Question:
I'm trying to start an Asian American/Canadian clothing - store.  It would be geared towards AA between the age of - 16-24.  DO you guys think this is a waste of money??..I'm - having doubts .if so do you know any - wholesalers/distributors/designers that would be interested - in having their goods in my store

Answer:
This clothing store is only geared towards AA's? What exactly is the AA clothing style? Unless there's something I don't know, a clothing store is a clothing store. It's not like restaurants where you can chose to eat different ethnic foods.
There are various examples of

1. Clothes geared towards the AA crowd (whatever that means) such as Tribal Pinoy Clothing

2. There are many designers that utilizes Asian elements (many times they are Asian, but not always)

3. There are AA-owned companies whose product is clothing (i.e. Bugle Boy)

I hope that you already have your financing and a business plan.

     I have never seen a store with clothes geared for just Asian people. I know Shanghai Tang has stores geared toward Asian merchandising but I don't think that's the kind of merchandising you're going to invest in.      David chu's Nautical line and the Bugle Boy clothing line are Asian owned but those clothes are geared for everybody. Is there  a certain style of clothing that you will be investing in that suits more the taste of Asian Americans? If that particular style exist, I'd like to know what it looks like because as far as I know modern fashion is just what it is, modern fashion.


Shanghai Tang in Hong Kong, New York & Beijing featured clothing which, in David Tang's words are "the first recognizable Chinese brand and to market it globally in order to glorify China and bring its traditions the recognition they deserve." Towards that end he has contracted Gong Li  as the spokesmodel for Shanghai Tang.  He has emphasized that the clothing embodies the elegance of clical Chinese culture and the strength of modern Chinese world-wide.  Designs of the cottonwear include the artwork of contemporary Chinese avante-garde artists such as Fang Lijun, Wang Guangyi and Li Shan.  In aiming for that market he is one of a handful of designers and marketers that have borrowed themes from Chinese culture in an attempt to attract Chinese and non-Chinese alike.

While these "Chinese couture" numbers from Shanghai Tang may run at US$700 on up (as do Asian culture-inspired designs by Vivian Tam, Yeolee and others) and therefore miss larger volume markets.  The Paris fashion show The China Millennium, was presented at the New York CFDA Fall Collections in 1998.  Several designers are engaged in "Orientalism" and "Sino-chic" interpretations such as Dolce & Gabbana and Jean Paul Gaultier.  However, treatments which honour the traditions and cultures of Asia, versus many of these "Geisha-girl attire" season runs are few and far between.

A clothing line which is inspired by the proud heritage of the past as well as the dynamic future of Asian-Americans is certainly not an unreasonable endeavour!