Taylor Thomas is one of those special people you meet through the business end of owning a retail store. She’s the brains behind the famous Parlor Showroom, which represents designers like David Peck, Morgan Carper, Samantha Pleet, Ann Yee, Eighteenth, Lake & Stars, Kymerah, and many more. She’s, in short, a person that knows the work side of beautiful, and we’re fortunate to know her. She was nice enough to give us nine answers to nine questions.

I’ve always been told that unless you are passionate about what you do, success is limited.

1. How did you get into the fashion industry? I was working in the investment banking world at a boutique firm in Beverly Hills. After about a year of living within a mans world that played with money to make money, it became clear I needed change. I’ve always been told that unless you are passionate about what you do, success is limited. I applied for a event planning job working on trunk shows across the country selling seconds/overstock of designer denim to sorority girls at discounted prices. I found the job on craigslist.org and the only reason I got the interview with no prior experience was becasue the father of the guys starting the company worked in finance and liked my background.

2. What made you start the showroom? After years of working in the industry in wholesale, running a west coast showroom and then becoming director of sales for a national showroom based in New York, I knew there was a way to help incubate young designers to achieve their goals. We are a wholesale showroom first, but work very closely on sales strategy, design assistance, trend forecasting, merchandising, consulting on various infrastructure needs, etc….

3. How do you see these designers in their current historical context? In the next ten years? Designers in general have to refocus. Designers receive feedback from their sales agents and buyers and tend to become confused or overwhelmed by the different directions people suggest they move into. This is a recipe for disaster. The collections become incoherent and they loose sight of their own direction. New designers try to be everything to everyone. This is a saturated market as it stands and designers need to focus on their strengths. Becoming known for one thing is key to their success. Filling in and rounding out their lines is stage 2, not stage one.

4. What do you feel is the most exciting aspect of working in the fashion industry? What’s the worst? We really enjoy what Parlor has become to the fashion industry. We get to help talented designers learn how to make a business out of their talent. Typically, it is hard to be great at business and design. We get to take a great idea and make it commercially accessible. What becomes challenging within wholesale are the fiscal platforms. The bigger stores/accounts/majors are number, category and real-estate based. Designer’s need these stores to take them to the next level and when starting, it is hard to meet their checklists.

Although it tends to be a more expensive approuch to manufacturing, the reward is creating jobs.

5. How do you see manufacturing in the US? What are some the benefits you see as a showroom owner? What are some of the negatives? On a certain level we have a social responsibility to help support labor within the US. Although it tends to be a more expensive approuch to manufacturing, the reward is creating jobs. Consumers are less and less aware of US made products and because larger contemporary companies produce large quantities which becomes the standard. Young designers have to compete with these prices in order to stay relevant and their margin is killed.

6. Explain your function as a showroom owner in the fashion industry. We work with young designers and help garner retail business relationships nationally and internationally.

7. Explain the importance of fashion and why it affects people. To us, it’s about making women feel great about themselves. We also like playing with art. And how we can merge fashion and art to create new dialogues.

8. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever worn? I went to Paris my first season I opened Parlor for fashion week and went to my favorite store, l’eclaireur, and bought the Rick Owens boots that adapted your foot to look like you have extra bones prutruding out of your heel. It was certainly my most gothic moment. All black, long and drappy

9. Tell your favorite story about one of your designers. My favorite moment was when me and my best friend, Abigail Lorick, designer of Lorick (the collection featured as Elenour Waldorf’s collection on Gossip Girl) were commissioned to do a fashion show in Geneva, Switzerland at the store Septieme Etage. We had a blast! The day after the event, Abigail and I were walking around and exploring Geneva. We made a wrong turn and started getting cat called and quickly realized as girls were positioned against doorways that we had made it to the red light district.
Awesome