Fashion business information, advice, guidance, and education for fashion brands
Quality Control (QC) isn't just about ensuring your garments look good; it's your ticket to exceeding customer expectations, minimizing issues and setbacks, and optimizing production efficiency. By maintaining stringent QC standards, you deliver exceptional products and establish your brand as a reliable force in the industry.
When done right, it will make your life easier, decrease your stress level, increase your profit, and reduce waste.
Beyond technical skills and creative vision, the foundation of building a thriving fashion brand rests upon you, especially your character traits.
As a creative entrepreneur, you'll embark on a unique journey, weaving together your artistic vision with your business savvy. It's a delicate dance, a perfect balance between the right and left brains, where your creativity meets your strategic acumen.
You finished your first production run, the goods are being shipped to you from the factory, and it's time to launch and start selling...
It's your first time doing this, you poured your heart and soul into this, and you have no idea what to expect. What if it will not be recieved well? What if it's too expensive? What if you chose the wrong materials? Fit? Sizes?
That unknown produces lots of anxiety, and your inner voice is having a field day.
If only you had a better idea of what to expect…
The answer is one of these industry "secrets" that if you are new to the industry, and especially if you do sew or never produced apparel before, you simply wouldn't know it...
Yet once you hear the answer, I bet you'll go, "oh yes, that makes a lot of sense."
In this video, I also share info about the cost of labor and why certain categories are assumed to cost less than others...
What is the ideal number of styles that you should offer when launching your fashion brand?
On one hand, you don’t want to invest in a big line until you get your proof of concept, but on the other hand, you want your line to look big enough so it will be taken seriously.
Is there a magic number you should be aware of?
The fashion industry is in major need of a change and needs to adopt sustainable practices. We’ve been getting questions from fashion designers and brands who are asking how can they become more sustainable in their business? Here are tips on what you can do to integrate more sustainable practices into your business.
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF YOUR BRAND?
You’re not alone. We speak to business owners just like you every day, and they are all worried too.
The fashion industry and retail are in a state of flux, and that uncertainty is affecting many businesses, including yours.
If you are one of these brands that used to do business the old way, then most likely, you are struggling to adapt and compete in this new reality.
Retail is going through one of its most disruptive periods with pressures coming from all corners. This disruption provides new opportunities and a window into where you can go next with your fashion brand to transform your business into a retail powerhouse. Now is the time for brands to adapt to a customer-led environment by sharpening their technological capabilities so they can prosper in this new environment.
...Like really know your customer!
Not what you think, wish or hope that they would be like, and not just the high-level details of their age, income level, and location but the specifics of their character, habits, likes and dislikes, priorities, what a day in their life looks like and more as if they were your best friend or a close family member that you know very well.
In fact, when you start a brand (or any business for that matter) the first question you should answer is WHO AM I SELLING TO?
I consider myself a private person, but this was something I had to share with you!
I have a 2.5 years old son, and quite frankly the last 2.5 years were an amazing and fun experience for me.
Many people will tell you how much work it is to have kids and what you'll need to give up and change etc.
But what no one tells you is how much you can learn from a toddler...about yourself, life and...Business.
I'm not looking to raise money or bring on investors so why do I need one?
This is usually the response that we get when we ask designers if they wrote a business plan for their new start-up fashion brand.
Quite frankly, I don't blame them for thinking this way, I myself thought the same until I started my fashion brand.
This last week I had a meeting with 2 investors who recently bought a licensing to build a fashion line for a public figure (name is confidential) and they wanted to learn more about the industry and how can we help them.
After I gave them a quick rundown of the process one of them asked: So how much of it is luck?
Did I hear right? I asked myself.
This is a guest post by Eric Fitzgerald, an independent business consultant and the founder of Fashion Business Insider.
Like most aspiring designers, your sketch books are probably filled will lots of new and exciting design ideas that you want to someday explore in your collection. Having a platform to experiment with new ideas, fabrics, and silhouettes is the dream of any entrepreneurial designer. As much as creativity will help define your brand, remember that you’re also running a business and that brands take time to develop. Part of that development process is being consistent with what you offer your customer and how you offer it to them.
Consistency does not mean you need to be boring or basic. In fact, as an emerging designer, ensure that your product speaks volumes about who you are and what your brand stands for. Push yourself creatively and continue to innovate. But do so from a vantage point that is
