HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL FASHION DESIGN BUSINESS

HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL FASHION DESIGN BUSINESS

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After acquiring the necessary skills in Fashion Designing, whether  formally or informally, a serious approach should be taken when starting a fashion design business. All the necessary steps needed in starting a new business should be considered e.g. Having a vision and mission for the business, writing your business plan, having a marketing strategy, identifying your customers and so on.

Here are some few other important things you should consider:

1. Start with a marketing plan that sets out which customers you’re     

    targeting, and how you’re going to approach them.

2. Set the right price. Work out the price by starting with the amount that a
     customer would be willing to pay, then calculate how much you can     
     spend on getting the materials and production that will still make a profit.
3. Pay more attention to feedback from buyers.

4. Be well informed about financial and business related issues.

5. Understand how fabrics move, drape, breathe, react when worn, etc.   Your in-depth knowledge of fabric is absolutely essential to using it     properly when designing. Also know where to source materials from.

6.  Learn from existing designers. You can borrow and build on their ideas.

7. Research trends through media, comparative shopping and trade shows.

8. Downsize your ego. You don't design for yourself, you design for others.

Think about real needs, Don't be too abstract in choosing designs for your customers. Remember that you are not the one that will wear the designs, your customers will.

 Designers are especially needed for people with real, imperfect bodies that still want to look their best.

9. Ask your customers what they need: What do real people need and  want, keep it simple and realistic.

  Extravagant sketches are nice on paper, but great tops and jeans will sell  out in more interesting numbers than evening dresses.

10.  Assess your skills and personality honestly

·        An ability to be self-disciplined, a self-starter.

·        Excellent communication skills

·        Ability to accept criticism

·        Ability to cope with stress

·        A willingness to work very hard (often 24/7)

·        Openness to having many different clients and/or bosses

·        An acceptance that there will be loneliness or isolation occasionally (it depends on how you set up your design business)

Fashion design is not for you if:

·        You don't like uncertainty or instability

·        You can't manage stress well

·        You need other people to praise your efforts

·        You want a career without too many highs or lows

·        You need a lot of guidance

·        You hate being financially unstable and you have too many other interests in life.

Note You need to have these qualities:

·        Highly Creative & Artistic

·        Strong Drawing Skills

·        Good Eye for Detail: it is important for designers to be able to come up with basic drawing and be able to follow through with the details. Details will make your product unique, so this skill cannot be overlooked even if the designer beats the competition in visualizing and drawing.

·        Excellent Interpersonal Skills

·        An understanding of color, quality of fabric and texture

·        Strong Visualization Skills

·        A Good Sense for Business: An understanding of the business world from finance to sales and marketing is essential to becoming successful in the world of fashion. Creativity is the essence of fashion but without an understanding of how a business works, it will be difficult to sustain the business and make it profitable.