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Published
on April 30, 2004
Ron
Herman Talks Shop
By Andrew Asch
Retail Editor
Running a store isn’t just a business dominated
by spreadsheets— it’s a fine art, retail pioneer Ron
Herman said on April 26 during an informal
question-and-answer session at The New Mart in Los
Angeles. The session was organized by Los Angeles–based
Fashion Business Inc., a nonprofit organization that
provides educational opportunities for the apparel industry.
“When I’m talking to people in the fashion business, I like a
certain sense of naiveté,” Herman said. “Work
in a creative fashion; throw your paint against the wall.”
 |
| Herman, wearing
a black Helmut Lang suit and sneakers, talked
with an audience of 90 designers, manufacturers, retailers and
students in a rare interview for the public held in The New
Mart’s fashion theater. Herman was the guest speaker at
FBI’s new “Learn From the Experts— Distinguished
Speakers Series.” |
The event came about thanks to Henry
Cherner, principal of Santa Ana, Calif.–based software
company Apparel Information Management System.
Herman is an AIMS customer who uses the software for his R.H.
Vintage brand and his very exclusive More label.
The retailer fielded questions from FBI President
and Executive Director Frances Harder, as well as from audience
members.
Herman had a lot to say, having spent more than 30
years pioneering Los Angeles’ specialty store movement through
boutiques such as the landmark Ron Herman–Fred Segal
Melrose store and the recently opened Ron Herman Malibu
retail store at the Malibu Country Mart.
Herman distilled memories of his career with an
easygoing humor that charmed and inspired the audience, said
Elisabetta Rogiani, one of the veteran designers in the
audience. “He said believe in yourself. Design for
yourself. Make a product like a piece of art. It’s the right
direction,” Rogiani said.
During the session, Herman revealed the Malibu
store will be the last one he opens for the time being. He
said he has no interest in opening stores in other parts of
California, but he confirmed that he had once entertained— and
then abandoned— the idea of opening his signature stores in the
Northeastern United States. “I don’t know the customers in
the East,” he said. “People in New York, until 10 years
ago, didn’t wear jeans, but without jeans, my daughters wouldn’t
be educated. What would I do if I landed in Boston trying to
sell the first pair of $100 jeans? I’d be out of
business.”
The retailer discussed his strategies and his
observations— and acted as a motivational speaker for the aspiring
designers and retailers in the crowd. “I enjoy at this point
in my career having the opportunity to give back,” he said.
“It’s one of the benefits of being in business this long.
In this business, the options are so great. The opportunities are so
immense. It’s unbelievable what you can accomplish in our
industry.”
Following are excerpts from Herman’s
question-and-answer session.
How would you define style?
Style is something you see when you open your eyes. It’s
something you have a sense of. It has little to do with
fashion. You’re born with it.
Do you believe in sales?
Yes, I believe in sales. If you believe in inventory, you
believe in sales. In order to grow a business, you have to have
sales. But I think of myself as a full-price retailer. A
lot of people come into the store, point at some clothes and say,
“I just bought that at Neiman Marcus on sale.” I say:
“Did you get your size? No. Well here it is, but it’s
full-price.”
At the Fred Segal center, we have one sale a
year. Sales are a vital part of our industry. I don’t
know if I believe in partnerships between retailers and
manufacturers. I think having a relationship with a
manufacturer is meaningful, but I don’t know about a
partnership. Sales should be a chance to clean up some of your
bad buys. I don’t think it is the responsibility of the
manufacturer to support the retailer with their mistakes. Of
course, I’m fortunate that some of my buyers aren’t here
[tonight].
Are fashion shows important?
If you have the money and you enjoy putting on a show, do it. It has
nothing to do with being successful. They’re expensive to do
right. But it won’t sell clothes in our store, and it won’t get
the attention of our buyers. It will attract the attention of
the press— that’s who the shows are for.
What attracts you to a designer?
The more edited and simple a designer is, the more we’d like to
give them a try. It stands a better chance than a designer
with a collection. The best way to deal with us is a personal
contact and a small, edited collection. The more finely edited
and simple a start-up designer is, the better it is for us to
understand. I think the girls from C&C California
and Juicy [Couture] and Earl [Jean
did it right].
Suppose we do pass the first time?
Keep trying.
How do you control growth?
Don’t be distracted. What I teach my buyers is they’re not
buyers, they’re editors. There’s a huge, vast selection you need
to edit. You need to say “no” as often as you say
“yes.” Maybe even more so.
How many more seasons will denim be popular?
I don’t think the denim business will go down. I think the number
of people making denim will go down. I think there will be a
natural attrition. It will happen naturally, either out of boredom
or no more support for another brand. The denim business is
made up of a lot of very talented marketing people because you
cannot come to me and tell me that James Jeans fits better than any
jean in the market. Yet everyone wants James Jeans now, and
you can’t possibly get them.
Do celebrities see your stores’ collections
before customers?
No, absolutely not. [And] we don’t have a celebrity discount. I
think on some levels that hurt us a lot. It is one of the
biggest decisions I’ve made, being right in the middle of
Hollywood. I think I lost a ton of business because of that.
I’m not suggesting anyone else do it. I just want to do
it. As I started doing it, I realized if I gave one person a
discount, it would go through the whole industry. The more I
said “no,” the more I had to say “no.” At first I
thought it was a bad decision; now I think it was a good decision.
What should be the role of the owner in the
store?
Behind the vacuum cleaner. The owner should not be the
celebrity. Most people walking into the store don’t know who
I am. I enjoy that anonymity. We’re salesmen. I think we’re
doing a service. I think the fashion business is doing a
service. When most people come into the store, they don’t
say, “I want this pair of jeans.” They say, “I need this
pair of jeans.” We service that need, and I like being that
person.
Article reprinted with permission
from from ApparelNews.net
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