What’s your most important marketing asset as a fashion brand? And often the most underused? It’s your email list. It’s the people who subscribed to hear more about your brand and buy from you. And the truth is, most fashion startups aren’t using email marketing as often or effectively as they could be. Yes, it’s […]
Here’s a mistake I see happening in the fashion startup space all. the. dang. time. The designer spends months sourcing fabric, getting samples / patterns made and interviewing production partners. Until finally, their supply chain is set up and they’re ready to launch. Except for one little problem… They don’t have an audience to launch […]
Let’s say you’ve found the clothing manufacturer you want to work with to produce your products… You think it’s going to be a great fit. You have a good feeling about their communication style. And all of the personal references were stellar. Now what? What questions do you need to ask before signing a contract? […]
You know the expression, “The customer is always right.” Well, I’ve worked in two industries where I don’t believe that phrase applies. The first one is bartending. (Spend 15 minutes pouring drinks at 1 am and you’ll know what I mean…) The second one is clothing manufacturing. Why? Because when it comes to new designers, […]
Here’s a scenario that happens all too often: You find the perfect fabric for your product or collection — it has the perfect drape, the perfect weight, it’s made from the perfect fiber… It’s 100 percent the fabric you want to use until… The supplier says: “That fabric has a minimum order quantity of 1,000 […]
Do you know which part of building a fashion brand takes the longest? Fabric sourcing. In some cases, finding the perfect fabric can take six to 12 months. Why? Well, not only are there tens of thousands of different fabrics on the market but in some cases, you’re looking for a needle in a haystack. […]
Can I share something I’ve noticed about fashion startups? After 10+ years working in this space, there is something different about the startups that succeed and the ones that never really get started. The fashion brands that launch, make sales and grow those sales, started out with one specific thing: A clearly defined problem that […]
When I was starting my fashion brand do you know one of the first rookie mistakes I made? I know, it’s hard to narrow it down to one ; ) Having no prior experience in entrepreneurship and being very new to the fashion industry, the first mistake I made was writing a 40-page business plan. […]
If you’re in the early stages of building a sustainable fashion brand… Or if you’re currently selling, but struggling to manage inventory… Then you won’t want to miss tomorrow’s Live Show. I’m going to be talking specifically about the business model that Fast Company says “could save fashion.” Not only could this business model save […]
Do you know if you’re a ‘starter’ or a ‘finisher?’ I was listening to a podcast the other day with a business coach who was saying that when it comes to projects, goals and the things we set out to accomplish, some people are ‘starters’ and some people are ‘finishers.’ You’re a starter if you […]
