What are the steps to starting a new clothing line? When should the trademarking process occur?

Question

Finding manufacturers? How to get retailers to buy your line?

Answer 1

You've got two issues here; let's tackle them one at a time.

Re: Trademarks

Prior to investing your time, money & effort into a name, it is strongly advised that comprehensive research be conducted to ensure that the name you're interested in is truly available.

This entails searching the pending & registered Federal and State trademark files as well as the US National Common-Law files. Then, if clear, you can decide if you would like to file for a Federal or a State trademark.

Research is needed to make sure your trade name is legally available, before opening, before expansion, before incorporation or before designing your logo. Similarities in sound, appearance and meaning affect you too!

To register a trademark, contact either your Secretary of State for a State trademark or the US Patent & Trademark Office for a Federal trademark.

If you are only conducting business in one state, then a State trademark is most appropriate. If you conduct business in at least 2 states OR between the US & any other country, you can file for a Federal trademark.

I posted some handy links for you below.

Re: Clothing Line

The clothing industry, as you can well imagine, is a very competitive one. To succeed takes knowledge, patience, talent and a bit of luck. As far as the knowledge bit goes, I found some sources that will assist you further.

Associations may be a good avenue to explore as well. These organizations will address many of the thoughts, questions and concerns you'll inevitably have about the clothing industry as well as many you haven't anticipated yet. See the source box for some relevant links.

There's nothing quite like research – the more you know about the clothing industry, the better. There are plenty of free informational resources out there. Check the source box for links to articles.

Also, here are some book titles that may interest you:

* The Official Step-by-Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line by Jay Arrington,
* The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing, and Marketing by Leslie Davis Burns
* Fashion for Profit (Revised Edition with Retail Chapter) by Frances Harder
* The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: An Insider's Look at Starting and Running Your Own Fashion Business by Mary Gehlhar

Launching a Product book titles:
* New Product Launch: 10 Proven Strategies by Joan Schneider, Jeanne Yocum
* Winning at New Products: Accelerating the Process from Idea to Launch by Robert G. Cooper
* Launch It!: How to Turn Good Ideas Into Great Products That Sell by Molly Miller-Davidson

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What are the steps to starting a new clothing line? When should the trademarking process occur?
Finding manufacturers? How to get retailers to buy your line?

Answer 3

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Answer 4

You may start by reading the article "Starting a Clothing Line or Apparel Manufacturing Business" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol66/clothing.htm The article contains information on the startup steps, knowing your market, how to enter the market, the question of production and financing the business

As soon as you decide the name of your clothing line (which can be different from the name of your company), you can immediately start the process of registering your brand name as a trademark and logo. I suggest you consult an attorney to help you in the search for availability of brand name.

With regards to marketing your clothing line and getting retailers to buy them, here are some tips from the article "How To Market Your Clothing Designs to Local Stores" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol75/Clothing.htm

1. Once you've put some of your ideas into sketches, pick two or three of your favorites and create prototypes/samples.

2. For many beginning designers, creating a prototype is an eye-opening experience. The more complicated the design, the more costly the labor to produce it.

3. Once you have your samples, make sure they're properly finished and will stand up to handling and careful inspection by prospective buyers.

4. If they do, get out your phone book and make a list of the department stores and/or boutiques in your area that sell clothes or accessories similar to what you've created in terms of style and price range.

5. Call the store's buyer and make an appointment to “show your wares”.

6. Show your samples. If he or she is interested, they might place an order.

7. Create a purchase order.

8. So what if the buyer doesn't like your designs? Then go back home and call the next buyer on your list. Then the next. If you're getting lots of “No's”, it could be that you haven't properly targeted your market in terms of style or price range. Open up your phone book again and look for more appropriate outlets.

For in-depth information, you may want to read the following books http://www.powerhomebiz.com/bookstore/clothing.htm

The Official Step by Step Guide to Starting a Clothing Line
Start Your Own Clothing Store (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start Up)
The Business of Fashion: Designing Manufacturing, and Marketing
The World of Fashion Merchandising
So You Want to Work in the Fashion Business? A Practical Look at Apparel Product Development and Global Manufacturing
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing
Fashion: From Concept to Consumer

You may also want to check out the resources of the following associations:

Professional Apparel Association http://www.proapparel.com
American Apparel Producer’s Network http://www.usawear.org/
Worldwide Responsible Apparel Manufacture http://www.wrapapparel.org/
American Apparel and Footwear Association http://www.americanapparel.org/...
National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers http://www.nafad.com/
Fashion Group International http://www.fgi.org
Apparel News http://www.apparelnews.net/

Answer 5

You should file for a trademark or design patent before negotiating with manufacturers or retailers.

As for getting retailers to buy, know their business cycles - most major retailers only make buying decisions once or twice a year for each product. The timing of relevant trade shows is usually a good indicator of when you should be contacting them.

Answer 6

Trademark first. Where do you want to manufacture. Research. retailers buy in many different ways. Go door to door.