TheBuzz
TheBuzz
IT'S a dream job. A private collection
connectionShopping with your girlfriends -- for a living.
As if that weren't its own reward, imagine being honored for sales accomplishments and relationship maintenance by being one of only 15 women (of 1,000 candidates) sent to New York to preview the next season-worth of clothing your friends will love.
That's why Sarah Nordwall is off-island.
She is one of three Hawaii consultants and serves as the Hawaii district coordinator for Carlisle, a New York-based fashion design house and clothing manufacturer.
Not available in stores, the company shows a sampling of its wares online at www.carlislecollection.com.
"We do four trunk shows a year in a private setting," Nordwall said, "by invitation only."
For the first time the company has chosen Hawaii as an indicator market, to provide a sense of "how the line is going to be selling and delivering when the regular shows start in January," she said. Carlisle's Spring 2002 show previews in Hawaii Nov. 4 through 19.
Most customers are professional women who want to be well-dressed. "However they don't always have time to go shopping and go from one department to another to put it all together."
At a trunk show for the company's spring, summer, fall or holiday collections, a customer will often start with a jacket and pants or a skirt. "Then we'll add a blouse -- and we can add many other coordinates with that, then we add scarves, belts and jewelry and the customer can walk out and be totally well-dressed," she said.
Nordwall calls it "investment clothing," because "the clothes are so classic they never go out of style."
The clothing line takes anxiety and time out of packing for a business trip, Nordwall said, as "you take one color group."
"With a different blouse, scarf and shoes, you have a totally different look" from daytime business meetings to evening functions. "It takes me two hours to pack," she said.
As many of her customers know each other, Nordwall takes care to help them avoid those same-outfit-at-the-same function horrors.
"I keep a record of everything customers purchase," and dispense accessorization advice accordingly.
"When I went into this I thought my friends would be my best customers but it's turned out that my customers have become my best friends," she said.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com