Fashion Industry Icons Participated in the First DHL Fashion Industry Panel at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York

DHL, the world’s leading logistics provider, revealed the competitive and global nature of the fashion industry by kicking off the first DHL Fashion Industry Panel. As the Official Logistics Partner, DHL, fashion designers and other industry experts shared insights and real-world expertise to help budding fashion enterprises learn what it takes to create successful, international fashion brands. The panel was held on Monday, September 8 at 4:30 p.m. in the Southern Courtyard at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, and was moderated by Teri Agins, columnist at The Wall Street Journal and author of “The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed Fashion Forever.”

DHL Fashion Industry Panel participants included Gary Wassner, Co-CEO of Hilldun, Karsten Aufgebauer, General Manager at DHL Express U.S.; Nichole Miller, DHL Exported Program winners, Nicholas and Christopher Kunz, designers of Nicholas K; Jarrad Clark, Vice President and Global Creative Director at IMG; and Teri Agins, columnist at The Wall Street Journal and moderator of the panel. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Designers in today’s era of global trade have an unprecedented opportunity to build international brands,” said Karsten Aufgebauer, General Manager, DHL Express U.S. “This panel, conducted by fashion industry luminaries and icons, complements the DHL Exported Program we created with IMG Fashion and gives attendees an incredible opportunity to learn what it takes to succeed in the international fashion industry from the best in the business.”

Panel discussion topics included current trends shaping the fashion industry, how to secure financing and overcome challenges of expanding internationally, how designers can market and protect their brands abroad, as well as the importance of working with a knowledgeable logistics and business partner when doing business across borders.

Panel participants included Teri Agins, columnist at The Wall Street Journal; Karsten Aufgebauer, General Manager at DHL Express U.S.; Jarrad Clark, Vice President and Global Creative Director at IMG; Nicholas and Christopher Kunz, designers of Nicholas K; Nichole Miller, one of the world’s most successful designers and Gary Wassner, Co-CEO of Hilldun, the well-known factoring firm for the fashion industry.

DHL and IMG Fashion launched earlier this year the DHL Exported Program which supports designers seeking to expand across international borders. Designers were invited to submit applications to grow their businesses to one of four key retail markets with an export strategy that includes shipping and logistics assistance, marketing and public relations support and digital and social media help. The 2014 DHL Exported contest winners are Italian designer Francesca Liberatore who showed her collection in New York today (Sept. 8), Turkish designer Hakaan Yildirim, U.K. designer House of Holland and U.S. designer Nicholas K. DHL will deliver the winning designers’ final collections to the Fashion Week events.

For more details on the panel, as well as additional DHL Exported Events, including the fashion show of designer Francesca Liberatore visit www.dhlexported.com.

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the global market leader in the logistics and transportation industry and “The logistics company for the world”. DHL commits its expertise in international express, national and international parcel delivery, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation as well as contract and e-commerce related solutions along the entire supply chain. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and around 315,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their shipping and supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting environmental protection, disaster management and education.

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL. The Group generated revenues of more than 55 billion euros in 2013.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140910005991/en/