Skip to main content

Getting Ready for Fall Fashion Markets: A Strategic Approach for First-Time Exhibitors



clothing on a hanging rack

If you’re preparing for your first season as an exhibitor at Fall Fashion Markets, it’s completely normal to feel a bit off-balance. These shows mark a high-stakes period in the sales calendar — especially for emerging brands. Your ability to execute now has direct implications for how your next two seasons will perform.

With the aftershocks of tariff disruptions still lingering in some sectors — particularly in raw materials and shipping lead times — it’s essential to build contingency into your calendar. Delays in sample delivery, broken production timelines, and last-minute pivots are common. This is where a detailed Time and Action (T&A) calendar becomes more than a planning tool — it’s your operational backbone.


To support your success, we’ve created a streamlined prep guide to help you stay organized and retail-ready:


Key Deadlines: Fashion Market Prep Timeline

  • 6–9 Months Prior
    • Research potential markets and target shows aligned with your customer profile.
    • Confirm show registration and book your booth.
  • 3–6 Months Prior
    • Finalize your seasonal assortment and ensure samples are in development.
    • Lock in production and delivery windows — these will be critical for buyer commitments.
  • 2–3 Months Prior
    • Order booth infrastructure (displays, signage) and begin designing sales tools.
    • Build out your marketing materials and printed collateral.
  • 1–2 Months Prior
    • Book travel and lodging for your team.
    • Update your exhibitor profile and digital showroom assets.
    • Launch a countdown campaign across your digital channels.
  • 2–4 Weeks Prior
    • Confirm appointments with buyers; many will have filled calendars.
    • Print final line sheets and order forms.
    • Prepare POS and inventory systems.
    • Conduct a booth run-through to ensure setup efficiency.


Fashion Market Checklist: What Every Exhibitor Needs


✔ Register and secure booth space

✔ Update your digital showroom and exhibitor profile

✔ Order booth displays, signage, and printed materials

✔ Organize inventory and check that all samples meet spec

✔ Ensure your sample delivery timeline aligns with your T&A calendar

✔ Set up your POS/order entry system; input items ahead of the show

✔ Assemble essential back-office supplies (tape, scissors, writing tools, charging stations, etc.)

✔ Finalize staff scheduling and travel logistics

✔ Promote your presence on social media — include booth number/location

✔ Prepare printed line sheets and buyer-facing order form

✔ Curate thoughtful buyer gift bags (small, strategic touches go a long way)

✔ Define your post-show follow-up workflow — success is in the follow-through



Industry Insight:

Most Fall markets begin immediately after Labor Day and continue through late October. Your production and marketing timelines should reflect this runway. Avoid compressing your critical path.


Final Word:

Your first market will be a learning experience — but with strategic preparation and operational discipline, it can also be a powerful launchpad. Save this guide, plug key dates into your calendar, and take control of your market readiness with confidence.


-Jay H.

Cloth & Coin Staff
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How the U.S.–China Trade War Is Reshaping Fashion E‑Commerce

The 2025 escalation in U.S. tariffs—combined with changes like the de minimis rule —have significantly disrupted fashion e‑commerce, squeezing margins and reshaping sourcing strategies for small apparel brands. According to a Reuter’s article, as of June 2025, U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports have risen to 55%.  The end of the $800 de minimis parcel exemption in May has dismantled the duty‑free route that ultra‑fast fashion platforms relied on—Temu and Shein’s U.S. daily active users dropped sharply, by 52% and 25% respectively ( cnbc ). Tariffs on apparel from traditional outsourcing countries like Vietnam (currently at 20% with a 40% penalty on goods suspected of transhipment), Bangladesh (currently 9-10%, but has a proposed increase to 37% on the table that has not yet been implemented), Cambodia (49% imposed early 2025) and Indonesia (32% set to take effect July 8, 2025) now double import duties, pushing landed costs up by 10–25% in recent months.  --- What It Means for...
Post a Comment
Read more

When the Factory Doors Stay Closed: What Lesotho’s Crisis Teaches Small Apparel Brands About Resilience and Responsibility

There’s a particular kind of silence that settles when factory gates don’t open. In Lesotho, a country once known as the Denim Capital of Africa , that silence is growing louder. Every morning, crowds of women—many of them single mothers—wait at the entrance of shuttered garment factories in the hopes that someone, anyone , will call their name for a shift. But the gates don’t open. And the jobs… they’re disappearing. Professionally, I’m still catching up on the full impact of what’s unfolding. But here’s what we know: According to a July 20, 2025 NPR report , back in April, the U.S. announced a 50% tariff on goods imported from Lesotho, citing trade imbalances. While those tariffs have been technically “paused,” the damage has already begun. Orders have dried up. Production has stopped. And factories that once supplied brands like Levi’s and Walmart are folding—fast. The story hits hard. Not just because of the scale of job loss (over 12,000 garment workers , with ripple effects for t...
Post a Comment
Read more

What’s Going On With Tariffs (And Why You Should Be Paying Close Attention)

If you’ve been trying to stay in the know on global supply chain shifts—especially as a small fashion brand—you’ve likely heard some rumblings. Over the weekend, things got louder. On August 1, 2025, the United States will impose a 30% tariff on all imports from both the European Union and Mexico . For many of us who’ve been working hard to pivot production away from China, this feels like a whiplash moment. And if I’m being honest… it’s a moment of reckoning. Why This Matters For context, the European Union includes countries like France, Italy, Germany, and Spain—nations many small fashion labels source specialty fabrics or trims from. Maybe your brand doesn’t produce in Paris, but do you rely on Parisian silks or Italian denim? Those costs are now subject to steep hikes. The reasoning? Ongoing trade tensions and breakdowns in negotiations. The U.S. government is taking a hardline stance, and in response, both the EU and Mexico are preparing to retaliate with their own tariffs on U...
Post a Comment
Read more