Gentle Words of advice for emerging Indie Designers
How many of us out here can sew or make jewelry? How many of us have received numerous compliments on our work and have decided we want to take a foray in starting our own lines and collections?
I ask this question because as the creator and force behind DC Fashion Foundation’s Fashionably Business program, I have the privilege of working with so many talented existing and emerging indie designers, vintage resellers and others who are trying to launch their fashion dreams. I most enjoy chatting with folks during our one-on-one conversations and really hearing about what makes their dreams tick.
Having worked with this program for two years now, I find myself giving the same type of advice over and over again. I thought it would be cool to sum it up here on the blog so “my words” could be immortalized forever. Keep in mind my insight does not come from years of working in the fashion industry. It comes from years of working with creative people and businesses, teaching in a college level fashion program, directly helping indie retailers, my experience as a freelance makeup artist working with a well known global beauty brand and being a jewelry crafter in my own right.
This is kinda long (and not nearly as all inclusive as I would like ) but packed with some great tips:
(1) Stop making excuses & just do it already: Its not easy. If your serious know that you will be in it for the long haul. Make your DREAM a priority and stop making excuses as to why you are not doing it.
(2) Get your money straight: Don’t let the lack of money stop you from your dream, but DO get your money straight. Know how much the initial aspects of your line are going to cost. Get your own personal finances in order- take stock of what you do and don’t have. Need to use other people’s money? Make sure you are able to pay them back whether it’s from your own pockets or through business sales.
(3) Trend Research: Pay attention to what’s going on around you. Learn how to forecast trends. Track them & take them into consideration. Great websites include SpringWise and TrendWatching.com. You can also check out what young trendsetters are wearing. Maybe YOU are the trendsetter. Be bold and set your own trends.
(4) A small start is not a bad thing: I have been seeing a lot of emerging designers take their wares directly to the consumer via trunk shows and pop-up boutiques. If the long-term goal is to become a mass-retail brand, this approach may not be a bad idea as long as you are being strategic about HOW you are using these opportunities. Are you inviting bloggers and other press people to your events so you can get critical exposure? Are you reaching out to buyers and boutique owners in your area? Have you reached out to the local trendsetters and decision makes in your community? It’s as much about the exposure as it is about the sales.
(5) Industry Terminology: wholesale, retail, supply chain, production, private label, types of retailers, fashion cycle, manufacturing, distribution, factoring, markup, net/30…these are all key important terms that all indie designers must know and understand. Take a class or get a fashion dictionary.
(6) Sales Channel: In line with creating a viable business model (see number 6), success comes from building a very robust wholesale business and/or an equally robust retail business. Do you want to wholesale your pieces to other retailers? Do you want to retail your own pieces in your own store or via trunk shows and pop-up events? What do you want? Educate yourself, decide how you want to approach your business and then create your game plan for success. As an aside- selling pieces on consignment is a cash-flow killer for an emerging designer. It may be necessary to gain visibility, but I do not suggest on using this method as your primary sales channel (speaking from personal experience).
(7) Business Model: Once you figure out you desired sales channel, start building a SIMPLE business model that works. If you are creating this as a part-time side business that is one thing. A smaller scale will work to your advantage. If you are looking create a sustainable business on a full time basis, build a business that supports the desire. Making and selling one-off pieces is not going to allow you to quit your day job. Early on, you will have to decide where you want your merchandise to be. Wholesale, retail and hybrid models require something a little different. They also all require having access to money.
(8) Embrace the Business Side: the fun part is creating; the hard part is selling. Understand that fashion is just as much creativity as it is the “art of the effective sell”. You can make the best pieces in the world, but if you don’t know how to get it to the consumer, your pretty much up a shits creek. The nexus between the two is embracing the “business side” of your brand and working the hell out of it so that you will make money and survive longer than 13 episodes in Project Runway.
(9) Supply Chain & Production: Is crucial to the indie designer. HOW are the pieces going to be made? When YOU the designer are the maker- how will you meet demand? Can you afford to outsource? Do you even know where to start? Before pitching your merchandise to stores, make sure you know HOW you are going to be able to fill those orders.
(10) Pricing Strategy: What’s your pricing strategy? Pricing and setting the best markup is a fine art where you have to take factors into consideration such as the market, the economy, your target customer, competitors and your cost to produce each piece. What happens if you sell both wholesale and retail? How do you set your prices so that you are not undercutting yourself and undercutting a retailer who is carrying your line? As an indie designer, your ability to generate revenue AND make a profit (two different things) lies in your ability to (1) set prices (2) sell your merchandise (3) collect the money from the merchandise sales.
(11) Strong Visual Presence: This could be in the form of a well designed, simple to navigate website (crucial), physical and/or digital look books (critical), professional business cards etc. It’s only to your benefit if it is easy for people to find you. Make your visuals great. Make them easy to find. Remember this: “Tacky is Not Your Friend”.
(12) Get help: work with experts in the industry. Attend different workshops and training programs. If you can, sit down with a product development expert and let them help you refine your creation process. Great resources that you can tap right now: Fashion Designers Survival Guide, DC Fashion Foundation’s- Fashionably Business Program – Production & Manufacturing 101 , Product Development 101 and Fashion Business Office Hours
(13) Read: Its fundamental. You learn and you find out stuff that will help your business if you let it? In addition to industry trade mags (like WWD), read mags Entrepreneur, Inc and Fast Company.
(14) Have Faith: In you, in what you are doing and that what you are doing will work. If you don’t have faith, take a seat until you do.
Are there any other tips that you would add?
