Fashion Week kicks off this Friday and for many up-and-coming designers it’s no cake walk. NY1’s Cheryl Wills has more on the long road to the runway.

For many up-and-coming fashion designers, it’s their life’s ambition to be able to take a bow at the end of their runway show. But the road to the catwalk is not an easy one.

Just ask Jacqueline Lorette who works out of her apartment in Lower Manhattan. The recent college graduate runs her own fashion line called Jacques Lorette, which features her “Sinfully Silky” collection.

She’s been cutting her teeth in the business for a year - and she says it’s all part of paying your dues.

“It’s hard,” says Lorette. “It’s hard, but I’ll tell you one thing: a lot of people are there to help you. You just have to really ask. You have to be willing to put yourself out there.”

The 22-year-old entrepreneur is already making quite a splash. Her creations have been featured in major magazines and her one-of-a-kind hand painted T-shirts are really taking off.

After seven years in the business designer Wenlan Chai is also taking off. She, too, started her fashion line in her Manhattan apartment. But now she’s moved on up and into the Fashion District with a staff of ten at her company Twinkle. And in the process, she has carved out her own niche for knits and prints. She says she works her business 24/7.

“I open my eyes and it’s business; and also the last thing I do before getting into bed is like taking care of a few emails, but I enjoy it,” says Chai.

Chai also has a new book out called “Twinkle’s Big City Knits” showcasing her best knit collections.

All of her hard work over the last seven years is paying off handsomely, now Chai will be taking another bow during Fashion Week in Bryant Park.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 at 10:20 am and is filed under Fashion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.