California Apparel News

Los Angeles–based buying office Directives West will become an independent division of New York–based The Doneger Group on March 1, when the two retail consultancies officially join forces.

Directives West founder and President Sandy Richmond will remain with the company and continue to lead her staff of 20 covering the West Coast apparel and accessories market for the company’s customer base of department stores, specialty chains and boutiques.

The deal joins two businesses described as “friendly competitors” by Doneger President Abbey Doneger and will merge The Doneger Group’s existing West Coast office into Directives West.

“Sandy and I have known each other for a long time,” said Doneger, who said the two had discussed the possibility of merging over the years.

“Abbey has been courting me for 20 years,” said Richmond, who noted that the industry has changed in recent years, making this the right time to join forces. “The retail community has gotten smaller, and [the merger will] help me strengthen my organization.”

As an independent division within The Doneger Group, Directives West will retain its customer base, staff and core services.

“Directives West is going to be Directives West. Period. It’s really not changing,” said Richmond. “Our focus is exactly the same as what it was when we started 25 years ago—the best of the West.”

The deal will give Directives access to The Doneger Group’s resources, including back-end support such as technology, administration, production and accounting, Doneger noted.

For The Doneger Group, the merger gives the New York company greater visibility on the West Coast and access to Directive West’s reservoir of industry knowledge.

“Sandy has got a very aggressive, unique perspective on the West Coast—a West Coast point of view,” Doneger said. “With this significant West Coast presence, it complements everything we’re trying to do as a company.”

The Doneger Group currently operates a West Coast office in the California Market Center under the direction of Janine Blain.

“In 2005, we determined that it was really important for the The Doneger Group to have a West Coast presence,” Doneger said. “Janine Blain has done a great job, and it created value to our existing client relationships contributing a point of view and content to our publications online and our presentations.”

By expanding its West Coast operations, The Doneger Group is providing added value for its customers and gaining a more-global take on the apparel industry.

“Our point of view is much more global with a strong West Coast presence, enabling us to do a better job for our clients,” Doneger said. “We continue to drive our Doneger Group business to provide the best possible offering—from fashion merchandising and consulting to wholesale analysis and retail analysis. By adding Directives West and Sandy and her team, we continue to advance those goals and initiatives. It gives us a better ability to provide the best information to our clients.”

Blain will join Directives West’s team as merchandise manager and director of client relations and will report directly to Richmond.

For the upcoming Los Angeles Fashion Market in March, both companies will continue to host separate trend presentations and client meetings, but Doneger said they will look for ways to merge their efforts going forward.

Richmond founded the company in 1982 with Mona Danford, who sold her stake to Sandy Potter three year later. For 15 years, the two ran Directives West, but Richmond took over as sole owner in late 2006, when Potter left to pursue other opportunities.

“I recognize the significance of Directives West for the name they’ve built, for the reputation they have, for the quality of the people, for the great job that Sandy’s done,” Doneger said. “It’s my objective to continue to build that.”