High-end trunk shows target businesswomen on the move

While it may be chilly outside, the vibrant poppy, wasabi and ice blue colors of Worth New York’s spring collection cover the racks in Sheramie Shore’s showroom.

The afternoon light shines bright on a canary yellow belted nylon trench coat for $689, a perfect match to the $289 stretch denim Alana pant next to it and Shore can’t help but run her fingers over the buttery soft lamb’s leather of a $998 brown studded dress.

“They use the best leathers,” she said. “Our fabrics are cut from the same mills used by Gucci, Prada and other high-end designers.”

It’s trunk show time and Shore’s studio is filled to the brim with sample blouses, pants, skirts, dresses and jackets. A stylist for Worth New York, Shore is in the midst of one of four annual shows and her roughly 50 clients come and go by appointment all week as they make plans for next season’s style.

The trunk show, or direct selling, model has become a go-to for women on the go.

“It’s extremely convenient because my time to shop is very limited,” said BKD LLP partner Camille Lockhart. “I travel a lot for work, plus I have three kids and their activities.”

A quick tally revealed about 90 percent of Lockhart’s professional wardrobe was purchased through a trunk show. Mixed in with the Worth pieces, Lockhart also shops the Doncaster, Etcetera and Carlisle brands.

The client process
Shop, buy, alter if needed and go – it’s as quick as that for many trunk show shoppers.

“You can walk though the whole season in 20 minutes,” Shore said. “I can have you out in less than a hour with some really unique pieces.”

While trunk shows can be hosted anywhere – and often are held in hotel rooms and event spaces nationwide – both Shore and Doncaster wardrobe stylist Kathy Harms sell out of their homes.

“It’s easy for me, and it’s easy for the women to come and go,” Harms said. “They can spend a few minutes here and pick out a wardrobe for the next season. That would take hours, if not longer, in a mall.”

When orders come in, Harms even delivers.

“As I get to know clients, I also can preshop for them, pulling styles I know they’ll like, sizes they need and must-have pieces,” she said of her 150-client list. “After delivery, she can try the clothes on her own schedule, we can check for alternations, like buttons or hems, and go from there.”

Sizes vary by brand. Doncaster carries zero to 24, while Worth has sizes double zero through 16; both brands carry petite.

“Once they know your size, they become a personal shopper in some ways,” Lockhart said. “That really saves me time.”

With most lines ranging from roughly $200 for a blouse to $1,000 plus for a dress, personal shopping may be a timesaver, but Lockhart still scrutinizes each buy.

“I’m not as inclined to buy on a whim,” she said. “But the quality and service make it more than worth the additional investment. Sometimes I forget about the price, but I can always rely on my husband to remind me.”

The stylist process
While it’s a timesaver for clients it’s a part-time job for the stylists. A 23-year retail veteran, Harms keeps a profile of each client at the ready.

“I’m not only working four weeks a year,” she said. “With follow-up, it’s a year-round job.”

A traveling collection that moves through each stylist nationwide a week at a time, Harms is shipped about 200 pieces each season, Shore about 500, and the process of set up, advertising and booking appointments begins.

Direct sale stylists earn straight commission for their efforts. At Worth, Shore said a beginner stylist should sell about 100 units per show, 400 per year, and earn roughly $40,000 in commission.

A Mississippi transplant, Shore was the No. 17 Worth seller out of 300 nationwide before moving to the Ozarks two years ago for her husbands job with Bass Pro Shops. Now, as she works to grow her business, she’s taking on an additional role with the company – director of business development for Missouri.

“I’m looking for women in those top ZIP codes,” she said, of recruiting new stylists. “We have a need in Kansas City, the Columbia and Jefferson City area and Lee’s Summit.”

Initially not sure it was something she wanted to do, Shore said she’s embraced the challenge and will enter recruitment mode as soon as her trunk show wraps.

“It’s a different animal really,” she said. “I’ve been in retail since I was 16. With this, I can set my own schedule and do what I love in the process.”