END-TO-END FASHION DESIGN : A GUIDE FOR THE FASHION ENTERPRENEUR

End-to-end fashion design: A guide for the fashion entrepreneur

With the growth of e-commerce through platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Jabong, many would-be fashion entrepreneurs found an opportunity to fulfill their aspirations. While fashion holds the potential to create a successful business, it is not as easy as it seems.

Fuelled by 24/7 social media, celebrity and fickle media hype, consumers' fashion interests are changing more quickly than ever, meaning that product lifecycles are continuously accelerating – making it difficult for fashion retailers to keep pace with the demand.

What to look for in a solution for your fashion business:

·         Research on the right collection:-  A depth research on the right collection as per the market is a key for a successful beginning for any entrepreneur.

·         Fashion forecast :- Forecasting the future demand for particular styles, fabrics and colors is an important aspect of the fashion industry. There are many portal which can guide you for the right kind of styling for the upcoming seasons.

Various methods of promoting the products:-             

·        Weekend markets, beach side shops :-  Beach side shops and weekend markets offers a vast variety of shopping opportunities.

·        Sell at Art Fairs or Craft Fairs :- Selling your clothing line at a street fair will give you instant gratification. The customers pay retail prices and you get the money right away. You also get the interaction with your customer which is deadly important.

·        Sell Online:- You can set up your own online store, of course, or sell on Etsy or a similar site. But beware! Just putting your product up online will not make it sell. There is a lot of marketing involved to get traffic to your site and get your product off the shelf.

·        Sell at trade shows:- Trade shows require a hard-sell approach. When attendees show interest in your booth, approach them immediately and invite them to learn more about your products or services.

·        Sell through Trunk Shows :- Trunk shows for New Designers as a way to sell your line.  The advantage of a trunk show to designers is that you get access to all the customers without having to do ALL the marketing. And even better? You get to meet the customers and get feedback from them re: fit, style, colors etc.

·        Sell to Boutiques :- The great thing about selling to boutiques is that you can really build a relationship with the buyer because she is often the owner. This type of continuity can make you and a retail shop “partners” in this business which can really help in a few ways; if you deliver late one season, for instance, and getting valuable feedback from the buyer about your line.

·         Hire a Sales agent :- Hire a sales rep to distribute your products to different stores.

·        Sell to Department Stores :- Definitely not recommended for new lines. The water is shark-filled and this sales avenue should be avoided until you get your sea legs – after a few seasons