Fashion Industry
Holding Promotional Events for Your Fashion Business
By: startafashionbusiness.co.uk
It’s all well and good to send out promotional items and appear at fashion shows, but if you really want to draw attention to what you’re doing with your fashion design business, you’re going to need to run your own events. These can be held for your business launch, when you bring out a new apparel collection, or in celebration of notable successes. They’re an opportunity for you to distribute promotional products and make an impression on the people who really matter.
Of course, the worst thing you can do is to invest a lot of time and resources in an event to which hardly anybody turns up, so it’s important to plan carefully and to advertise effectively. You can use the fashion press for this, but it’s also a good idea to advertise your event at trade shows and by sending promotional items to buyers, retailers and modelling agencies. When you’re more established it can be advantageous to make your events seem more exclusive, but as a new company you should invite people at all levels of the industry. Personal invitations are generally the most successful, and you should be sure to invite everybody whom you’ve directly done business with.
Putting on an Event
The first thing you need to get right when planning an event is the venue. Avoid the temptation to use your own premises, where there’s too much chance of valuable equipment and fabrics getting damaged, or to use your own home, which - unless it’s huge and spectacular - looks unprofessional. If possible, choose a venue with a bar, as most people in the fashion industry like to drink. By arranging a tab with the bar you can offer free drinks to the first few people there, always a good way to get the party started. Of course, as people get drunk they’re more amenable to persuasion, so this is a great opportunity to talk to them about your fashion designs. Needless to say, make sure you don’t get drunk yourself.
Make sure that some of the people at your event are wearing your designer apparel, whether they’re professional models or just good looking friends. It’s important to keep everybody’s minds focused on what the events is about, even whilst they relax and enjoy themselves. This also helps to create a bit of glamour. You can add to the effect by decorating the venue with large pictures of your work. Promotional products like catalogues should be easily available. Make sure there’s a photographer present so that you have some pictures of your event available for future use, especially if well-known people from the fashion industry attend.
You will usually be able to buy materials for your events, such as invitations, decorations and catering supplies, at wholesale prices provided that you identify yourself as a business customer. It’s normal to provide some food at promotional events, but a couple of plates of sandwiches will suffice, and you can always save money by making these yourself. Some venues will offer them for free.
Informal Events
Formal events are not the only way to draw attention to your fashion design business. Sometimes it’s beneficial to break the rules and use an informal venue to gain extra attention. Make sure you have permission to do this, especially if it’s in a public place, and tip off the press before it happens, but let it surprise the public.
Informal events are sometimes held in partnership with stores stocking a particular designer’s apparel, as they’re a great way to boost sales for everybody. They need to be glamorous, so get models involved. Impromptu fashion shows in unusual places are a great way to capture the imagination of the press and the public alike. Distributing free promotional products to the public will help them to remember what the event was about and will make them feel extra good about having been there, encouraging them to spread good word of mouth about your work.
Whatever type of event you go for, make sure that it looks good and that it feels fun to be a part of. For your own part, you’ll probably find it exhausting, but it can be a very effective way to put your new fashion design business on the map.
Persuading Retailers to Stock Your Designs
By: startafashionbusiness.co.uk
If you want to make serious money with your fashion design business, you’re going to have to sell the clothing you produce to shops. Women’s clothing is the largest sector of the fashion industry and women do most of their shopping in person, even if they look at photos of clothes which interest them in magazines and on the internet first. But how do shops choose what apparel to stock? How do they identify potential suppliers? And how can you persuade them that your fashion designs are worth taking on?
Getting Noticed by Clothing Retailers
Ultimately, the only way you will get your work into shops is by producing strong designs with real sales potential. But even if you have those, how can you bring them to retailers’ attention? There are four major ways to approach this:-
- Attend trade shows: Larger retailers, and some small ones, regularly attend trade shows to look for the next big thing in fashion apparel. They’re interested in well made, distinctive clothes which will fit in with upcoming fashion trends.
- Send out catalogues: Good quality photos of your fashion designs, along with thorough descriptions, may persuade retailers to request sample apparel from you or even to place orders directly. Target your catalogues carefully.
- Visit shops: There’s no point in trying to sell your clothing directly to large fashion stores, where the people who choose suppliers won’t be present, but nothing beats personal contact with smaller shops. Do your research first and show them that you understand their business needs.
- Network: Attend fashion-related events and social gatherings and talk to people there about your fashion design business. Exchange business cards and be sure to follow through promptly with a call. Be friendly and make a good personal impression.
Once retailers have seen your work, you’re halfway there. Provided it’s well made and suitable for their own target markets, they may well consider it. Now’s the time to make sure they do. Be pushy. You don’t need to be rude, but you shouldn’t be too polite either, because the competition won’t be. Make sure retailers don’t have the chance to forget who you are. If they show an interest but don’t take on the first set of your designs that they see, contact them every time you have a new clothing collection available.
Keeping Retailers Happy
It’s an exciting moment when you get that first phone call in which somebody says “yes”. You’ll feel relieved and ready to relax a little, as if the big struggle is over - but in fact it’s just beginning.
Once a retailer agrees to stock your fashion designs, you need to negotiate a suitable contract and make the arrangements for delivery. In most cases you won’t be expected to provide a large amount of stock in the first instance, as the retailer will want to wait and see how they sell, but be realistic about your production capacity - it’s better to set a date slightly later than the retailer’s ideal than to let the retailer down by failing to meet that date. Every retailer deals with suppliers in a slightly different way, so try to establish what delivery arrangements will suit them.
Sometimes new designers provide clothing to small shops on a sale or return basis, meaning that you get paid only when your items sell. This reduces the risks for the retailer and makes them more willing to experiment, but it can be a risky strategy for you and should be used only as a last resort.
Once your clothes are in a shop, keep in touch. If possible, visit from time to time. Ask how sales are going and try to pick up on any customer feedback. If your work is selling well, keep the retailer informed about your future plans. As soon as you have placed one fashion collection you should be thinking about placing the next one.
Finally, never rely on just one retailer. Some retailers will try to establish exclusive deals. Limit them to having, at most, an exclusive option on one particular collection or in one particular locale. If a relationship with one retailer breaks down, you want to have others still selling your work so that your fashion business doesn’t go down too. Keeping up with retailers will keep your busy, but that’s business!
Finding your Target Market in the Fashion Industry
By:startafashionbusiness.co.uk
Many people enter the fashion industry brimming with ideas about the things they want to create. Ultimately, however, fashion is a business, and in business it’s not what you want that matters - it’s what your customers want. To be a success you need to match your own abilities as a designer with a section of the public which wants those designs. You need to establish your target audience.
To find your target audience, you first need to think carefully about the type of garments you intend to make. There are several things you should consider:-
- What type of person are they aimed at?
- Is that person male or female?
- How old is that person?
- What size range are they looking for?
- How much do they want to spend on clothes?
- Are they looking for high fashion or a favourite classic style?
The chances are that you’ll find your initial designs are actually targeted at a lot of different people. This isn’t a bad thing in itself - it gives you the potential to expand later - but it’s impractical when you’re just starting out. To develop a customer base you need to produce consistent work which will continue to appeal to returning customers. You need to narrow your range.
Identify your Customers with Market Research
If you’re not sure which designs to develop, finding out more about what potential customers want can help. Although it’s possible to commission market research, this can be expensive, and nothing beats talking to customers yourself. It’s easy to take a notebook and pen and go out at the weekend to your local high street to talk to shoppers about the kinds of clothes you’re interested in making. You may feel shy at first but you’ll soon get the hang of it and you’ll find that, if you’re friendly and take your time with them, ordinary shoppers can make all kinds of useful suggestions.
Once you have some finished work of your own, take every opportunity to gauge other people’s reactions to it. Wear it yourself if possible, and encourage your friends to wear your designs. Remember that you will probably get more positive than negative feedback in this situation (because people will think of it as a personal matter and won’t want to insult you), but you can still use this information to help you work out what sort of person is attracted to your work and what aspects of it they find most appealing. When you sell your clothing, make sure you pay close attention to what your customers are saying about it. You shouldn’t get into arguments but you should always be willing to listen to criticism.
When you’re selecting your target market, it’s important not to let fantasies about the fashion world get in the way. It may be that the people most receptive to your designs are not the people you’d ideally like to see wearing them. Remember that doing good business is the most important thing at this stage.
Consider the Competition
Although customer interest is the most important thing to bear in mind when choosing what audience to aim for, there are still other important factors to consider. Chief among these is the competition. It’s highly unlikely that, as a newcomer, you’ll find yourself able to compete in the most crowded areas of the market. It can be useful to work out if there are customer groups which are currently under-provided for, and start there. You can always branch out later.
Competition is always tough for new fashion businesses, but if you target your work effectively there’s no reason why you shouldn’t find a receptive market waiting for you.
Using Fashion Trade Shows to Promote Your Designs
By: startafashionbusiness.co.uk
There are two sorts of marketing which most followers of fashion are aware of - selling directly to the public, and promoting high fashion designs on the catwalk. In reality, however, the fashion industry is largely structured around a third - the trade show.
Trade shows occasionally include catwalk fashion shows, but they are not open to the public and the press are rarely invited. They are aimed at bringing together designers and retailers to see how they can help each other. You’ll find trade shows advertised in the fashion industry press (different from mainstream magazines about fashion) and on the internet, and you’ll hear them discussed at networking events. Before you consider going to a trade show, find out which buyers are expected to be there. Booking a booth at a trade show costs money (anywhere from £15 to £200, depending on the size of the event), so you need to know that it’s likely to be worth your while.
Actual goods and money rarely change hands at trade shows. The aim, for booth holders, is to generate sales leads. Be ready to talk enthusiastically about your designs and make potential buyers feel welcome. If you’re lucky, you’ll collect some business cards with numbers which you can call the day after the show closes. Always make your calls promptly. Buyers will see lots of other designs at the show and if you’re not quick about things they may forget yours. If you have a card but can’t remember much about the person it belonged to, check the official list of buyers present and do some research.
Setting up a Trade Show Booth
A trade show booth is not like a stall in a marketplace. It’s unlikely to get crowded and potential buyers won’t be willing to look through lots of garments hung together on rails. The emphasis should be on display. There are several things you should prioritise:-
- Display the right items- Take just a few of your strongest designs - ones which look good together - and use mannequins to show them as they would look when being worn. Have a catalogue available for buyers who want to see more.
- Create the right atmosphere-Bring fabric to drape around your stall, covering up tables and hardboard walls. A banner featuring your name and logo will make you more memorable.
- Make your work look good- There are usually floor ports available for plugging in electrical devices, so you can use spotlights. If you can afford it, a plasma screen television playing a short advert for your work will really get attention.
- Have interesting things to take away-As well as your business card and promotional materials featuring your work, you can offer free sweets or small promotional items. These will help buyers to remember you and feel well disposed towards you.
Making the Most of Trade Shows
As well as giving you the chance to promote your own work, trade shows present a great opportunity to take a look at other people’s. Despite the high pressure environment, you’ll find that most people at trade shows are friendly and you may pick up some useful tips. At larger trade shows you’ll meet designers whose target markets are very different from yours, so that you’re not in competition, and they may be willing to trade business secrets. Trade shows are great for networking so do your best to be nice to everyone and collect business cards when possible - you never know when they might come in useful.
Attending a trade show can be a nerve racking experience, especially the first time you do it. Just remember that most people there will be feeling stressed too and will be trying to deal with last minute problems - at events like this, things rarely go precisely to plan. If you remain calm and ready to improvise, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make a success of it. Many buyers go to trade shows specifically to look at the work of new designers, so you won’t be short of opportunity.