How to Turn Your Fashion Designs into the Next Big Thing
Got a beautiful clothing line but no one to buy your clothes? Unless you’re exceptionally lucky, simply being talented and having a great eye for design will not be enough to get your fashions from hobby to profit-churning status. Luckily, there are ways to get things done on your own that can get your clothes off of the hanger, and onto peoples’ backs.
So don’t let your designs sit in a closet gathering dust! Utilize these important tips to get your fashion line moving in the direction of a catwalk.
Create a solid business plan
We don’t want to rain on any fashion parades, but there’s a huge chance that if you don’t have a business plan, your designs won’t have racks to fly off of. Put aside real time to sit down and get it on paper – defining specific goals for your business and understanding your strengths and weaknesses will get you closer to earning a profit. You can read about how to create a business plan for fashion designs here.
Research is crucial
Once you’ve created your business plan, you’ll have a better idea of who your competitors are. So what are they up to? Get into the habit of looking up the items they’re selling, how they’re priced, what marketing tactics they’re using, and more – and all on a regular basis. Will you want to provide similar items at a lower cost? You may find you’ll want to alter your line in order to stand out and gain a competitive edge.
Staying on top of your game doesn’t just mean watching for fashion trends. Keep an eagle eye out for small business tips that you can source good ideas from and apply to your own iniative.
Build your Brand
What pops into your head when someone says ‘Calvin Klein’? Is it underwear or something else? Most likely, it’s a gorgeously airbrushed celebrity wearing not much more than underwear that have Calvin Klein’s name plastered all over. This is not by mistake – CK has done a fantastic job of creating a strong brand. Ask yourself: what would you like to have pop into people’s heads when they hear your brand’s name? Try to decide what you want your designs to really communicate, and then stand by it. Be sure to create a logothat you can use on all of your tags and items and marketing materials, and make sure it fits your aesthetic.
Create a beautiful online portfolio
If you follow through with the first steps on this list, you’ll likely have decided how and where you want to sell your clothes. No matter which route you choose to go, only selling in boutiques or online (or both), you will need a website. Part of reinforcing your brand means that your site should follow the same visual story as your clothes and brand, with your new logo, the right color scheme and more. Luckily, this doesn’t have to take up a lot of your budget; Wix gives you endless website options so you can showcase your line in its most flattering light and customize it to fit your brand’s needs.
Check out these beautiful Wix templates for Fashion Websites
Start blogging
Fashion blogging has become big business, and it can go a long way to not only further your name, but help you become an authority on certain topics. Blogging also gives you a great opportunity to speak directly to your readers and solidify the voice of your brand. And, if you’ve got a Wix website, you can easily add a blog in a matter of minutes. However… once you get blogging – don’t stop! Posting regularly works wonders for your site’s SEO, and your readers will likely be happy to keep coming back if they know you post often.
Promote your line
This is a very important step. No one will know they even want to buy your clothes if they’ve never heard of them! Make your presence known by taking an active role in marketing your clothes.
Get social on all the right channels. Create accounts on the best social networks for your line(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest are big ones) and commit to them. They won’t do much for you or your line if you simply open an account and don’t update them regularly. Make sure to take friends and family up on offers to help spread the word and don’t be shy to ask them do so, either.
Get the word out by investing time and even some money into a proper marketing effort – we suggest going the online route and linking to your website. Check out how to do this here and here.
Use ShoutOut to build your email list and send out beautifully branded newsletters to keep your fans up to date and hungry for more.
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