How to Create a Clothing Line
You have an eye for style with a strong ability to sew quality garments with ease. Tired of flipping through fashion magazines for inspiration or not finding clothing that fits your personal style, you decide to create your own clothing line. Here’s how to transition from amateur designer to professional clothier. Follow these tips to find your own clothing line bliss.
Instructions
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Establish the type of clothing you’ll create. Will you create swimwear or sportswear? Or is your heart set on designing ready-to-wear or a decadent collection of evening gowns? Think about your vision for the clothing line and what garments best express your design aesthetic. Start small and sketch a maximum of 10 pieces to launch a small preview of your vision.
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Determine your market. A fashion designer dreams of creating a clothing line that will be adored by shoppers, but without proper market research you won’t know your customers’ clothing preferences. Think about the buying habits, needs, income, geographic locations and desires of your target audience.
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Get a part-time retail job for market research purposes. Apply for a position with a retailer that sells garments similar to your collection. As you assist customers as a sales associate, you’ll get a bird's-eye view of their shopping preferences, habits and spending patterns. Use this information to create a market profile of your ideal customer.
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Make samples. If you can sew, use your talents to create samples. You can also hire a freelance designer to sketch and sew the garments needed for your clothing line. Ensure that your clothing samples are the highest quality. Without clothing samples you will be unable to show your designs to retail buyers or potential manufacturing and distribution partners.
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Determine distribution options, online or offline. The Internet allows budding designers the opportunities to sell their clothing direct to the consumer. If you decide to sell your clothing line via the Internet, either partner with an established online boutique or sell your designs independently. To reach your target buyers immediately without relying on a pricey marketing budget, sell your clothing offline in boutiques or within major retailers.
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Market and sell to store buyers. With samples in hand, you can now set up meetings with retail buyers and boutique owners. Include design and production fees into your retail price. Setting a price without considering the retailers mark-up could prevent your clothing line from generating a profit.
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Tips & Warnings
Write a business plan to obtain outside funding.
Get mentoring and training from an established clothing designer.
Study the fashion trends to determine what consumers want to buy and why.
Choose a name for the clothing line that is easy to remember and pronounce.
Resources
- Photo Credit www.istockphoto.com
