#justforfun

Client Spotlight Rose Bay

The Fashion Expert®
Jun 5, 2019
3 min read

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.

Rose Bay Mens Swimshorts — 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.

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.

Rose Bay Mens Swimswear — 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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How to get the most out of my fashion start-up consultations.

The Fashion Expert®
Apr 8, 2019
3 min read

So what exactly goes on in a Consultation with The Fashion Expert®, and how will it help you and your fashion start-up business?

How does it work?

We can condust the consultation via Skype, FaceTime, Whatsapp or just good old fashioned telephone. A lot of clients like a video call because they get to "meet" me a little more, they feel it helps them get to know me and enhances the whole experience.

On the other hand some clients are quite shy to appear in front of a stranger online, so if audio is more your thing then that is perfectly fine.

I always check in with a client on purchase to find out their preferred method of consultation, so we can work that out in the beginning.

Takeaway 1

Choose a consultation method you feel comfortable with - this will help out you at ease if you're feeling nervous.

How long will it last?

A consultation usually last for around 1 hour and that's the time you're booked in for. I'm based in the UK therefore work on London time. I have calls with clients in USA and Australia most weeks, so plan in advance when you can fit in an early morning or late evening call and we can tie up our diaries. It's a good idea to be on time as the hour you've booked starts without you if you're late.

Takeaway 2

Maximise the time you've paid for by turning up as agreed and making sure you have little or no interruptions. It's always a good idea to clear your diary of commitments to focus on you for the hour.

What will I ask you?

In advance of our call I'll request you to send me a brief outline of your business idea, your brand and the types of products you are hoping to launch. This gives me a background into which direction you are hoping to take, and which information might be specialist to you.

It's also great to learn how far you've gotten on your journey into the fashion industry even if that's not far at all.

Don't worry if you're just setting out - most clients are. If you've perhaps gotten further and have hit a stumbling block such as unresponsive factories or poor samples, these are things we can review and make a plan as to how we can get you moving again.

Takeaway 3

A little introduction to your start-up clothing line will go a long way to help me help you. Spend ten minutes putting together some info prior to the call.

What should you ask me?

My approach with clients is professional but very friendly. I want you to feel relaxed with me to discuss your ideas, and also flag which areas you need help with most. It's a good idea to make a list of things you hope to cover in the session, or indeed questions you want to remember to ask me. You can even send this to me before the call if you wish.

Sometimes clients worry they may ask silly questions. In my experience most start-ups want to know the same core information, with some specifics for their business. You've contacted an industry professional to tap into my experience and knowledge, so all questions are both relevant and important. I don't expect you to know much about the whole process and that's completely usual.

Takeaway 4

Ask me all the little things that are troubling you, worrying you or you're just not sure of. Having a list always helps as during calls your mind can go blank. You might also want to remember to take notes - there will be a lot to learn!

What's next?

During the call we will talk about designs, after-all you can't create a clothing line without them. I'll walk you through the design process and explain to you what will happen if you choose to have your range designed by myself. You're under no obligation to do so, and it's certainly not a hard sales pitch, but some of the questions involved will include design and development so it's good to be in the know.

If you'd like to book an initial consultation with me to talk about your ideas, my services and how we can make a plan together to get your fashion brand launched this year then you can do so here.

You can also email me at any time info@thefashionexpert.co.uk

A day in the life of The Fashion Expert®

The Fashion Expert®
Mar 6, 2019
4 min read

One of my main goals in 2019 is to share more about myself. Who is The Fashion Expert and why should you work with me?

I'm not an avid a selfie taker, or one to publish my whole life online, however I realise that clients like to get to know me before working with me so I'll be sharing more of this type of content with you.

One question I'm always asked is how my day works, so this is what a typical day in my UK studio looks like. My days really vary, and are often dictated by what work I have on that week or how quickly clients get back to me about projects. Some days are intensive design and others are very interactive with different clients. But what never fails is the variety of exciting projects and passionate clients. I wouldn't change it for the world.

6AM

I set my alarm early as I'm definitely a morning person, and getting a head start on the day seems to set me up well. I've never been a night owl and wake up early even at weekends. Even if I'm working from home or not seeing clients I'm up early and dressed for the day ahead. PJs work for some people but I need to be in my work mode to feel professional.

6.30AM

Breakfast with my husband. From our dining room we can see out over some local stables, and we are often visited at the bottom of our garden by a horse looking for carrots. It's a relaxing start listening to the birds and discussing our day ahead.

7AM

Admin in the studio with Radio 6. I like to set the early morning aside to answer emails and queries from new clients. I find a lot come in overnight due to clients using their evening for their startup brand side hustle. If I answer them early in the morning they can reply during their commute or morning break.

I check my diary and wall planner to see which clients are booked in that day, schedule the calls and consultations and of course the design work for current ranges and projects. I always need to check timezones to make sure I can speak to clients at appropriate times of day depending where they are in the world.

Finally I check financial tasks such as invoices, and if time permits, head over to see what is happening on social media and read any interesting newsletters.

8.30AM

Design work. Today I am working on a range of mens activewear for a new client so I am taking a few hours this morning to get a good run at designing.

11.30AM

I usually get deliveries around this time, which are often samples from clients, samples for sizing, fabric swatches or anything else related to their design project. I'll receive new fashion magazines such as Vogue and Elle and any new books I may have ordered.

12.00PM

At lunchtime I like to multi-task so often combine my "lunch break" with a podcast or training event. If its a nice day I'll take a walk around the lake in our local park which is very pretty in the sunshine. Today I'm taking part in a social media webinar, as I feel it's always good to keep learning, developing my business skills and staying up to date with improvements I can make.

12.30PM

I have a video consultation with a new client who is launching a luxury womenswear range of dresses and jumpsuits. Having bought my E-Book she's now ready to discuss her ideas and gain some one to one guidance. Working in a completely different sector she is new to the fashion industry. I talk her through a range of things from how to gather her inspiration ideas, how we will work together to plan her range, the design process, the sampling process and how to work with a manufacturer. I love these sessions as every client is different. The best part is the end, when clients feel energised with confidence to take their idea forward and work with me as on their clothing line.

1.30PM

I have a catch up call with one of my clients to go over the designs I created for his mens urbanwear brand. All is good and the designs are approved to take forward to tech packs and sizing specs.

2PM

Deign work continues for my menswear activewear client.

4.30PM

Pilates or Peloton class. Sitting at a computer all day is awful for posture so I try to schedule in some cycling, yoga and pilates into the week to undo the hunch and stretch out. It's also an incredible way to switch off as you can't balance on one leg and think about your to-do list!

5.30PM

I do an hours research on trends, catwalk shows and colour in preparation for some trend reports and childrenswear mood boards I'm curating for a regular client.