We would not simply find another hotel, move the damaged garments, and present them before the next fashion deadline.
Instead, we would complete the production review.
Correct the garments.
Establish a transparent manufacturing plan.
And rebuild the collection around the quality standards our label promised.
The decision delayed revenue.
It complicated retailer orders.
And it disappointed buyers who wanted immediate access to the designs.
Several of our employees worried.
One senior sales executive asked whether we were sacrificing too much commercial momentum.
I understood his concern.
Fashion depended partly on timing.
Trends changed.
Buyers moved on.
Editorial attention faded.
A delayed collection could lose relevance.
But a rushed collection that damaged the label's reputation might cost more than a missed season.
So I gathered the leadership team.
We sat around a long table in our Philadelphia studio.
For nearly three hours, we examined the options.
Some employees proposed releasing the garments that passed inspection.
Others suggested reducing the collection.
One recommended working with the approved manufacturers to produce a smaller launch.
Our finance chief presented cash flow projections for each scenario.
The quality director explained which technical problems could be corrected safely and which garments required reconstruction.
The legal team reviewed the contractual limits.
I listened.
Asked questions.
Then asked everyone to tell me what they would recommend if they weren't worried about disappointing me.
The room became quiet.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then the head pattern maker raised her hand.
She had worked at AVERY for four years.
She was fifty-one, sharp-tongued, exceptionally skilled, and completely unimpressed by celebrity culture.
She looked directly at me.
"I think you're trying to save too much."
I sat straighter.
"Explain."
She gestured toward the collection boards.
"Half these garments are beautiful. The other half exist because the investor wanted more styles to fill a bigger show."
I stared.
She continued.
"We added pieces to satisfy merchandising categories. Not because the designs needed them."
I thought about the development process.
She wasn't wrong.
The collection had grown after the investor requested more products.
Some additions were strong.
Others were commercial compromises.
The pattern maker continued.
"If we cut the weak pieces, we can spend more time making the good ones properly."
I considered that.
Then nodded.
"What would you keep?"
She stood.
Approached the boards.
And began identifying garments.
The pale-yellow gown.
A structured ivory jacket.
A deep-blue evening dress.
A softly draped black coat.
Several tailored pieces.
A beautifully constructed cream suit.
She selected nineteen designs from the original forty-six.
The room watched.
When she finished, she turned toward me.
"These have something to say."
I looked at the boards.
For a moment, I felt unexpectedly relieved.