They Told Her She Couldn't Do It, But She Proved Them All Wrong: How to Start Your Own Clothing Line from Scratch
When Sara Blakely first came up with the idea of footless pantyhose, experts and manufacturers dismissed her, saying it would never sell. Despite having no fashion experience, Sara spent two years preparing a business plan, conducting research, and seeking out the perfect manufacturing partner. She named her new brand Spanx - and through brilliant marketing and innovative product design, proceeded to build it into a hugely successful shapewear empire. Today Spanx is valued at over $1 billion, proving every naysayer wrong.
If you have a passion for fashion and dream of seeing your clothing designs go from sketchbook to store shelves, don’t let anything hold you back. With the right strategic approach, anyone can start their own successful clothing line. In this article, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process for designing, manufacturing and selling your first collection.
Step 1: Thoroughly Research the Fashion Industry and Competitors to Find Your Niche
When my friend Amy first told me she wanted to launch a line of eco-friendly workwear for women, my first piece of advice was to carefully study the market. Find existing brands that align with your vision or target the same customer. This will help you identify gaps or opportunities to differentiate yourself.
For example, when husband and wife team Kit and Ace launched in 2014, they noticed a lack of technical, performance fabrics in everyday luxury clothing. Coming from the lululemon family, they drew inspiration from athletic apparel and incorporated those technical fabrics into their high-end casual wear. This unique approach allowed Kit and Ace to disrupt the market.
Along with studying the competition, you need to become an expert on your ideal target customer. Defining your target customer will inform every decision - what styles you design, how you brand and market the line, where you sell.
Get as specific as possible on demographics like age range, income level, gender, location. Go beyond surface level and understand their lifestyle, values, aesthetic preferences. What brands do they currently buy? Where do they typically shop? What are their pain points with current fashion options?
Step 2: Create a Business Plan and Set Goals
With your research complete, it’s time to turn findings into an actionable business plan. This includes:
Financial projections - estimate startup costs, operating expenses, sales projections. Build in contingencies for unexpected costs.
Operational plan - will you sell wholesale, online, or both? Outline production timelines, inventory needs and sales/order fulfillment strategies.
Marketing plan - how will you spread awareness and attract customers? What mix of digital marketing, social media, influencers, paid ads, PR outreach makes sense?
Milestones for the first year - set goals for completing designs, finding a manufacturer, launching a website, getting first media coverage. Hold yourself accountable!
Having a thorough business plan is crucial when approaching potential investors. But even if you’re self-funding, the discipline of putting a strategic plan down on paper will pay dividends.
Step 3: Find the Right Clothing Manufacturer
One of the biggest hurdles for new fashion brands is finding a high-quality clothing factory that meets their needs. You want an ethical manufacturer that produces garments sustainably. But they also need the capacity and flexibility to deliver the quantities you require - whether it's producing small test batches or scaling to thousands of units.
Vet Manufacturers Thoroughly
Shortlist a few manufacturers whose capabilities align with your brand and Request quotes for the same sample styles. This allows you to easily compare minimum order quantities, unit costs, production times and quality.
Ask for referrals from any fashion industry connections you have. Check for fair labor certifications and sustainable practices. Tour potential factories in person if possible to vet operations thoroughly.
Don’t automatically choose the cheapest option - investigate why their costs are lower. Sometimes cheap factories cut corners on worker wages and safety or environmental impacts.
Build a Trusted Partnership
Once you select a clothing factory, take time to build a strong relationship. Communicate frequently, provide detailed specifications and feedback. Work collaboratively to refine patterns, fits and technical designs for initial samples.
A trusted manufacturer who becomes an extension of your team will be invaluable as you grow. They can suggest cost savings, production efficiencies and quality control.
Step 4: Design Your First Collection
This is the fun part - turning your creative vision into physical product! Start by defining the overall aesthetic and vibe you want your clothing line to have. Develop your brand story and purpose.
Create Cohesive Styles
Your first collection should feel cohesive, as if every item naturally belongs to the same label. Ensure your pieces share unified design elements like colors, fabrics, silhouettes, patterns or subtle branding details.
Mood boards are a great tool for visualizing your collection inspiration before sketching specific styles. You can also hire independent fashion designers if you need help with sketches.
Focus on a tight selection of versatile, mix-and-match styles that express your brand DNA. Resist the temptation to overdesign - you can always add more styles later as you grow.
Step 5: Produce Samples and Fine-Tune Details
It’s finally time to start bringing your collection to life! Using your final sketches, your manufacturer will create “samples” - your designs sewn in the actual materials you plan to use.
Inspect these samples closely once received - is the fit and sizing right? Do the materials and colors look as envisioned? Are the care instructions and branding tags designed well?
Refine Technical Details
Samples allow you to perfect all the fine details - stitching, buttons, labeling, sizing etc. Don’t be afraid to request tweaks and revisions to get it right.
Creating tech packs will streamline the process - detailed specifications for each style including measurements, fabrics, construction methods, trim and care instructions.
Focus on quality and wearability. If customers are disappointed with fit, construction or materials when they receive orders, your brand reputation will suffer.
Step 6: Photograph Your Designs
You’ve nailed down the product - now it’s time to visually bring your collection to life through professional photography. Well-shot images are crucial for both ecommerce and press outreach.
Hire a fashion photographer who can accurately capture fabric textures, silhouettes and details. Showcase versatility with lifestyle shots, close-ups, and model poses.
Photos should be on-brand - align editing with filter with your visual aesthetics. Ultimately, images need to make customers excited to purchase your designs!
Step 7: Set Up Your Ecommerce Website
Your website is the 24/7 face of your brand, so invest time in getting it right. Choose a user-friendly ecommerce platform like Shopify that seamlessly handles checkout, inventory and order processing.
Make sure site navigation, product pages and checkout promote ease of use. Optimize product descriptions for SEO. Install trust badges like SSL encryption. Accept all major payment methods.
Promote Your Launch
Spread the word leading up to your site launch through social media teasers and email lists. Offer special discounts or perks for the launch period to incentivize purchases.
Continue website optimization after launch - track analytics on customer behavior, tweak product copy, refine images, fix pain points in the checkout process.
Step 8: Market Your Clothing Line Strategically
Your sleek new ecommerce store won’t attract customers on its own. You need to implement marketing initiatives to continually bring in traffic and sales.
Leverage social media: Share brand storytelling and UGC. Run contests and brand collaborations. Just ensure content stays on-brand.
Seed product with influencers: Send free samples to nano or micro influencers who align with your aesthetic. Require sponsored posts in exchange.
Pursue earned media: Pitch your launch to relevant fashion, business and tech media. Securing press features lends credibility.
Run targeted ads: Facebook and Instagram ads can effectively reach your precise demographics. Share new arrivals, sales promos and holiday offers.
Attract organic search traffic: Optimize website content and product pages to rank for relevant fashion and product keywords.
Step 9: Prepare for Order Fulfillment
The exciting part comes when customers start placing orders! Make sure operations are prepared to handle an influx without hiccups:
Have sufficient inventory on hand for your hottest selling items. Reorder from your factory before stock runs low.
Streamline shipping with packing slip automation and order processing software. Arrange discounted shipping rates.
Provide excellent customer service via live chat, email or phone support. Set clear return/exchange policies.
Closely track sales data and inventory levels. Adjust future production runs and inventory planning accordingly.
Building a seamless post-purchase experience ensures happy repeat customers that fuel business growth.
Conclusion
Starting your own fashion label from the ground up is an ambitious goal, but immensely rewarding once you see your vision come to life. With passion, grit and strategic preparation, you can beat the odds to launch a successful clothing brand. Let your unique perspective shine through in every design. Ignore the naysayers, and go prove them all wrong!
FAQ's
How much inventory should I order initially?
For your first production run, be conservative and don't over order. Start with small quantities of each style, somewhere between 50-100 units per style. You can always reorder popular items. Too much unsold inventory can sink a new brand.
What if I have no design experience?
Lack of fashion design skills shouldn't deter you from starting a clothing line. You can hire independent designers to handle sketches and technical drawings rather than doing it yourself. Focus more on your brand vision and aesthetic.
Should I sell exclusively online or try to get into boutiques?
For new brands, focusing on ecommerce sales allows you to reach customers directly and avoids wholesale margins. But boutique partnerships can be great for brand exposure and credibility once you gain traction. Start online, then expand wholesale selectively.
Is expensive fashion design software necessary?
You can create tech packs and basic design sketches with affordable tools like Adobe Illustrator. Expensive 3D fashion design programs provide visualization but aren't essential for a startup brand. Invest in them once you begin scaling.
