as change, your keys, pens and other incidentals will make changing from one purse to another easy.

Boutique Fashion Jewelry and Accessories.
A neutral suit can change looks completely if you switch out the accessories. To make sure you have a signature look that doesn’t mimic a thousand others on the street, look for unusual and stylish accessories at boutique style stores that specialize in specific high-end designers that create unusual, signature pieces.
Slacks and a blouse can be daytime casual with a canvas hobo bag and a funky, oversized bracelet and earrings. For evening, switch to one of today’s great leather handbags in a rich crocodile style or a small metallic clutch and replace the oversized jewelry with a long strand of faceted jet beads or a delicate marcasite necklace set with precious stones.
By investing in lots of different women’s fashion accessories like silk scarves, jewelry and handbags, you can update the outfits you love without having to overhaul your entire wardrobe. You’ll be the envy of your friends, who will wonder how you always manage to look so great and where you get all those fabulous, trendy looks.