Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
A trunk show is a special sale in which vendors — clothing companies, fashion designers and similar sellers — present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue. It is particularly desirable to have the actual designer present at the event. In many cases trunk shows let store personnel preview and purchase merchandise before it is made available to the public, and the maker's own employee in attendance can teach the retail staff the product in depth.
A trunk show is a special sale in which vendors (clothing companies, fashion designers, etc.) present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue. It is particularly desirable to have the actual designer present at the event. Most small businesses do this to get more customers purchasing product.
In many cases trunk shows allow store personnel to preview and/or purchase merchandise before it is made available to the public.
One key benefit of the trunk show is that an employee of the company that designed or produced the clothing is typically in attendance. They are in theory more knowledgeable about the product then the sales person in the retail store. After the trunk show, the retail employees then would have a better understanding of the product. However, this is not always the case. On occasion, the retail employee is already more knowledgeable even before the trunk show...
Fashion Boutiques will often have trunk shows. Department stores will also have designer trunk show events.
Trunk shows are also on occasion held in locations other then retail clothing stores. They may be held at special locations.
Here are a few examples of companies that have had trunk shows:
Robert Rodriguez Fashion Trunk Show Fall 2009 at Neiman Marcus (June 2009)
Ugg Australia Fall 2009 Fashion Trunk Show at Nordstrom (June 2009)
Arend Basile Says The Dress Must Caress The Body: Trunk Show (April 2009)
Haitian Co-Designers for MissBruno Premiere their Trunk Show at legendary 5th Ave Boutique Henri Bendel (December 2008)
Right Bank Babies Trunk Show: Children's Clothing (September 2008)
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Apparel Retailers are known to have trunk shows.
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For the retailer, a trunk show is both a sales event and a training session compressed into a day or a weekend. Customers meet the line — and ideally the designer — in person, order or buy pieces that the store may not stock in depth, and give the buyer direct evidence of what the local market wants. For the vendor, the same event tests a collection in front of real shoppers before wider distribution, with the store's own staff hearing the designer's explanations firsthand.
That staff knowledge is the quiet benefit. A sales associate who has handled the garments with the maker present can explain fabrics, fits and care far better afterward — though a knowledgeable retail employee may occasionally know the product better than the visitor even before the show begins.
A trunk show is a special sale where vendors such as clothing companies and fashion designers present merchandise directly to store personnel or select customers at a retail location or another unique venue.
Trunk shows bring more customers in to purchase product, let store personnel preview and buy merchandise before public release, and give retail staff direct access to the designer or a company employee who knows the product in depth.
Fashion boutiques and department stores hold designer trunk show events, and trunk shows are also occasionally held at special locations other than retail clothing stores.