How to Launch Your own Clothing Brand

The giants of today's fashion industry didn't just arrive at the top by chance or on the merit of their designs, they first had to follow the paradigms of any successful business. From Gucci to Prada to Nike, they all had to start the same as any other fashion brand, from the very beginning. So take a seat, relax and perhaps take out a pen and paper because I’m about to bring you through the steps on how to launch your own clothing brand. Steps which likely have been followed by the 3 brands mentioned and many other successful, lasting brands alike.

To start, three of the most vital steps in creating a successful clothing brand include:

• Deciding on your target audience,
• Defining the products at the core of your clothing line
• Finding a supplier you can rely on

However this article will also look into:

• Market Research
• Product Design
• Budgeting
• Manufacturing
• Selling and Marketing

Embarking on a new venture can be a frightening thing, and fear is normal. This is why it is important to get enough knowledge and skills needed for what you want to do. Before you begin your journey you should know that there will be difficult moments but follow your passion and stick with it until the very end.  Starting a clothing brand takes patience and hard work. It takes a lot of conscious work and dedication to achieve this. Here are some tips that will help you get started.

Market Research

There is a popular saying: learn from others' mistakes; don't make the same mistake twice. Studying and observing existing brands will help you on your journey. They will serve as a reference for you because you do not have to start from scratch. You can look at their previous mistakes so you do not make them and pick out good points to adopt when you start. Finding a company to supply wholesale goods can be a tricky task however wholesale B2B companies like Wordans exist to make that process a little easier. Furthermore, analysing existing brands can be used to identify gaps or niches in the market for your product to fill.  For those of you just starting, you are on a better platform because you are working with an existing template to follow. 

Create a Business Plan

The next thing to do will be to make a plan for your business. These are some things to plan for

Points to plan out:

• Target Market: The first question to ask yourself is, for whom do you intend to make the clothes?  In order to more accurately identify your target market it's useful to carry out some research into who will be the main demographic to buy your product. Using the research, you can then begin to narrow down your target audience based on factors such as gender, age, geo-location and income status.
• Brand Positioning: The next fundamental question is do you want your brand to be associated with high-end clothing or as a cheaper alternative? The answer to this question is important for identifying your target market and choosing the supplier of materials. Another option is that you could mix it up, meaning you make both expensive and budget-friendly clothes.
• The Market: where do you want to sell your clothes? Is it going to be domestically or worldwide? If you are planning on doing it domestically you can use local stores and websites. However if you want to sell worldwide, then that needs to be well researched and planned for as each region has different market preferences and some tastes may not suit others. If you are going for a worldwide reach, an e-commerce website is necessary and needs to be built.
• Design: Once you are confident you have the perfect supplier, you can begin the designing stage products. The design should align with who you want to buy your clothing and where you want it to be positioned in the market. The decision has to be made which designs will be at the core of your product offering and which are not.

Budget

After mapping the business and making a plan, you need to define the budget. This is a crucial part to plan because money is going to ensure everything else works. Without funds, the brand will not get off the ground. You need to prepare yourself to spend money during the development and launch phases of the brand. Planning the budget will let you know how much you need to have on the ground before proceeding. The budget should also include miscellaneous and emergency expenses, given that it's not possible to plan for everything. So in a case where an expense you did not plan for comes up, you can handle it.

Manufacturing

You need to find a place to produce your items. This will further help you plan your finances and budgeting decisions. You need to look for a place where the clothes can be manufactured at a price you can afford and make sure it is a place that can give you the exact specifications you desire.

Selling and marketing 

Distribution is what makes your brand a functional one. If you are not selling, then you are not in business. You can either partner with an existing distributor or handle it solo on your own. You will also need to market what you are selling. This can be done conveniently online through paid ads for example.

Following the points in this article, you should be able to launch a successful clothing brand.