All about Starting Your Own Label & Becoming a Fashion Designer... (SEE POST #1 FOR RELATED THREADS)

[kenboy]

How to create a casual fashion brand and shop

I am going to open a casual fashion brand but dont know where to start. Anyone have experience, plz tell me the processes and works of establishing a casual fashion brand and then a shop. This would be a very interesting topic, hi hi.

 

[emi25]

I'm working for an already established company and learn new things every day...Things they don't teach in fashion schools..
I'm also helping a friend of mine starting her own brand..It's so complicated! So many things to think about.. The target...advertisement..all kind of strategies..logos...delievery dates (following the "fashion-year"-->tomorrow we are presenting next winter(2006) collection for the buyers)...

If you have a budget you should find a group of people with different experiences..

 

[kenboy]

Wow, that's really cool. I luv it. I think it would be the best if we have specific threads in specific works, processes of creating and developing a brand. That would help a lot.

So when establishing a company, what would be the most difficult problem? Is it the fabric? Or the strategy to brand your brand .

As I know, the normal procedures would be: make design, buy fabric, get products finished, display and sell, marketing.

Any idea?

 

[Lena]

its a very complicated proceedure, everything and ..nothing is 'difficult' get a strategy and know who you are.
like emi said, you need to work with experienced people who know the industry

btw, wellcome to tFS , browsing back this forum will give you answers to lots of your questions.

 

[galliano-homme]

Starting a Fashion Design Business / Launching Your Own Label or Line

i wonder if anyone has any experience on this subject and could answer me a few questions.
1. do people design there clothing withfabrics they have found and then try to soure tham on a large scale?
2. how do you find a potential factory to produce your clothing?
any help would be great thanks.

 

[jdrumstik]

i wonder if anyone has any experience on this subject and could answer me a few questions.
1. do people design there clothing withfabrics they have found and then try to soure tham on a large scale?
2. how do you find a potential factory to produce your clothing?
any help would be great thanks.

I would suggest trying to get a job in a factory of one of these labels if you really want to try something. Like if you could get a job designing if you have an AA or BA degree; or maybe you could get a job as a "go getter." You could talk to people as you do your work and then you could figure out how to start your company

My friend owns an advertizing company, Altec media in Riverside CA; and he started as a go getter for Altec and then after 6 years he bought the comapany (Which was going in the red) off of the owner and turned it around for profit. He originally took the job to learn how to start his own

Also My friend in San Clemente CA owns Dragon. They make Sunglassses and tons of apparell for the offroading and Dirtbiking crowd. He started by woking in an Oakley Sun Glasses facotry to learn how things where done and what he needed to do. Now the guy is friken rich; and he gets us all free glasses that cost $70 ussually.

Also you will need to wite a business plan once you have figured out what you want to do. With a business plan you can apply for loans, and acutally register your business with the state. You may want to consider taking an 8 week Entrepuenuer class at you local community college cause they will tell you how to do all the legal and admininistative side of you busniness.

Also pick up a magazine so you are always on current events, but don't believe everything you read. I like Wired cause its hip, liberal, and thats my target market, but then i read .Inc for my business perspective or things.

One Last thing, location is crucial, if you want to start a clothing business you'd better be in California, or atleast somewhere on the East coast like Florida or NY. Becasue you will need to start by attending events and by going small. Like if you want to go after skaters got to all the big skate shows and give away your shirts at cost! If they have cool designes people will wear them. And make sure to have your website on their somewhere. And try to find skater sites and forum and advertize, its incredibly cheap and somewhat effective if you do it right. Thats why every computer dork shops at www.newegg.com go to any overclocking website and theres a newegg add on the frong page.

Anyways hope that helps and sorry if you don't want the sk8r or surfer or whatever crowd but I've seen a lot of that, even though I personally don't wear any of those cloths.

 

[kathleen fasanel]

I would suggest trying to get a job in a factory of one of these labels if you really want to try something. Like if you could get a job designing if you have an AA or BA degree; or maybe you could get a job as a "go getter." You could talk to people as you do your work and then you could figure out how to start your company

Education and experience never hurt! For my money, I'd go with a junior or community college (long story) I posted on this not too long ago on my site. Actually, this specific topic is ALL I write about.

Also you will need to wite a business plan once you have figured out what you want to do. With a business plan you can apply for loans, and acutally

You'll also need a project plan (the production side of things). Until you have a project plan, you can't really do a business plan. Most of the designers I work with have had to start their business plan all over again. You'll need to learn about project management. That sounds hairier than it really is.

One Last thing, location is crucial, if you want to start a clothing business you'd better be in California, or atleast somewhere on the East coast like Florida or NY.

I don't think your actual location is as crucial as it once was. Not with the internet. However, if you plan on hiring a PR firm, their location will matter a great deal! The vast majority of my designers live outside of the usual fashion meccas. And, most of them do it from home. What everyone glosses over is that most -and I do mean most by a wide margin- designers started out as one person operations, working from their own homes.

Good luck!

 

[kenboy]

i wonder if anyone has any experience on this subject and could answer me a few questions.
1. do people design there clothing withfabrics they have found and then try to soure tham on a large scale?
2. how do you find a potential factory to produce your clothing?
any help would be great thanks.

Yeahhh! This is the question I would like to ask too. he he.

I need answer for question 1 .

 

[Tushka_BeLLa]

Am also interested in this ... how can you start your own label and get it SOLD ???

 

[kathleen fasanel]

I think a lot of people do start out designing their lines with fabric they've found and then try to locate a production source.

Now, just because "a lot of people" do that, does that mean you want to do that too? I don't think so. There's a lot of failure in this business because people don't think things through --and this is one of those things.

Another thing a lot of people do which is similar to this, is to design without any fabric at all and then they try to source it. Both are avenues for frustration, consuming a lot of your time.

I've always recommended that your source your goods first. Why?

It may be you can't meet the minimums of a given fabric so why design for it if you can't buy it?

Cost: if a fabric is inordinately expensive, you may choose to design something for it that is simpler to construct. The lower cost of production can offset the fabric cost which means your products will remain within a given price point. And while you definitely should have a range of prices, everything should fall within the same given range of the market.

Dependable supply: another issue is continuity (use that word as part of a search term when sourcing wholesale fabrics). Continuity means that the supplier carries these goods in stock most -if not all- of the time.

Time and time again, successful designers are known to buy a wide range of sample goods (from which they're guaranteed continuity) and then decide what to make of them. Of course you have a basic idea of silohettes and your style but the details of which should only be developed once you have piece goods in hand.

 

[finalfashion]

Right now I'm doing samples for my line, using fabrics found downtown at jobbers, etc. The pieces are appropriate for fairly common fabrics - jersey, lightweight woven cotton, stretch twill. The problem is that these fabrics don't come with any significant yardage because of their source. This is sort of helpful to me in the sample stage when I decide to change my mind about the fabric or the colour or whatever. I was thinking that when I started to produce my line I would purchase some appropriate, similar fabrics from a jobbers in whatever quantities were available, and present my samples with the swatches when presenting my line, because I don't want to mass produce until I get orders.

I guess I should reproduce the samples in the fabrics available when I can finally make the bulk fabric purchase... but I am working a little back-asswards here, and the price will be a lack of fabric continuity between my initial samples and the final products. My only saving grace is that the fabrics are simple solids and are usually in stock at any number of suppliers. The orders I am capable of delivering will be small so I don't think that ordering large minimums from a wholesaler is an option... I want more flexibility, especially because I don't have a lot of space for fabric inventory.

Also, the samples I am working on now are going to be shown at my school fashion show and featured in photo shoots, so I am making them a little more "artier" and funked up than what I plan to do in production. So I guess a second set of production samples is the way to go.

 

[fashionbutterfly]

Do you guys really think that with just this type of book, you can start your own label, and actually have it become sucessfull? I was looking at: fashionforprofit.com that one seems to be good

And there's awhole bunch of other ones out there too. I would rather do what Jennifer Lopez does, like just have me do all the designs, they pay everyone else to do everything (like source the fabrics, find the cheapest but highest quality manufactors, market the clothing to high end department stores, promote the brand through publications). Like I just wanna design them, and have a whole team do the rest. Bascially what Gwen does with Zaldy. Anyone know how I can do this?

And I've already tried my hand at both fashion design college, and fashion marketing college, and I just dont have the engergy to sit there 5 days a week for 2 years (just for 1 course also). So I have to look into alternate ways. J lo has a great seam, and so does Gwen. How can I get teams like them?

(PS- I am not working for that site or plugging it)

i think you can starz1..and to prove it...u can like team up with some freinds or ppl who share ur interest n raise money by selling stuff and maybe finding a loan or gettin to know somebody who would help ufinically n u do the designin work..like sponser u..

 

[Lena]

true what smartarsh said..
apart from talent and great ideas.. one unfortunately needs a BIG amount of cash, endless working hours and some real experienced people to assist a yound designer, in order to get an indie business rolling..

 

[Twin85]

do NOT waste your money on fashion for profit. Especially if you are looking to start a guys line, the book is filled with stuff that any one who has been in the fashion business for two years can tell you and it is not worth the 55 bucks..

If you are interested in starting a clothing line Jlo should not be your idol, as it was stated before she probably does absolutly nothing but approve drawings. And it is nowhere near that easy to get into department stores without connections.

Start slow, go get a job at a boutique and started learning what hot brands are doing especially the smaller ones. And then find a mentor and go from there.

 

[smartarse]

exactly, Lena. Talents are not enough. Great ideas are not enough. Sadly it takes capital to launch this type of business or any business for that matter. And with that, clout is extremely important, especially in a very competitive environment like starting your own label.

true what smartarsh said..
apart from talent and great ideas.. one unfortunately needs a BIG amount of cash, endless working hours and some real experienced people to assist a yound designer, in order to get an indie business rolling..

 

[Emilyx]

Designers: How did you start?

I'm curious to see how all the aspiring designers on here started off.
Like, how did you learn the techniques you know today. What got you intrested in Fashion? You know, that kind of thing.

I'm just really nosey, lol

 

[anotherarchitect]

yes i am also interested in this
please enlighten us!

 

[rockitgirl]

Barbie clothes at age 4, by age 10 needles through the feet didn't hurt anymore...for most of us I bet it was a lifelong thing.

 

[ShesElectric]

What I'd like to know is your second question...

How do you find people to produce your clothing - big thing for me as I can't sew... just learning. I'd manage making samples and have shown buyers for amazing boutiques designs and they'd be interested as soon as I can get them produced.... so help in that area... who to produce them??

 

[ilovepositano]

sewing factories- esp. good ones-- are v. depressing in the US.

if you do knits, find a place in California. one place that is good and does small quantities is NORTHRIDGE MILLS. (do you know how long it took me to find that factory my first year? you should be paying me millions of dollars! )-- anyway they do stuff for Velvet and Jcrew & Patagonia shortruns.

if you do dresses, find a place in NY. goto GDIC and they will hook you up with factories that work with startups in NY.

good luck!