Owner of Offspring NY, Herman Solomon has an extensive background in fashion starting in retail in the 80s moving into wholesale in 1997. Originally from New Orleans, Solomon has been in New York since 1997. Solomon said he felt New Zealand Fashion Week was a great opportunity to connect with designers and retailers that he might not normally see in Paris or New York. “I feel that Offspring NY can be a gateway to North America for the right New Zealand based designers,” added Solomon.
Offspring NY is a wholesale showroom and their customers ‘are the better stores in North America, Asia and Europe’. Offspring NY’s focus has previously been on New York and Paris fashion weeks. “I feel in Paris the buyers are looking for new brands and in NY its more of them writing the collections they currently carry.”
Solomon uses traditional and digital methods for discovering new designers such as Instagram, articles and word of mouth. Narrative, originality, quality vs price, and demand are key factors when considering a new supplier.
“I hope to discover new designers who potentially could be distributed in the North America market and discover new retailers that are looking for collections that are new to the New Zealand market.” 
