New York
ON THE BOARDWALK
Orchard Lake Road, south of Maple
626-7776
Mon., Tues., Wed. & Fri. 10-5:30
Thurs. 10-8
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Bloomfield Plaza
(Maple & Telegraph Rds )
Birmingham
851-5080
50
Jewish News
284 West Maple
Downtown
Birmingham
540-6474
the fabric on herself and a
sample model, and she works
day and night with her pattern
makers to execute her ideas.
She has production fittings
which begin just about
collection time. Then the
buyers come in and place their
orders, and about three
months before the actual
season occurs you ship the
merchandise to the stores."
Only buyers and well known
personalities are shown the
line, and then by appointment
only. "No one can just walk in
and see the line," Beth says.
"We're not set up for women
to come in off the street and
try on. It's really not common
practice for top designers to
allow walk-ins. But they do
schedule buyers to come in.
Often during market week,
which runs for three weeks,
seven appointments will be
going on simultaneously. It's
nonstop."
Working to get the clothes
into the right stores is only
part of Beth's responsibilities.
She says, "I take care of the
people who need Donna but
can't get to her. I'm
responsible for where she is
and what she does. I'm also in
charge of anything that comes
up, literally from the lights
being turned on in the morning
to the lights being turned off at
night."
That kind of anything-can-
happen pace is something
most garment industry staffers
must learn to live with, and
love, for it is an industry where
glamour and guts are often the
ingredients for success. "It's
funny," says Beth. "Everyone
thinks it's such a glamorous
job all the time. We do meet
some fascinating people and
it's exciting and from the
outside it looks very glittery.
But it's still just a job."
But the behind-the-scenes of
any fashion job is important
because one missing detail
can make or break a designer,