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Seoul Man: Eudon Choi Talks To Lauretta Roberts

Our official review writer, Hannah Kane reports directly from the meeting where Eudon Choi revealed all to WGSN's Lauretta Roberts. Lauretta Roberts in conversation with Eudon Choi at SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ Originally hailing from Korea, Eudon Choi is one of the most decorated designers working in London. In 2010 alone Eudon went from being a member of Vauxhall Fashion Scout's Ones To Watch group show, to the sole winner of their prestigious Merit Award, as well as the BFC/Elle Talent Launch Pad. A year later he was given the nod of approval by the usually reticent Ms Wintour as part of the VOGUE FASHION FUND at Milan Fashion Week, as well as bagging the Samsung Fashion and Design Fund and the LYCRA® Style Emerging Talent Award at WGSN Global Fashion Awards in New York. It's been a busy couple of years. The Industry's Donna Ida Thornton chats to fellow member and colleague, Claire Etchell and MD Courtney Blackman So what is it about this quietly confident man's designs that have the upper echelons of editors and buyers, such as those from Browns and Harvey Nichols, clamoring at the rails? Well, few designers have so elegantly captured the modern design aesthetic of the twenty-tens. A clean and contemporary interpretation of the modern woman's sartorial needs, with assured tailoring skills harking back to his training as a menswear designer in Korea. Celebrity stylist, Sabina Emrit & Navaz Batliwalla of Disneyrollrgirl take front row seats  After moving to London, Eudon completed the MA in womenswear at the Royal College of Art, and before he had even left the campus was picked up by All Saints as senior designer – the distressed and artfully grungy look a world away from his current designs. Then followed a stint as senior designer for the Miller sisters' Twenty8Twelve label before the launch of his eponymous label. Eudon enjoys a glass of bubbly with and Abi Ward of DeVetta PR and fellow members, journalist Olivia Pinnock & Charlotte Bramford from Knock on the Door Eudon revealed at The Industry, that there is a return to the high street on the horizon – though he's currently keeping quiet on naming the other half of the collaboration. For now, his focus is on building the brand. In an often all-to mercurial industry, Eudon Choi's story is a reminder that there's still mileage in the old adage – talent will out. By The Industry's contributor, Hannah Kane, editor-in-chief of PHOENIX All photos by The Industry's photographer, Sam Atkinson Would you like to join Eudon and Lauretta in the premier members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page.

Harriet Bowe

Abi Ward, Anna Wintour, BFC/Elle Talent Launch Pad, Browns, Charlotte Bramford, Claire Etchell, Courtney Blackman, DeVetta PR, Disneyrollrgirl, Donna Ida Thornton, Eudon Choi, Hannah Kane, Harvey Nichols, Knock on the Door, Lauretta Roberts, LYCRA® Style Emerging Talent Award, Merit Award, Milan Fashion Week, Navaz Batliwalla, Olivia Pinnock, Ones To Watch, Royal College of Art, Sabina Emrit, Samsung Fashion and Design Fund, Savannah Miller, Sienna Miller, Swarovski Crystallized, TellusFashion, Twenty8Twelve, Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Vogue Fashion Fund, WGSN

Knock On The Door Teams Up With Tellusfashion

Industry members, Charlotte Bramford and Olivia Pinnock join forces to support emerging designers. Emerging menswear brand, Euphorik currently stocked by TellusFashion When we heard that the founder of Knock on the Door and the editor of TellusFashion were cooking up a collaboration, we had to know more. As members of The Industry, Charlotte Bramford and Olivia Pinnock have put their heads together to support emerging design talent, with a pop up event in Shoreditch being the outcome. For one night only, the teams at Knock on the Door and TellusFashion will host a portfolio clinic. New designers will be able to gain invaluable free feedback from TellusFashion's designer scouts and learn about the wider ways in which Knock on the Door and their brand new product, Business in a Box can support them. "I'm delighted to be working with Olivia and her team on this. I initially met Olivia through an Industry event at SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ and she has since become a key contact of mine, as supporting emerging design talent is at the heart of what we both do," explains Charlotte, founder of Knock on the Door and the brainchild behind Business in a Box. "This collaboration makes great business sense for both ourselves and the new fashion labels we work with." Admission to the event, taking place on Tuesday 16th October at 7pm is free, and will be located at 28 Cheshire Street, London. To reserve a space, RSVP to info@knockonthedooronline.com By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe Would you like to join Charlotte and Olivia in the premier members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page.

Harriet Bowe

Business in a Box, Charlotte Bramford, Euphorik, Harriet Bowe, Knock on the Door, Olivia Pinnock, Swarovski Crystallized, Tell us Fashion, The Industry

Charlotte Bramford Boxes Up Business

We chat to Charlotte Bramford about the box that has got Industry members talking. Business in a Box contains a guide to fashion business alongside a directory of useful contacts and a CD full of formulaic financial spreadsheets In June Knock on the Door's Charlotte Bramford launched Business in a Box. Curious to find out more, we talk to The Industry member about the product now and in the future. How did the Business in a Box concept originate? Knock on the Door's initial business model saw us head hunt designers, often recent graduates, and commission them to develop a capsule collection exclusively for Knock on the Door. We would then produce and market the collection, however the range was sold under the designers' name. By promoting the unusual concept of Knock on the Door, we quickly began to build a reputation as the place for new designers to launch their career. We frequently received enquires about fabric sourcing, manufacturing and general business queries. However the way we were structured (working with one or two select designers) limited the amount of help we could give to all the other talented individuals who approached us. It was clear there was a lack of information available about setting up and running your own fashion business so I wanted to help fill this void by creating a product which could provide answers to the questions we were continually receiving. A product that would provide key information, practical advice and useful contacts, all of which are essential components to setting up and running a fashion label. Business in a Box takes all the knowledge and useful contacts I have built up over the years and combines it into a user friendly package full of invaluable information. What has response been like? The response has been fantastic from both new designers and industry experts. Reactions range from "Where was this when I first started my business?" to"This is absolutely brilliant!" Industry member, Alison Lowe from Felicities PR agency thinks it is an excellent product and will be recommending it to the young designers she works with; she even has a copy on display in her showroom. Alison told me that many designers approach her for representation but they do not yet have the knowledge they require to run a fashion label. She will be recommending they purchase Business is a Box to provide them with a solid grounding in all aspects of managing their own label. The response I got from Graduate Fashion Week was also very positive. Several organisations including the Ethical Fashion Forum and Portobello Business Centre are keen to promote the product to their members. I have also been asked to speak at an event run by the Portobello Business Centre in conjunction with David Jones which is designed to help emerging designers running their own business. Ceci Guicciardi, also an Industry member saw posts on Twitter about Business in a Box and has now invited me to be a contributor to her online intelligence publication, Brand & Commercial. Where do you see Business in a Box in five years? The aim is to grow Knock on the Door to be the go-to training and consultancy company for emerging designers with Business in a Box being the flagship product. We have already received interest from individuals throughout Europe. If this continues we would look at translating the product into other languages. While Business in a Box provides an in-depth look at all aspects of running a fashion label, and acts as a fantastic guide people can continually refer to, we are aware that many designers still want to receive training and guidance face-to-face. Knock on the Door is in the process of developing a series of 'Masterclasses' which will focus on specific elements of running your own fashion business. Along with 'Meet the Expert' events where designers will hear from industry experts on how to overcome issues often faced by new designers. For those wanting more personal support Knock on the Door also offers a one-to-one consultancy service which is tailored to suit the needs of each individual. This is an area which is of particular personal interest to me. Having consulted on a number of business start ups ranging from beauty products to an alpine holiday company, I find being involved with a brand in its start-up phase and throughout the early times fascinating. The first few years can be exceptionally challenging for a new business owner so having someone to turn to for advice and guidance is invaluable. Being this person and being able to suggest ideas, provide solutions to problems and watch the business grow and develop is immensely rewarding. Get in touch with Charlotte via The Industry Directory By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe Would you like to join Charlotte, Alison and Ceci in the premier members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page.

Harriet Bowe

Alison Lowe, Brand & Commercial, Business in a Box, Ceci Guicciardi, Charlotte Bramford, David Jones, Ethical Fashion Forum, Felicities, Graduate Fashion Week, Harriet Bowe, Knock on the Door, Portobello Business Centre, The Industry, Twitter

Member Interview With Knock On The Door

Industry member Charlotte Bramford set up Knock on the Door in 2009 after finding a gap in the ethical fashion market. Her revolutionary concept brings emerging design talent, best practice strategies and financial stability together to create a water tight business model. The Industry takes five minutes with Charlotte to find out more. Christine Hall in collaboration with Knock on the Door Tell us a little bit about what your company does and how you set up your business? Knock on the Door head hunts emerging designers, often recent graduates, and commissions them to develop a capsule collection exclusively for us. We then produce the collection using ethical fabrics and UK manufacturers; however the range is sold under the designers’ name. When looking to set up my own business I wanted a concept that was truly original. In 2009 I became interested in ethical fashion, an area I previously had no knowledge of, and the idea from Knock on the Door grew from there. Ethical fashion had a niche market that was growing and spreading into the mainstream. However, many of the ethical fashion brands lacked a strong or directional fashion element. Then there were talented graduates who were leaving university full of creative ideas but often without the experience or funding to develop and produce them into a commercial collection. My idea was to combine the two. Knock on the Door would source the ethical fabrics and fund the manufacture; however the graduates would have their name on the finished garments. The aim was to create a platform for talented designers to launch their career without them incurring crippling start up costs. In turn these future stars provide a much needed injection of style and creativity into the eco clothing market. What is it that Knock on the Door look for in the emerging designers that you work with? We have two main routes for finding designers. First is Graduate Fashion Week, which provides a fantastic opportunity to see hundreds of designers in one place. Second is through competition briefs we issue to our large database of designers. Applicants will send in illustrations and technical drawings of their entry. We will then assess them on various criteria, including their aesthetic appeal, the cost of production and the ability to source the relevant fabrics. What do you think the future holds for a more ethical fashion industry? Many of the larger retailers are becoming more aware of the need to implement sustainable practices into their supply chain and I hope this will continue. Ultimately it should be something which is done as a matter of course and not something which is done for publicity. Producing locally and supporting UK manufacture is something I encourage all new designers to do. It is important both for our economy and to prevent the loss of skills our manufacturing industry is facing. Where would you like to see Knock on the Door in five years? As word spreads that we work with new designers we receive more and more enquires asking where to source this, who manufactures that or just questions on general issues which new designers face. It is for this reason that we are currently developing a support package aimed at designers who are setting up their own label. Working with a few select designers, as we do at the moment, is good but being able to help hundreds more with the designer support package will be even better. We see this side of the business growing rapidly over the next few years, complementing our retail side and allowing us to add many more emerging designers to our website. What other Industry members have you worked with? The first member of The Industry I met was Courtney Blackman through an event at the Ethical Fashion Forum.  After joining The Industry, and being a regular at their events, I discovered I already knew some of the members but the events also provided me with the opportunity to make some great new contacts. Most notable is Olivia Pinnock from TellusFashion, partly because I love the work they do with emerging designers but partly because Olivia is just a lot of fun! Get in touch with Charlotte via The Industry Directory By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe

Harriet Bowe

Charlotte Bramford, Christine Hall, Courtney Blackman, Ethical Fashion Forum, Graduate Fashion Week, Harriet Bowe, Knock on the Door, Olivia Pinnock, TellusFashion, The Industry