Does anyone know how to start your own clothing line, or who to present it to. I have the clothing.?

Question

I do have the clothing, but how do not know how to put it out there. Can someone please give me exact details of what they think I should do. THANKS!

Answer 1

If you have the designs and the ability to mass produce them, then you need to come up with a marketing plan that focuses on principles of marketing:

Envision a bulls eye with one circle in the center, and the rest of these in a circle around that:

Target Market is at the center: Who do you want to have buy these (as far as age, demographics, location, income level, etc)

Around that you build your plan with:

Product
Price
Place
Promotion

You will need to write a business plan that you can present to potential investors, business partners, vendors, etc so that they know you're serious.

If your funds are limited, then you might want to find an existing line or boutique that will buy your designs and sell them under your label. To do that, you need to do your homework. Who will your products appeal to and how much do you have to sell them at in order to make your own profit while still leaving them enough room in the price to make their own profit.

There are brokers out there who might be interested in helping you, but they charge A LOT.

Personally, I think you may do well to get a following going. Find a boutique that will sell your garments on consignment. You'll get a feel for how things work, what the resellers need, how to meet deadlines, how to market your garments, how to adjust to meet the needs of your target audience. And generally speaking, they're willing to work with a young, unknown designer to bring a fresh product to their clientele.

Answer 2

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

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

Answer 3

Try calling up a fashion magazine and talk to the fashion director..maybe.