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HOW-TOS, TIPS, AND YOUR FASHION QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY US
One comment I get whenever working with brands who have explored domestic factories is that they find communication to be disjointed and difficult. Many factories are quite busy and do not focus on guiding their clients through the process, they expect them to already know how it is done. Sure, it is efficient and fast when you know, but with so many startups launching these days, we are on a mission to help!
One comment I get whenever working with brands who have explored domestic factories is that they find communication to be disjointed and difficult. Many factories are quite busy and do not focus on guiding their clients through the process, they expect them to already know how it is done. Sure, it is efficient and fast when you know, but with so many startups launching these days, we are on a mission to help!
Finding a great manufacturing partner is essential for a fashion brand. The challenge is to find the RIGHT one. How does one know if a factory has great quality, professionalism, and decent turnaround timing? As a manufacturing consultant and brand owner, I have found this to be a subject where start-up brands need some guidance.
Is your dream to launch a clothing line? Want to start that this year? Set yourself up for success by launching with a realistic timeframe.
One simple rule to follow when working on domestically made apparel collections is to work a half year ahead of your season (at a minimum). Let’s assume you are starting today; your timeline might look like this:
Launching your own clothing brand is a road paved with important milestones. And when you achieve one, you are one step closer to fulfilling your dream! Creating a great prototype is one of those early milestones that really makes you feel fantastic! A great prototype (or sample) would be one made in your wholesale fabric, by your manufacturer, with correct construction and that is fit approved!
How you ask? First things first- FIND YOUR MANUFACTURER!
We know it’s tempting to dive right into development, but in order to do well, one must plan well! And that means you will need to create a COSTING STRUCTURE for your brand. In other words, how much do you want your styles to sell for, and how do you break that down so you can budget your materials, labor, and other costs?
When launching a line, defining your brand identity is paramount.
Defining your brand identity includes your not only your look, your target customer, your retail price point, knowing your competitors (as well as what brands sit well alongside your brand), and what makes you unique, but also-are you selling wholesale or retail?
Ready to get your designs started? The first step in product development is finding the right fabric. That fabric can inspire an amazing design, help a sketched design meet your expectations, and hopefully price into your costing structure. Before you get started with your sourcing, there is some basic knowledge that is important to understand about sourcing types.
