Josh Patner’s article in the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times is a refreshingly honest statement of the frustrations of a talented and creative designer who has regularly attained industry praise for his work but is eluded by financial success. The answers to his questions, however, jump out from his own summary of the Tuleh experience. Josh never suggests that Tuleh is based upon a sound financial model or that it was properly capitalized at the outset. Is it reasonable to assume that a company commited to the proposition of sparing no expense to achieve design and product quality will ever succeed? How important is the capital and financial component of a fashion business and how much control and ownership should be allocated to the financial partner? How many product categories ie., clothing, fragrance, accessories, shoes should a startup aspire to include under its umbrella? How should precious financial resources be spent: production, public relations, advertising? Should a young designer aspire to recognition, fame or commercial success?
Josh Patner’s article in the Sunday Styles section of the New York
