7 Things to Know When Starting a Fashion Line

Written By: Xiara Arroyo

So you designed your first great piece, you are proud and now your mind is running wild with the possibilities of showing at fashion shows around the world. You are thinking of your pieces being pulled by top celebrity stylists or being worn by the masses, whatever your goals here are 7 things to know when starting your fashion empire. 

Know Your Niche

Refine your style as a designer and figure out where there is a need in the market. It could be something as simple as providing the next generation with stylish confidence or creating a fashion line for wheelchair users. Whatever you choose, know your market and know your market well. Ask yourself questions about your target market, who are they? Where do they hang out? What do they do in their free time? Does your price point match your audience’s lifestyle?

Target Audience/ Marketing

Once you have answers to WHO your audience is aka your niche, you will be able to find ways on HOW to market to your audience. If they hang out at museums in their free time, you may want to collaborate with your local museum for a soft launch. If you are perhaps creating compression socks for an older audience then you may want to advertise in a magazine that’s distributed in doctor offices. There is a lot of work and cost that goes into marketing and while you may be taking on this task in the beginning it might be something you outsource as your brand grows.

Cost

You want to make sure to calculate expenses to get an idea of how much you need to ideally save to begin your process. Some things to keep in mind: the cost of having a website, business licenses/permits, business cards, hiring a designer for branding and logo, manufacturing cost and anything else specific to your niche. Will you be sourcing fabric? How often? Go back in and organize by importance. For instance you can’t have business cards created if you don’t have a logo, let alone a business name to put on them. Do not let the numbers frighten you. Remember not everything will need to be paid for at once. This is to give you a realistic look into finances.

Business Plan/ Business Structure

I know you are more creative then not. It’s okay, these things are still important, very important. Your business plan is where you will write out your thoughts and ideas. It will provide you with an overview for you when you are feeling stuck and need to revisit your goals. There are plenty of resources and business templates to help you structure your plan. Once you do so, you will want to reach out to a business lawyer to discuss best actions plans to legally structure your business. This will also help when looking for investors or applying for grants.

Know Your Story

Besides your actual clothing designs, does your brand tell a certain storyline or speak to a certain type of lifestyle? Are there colors you associate your messaging with. Personify your brand. If you want to be a couture designer then your brand will be more luxe than say an apparel line created for everyday wear. While you are selling textiles, keep in mind you are also selling a solution, a story, an experience. It is all wrapped in one. Let your creativity shine through.

Production & Manufacturing

Are there manufacturers local to you or will you have to travel overseas? If you can’t travel overseas, are you connected with platforms that can provide accurate information on manufactures? Is there a minimum on orders? Will you be cut and sew or do majority screen printing? How are you designing your pieces? Are you well versed in flat lays, line sheets, etc.? Are you actively learning on programs like Photoshop and InDesign? So many questions and it can get overwhelming, but remember success does not happen overnight, it happens with hard work and dedication.

Online Presence

Your social media presence is crucial to the growth of your brand. Think of it as a microphone to speak to your audience about what is going on with your brand and what they can expect. Social media is the perfect place to tell your story and engage your audience. Think not only Instagram and email marketing but perhaps you will have an app where you share exclusive promotions and early releases. This could be your best marketing scheme.

Bonus: If you have big plans for your brand and business, reading up on proper team management would be a good additional skill to have amongst your creative abilities, and if you find out this isn’t your strong suit or it distracts you from your creative process, know when to hire out. 

Don’t feel as if you need to reinvent the wheel in order to enter the fashion world as a designer. Owner and designer of Urbane by Charles Jay’s biggest advice? “Just start. You are not going to know everything about production, marketing, etc. Your first few years in business will be about building. Everything is trial and error” And you can’t fail, nor succeed for that matter, if you don’t try, but you must start. So if you’ve been waiting for a sign to start your designer journey. Here is it. Go! Do! You’ll be amazing!