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Fuel4Fashion

~ The official blog of Supriya Ghurye, Founder of a niche Freelance Fashion Designer Agency & Brand Consultant helping international start up fashion labels and growing fashion brands to plan and create great products from concept sketches to final launch.

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Tag Archives: fashion industry

Guest Blog: How to Use your Passion and Education to Start a Fashion Business

05 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Guest Blogger

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

apparel, business plan, fashion blog, fashion industry, garment manufacturing

Thanks to the support and encouragement of our readers, the Fuel4Fashion blog now has a growing tribe of followers on various social media platforms, from across the world. We have tried to keep giving all of you insights into what is trending in the industry and build up Fuel4Fashion as the go-to place for getting an idea of emerging global fashion trends as well as insightful information about the fashion industry.  In order to bring more quality content from the fashion industry to the community, we are now re-starting our guest blog section. This will feature articles on topics similar to the ones we have been bringing you, but from a variety of authors from the field of fashion. Today we bring you this interesting article from NewThread. – Supriya

Starting a fashion business seems all glamorous from the outside but generally, it’s just time-consuming sessions of never-ending work.

Take for example launching your own private label clothing brand.

Your first inclination would be to find a custom clothing manufacturer overseas. You need to find a reliable factory, and send thousands of dollars halfway across the world. You need to find a shipping agent if the factory is too small to help you in that regard. You need to find relevant quality inspection people as well.

The challenge of sourcing clothes is even more exacerbated when your budget doesn’t cover traveling a few thousand miles away. Just take a look at all the processes involved when you’re planning on manufacturing your apparel:

Many entrepreneurs think that the right amount of passion is enough to fuel their business into being successful but that’s hardly the case. So, to guide you through this journey, here are some tips that will help you create a successful fashion business.

  • Discover your passion

The key to any successful business is definitely patience and dedication. But in order to find that will, you’ll have to first be sure of what you really want to do. It is essential to keep in mind that the world of fashion and apparel is extremely competitive, and at times merciless. Know the ins and outs of the industry and only get going if you’re sure about what you want to do.

  • Education and Research

The apparel industry is huge and as days pass by, its branches seemed to have grown out even more. There are several different ways of sourcing, manufacturing, selling and what not.

I’d suggest you to first find out about the types of business within this industry. For example; you could be a wholesale clothing supplier, an online private clothing brand, a t-shirt printer, the possibilities are endless.

Read articles about your favorite fashion brands and apparel companies online and get to know about what’s in trend nowadays by reaching out to Fashion Design Studios like Fuel4Fashion. If you already have proper knowledge though through online courses or maybe even your college degree, then you’re already a step ahead!

It is essential to decide what you want to pursue choose the one that fits perfectly with your plans and skills.

  • Understand the demand in the market

Innovation is greatly appreciated when it comes to fashion. The more unique your products are, the more customers you lure in. Otherwise, why would they bother buying your products when there might be hundreds of other potential sellers out there?

Since fashion is diverse, it’s better if you target a certain niche. Think about what age group you are more comfortable with. It could also be just catered towards one gender or the other. There are a lot of aspects to keep in mind when choosing your target customers. Consider the socio-economic and psychological aspects as well when deciding on a target market.

Along with your customers, you’ll also have to pay attention to your products. Be thorough when it comes to the product. Ensure that your product is both comfortable and trendy while being reasonable in price. If your product doesn’t stand out or is of poor quality, your business is less likely to not gain any profit. It is very crucial to understand the competition of the industry and also the importance of marketing throughout your business.

  • Determine your skills and contacts in the fashion industry

It is almost impossible to run a business alone. If you want to a successful entrepreneur, you’re expected to have strong relationships with influential people in the fashion industry. Aside from that, some traits and skills are also needed to turn you into the perfect businessman. 

Note down your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to business. This will help you figure out where you need additional help and where you don’t. A degree in fashion might provide you the knowledge but it isn’t enough to run a company. Time management, financial management, leadership qualities etc. these all are very important skills that complete a business owner. Thus, before starting a business, it’s essential to assess your skills.

As mentioned above, you can’t run a company alone. There are many sectors in a company and if you feel overwhelmed, take advice from someone who is already in the clothing business. If possible, make someone more experienced, your partner who can guide you through the common mistakes.

Slowly but steadily branch out your departments: PR, stylists, photographers, accountants, etc. Don’t worry if you don’t have these contacts, you can visit fashion events to collect more information.

  • Make a business plan

A business plan is mainly a statement that records your business goals. This is the most important part of your business. Estimate your total expenses and sales per year through costing and create a minimum budget that would be required in order to get the business running.

A good business plan not only helps the entrepreneur to set a target and take the necessary steps in order to make it possible, but it also aids in achieving both the long term and short term objectives of a business that makes it successful.

There are many ways you can fund your company. Few of them are mentioned below-

  1. Money from investors (also known as venture capitalists). They will also become owners of your business and get some percentage of your profit.
  2. Long term loan from a bank which is considered as non-current liabilities. These types of loans can be paid after a year or more (with interest). Taking long term loans will not decrease your current ratio (current assets/current liabilities)
  3. Short term loans. You’ll have to repay these loans with interest within a year or less.
  4. Money from family and friends.

However, keep in mind that it is important to keep a balance between your debts and incomes. Taking too much loans can drive your business to bankruptcy.

  • Making your product

If you’re going for private label business or want to manufacture your own products, you’ll have to look for a manufacturer first. If you’re just starting out, find a manufacturer who has a low MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) since it’s not a very good idea to start off with a huge manufacturing order when starting your business. Here’s an infographic to make it easy for you to understand how the process will work.

Once you’re ready to start sourcing, here are five ways you can source your clothing.

  • Selling your products

This is another aspect that depends truly upon what sort of business you have. If you want to e-commerce seller, you’ll have to make sure your products stand out among all the others. You can also look for distributors that are interested in selling your products and are perfect for your clothes and fashion. Look into what is popular in the country you will be selling. Blank t-shirts for example, are universally popular for the most part.

You have a whole lot of opportunities when it comes to a fashion business, make sure to use these wisely and make the most of it. Attending events or trade shows might help you to promote and sell your products. Other than that, take orders from distributors or clothing stores and print catalogs for them.

It is also essential to establish a good rapport with bloggers and influencers that can bring attention to your brand.

The fashion and apparel industry has more to it than it lets on so beware of the challenges that it throws your way. This is where marketing comes in. A good marketing technique can allow your sales to go sky high.

Research your target market and conduct surveys to understand how you would attract a fair amount of customers. Listen to what your customers say. Reviews are very important and do not hesitate to ask for your customers’ feedbacks before making any major changes to your products.

A successful fashion business consists of the perfect balance between passion, skills and knowledge. It is very crucial to plan out your every step and know that there’ll be a lot of challenges to overcome. Let your passion and determination lead your way into a successful fashion business!


Writer Bio: Yusuf Ahmed is the chief supply strategist at NewThread. NewThread helps businesses establish an apparel supply chain here in Bangladesh, by sourcing the right factory for the product from our network of certified factories, following up with inspection and shipment.


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Five Branding Secrets for A Fashion Startup That Is Poised To Succeed

21 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Fashion Branding

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

brand color, brand identity, brand story, brand value, branding, fashion, fashion brands, Fashion Business, fashion designer, fashion industry, fashion labels, fashion startup, Fuel4Fashion, inspiration, logo, startup fashion brand, startup fashion label, value propositions

 In any business, branding establishes the core identity that guides companies in making choices and sells the product or service. Often, businesses fall back on their brand values to make crucial decisions about their operations.

However, nowhere else is branding as relevant as it is in fashion. This is because simply put, your brand is an expression of what you stand for, which in turn is a form of expression for the many hundreds of people who will be buying, and wearing, your clothes.

Quick question: If someone were to cover up your brand’s name and just show the logo, how many people would be able to identify it?

Sounds silly, but this is how houses such as Louis Vuitton or even aggregators like Myntra have made their mark in the world of fashion. Without further ado, here are five branding secrets that will set you on the path to sure brand success.

How to select a perfect brand name and logo

Selecting a perfect brand name and logo for your fashion brand

  1. It is more than the logo. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In fact, logo design is the very last bit of an exercise that often takes days to complete. A good branding agency fleshes out everything about your business and then designs collaterals based on that information. Compare this to creating a logo first and then finding an explanation for it. See the problem?
  1. Start small. It is an excellent idea to have a grand vision. However, all grand visions start with a humble beginning, and that applies to branding as well. You do not need multiple standees, name boards, coffee mugs and backpacks right away. Indeed, producing these items can get quite expensive. Instead, consider what you need to get started- what the consumer will see. Then, expand with time.
  1. Be consistent. Do you have multiple different cover images and logo patterns for various social media accounts? We probably don’t need to tell you that that is a bad idea. In the beginning, you want nothing more than consistency. Consistency is what builds recall.
  1. Your branding is not your brand. Branding is an action, much like wearing clothes to an event. Branding in itself does not change your brand’s voice or purpose. Instead, it helps to bring out the finer details and accentuates that which you already do. Don’t ever think that your brand is limited to a style guide or a proposed Fifth Element. A person will always be more than the clothes they wear.
  1. What’s your story? Every good brand has a story. And not just any story, but one that’s worth investing in. Remember, everyone who interacts with you is paying you in more than currency- they’re spending their time. You need to give them a compelling reason to do so. Chumbak’s story is creating souvenirs that are distinctly Indian. Wearable eccentricity is The Quirk Box’s brand story. You can see why it might resonate with travelers, and millennial, respectively. What’s your story? Your brand name often finds resonance with your brand story.

At this point, you’re probably wondering how you should go about the daunting task of telling your brand’s story.

Experts in the industry agree that even before you start selling, you as a fashion label must have a strong brand presence.

So don’t buy swatches with your first startup sixpence, but the story of your ‘why.’

Fuel4Fashion now offers branding solutions for fashion startups. For a consultation on the way forward, please write to me at supriya@fuel4fashion.com


Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer and Brand Consultant helping fashion brands to create great products from idea to launch. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram


 

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Introducing Guest Blogs On Fuel4Fashion

03 Saturday May 2014

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in General, Styles & Trends

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

fashion blog, fashion blogger, fashion designer, fashion industry, guest blog, guest blogger

Thanks to your support and encouragement, the Fuel4Fashion blog now has a growing tribe of followers on various social media platforms, from across the world. We have tried to keep giving all of you insights into what is trending in the industry and build up Fuel4Fashion as the go-to place for getting an idea of emerging global fashion trends as well as insightful information about the fashion industry.

As a result, over the last few weeks, we have been receiving numerous requests for guest blog posts from a variety of sources. In order to bring more quality content from the fashion industry to the community, we are now starting a guest blog section. This will feature articles on topics similar to the ones we have been bringing you, but from a variety of authors from the field of fashion. Do keep in touch for the latest in fashion trends from across the world.

Image Courtesy: http://goo.gl/3n6Vj7

Image Courtesy: http://goo.gl/3n6Vj7

The first guest post will be up on Tuesday this week. For those of you who’d like to be a part of the guest blog section, do write in to me at supriya@fuel4fashion.com.

Cheers,

Fuel4Fashion Team

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Indian fashion industry – Part 1

10 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by Fuel4Fashion in Fashion History, Prints & embroideries, Styles & Trends

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

apparels, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion industry, freelance fashion designer, India, pattern, Product design, product development, Ritu Kumar, surface embroideries, tech pack

India has always been the paradise for fabrics and woven cloths. Even the primitive Indus valley civilization in the 5th millennium knew how to spun, woven fabrics. But with the awakening of fashion sense, the industry began as an exclusives enterprise of independent designers. In this era there have been modifications to the printing techniques and designers started including traditional prints like block printing and tie dye in a very traditional ways which suited only the local audiences then.

Image

Traditional tie and die painting
Image Courtesy: http://goo.gl/I8Z6qJ

India’s fashion industry hits it’s all time high in 2012 with designers like Suneet Verma, Tarun Tahiliani, and Ritu Kumar becoming the interest center of the world. The National Institute of Fashion Technology celebrated its silver jubilee in 2011 and celebrated a time when it has produced its first batch of designers.

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Indian Ethnic Block Print Skirt. Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/gDShqV

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Batic print Hippie dress in pure cotton. Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/TjXSAe

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Ritu Kumar design 1990
Image courtesy:http://goo.gl/xO5D9v

Designers after a while started using mixed concepts to give a retro appeal to their garments. Indian fashion world that we see today have expanded to new horizons with fashion designers using different types of embroideries in a fusion way. The way the traditional prints were incorporated with the modern designs, people became more and more interested in them than ever. While most of the traditional embroidery and prints have not been much favorite of the designers earlier, the Zardozi’s kept the mills running. Beautiful zari work on garments entered mainstream fashion industry but earlier they were considered to be rich and unaffordable. Also traditional dresses became a hit and the embroidery became the U.S.P of the industry.

Image

Indian fashion Industry blooming
Image courtesy: http://goo.gl/E8PJz5

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Traditional Bead work. Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/GpGyLQ

Mirrorwork-1

Mirror work. Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/FGGzC3

Mirror-work-by-deepak-perwani

Mirror Work. Image courtesy :http://goo.gl/xYH8N4

Apart from Zardozi, India is also among the top exporter of fashion and its concepts. Big UK fashion houses and Federated Stores have been known to shop from Indian markets. Since India offers cost-effective manufacturing as well as low-cost labor, international fashion houses love to manufacture their fashion products here. A lot of laces, zippers, buttons that are seen sewed on the ‘branded’ garments are actually sourced from India.

ZAR1

Traditional Zardosi work. Image courtesy : goo.gl/IvZhhe

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Long Coat with Kashmiri hand embroidery. Image courtesy: goo.gl/hnYpDr

India has always been a warehouse of beautiful prints and skilled workforce. Designers in the 21st century are utilizing these resources in a more intelligent way to suit their global audiences.

Malini-Ramani-at-Wills-India-Fashion-week

Malini Ramani at Wills India Fashion week. Image Courtesy : http://www.maliniramani.com

To know more about the inclusion of east and west stay tuned for the next post on Indian fashion Industry which is to be followed soon. If you have any questions then sound off in the comments section.

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