Meet the Editor, C.J. Matticia
Who's The New Guy?
Who are you, and what have you done with Nicole Rollender, you’re probably asking. Fair enough questions. I could rattle off a handful of snarky reasons to divert your attention, but the right answer is also the simplest one: I’m the new editor of Wearables magazine. Pleasure to meet you.
For those of you worried about the fate of Nicole, don’t be. Not only did she have her baby (Congratulations!), not only is she remaining the editor of Stitches, but she was also promoted to Director of Education. That means she will now be overseeing all of ASI’s various learning initiatives, including show education, online education, DVDs, webinars and more. It’s an appropriate role for Nicole, who has championed numerous education features in the pages of Wearables, including sections like Cheat Sheet and Wearables University.
That commitment to wearables education is flourishing here at ASI. We’ve unveiled the Wearables University learning track through apparel sessions at our various shows, and we’ve taken the next step with Wearables University online courses starting this year. We also have a pair of webinars that will be right up your alley. “Capitalize on the Latest Hot Apparel & Decorating Trends” will take place on Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. EST, and “Top Five Apparel Money-Making Niches” will take place on March 18 at 2 p.m. And as always, you can find previous webinars free at www.asicentral.com/webinars.
Back to the original question. Who am I? In terms of ASI, I’ve been a staff writer for Counselor, a contributor to Counselor PromoGram and Supplier Global Resource and an executive editor for Uniforms.
What’s going to change with Wearables in my stead? We have a number of exciting ideas and features that we plan to roll out in the coming months. What won’t change is the basic mission of the magazine: to help you run your wearables business better; to spotlight the hottest and most lucrative apparel trends touching the industry; and to continue providing tips and tools from the leaders in the field.
Change, of course, can be good, as this month’s lead feature on corporate social responsibility demonstrates. Contributor Robert Carey talked to top suppliers and distributors to find out what it takes to have a truly social-conscious business. As we find out, it takes more than just talking the talk, as so many are apt to do when jumping on the eco-friendly bandwagon.
And don’t think we’ve left you in the woods when it comes to thinking green. Contributor Betsy Cummings’ feature tackles the numerous difficult concerns in getting your global sourcing in order. Gateway CDI (asi/202815) chief marketing officer Conrad Franey offers up his best tips for selling green in our “Business of Wearables” column.
Also be sure to check out the photos in the magazine and see the videos at www.asicentral.com of the fashion show we held at the ASI Show Orlando, which offered up a sneak peek at looks for 2009.
Still being relatively new to the editor’s chair of Wearables, I’m open to any suggestions you have: feature ideas, story possibilities, new sections, design changes, anything. I won’t take it personally. You can reach me at cmittica@asicentral.com.
Sincerely, my one hope is that future issues of Wearables continue to match the lofty standards set before, as well as your expectations and needs.
Thanks for reading,
C.J. Mittica
