4 Secrets Of Success For Fashion Startups.

The question every business wants to know is will they achieve success, and that's no different for fashion startups. During my consultations and mentoring sessions, I get asked a lot if I think a client's idea is a good one, so here are my tips on success for fashion startups.

1. Have Belief.

First and foremost, you need to believe in your idea, brand and product. If you're feeling half-hearted about it then it's not the road for you. The clients who have most success are those who relate to a passion in their life. You might be a gym buff who's dream is to see your brand worn in an athletic setting. Or how about your passion for yoga? Do you live in your studio apparel and want to launch your own line?

Starting up a new fashion business takes courage, determination and commitment, so make sure you're choosing something that will spur you to keep going.

2. Understand Your USP.

In business circles you'll hear that you need a U.S.P. to become successful. But what is that and how does it relate to fashion? A unique selling point is something that sets your brand apart from the rest of the world.

This U.S.P. can come in lots of different formats and relate to both the product and the business. Some examples of what can make a business unique are:

• your products fill a gap in the market

• your prices bridge a gap in the market 

• the way you sell is different

• the types of fabrics you use are unique

• your brand supports a charity

• your brand is ethical in trade and manufacturing processes

• your brand is eco-friendly, organic or fair trade

3. Innovate.

I'm always amazed by my clients when they come to me with an idea for something totally new, that's never been seen before.

Innovation is a great way to boost your success. If you've tried to buy a product and couldn't find it, then you've identified a gap in the market to fill, and that's half the battle. Chances are, you're not the only person looking for that product, and there is an untapped marketshare waiting to buy it. You just have to get it out there!

• Clothing that includes new technology or fabric development

• Garments that perform a function

• Apparel that is for a certain age, size, body type

• Clothing that solves a problem

4. Be an improver.

Another set of clients that do well with their startups are those who take an existing idea but make it better. Perhaps you love a particular type of apparel but wish there was more choice on offer. Maybe you feel certain brands or markets are lacklustre and need a boost or refresh. You might already use a type of product and realise it doesn't quite perform how it should. These are all things you can improve upon by:

• Making garments fit better

• Manufacturing with more premium fabrics

• Offering a better choice in styles

• Improving how a product performs eg. in the gym or outdoors

• Giving customers more accessible price points

• Injecting fashion into a stale market

If you have an idea for a fashion startup, and want to chat with an expert or get help starting, just get in touch for an initial consultation here or drop me a line info@thefashionexpert.com

Michelle Ramsay

The Fashion Expert®

www.thefashionexpert.com

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Client Spotlight: LIA M.W

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of working with Aurore Martins, CEO of LIA M.W on a womens' polo shirt range tailored exclusively by women.

Copyright LIA M.W

Aurore is originally from France but now resides in Ireland, and wanted to create a label with a subtle combination of traditional clothing and new fashion trends.

The whole process was really fun for me to work on, right from our initial consultation where we discussed the design ideas, the viability of the brand, and Aurore's concerns and questions regarding launching a fashion brand.

Next came the design stage, creating colourful prints ( which are still to come) as well as feminine yet colourful polo styles which were different with their cut and sew panel detailing, contrast details and trims.

With further consultations we prepared for dealing with factories, sampling and production.

I recently interviewed Aurore on what it's like to set up a clothing line and here is an overview.

Can you introduce yourself, your position and your brand

My name is Aurore Martins and I’m the company director of LIA M.W clothing label.

I’ve recently launched this label that I’ve imagined and created with three amazingly skilled women : Michelle Ramsay, a 15 years experienced fashion designer;

Violaine Malie, who is a very talented web designer; and Trazanne Norwood, an award-winning professional photographer.

This fashion label is a subtle combination between traditional clothing and new fashion trends.

Our first summer collection features four elegant and very girly polo shirts.

Copyright LIA M.W

What do you sell and who are your customers?

LIA MW. polo shirt range has been tailored exclusively by women and for women.

We specialise in women polo shirts. All our designs are unique, timeless and elegant.

Our polo shirts have been designed to be comfortable to wear and to last for decades in your wardrobes.

And our future collections will also feature more items to complete your looks (such as jumper, chinos…).

As mentioned earlier, LIA M.W celebrates women as creative team members, but also celebrates women around the world.

Indeed we will donate a considerable amount of our net profits to a charity, which helps women accessing to education.

What was your background prior to launching in the fashion industry?

I have been working in sales for years before creating my own marketing company three years ago.

What I love the most about my job is the fact I am now able to create/offer services and customer experiences I truly believe in.

Copyright Michelle Ramsay Design Limited

What drove you to set up your brand?

I have always been interested in fashion. I also love creating, being able to see my ideas come to life.

I have been thinking about launching my own brand for a couple of years. However, I was too busy to really work on it.

But last year, something triggered in my mind. After giving birth to my son Leo, I suddenly felt the need to focus on what makes me truly happy. I was finally ready to take up this new challenge !

How long did the launch take from concept to product?

It has been a long process!

First, I took some time to gather all my ideas, to create a business plan and set up the business.

Once I knew exactly which direction I wanted to take (and aware of the fact I am not an expert), I have hired skilled professionals to help me in this process.

We have worked hard on every single before seeing this concept come to life!

To sum up, I would say it takes some time, hard work and determination to launch a new brand.

Copyright LIA M.W

What have been your main challenges with regard to being new to the fashion industry?

To my mind, the hardest part is to get some visibility.

Being new to the fashion industry means starting from zero, and building brand awareness is not an easy task.  

Which of my services have helped the most and why?

Fashion design : Launching a brand wouldn’t be possible without and skilled fashion designer.

Michelle is very talented and she has been very patient to bring my ideas to life.  

Mentoring : our sessions covered different subjects such as project timelines, manufacturer selection, sampling, visibility / brand awareness.

This mentoring  helped me having a better understanding of the fashion industry, and to prioritise tasks.

What are your plans for the brand in 2019?

My plans are to build brand awareness by focusing on social medias and marketing, and sell the first stocks.

Then if everything goes well, I would like to launch a wider range of products for the Autumn / Winter collection.

You can see more online at http://lia-mw.com/

and follow the label here https://www.instagram.com/lia_m.w/

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Client Spotlight Rose Bay

I recently worked with Rose Bay, premium men's swimwear brand providing consultation, factory packs and general guidance on the manufacture process. Joe and the team were great to work with and had such a refreshing business model.

Copyright Rose Bay

Can you introduce yourself and the brand?

I’m Joe Viner, the co-founder and CEO of Rose Bay, the tailored swim short brand offering customers a high-quality product at a fraction of the cost of our competitors.

Rose Bay was conceived to help guys look better on the beach. While living in Australia, I would see first-hand how bad some of the swim shorts being worn were. After looking into the industry, a few boutique brands we’re trying to sell a high-end product that would mean men look good on the beach and transition into a bar or restaurant without looking out of place. The problem was that these limited options were priced incredibly high at around £150-£200 – hardly accessible pricing.

With that in mind myself and two others (Harry Simonis and Charles Kedwards) set up Rose Bay with the goal of creating a tailored swim-short taking inspiration from the Sydney beach culture and lifestyle. Using exactly the same materials as the brands charging £150+ but with a fresh innovative design.

Part of this mission was to incorporate price transparency so the consumer could see exactly where their money was going.

What was your background prior to launching in the fashion industry?

I worked in Wine and Champagne importation in the UK and Australia.

What drove you to set up your brand?

A gap that we saw in the market for a brand of tailored swim shorts that could transition from beach to a bar without a 5-7 x markup that had become common place.

Copyright Rose Bay

How long did the launch take from concept to product?

11 months. It took so long due to the sampling phase of the process and making sure the factory suited the company and quality the product needed.

What have been your main challenges with regard to being new to the fashion industry?

Both of my partners are a lot more experienced in the industry than myself. So with any issues that encountered or questions I had I would refer to either of them or you.

The main challenge that Rose Bay has encountered is finding a factory/ manufacture that could bring our vision to reality. This was the most time consuming and also frustrating part of the 11 months from concept to launch.

If you could go back in time knowing what you know now, are there any changes you would have made to how you started out with the brand or launch?

We’ve made a fair few mistakes on the way and taken a bit longer than we’ve wanted but that’s all part of the process. I do wish we’d come to you sooner but apart from that I wouldn’t change a thing.

Copyright Rose Bay

Which of my services have helped the most and why?

Your help with the design and in depth technical packs allowed us to begin seriously sampling our vision in a way we had struggled to beforehand. Not only that but your willingness to answer questions and queries that you thought were probably a bit silly.

Is there a top piece of advice you’d give other startups considering launching a brand?

Do it!

The one thing I hear all the time from people when discussing Rose Bay is their own idea and vision for a startup. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these people don’t go through with it.

We now live in a time where brands are born out of bedrooms. Brands like Gymshark using Shopify are taking on some of the most established brands in the world like Nike and Adidas. All you need is an internet connection and an idea.

What are your plans for the brand in 2019?

We have various new colours and products in the pipeline.

We plan on taking the formula and brand behind redesigning tailored swim shorts and applying it to other summer products becoming a store that specialises in summer fashion wear for men.

You can shop with Rosebay and find more about their brand values here:

https://shoprosebay.com

https://www.instagram.com/rosebay__/

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