If you are a startup, it is always difficult to know where to start with regards to budget planning. Sample development is the foundation that decides the timeline and the cost of your end product.

Let's find out how you can plan your sample development costs.

The idiom ‘How long is a piece of string’ comes to mind when we consider how much money start-up fashion-preneurs will need for sample development.

However sure you are about your design in regards to fabrication, fit and finish; extra costs will always be incurred during the sample developmental stage.

Any design changes and fit amends will incur additional costs than your original quote and any meetings with freelance makers to discuss these changes will also need to be worked into your costings.

It would be a wise move on your part to add a buffer for additional costs which could increase from anywhere between 25 -50%.

If your costs don’t increase then at least you have saved yourself some money. Should they increase...

Fashion industry professionals including small business owners, students and representatives from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) were among the crowd at a sell-out event in Manchester on Wednesday, 29 July 2015 to discuss whether goods being made in England really matters.

They were gathered for The Fashion Network’s panel discussion Made in Britain – Who Cares? An informed debate followed, regarding several questions about the past, present and future of UK manufacturing.

Dessy Tsolova, Utelier founder, was joined on the panel by James Eden of Private White V.C., Paul Alger of UKFT and Denise Pearson of Deni-Deni. Around 10 people in the audience were involved in brands that are made in England, and so were able to offer their own experiences and question the panel.

A resurgence of UK manufacturing

The panel was asked by event Chair, Dale Hicks of The Fashion Network, if there was a resurgence in UK manufacturing and there was a mixed ...

Not so long ago, starting a fashion brand wasn’t so easy. Those who were involved in fashion brands often had families already involved in the industry. Many of the designers were employed to design and the few independent brands that existed were the result of many years spent apprenticing at larger brands and learning the ropes, as well as forming industry relationships.

But, this all changed with the onset of the Internet. Today we are lucky to live at a time when the barrier to entry for virtually any industry is non-existent.

The reasons that may have stopped most people from launching their own brands in the past were mostly centred around the difficulty of finding factories. But today there are many online directories and resources to use and find local and offshore manufacturers.

Sourcing of materials is also easy to do. There are big international trade fairs as well as many local smaller sourcing events.

The fear of how to market and sell your product is no longer an issu...

Kickstarter is the most popular choice of platform, and for good reason – it is simple, easy to use and can be very effective. There is somewhat of a formula for why some Kickstarter campaigns succeed and why some don’t, and here we’ve rounded up some of the top tips.

In recent years crowdfunding has become one of the key ways in which small businesses can raise essential funds to either start up or launch a new area of business or product. While in most cases you may not raise as much as money as you would by using an investor, crowdfunding means not parting with any equity

While for more developed business it might be a case of spending money to make money, from a Kickstarter campaign you can just as easily create a successful campaign with very little start-up cash – and this is what we’re focusing on here.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION IS KEY

You would be mistaken to think that the hard work starts when your campaign goes live. In fact, the opposite is true – the time leading up to ...

Launching and running a product-based fashion brand more often than not revolves around the creation of collections. The quality of these collections and the consistency of that quality and presentation, is what sets successful brands from the rest. It is also what businesses are, rightly or wrongly, judged on.

[embed]https://youtu.be/08mCHIBsjMw[/embed]

“You are only as good as your last collection” is something we often hear in the industry. Don't get hung up on this. The fashion industry is famously fickle, biased and often trend-driven, so it is vital to know how to design a commercially strong fashion collection that is cohesive and makes sense to buyers.

In the end, you will find a to-do list to create a strong fashion collection.

You are only as good as your last collection

What does a commercially strong fashion collection mean?

A commercially strong fashion collection is essential regardless of whether you are selling direct to consumers, in person, in your own retai...

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_mMbV5bM2c&t=1s[/embed]

QUESTION:

When should I look for a manufacturer - before or after the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign I plan to do, to raise funds, to launch my business?

Astrid, Oslo (Norway)

Hey Astrid, great question!

Launching via a Kickstarter type of crowdfunding campaign is a great new way to leverage the power of the internet and use as a fuel to propel your business forward.

However, it is extremely important to understand that in this day and age when we are all used to instant gratification, keeping up the momentum in your launch and business, in general, is of utmost importance.

For this reason, as well as many others, it is important that before you launch your Kickstarter campaign, you have not only made a sample to use in your promotional materials but also:

1. You'll need to have secured and know exactly from where you'll be purchasing your raw materials for production. Have agreed on prices and checked up t
...

QUESTION:

Initially, with how many varieties, style, colours and sizes, shall I launch my business?

Sanghamitra from India

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX1hxI_luNU&t=31s[/embed]

Before I answer the question, let me tell you something I tell everyone - all - the - time!

Building a fashion brand is like a Black Hole. No matter how much money you pour into it, there is very little chance of any coming back to you - sometimes for a very long time and sometimes - EVER!

So, with this in mind, my advice would be, (especially if you are new to launching your brand if this is your first fashion brand or you’re new to the fashion industry as a whole) to start small and slow.

After you have designed to your heart’s desire and researched into your target customer and defined your target market, show your sketches and ideas to some of your Perfect Customers and get some initial feedback.

Then pick one product that you have identified as a “winner’ and make it.

Try not to make mor...

QUESTION:

I have an idea for a clothing fashion brand but I don’t know where to start. What should be my step 1 that’s the most important to do at the start?

Anna from Madrid

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3RDVZtY-0w[/embed]

What a great question!

Your first step needs to be checking if there is a market for your idea? Most businesses fail because the founder/ designer wakes up with an idea that they think is amazing and become focused on bringing it to market, before checking if the market wants it or even needs it.

So your number 1 step to start a fashion brand should be to validate your idea.

Do some research online and by going to shops (if you live in a location where you can easily visit shops) and make a list of your potential competitors.

• Make a note of who they are and why you consider them competitors?
• What products do they have that your potential future product will compete with? Why? How would your product idea be similar or different from theirs?
• A
...

QUESTION:

I am most interested to know how to connect to brand buyers in boutiques and keep them interested in intro emails when pitching my products. I make and design handcrafted women's outerwear in the slow fashion sector.

Arianna, Paris

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xm8r00ERx8&feature=youtu.be[/embed]

Hi Arianna,

The best way to connect with retail buyers and fashion boutique owners is to send them an initial intro email and introduce yourself and your brand. As buyers get so many of these daily (they can get up to 10 speculative pitches a week and sometimes more; via phone, email, and post and sometimes in person), it is important to keep in mind the following points:

• Give them a reason to want to read your email. Think about the subject line of your email and how it will be relevant to them, their speciality, interest...etc
• Keep the introduction letter or  Press Release brief - the maximum ideally is one page long. Break the text into relevant paragraphs to ma
...

QUESTION:

I want to start my own clothing brand and I’d like to start working on the designs but I can’t sketch. I know exactly what I want to create but not sure how I’ll communicate my ideas on paper to the people I will work with. I can trace but I’m scared that’ll lead to copyright issues. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Alice, Belgium

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHuUnzyxGMU&t=36s[/embed]

Hi Alice,

Firstly - you should know that many famous designers can’t draw either. A great example is Paul Smith who openly has spoken about not being able to draw.

But learning how to communicate your designs and draw is just a skill that, with practice, can be acquired and improved on.

Drawings and sketches do not have to be perfect.

What is more important is that they communicate the elements and ideas that are important to you and the design.

Another useful and practical way to communicate your designs is to use reference images that contain the elements you...