From Concept to Sales, 6 Things to Know about Starting and Running a Successful Fashion Brand
So much more goes into starting and running a successful fashion brand than good designs and branding. Often incredibly talented designers and very marketable labels fold for reasons that have very little to do with the actual concept behind the clothes. So what is the secret recipe behind success in the fashion industry? What do the successful brands do that others don’t?
This Saturday we are hosting, together with Mood Fabrics at their NYC store a full day workshop. We asked the three industry experts who will teach that day and whom each handle a piece of the fashion puzzle, from concept and creation to sales and marketing, for their two best tips on running a successful fashion brand and here is what they had to say:
$200K sales in first season yet almost out of business! A true story
When starting a business, the unknown is bigger than the known. Where do I find….? How do I…? What is the best….? Are normal questions to have and having the right answers, answered by the right people for your business, will make the process smoother, more effective and much less expensive.
Congratulations on starting your own brand, what now?
About 10 years ago I was hired by a designer, for the sake of this story I will call him Mark, who by then had a very successful career as a creative director for big brands (RL, Nautica), to join and help him as he was starting his own brand. He had a very clear vision as to what the product should look like and the concept of his brand (since he’s done that successfully for these other brands for nearly 20 years).
But when it came to starting his own business there were many aspects that he wasn't familiar with. While working at these bigger brands, things such as sourcing, costing, developing, producing and selling the product where not an issue, or at least not issues that he had to deal with. This time he was starting as a small business with a limited budget
How To Get The Best Production Quality From Your Sewing Contractor?
I was invited to answer a reader's question on Jane Hamill's blog who is my co. founder of Indie Design Association on working with a contractor and getting the best possible results from them, so i thought I'll share the answer with you all since it has a LOT of great tips for you to use especially if you are new to the process and don't have any help!
“I’m drowning in QC! What can I do?” -Bobbi, Canada
Today we answer a question from a reader who is fed up with Quality Control problems. I feel your pain, Bobbi. I’ve been there! I solicited my friend, colleague, and NYC product development guru, Boaz David, to answer Bobbi’s question. GREAT info today, check it out…