Fashion is a business of smoke and mirrors, notorious for crushing the souls of most that dare to be part of the industry. Go on a global expedition with New York City-based fashion buyer, strategist, and consultant, Mercedes Gonzalez, as she learns that there is no glamour in fashion and that only cut throat corporate espionage prevails. From politicking with blood diamond dealers and Russian kingpins to living in indigenous villages, she has relied on her street smarts and fear of her uncle in order to outwit the industry tyrants at their own game. The underdog becomes the overlord (at-large). You'll want to grab a notebook for all the business (and life) tips this read has to offer. Advance warning, this book will convince you to become a proponent of child labour, an advocate of GMO, and a cynic of organic cotton. AUTHOR: Mercedes Gonzalez, founder of Global Purchasing Companies, is an international retail strategist developing and implementing retail techniques around the world. For more than 25 years her influence has impacted some of the industry norms being used today.