Difficulties of starting a fashion brand
For small fashion designers it’s complicated to conquer a place in the fashion industry. Customers are nowadays more critical then ever before and there is always the competition with the large labels. But other than that also the struggle of creating something new and unique again and again.
Because of the struggles that small fashion designers are facing, we started BEHIND THE CIRCLE. BEHIND THE CIRCLE is an online platform were fashion designers from all over Europe can show and sell their collections. The benefits of the platform is that it gains a reach that is larger than a website of an individual designer.
Finance a fashion brand
When you are starting a fashion brand finances will playing a major factor. But even when you already have started.
Finances are needed for manufacturing of stock, marketing, promoting your brand and you need cash flow for the day that you’re business is up and running. Most of the time this will cost more money than you would initially think. You’ll need to generate a capital and this can be the hardest thing of starting a fashion brand you’ll face. Generating a capital can be done by business bank loans, your own savings, friends and family or through crowdfunding platforms.
Customers
Customers nowadays are a lot more picky then they were used to be. They can search everything on the internet so they have a lot more information then before. Other than that it’s harder to be unique because there are so many fashion designers and different styles.
Competition in fashion
The market Is overcrowded with fashion labels from starters till brands that are standing for many years. When you are starting a fashion brand it’s difficult to stand out with all these brands on the market. If you are starting it’s really important that you’re having unique items and having affinity with the business background of a fashion brand.
The business background of starting a fashion brand is more complicated than you will initially think. There are many things that you need to keep in mind by example the purchase of materials. Other than that you need to find a factory where your designs can be produced or you need make every item by hand. But then you really need to put a lot of time and effort in it.
Pricing your products
Other than the chain of producing your collection you’ll also need to think about the price you can sell your products for. You have to take into account the costs you make and the profit you want to make on a product. But you don’t need to overprice a product otherwise it will never sell.
Designing your collection and starting a business can involve many difficulties. More than you would think in advance. But if you have a unique item and you want to go for it, commitment and perseverance are qualities you’ll need. In addition, as a starting designer, you can work together with platforms such as BEHIND THE CIRCLE to have a place where you can show your collection to a larger audience.
‘BEHIND THE CIRCLE is an online platform that was established to offer smaller fashion labels an opportunity online against the violence of the big brands and chains. Here you will only find unique items that are all produced in a responsible and transparent way.’
