Sterling Style Academy | Image Consultant Training

Only two more opportunities remain in 2010 to become a Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultant and Personal Shopper in world-class destinations.  Train to become an image consultant in the beautiful cities of San Francisco or Dubai in 2010 before tuition rates are set to increase in 2011.  Invest in your dream career of personal shopping and image consulting as your education through the Sterling Style Academy is 100% tax deductible and will take place in the heart one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.

Registration for our San Francisco Image Consultant Training Certification Program closes on August 23, 2010.  You will learn how to launch your personal shopping or image consulting business in one of the most entrepreneurial cities in the world.  From software engineers to wine and food connoisseurs, professionals from all industries know the importance of dressing to project the right image and are seeking your trained expertise in image, fashion and style.  Classes will take place in the heart of San Francisco’s famed Union Square shopping district during the city’s most beautiful time of year, October 4-20.

Are you an international world traveler?  Register to master the skills of image, fashion and style in Dubai, the Middle Eastern capital of fashion, commerce and investment real estate, from November 7-23, 2010.  Registration to train to become a personal shopper in Dubai closes on September 26.  The Sterling Style Academy’s Image Consultant Training Program takes place at The Address Hotel centered in the Dubai Mall, home to unbeatable luxury shopping and world-class entertainment.  Graduates of The Sterling Style Academy Dubai are positioned to distinguish themselves as image experts and style icons and to work with global professionals from all cultures.  The Address Hotel Dubai Mall is the perfect setting for preparing yourself to work with up-market fashion wardrobes and to execute flawless wardrobe consultations.

Nothing beats the experience of being there, so learn what the world’s most cosmopolitan cities can teach you about image, fashion and style.  The Sterling Style Academy has trained image consultants and personal shoppers from all seven continents.  The graduates of each Sterling Style Academy Certification Program become lifelong friends and immediately begin networking with each other to quickly advance their blossoming personal shopping careers.  Take advantage of this opportunity to invest in your image consulting career in San Francisco or Dubai with fellow fashion lovers from across the world.

Enroll to become a Certified Image Consultant and Personal Shopper in San Francisco or Dubai, and save money in 2010 before tuition rates increase.  Capitalize on this opportunity to invest in your image consultant training this year to launch a successful image consulting and personal shopping business in 2011.  Click here for more information on the October 4-20 class in San Francisco and the November 7-23 class in Dubai.

Have you been thinking about a career in fashion for years however do not have the time to take a sabbatical from work to attend training?

Are you one of those exceptional people who seek out further training for personal growth and development?

Are you interested in becoming an image consultant, wardrobe consultant, fashion consultant, personal shopper or personal stylist however are not able to make the full investment for training at this time?

If your answer was yes to any of these questions, the solutions can be found in the workbooks and training videos now available in the Sterling Style Boutique.

We encourage you to review 3 of our newest wardrobe consultant, personal shopper, and personal stylist learning tools and resources as well as sample video tutorials:

The Wardrobe Consulting Workbook and Training Video has been developed to get you started in the image consulting industry. We teach you how to mix and match, and cluster outfits for your clients according to the elements and principles of design to create a cohesive wardrobe for your clients.

The Wardrobe Consulting Learning Resource and Training package includes:

• A 90-minute video tutorial on how to perform an effective Wardrobe and Closet Audit
• How to organize a client’s closet and build a cohesive wardrobe
• How to evaluate and understand the needs of your client
• How to effectively manage client expectations
• Ways to solve various issues that arise during Wardrobe and Closet Audits
• Types of Wardrobe and Closet Audits
• Industry terminology for Wardrobe Consultations and beyond

The Personal Shopping Workbook and Training Video will teach you the ins and outs of a personal shopping career – all while saving you time, money, and stress. Michelle T. Sterling offers her exclusive knowledge of the industry and proven methodology to become a powerful personal shopper and asset to your clientele, particularly when working with men. Start on the road to a successful personal shopping career on your own time.

The Personal Shopping Learning Resource and Training package includes:

• A 75-minute video tutorial detailing a Personal Shopping Consultation
• How to work with men and women as a personal shopper
• Factors to consider when personal shopping and working with clients
• How to understand your client in order to start shopping
• How to interpret your client’s personal coloring
• How to put looks together for your client according to their personal coloring, fashion style, personality, and lifestyle
• The do’s and don’ts when shopping for men

The Personal Styling Workbook and Training Video will teach you the crucial skill every personal stylist and personal shopper must master — putting together a Look Book for the client. Learn from one of the best in the industry how to present wardrobe recommendations to your client in a professional and cohesive manner.

The Personal Styling Learning Resource and Training package includes:

• A video tutorial detailing the concepts and thought process behind creating a Look Book
• Men’s and women’s customizable Look Book templates complete with instructions on how to use the template for your clients
• A sample men’s case study Look Book featuring outfit selections for the client based on occasion and lifestyle – enabling you to see the final product
• Detailed instructions on how to add on this service to your clients, how to bill clients for this service, as well as discussion of the organizational process and factors to consider when putting together a Look Book for clients in the professional arena

Shop each of these product offerings for US$497 at

Postage and handling for US or international delivery will be billed in addition to your investment outlined above. Please allow 2 – 3 weeks for your package to arrive.

All Sterling Style Academy training programs and consultant resources are non-refundable and are billed through Global Image Group. The templates from the Sterling Style Academy Sales, Marketing and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit can be translated into your primary language to suit your needs; however the Sales, Marketing and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit workbook can not be translated for reproduction without prior consent of the Sterling Style Academy.

Dubai is the global hotspot for designer and luxury shopping. From Versace homes to Dior cell phones, designer is key and only the latest and greatest will do. When it comes to shopping, Dubai knows how to spend serious money. By investing in a luxury education, students determine the best silhouettes, colours, and patterns for their specific body and lifestyle. Graduates of the Sterling Style Academy are their own fashion consultants and are recognized by their peers and associates as style experts in a world of designer wardrobes.

As the Middle Eastern capital of international tourism, investment real estate development, and luxury shopping and entertainment, Dubai is arguably among the most rapidly expanding local economies in the world. As Dubai continues to attract new and growing businesses, image management becomes a crucial element for the success of foreign professionals. Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultants are equipped to manage the image of both the fashion enthusiast and the business executive.

The Sterling Style Academy Image Consultant Training Program takes place at The Dubai Mall, the mecca of shopping malls and home to the world’s luxury designers including: Chanel, D&G, Emporio Armani, Marc Jacobs, and Versace. The Sterling Style Academy is the leader in preparing you to work with up-market fashion wardrobes and top level executives to properly execute an image and style consultation. Our graduates are educated toward positioning themselves as experts and style icons. Graduates not only learn the theories behind perfecting image and style, but they also acquire invaluable business and marketing skills to strategically position themselves within their chosen markets. Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultants are licensed to utilise our industry-proven, copyrighted style evaluation tools, training manuals, and the Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultant Logo. Approximately 15% of our on-location graduates are invited to join the elite team of Global Image Group Consultants.

Dubai Mall – The funniest videos are a click away

The 2.5 Week Certification Program is an exciting image, fashion, and style training course designed to meet the needs of individuals and professionals with jet-setting lifestyles. Students will acquire the following skills: 

• Introduction to style – How do we define and refine it?
• How to analyse fashion, incorporate trends, and develop style
•  The elements and principles of design as it pertains to style
• How to assess facial features and body types to create suitable wardrobes for your client
•  How to incorporate these elements into analysing an individual’s personal style and colouring
• How to develop a look specific to your client’s personal style and colouring
• The elements and importance of wardrobe evaluation
• The principles behind closet organisation and clothing care
• A day in the life of an image consultant
• Effective shopping strategies and protocol
• Determining your target market and develop your marketing plan
• How to conduct personal style and closet evaluations
• The essential elements of effective communication skills and its non-verbal impact
• How to utilize these elements to improve your corporate presentation and interpersonal communication skills
• How to develop your client’s image to improve their overall presence

The Benefits of the Sterling Style Academy are the following:

1. Commitment to Excellence.  We consistently update our course curriculum so that our students receive the most current and timely style industry information.  Wardrobe case studies are shaped by the hippest celebrities and designer style, and our coaching of corporate communication and appropriate wardrobe is geared toward persevering through economic downturns.
2. Faculty Reputation.  Your instructors have 50 years of combined industry experience and the Sterling Style Academy’s Founder is a Wellesley Alumnae, member of the National Organization of Professional Women, AICI, ASTD and other professional organisations committed to excellence.  You will train from experts who are recognised as being in the top 2 percentile in the image consulting industry.  
3. Global Diversified Student Body and Internationally Recognised Student Alumni.  Sterling Style Academy Certified Image Consultants span the globe from over 20 different countries from every continent.  The leading image consultant in Japan, Yuuri Takano, residing in Tokyo, graduated from the Sterling Style Academy New York in 2005 and re-enrolled with her assistant in 2008.  She has since pioneered the image consultant industry in her country, becoming a media darling, style author and premier image consultant in her market.
4. Every dollar of your Sterling Style Academy training investment is tax deductible if you are a non-UAE resident.  As a business owner, your industry education becomes a valuable tax deduction and may be written into your business expenses.

Dubai Class Dates: November 7—23, 2010

Registration Deadline: September 26, 2010

Tuition Fee: USD $9947.

Program Schedule: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Extra curricular shopping sessions, wardrobe development and socializing are encourage outside of class.

For more information, please email  us to receive a course prospectus.

To make your investment today, please visit the following link: http://www.sterlingstyleacademy.com/25_week_program.html

Upon receipt of your registration form, we will send you a Welcome Package outlining the logistics of the training program, suggestions on where to stay, a detailed agenda, and much more. Your investment is separate from air fare, lodging, transportation, personal expenses, program materials, or meals. Students should budget an additional USD $1500 per month.

Please visit the following link for furnished apartment accommodation recommendations in Dubai: http://www.layia.net

Students from the following countries will NOT need a visa to enter into Dubai: GCC Countries, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong SAR.

All citizens other than the above require an entry visa prior to arrival and will need to fill out the attached forms. http://www.kempinskidubai.com/en/season/index.htm?id=&item_id=51533&details=1

Are You New to the Image Consulting Industry and Don’t Know Where or How to Start a New Business?

Launching a new image consultant career and image consulting business is one of the biggest time commitments and personal investments an individual will undertake in their life.  New image consultant business owners wear many hats; and while building your business and reputation, it may become easy to unknowingly let certain details slip through the cracks.

When first starting a company it is useful to have a road map to guide you toward building a successful career as an image consultant.  80% of building an image consulting business relies heavily on how you market and promote yourself and only 20% is about execution of consulting services. Therefore in order to set yourself up for success, it’s important for you to understand the fundaments of building an image consultant business and set goals for yourself to accomplish all these tasks.

The following are steps to help you start a successful image consulting business:

Step 1 – The Business Brand Identity. When you are first starting an image consulting business, you will need a starter business brand identity.  This includes business cards, brochures, flyers, and website.  I always recommend starting here first because every opportunity you get to meet someone new is an opportunity for you to convert someone into a new client.  If you do not have these standard marketing materials, how will anyone have confidence in your abilities?

Step 2 – The Business Plan. Then I recommend working on your business plan.  It is very important to have a clear vision of your company and who your target audience is.  Writing a business plan from A to Z will help you understand how much money you’d like to make and how to plan accordingly to put the steps into place so that you can make your desired image consultant salary.

Step 3 – The Marketing Plan. A marketing plan will help you define who your target demographic is and what steps you will need to take to reach your target demographic.  It will also help you further define which services you intend to offer and enable you to later define your niche as you grow your business as well as help you define your fee structure.

Step 4 – The Sales Pitch. Once you have a better idea of the products and services you intend to offer, you need to sound like an expert.  Therefore it is essential that you master your sales pitch to turn every social opportunity into a business opportunity.

Step 5 – Further Establishing Your Credibility by Delivering Your Message to the Press. Building your credibility starts by developing a press kit.  Press kits include many things such as professional photos, your biography, and press releases.

Does this sound like a laborious process and a daunting task?  Does this undertaking sound like you need to spend thousands of dollars on a business consultant, public relations and marketing consultant, or a copy writer in order to develop professional marketing materials?  What if all of your sales, marketing and business brand identity materials were handed to you in a start-up kit that is easy to customize for your specific needs and company?

At the Sterling Style Academy, we understand that you have already invested thousands of dollars in your image consultant training and therefore we have developed an affordable sales, marketing and business brand identity launch kit.  The Sterling Style Academy Image Consultant Sales, Marketing, Business Brand Identity Launch Kit provides you with all of the tips and tricks you need to know to survive and thrive in this competitive economy.

Our Image Consultant Sales, Marketing, and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit includes the following: 

• A video tutorial on how to use the Sales, Marketing and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit
• Multiple image consultant press releases templates
• Simply input your company information to make it your own
• Sample image consultant sales pitches
• This will help you determine the best way to approach your target customer
• An image consultant business plan outline and worksheet with an earnings income projection model
• An image consultant marketing plan outline and worksheet– tailored for the image consultant industry and includes today’s top marketing strategies
• Sample business card, post card and brochure templates
• Customize each template by inserting your information and organization’s colors and logo
• Sample text to sell your image consultant business and services
• Use in your sales collateral, website and direct-to-consumer materials
• A 40-minute coaching session to discuss your current business growth needs and how to incorporate these materials to build your business (Please email us to schedule this appointment upon receipt of your launch kit.)

Learn how to promote and market yourself to become a successful image consultant using the Sterling Style Academy methodology which has produced top-notch image consultants like Yuuri Takano, Japan’s leading image consultant of choice. Within the first three years of being in business for herself, Ms. Takano is among the top two percentile of highly paid image consultant and personal shopper salaries worldwide – earning more than US$250,000 per year.

Postage and handling for US or international delivery will be billed in addition to your investment outlined above.  Please allow 2 – 3 weeks for your package to arrive.

All Sterling Style Academy training programs and consultant resources are non-refundable and are billed through Global Image Group.  The templates from the Sterling Style Academy Sales, Marketing and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit can be translated into your primary language to suit your needs; however the Sales, Marketing and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit workbook can not be translated for reproduction without prior consent of the Sterling Style Academy.

About the Sterling Style Academy

The Sterling Style Academy is a training program that prepares top-notch Image Consultants, Personal Shoppers, and Personal Stylists for success in this growing industry.  To learn more about our image consultant certification training programs, please visit our website at www.sterlingstyleacademy.com or contact us via email.

Today, savvy business professionals and the social elite are world travellers and are well versed in the global market place.  As a graduate of the Sterling Style Academy’s Image Consultant and Personal Shopper World Traveller Programme, these business executives and jet-setting socialites are the clients who will hire you repeatedly and pay a premium for your expertise in image, fashion and style.  Train to become a globally diversified image consultant and international personal shopper through the Sterling Style Academy’s World Traveller Programme (TM). 

What is the importance of training to become an image consultant in cities recognised for fashion, culture, and business? Prospective clients from culturally diversified backgrounds are more impressed and intrigued to work with an image consultant and personal shopper who has trained around the world.  By attending the Sterling Style Academy World Traveller Programme, you will gain instant credibility as well as your clients’ trust and respect as you have experienced, firsthand, the unique cultures and shopping that Sydney, London, New York, Hong Kong and other cosmopolitan cities offer and combined it with top-notch international image, fashion, and style training.

Build the foundation of your image consulting skills through mastering the elements and principles of design in Session I located in either Sydney or London.  Apply your new skills in image and wardrobe consulting to the art of personal shopping.  And learn how to identify your target market and develop your image consultancy business in Session II located in either New York or Hong Kong.

Session I of the Sterling’s Style Academy’s World Traveller Progarmme commences in the following cities with the following curriculum: 

Sydney, Australia from February 28-March 9, 2011
Registration Deadline: January 17, 2011
or
London from July 4-13, 2011
Registration Deadline: May 23, 2011
Tuition: USD$6247,  Click here to Enroll

• Introduction to style – How do we define and refine it?
• How to analyse fashion, incorporate trends, and develop style
• The elements and principles of design as it pertains to style
• How to assess facial features and body types to create suitable wardrobes for your client
• How to incorporate these elements into analysing an individual’s personal style and colouring
• How to develop a look specific to your client’s personal style and colouring
• The elements and importance of wardrobe evaluation
• How to conduct personal style and closet evaluations
• The principles behind wardrobe and closet organisation as well as clothing care

Session II of the Sterling’s Style Academy’s World Traveller Programme concludes in the following cities with the following curriculum: 

Hong Kong from March 14-18, 2011
Registration Deadline: January 17, 2011
or
New York from July 18-22, 2011
Registration Deadline: May 23, 2011
Tuition: USD$4447, Click here to Enroll.

• A day in the life of an image consultant
• Effective personal shopping strategies and protocol
• Determining your target market and develop your marketing plan
• The essential elements of effective communication skills and its non-verbal impact
• How to utilise these elements to improve your corporate presentation and interpersonal communication skills
• How to develop your client’s image to improve their overall presence

*Enlist in Session I and II for an all inclusive investment of USD$9,947.00 and save approximately USD$750 rather than enrolling in each session separately.  We recommend non-US residents to enroll via wire transfer rather than credit card payment for ease in the registration process.  For details, please contact us directly.  Click here to convert your tuition investment from US dollars into your local currency.

As there is no substitute for this type of international training, enroll in The Sterling Style Academy’s World Traveller Programme (TM) to become the global image consultant you want to be.  The Sterling Style Academy is internationally recognized for training Certified Image Consultants from over 15 countries.  Our renowned faculty provides personal shopping and image consulting services to CEO’s, A-level executives, celebrities, and global socialites from around the world.    Train with the best and network with future image consultants from across the globe as the Sterling Style Academy attracts students from all seven continents.

Interested in the learning tools and resources offered by the Sterling Style Academy?  Click below to learn more about how the Sterling Style Academy can help launch your personal shopping and image consulting business, or take your existing business to the next level.

Our students greatly benefit from the Sterling Style Academy’s Sales, Marketing, and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit to help them market themselves on the fast track to becoming recognised image consultants.

If you are on a budget and interested in a more specific rather than comprehensive training programme, visit the Sterling Style Academy Boutique for more information about the following topics:  Wardrobe Consulting, Personal Shopping, and Personal Styling Training Products

What’s Your Passion for Fashion? Challenge – Round 1Sponsored by Neiman Marcus

Vote for Sterling Style Academy’s founder and training director, Michelle T. Sterling, on Neiman Marcus’ Passion for Fashion Challenge for your chance to win a complimentary copy of the Personal Shopping Learning Tool and Resource Video Tutorial and Workbook valued at US$497.

Place your vote before August 25, 2010 and then post a comment on our Facebook and we will randomly select a winner on August 31, 2010 to receive our Personal Shopping Learning Tool and Resource. 

For more information about our Personal Shopping Learning Tool and Resource, please view the following video below.

How to Become a Personal Shopper Stylist
Contributor By Cassandra Scheidies, eHow Contributing Writer

Some people love giving makeovers, shopping and making styles work. If this describes you, then becoming a personal shopper stylist might be the best career for you. Businesswomen, politicians and celebrities may not have time to find their own styles and shop for themselves. This is where you come in. A good personal stylist is trusted for her expert sense of style and ability to pick out multiple outfits that will make her clients presentable.

Things You’ll Need:
Business cards
Website

Instructions
Step 1
Complete training courses. Sterling Style Academy is one of the places that specialize in personal shopping and stylist training. These classes offer information about how to put outfits together. At the end of the training course, a certification if offered. This certification will help you appear professional to your clients.

Step 2
Practice on friends and relatives. Ask people to let you style them for free. When you are finished, you can have them give you feedback on what aspects of your styling and shopping are good and what needs improvement.

Step 3
Get a job in a boutique. This is a way to learn about helping clients with their clothing fit and individual style. It is also a way to start gaining personal clientele.

Step 4
Establish a client base. Tell everyone you know that you are a personal shopper/stylist and how to refer to you. Pass out business cards at salons and spas. Post an advertisement online.

Step 5
Build an online presence. Start a website about your services. Include success stories from past clients. Try to get success stories from a few people who are in the public eye.

Read more: How to Become a Personal Shopper Stylist | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6768576_become-personal-shopper-stylist.html

Business professionals know now, more than ever, the importance of proving their value to their company and potential investors.  Professionals are investing in themselves through continuing education, improving their awareness of global cultures, learning cutting edge technologies, and especially through developing their professional image.  Projecting a professional self image that conveys dependability, authority, and indispensability is as valuable as any degree of higher education.

Enroll by August 6, 2010, in the Sterling Style Academy’s Corporate Image Consultant Training Certification Program to learn the skills needed to coach your corporate clients to this level of top notch professionalism.  Business professionals understand the necessity of projecting the right image, but may not know how to develop this image for themselves.  These clients seek your corporate image expertise and will invest in your services to ensure they are indispensable to their current and future employers.

Prepare yourself to earn top dollar as a corporate image consultant working with corporate clients this fall in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Las Vegas Hotel and Casino through the Sterling Style Academy’s Corporate Image Consultant Training Certification Program.  Spend 5 days mastering the following essential skills and spend your nights enjoying the Hard Rock’s tropical resort pool and cabanas, numerous night clubs, and luxurious day spas and pampering services.

• Professional Levels of Dress for Men and Women. Learn to identify the difference between corporate and business casual attire and how to appropriately dress your clients according to their career and environment.
• Color. Learn the theories behind color and how to apply these theories to enhance your clients’ personal colorings.
• Body Analysis for Men and Women. Learn to identify various body types and facial features to determine the ideal wardrobe application to highlight or conceal those features.
• Fashion Styles for Men and Women. Learn to identify the various fashion styles and how to incorporate these principles to your clients’ wardrobe.
• Cluster and Capsule Concept. Learn the art of clothing selection and coordination and how to apply it to your clients’ roles, lifestyle and goals.
• Individual Personal Style Evaluations and Corporate Image Seminars. Learn how to apply the theories discovered in class to effectively conduct an individual corporate consultation or seminar to develop your clients’ image and improve their overall executive presence.
• Corporate Communication Style Development. Perfect your verbal and non-verbal communication skills and learn how to apply these techniques toward training your clients. Learn how to devise and deliver the appropriate message through audience analysis.
• Business Building. Learn to develop industry-proven tools and techniques to build your image consulting business.
• Workplace Etiquette. Learn the 26 Standards of Workplace Excellence.

This corporate image consultant training program takes place September 10-14, 2010 with registration closing August 6, 2010.  Click here to register now for this essential corporate image consultant training program that will position you as a corporate image consultant to work with high paying clients.

Click to learn more about all of the image consultant certification programs and personal shopping training products offered by the Sterling Style Academy.

Image Consultant and Company Brand Image Specialist, Michelle T. Sterling, Founder and Training Director of Sterling Style Academy, discusses the importance of developing a strong company brand identity by using the power of the Tory Burch brand as an example.  In just 6 years, Tory Burch has developed a strong brand image and company brand identity which is the foundation to developing any successful business.  If you are thinking about becoming an image consultant, personal shopper, or personal stylist, developing a strong company brand image and identity will be the key to your success and the Sterling Style Academy is here to provide you with the tools to set you up for success with our Sales, Marketing, and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit.  For more information, please click here.

Tory Burch Fashioned a Business Model First

By TERI AGINS, February 5, 2008

When Tory Burch’s Reva shoe took off last year, it looked like the latest accessory fad to come out of the blue.

Sales of the distinctive $195 ballet slipper with a double-T logo on a brass-plated buckle exceeded retailers’ expectations, at more than 250,000 pairs in more than a dozen shades since it appeared on store shelves in 2006.

But the Reva’s success was no fluke. It was part of the 41-year-old Ms. Burch’s carefully choreographed brand-building effort. With a business plan more in line with strategy in the packaged-goods industry than the design world, Ms. Burch is redefining how to run a fashion business today. After four years in business, the company’s annual sales are estimated at about $115 million.

Ms. Burch, a New York socialite and a mother of three boys, had no design experience when she launched her company with her husband, venture-capitalist Christopher Burch, though she had worked in public relations and marketing for designers Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang and Narciso Rodriguez. Her own wardrobe was a mix of designer and vintage fashions and mall brands such as J.Crew, and she realized that there weren’t many choices when it came to casual, fun clothes that didn’t cost a lot.

Most fledgling designers try to make their names as creative innovators in the top-tier world of $2,500 ensembles, where competition is steep and overhead for design studios, fashion shows and advertising is high. But the Burches, who are divorcing but plan to remain co-chairmen of the company, set out to launch a full-blown retail concept in the more lucrative and accessible mid-price sector known as contemporary fashion. Tory Burch tunics and dresses sell for $250 to $400, shoes for $195 to $350 and handbags for $400 to $600.

Ms. Burch shows the line to retailers at informal presentations like the one Ms. Burch will stage for her fall collection today during New York’s fashion week. Though models show the clothes, this presentation costs $30,000 or so, compared with $250,000 or more for a runway show.

 

Tory Burch produced a hit with its $195 Reva flats in assorted colors.

Their approach to the Reva ballet slipper is an example of the broader strategy the Burches have used to build the brand. Ms. Burch didn’t invent the shoe. Instead, she took note of the popularity of $300 ballet flats introduced by designers such as Marc Jacobs. But rather than compete head-on with them, she and her husband set out to build a highly commercial shoe that would sell at a lower price.

They formed a joint venture with Vince Camuto, a co-founder of Nine West, who enlisted his Brazilian factories to make a high-quality, affordable shoe. His creative director helped design a shoe that was sleek and low-cut, but had a sturdy shank for support and a flexible rubber sole for comfort. Elastic in the heel area made the shoes fit snugly without gaping.

“We wanted a practical shoe, a sexy ballet shoe with our logo — which we knew would sell,” says Ms. Burch, who named the style after her mother Reva.

Unlike many other fashion houses, the Burches didn’t license out the business. “We don’t believe in licensing because we feel very strongly that we want to control the brand,” Mr. Burch said in his first interview about the company.

To start the business in 2004, the Burches invested $2 million of their own money. The initial capital bought a lease for a 1,900-square-foot boutique in lower Manhattan and a first shipment of products to fill it.

The first prototypes were cooked up in the living room of the Burches’ Manhattan apartment. Mr. Burch interviewed many of the initial employees and, through a referral, found designer Stephanie von Watzdorf, who became their vice president of design.

With the objective of controlling distribution with her own stores and on a Web site, Ms. Burch came out of the gate with 15 product categories — an unusually broad array for a new fashion brand. Offerings included shoes, umbrellas, swimwear, beach towels, handbags, tops, bottoms, skirts and dresses. The style was based on Ms. Burch’s vision of the casual elegance of the 1960s or 1970s, a time when her parents vacationed in Greece and Morocco. She hired a firm to create the T logo, which she put on as many products as possible.

Through business connections, the Burches found five Hong Kong factories to make the initial products — about 50 units of each. “Our first orders were so small, and we had to beg — and sometimes pay premiums to get factory space,” says Mr. Burch, who had learned about manufacturing by running a family-owned sweater business.

Ms. Burch invited fashion editors, retailers and socialite friends to her store opening in February 2004. The place was filled with clothes featuring bold prints, embroidered details and buttons, and shoes and handbags. Almost everything sold the first day.

Tory Burch tunics caught on, partly because they flatter women of many ages and body types. Ms. Burch used a printed polyester tunic she had bought in a Paris flea market as the template for a line she made in silk prints decorated with embroidery and crystals. Oprah Winfrey featured the tunic on the “Favorite Things” segment of her talkshow in 2005, triggering thousands of orders on the Ms. Burch’s Web site.

“Tory saw that there was a niche in the market for great fashion that is practical and easy to wear at respectable prices,” says Ron Frasch, vice chairman and chief merchant at Saks Fifth Avenue.

However, like others in the fickle fashion business, Ms. Burch faces challenges. “She has to stay on top of the game season after season, and that’s the most difficult part,” Mr. Frasch says. Keeping the company’s successful team together and dealing with the prospect of new competition are other key factors, he says.

Among Tory Burch’s competitors now are contemporary brands such as Nanette Lepore, Diane von Furstenberg and Theory.

With wide exposure, including 12 boutiques of their own in the U.S., the Burches don’t think they need to advertise. Ms. Burch has become a powerful billboard for the brand, appearing on the Martha Stewart TV show and on the cover of Town & Country magazine last year.

The company has grown to 150 employees, including those who work in the stores. Despite the slowdown in consumer spending, the company is sticking with expansion plans that call for opening six more boutiques in the U.S. this year and a sales office in Milan to service its growing roster of international wholesale customers. Up next is a fragrance, which Ms. Burch says the company will probably produce as its first license, making an exception for a product that is difficult to make in-house.

The Burches say their business isn’t for sale, though they talk informally with investors from time to time. As the company grows, it faces new issues. “We want to take care not to over-distribute because our customer doesn’t want to see herself coming and going,” says Ms. Burch.

Write to Teri Agins at teri.agins@wsj.com

Inside the classroom at the Sterling Style Academy Image Consultant Training Program in New York.

As our 2.5 Week New York Image Consultant Training program comes to a close, we invite you to see what some of our students have to say about the Sterling Style Academy.

“My experience at Sterling Style Academy exceeded all of my expectations. When I enrolled in the 2.5-week program, I was preparing to launch my own business, Miss Helen’s Image Consulting, and I knew that I wanted to be educated by the best in the industry. Ms. Sterling provided me with comprehensive technical skills, business strategies, pricing schemes and, above all, confidence. Each topic was thoroughly explained using videos, demonstrations, and hands-on interaction with clients. Her ability to work collaboratively with the class while teaching each lesson quickly and effectively was outstanding.

My experience at the Sterling Style Academy was most rewarding and I feel that I now have the confidence and the direction to move forward with my own career. Ms. Sterling, herself, is most knowledgeable, she presents well, and she is extremely dedicated to her program. I have, indeed, learned from the best in the business!”

Helen MacGillivray
Sterling Style Academy
Certified Image Consultant Graduate

Helen’s website should be up in the next couple of weeks and you can contact her directly at info@misshelens.ca for questions.  Now that is what we call a go-getter and we wish Helen much success in her future endeavors!

To hear about our other student’s experiences, please watch their video testimonial below.  These two ladies from Nigeria loved our program so much we will see them again at our Corporate Image Consultant Training Program in Las Vegas in September and we invite you to take advantage of our August New York image consultant training and Las Vegas corporate training incentive program before April 30th.  Click here for details: Sterling Style Academy Image Consultant Training Incentive Program.

Increase your business success with the Sterling Style Academy Image Consultant Sales, Marketing, and Business Brand Identity Launch Kit.  It has helped students like Helen to successfully be prepared to launch their business in this exciting industry.  You too can be the Sterling Style Academy’s next success story!

Currently, in such a competitive marketplace, one must become an asset by gaining expertise in as many areas as possible. By taking advantage of the Sterling Style Academy Training Incentive Program, you will gain a full breadth of experience. Armed with the necessary tools, you will have the knowhow to work from the closet as a Personal Stylist to the boardroom as an Image Consultant.

Top-notch image consultants may charge top-dollar for executive presence training and development; and the Sterling Style Academy is committed to ensure our Certified Image Consultants are respected around the world.

Enroll in our New York 4-Week Image Consultant Training Certification Course in 2010 (a value of US$8247.00 on or before April 30, 2010 and we will include the value-added benefit of our Corporate Image Consultant Training Certification Program in Las Vegas, September 10 – 14, 2010 (a value of US$5947.00), for the all-inclusive value of US$9947.  This is one incentive program we recommend taking advantage of!

The Sterling Style Academy produces top-notch image consultants with one of the largest networks of Certified Image Consultants worldwide. This is why as you are investing in your education through our Image Consultant Certified Training Programs, we are committed to re-investing in you!

Spaces are limited. To take advantage of this special offer, please enroll below and reserve your space in our New York 4-Week Image Consultant Training Certification Course and Corporate Image Consultant Training Certification Program prior to April 30, 2010.

4-Week Certification and Corporate Image Consultant Training Incentive Program Enrollment by April 30, 2010

See what some of our current students are candidly saying about the Sterling Style Academy at our 2.5 Week Image Consultant Training in New York.

What is personal style coaching in the UK or Australia?

Personal Style Coaching combines personal styling with life coaching.   Personal styling can be a natural or developed skill to cultivate an individual’s personal style.

Life coaching is a unique skill blessed to those individuals with impressive communications styles and amazing soft skills.  Life coaches are frequently able to asses an individual’s needs and quickly connect with an individual so that clients are able to realized their goals from the dressing room to the boardroom.

The Sterling Style Academy London and Sydney World Traveler Programs address the need for coaching clients to achieve their goals through understanding the basics of NLP and the fundamentals of personal styling.  We also understand that having solid coaching and communication skills are imperative when conducting cross cultural consultations between the British and the Americans or the Australians and Asians, or however you’d like to pair these cultures, therefore we’ve implemented coaching into our core curriculum for these classes.

For more information about the Sterling Style Academy World Traveler Program in London, Sydney, Hong Kong or New York, please click here.

Learn how to start a successful style consulting business at the Sterling Style Academy through our Sales, Marketing, Business Brand Identity Launch Kit.  Our graduates are trained to travel around the world to become worldwide personal style coaches.