As a designer in the fashion industry, it’s necessary to deal with factories and manufacturers on a regular basis. Whether you use freelance contractors for small production runs or require the services of an overseas factory, one of the requirements of working with them will be to provide a Specification Sheet, in the first instance, followed by a Spec Pack (often referred to as a Tech Pack). Read on to know the difference between a Spec Sheet and a Tech Pack.

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Many industry newcomers struggle when working with factories until they learn what these working documents are and learn to appreciate their importance. On the other hand, larger brands as well as factories swear by these documents and place the utmost importance on their creation and keeping them up to date.

So what is it that these big brands know that others don't?

Let's delve in and demystify what a Specification Sheet is, why it’s produced, what it should contain and how it differs from a Spec/...

Thinking about how to start a fashion business can be the most exciting thing in the world. Designing your dream line, the prestige of selling your collections in renowned stores, droves of customers buying your products, the glamour of seeing your favourite celebrity wearing your clothes, and the pots of money to be made, are surely very enticing.

However, the reality of how to start a fashion business will be something entirely different to your initial perceived idea.

MARKET POSITIONING & DIFFERENTIATION

Amongst the many things to consider is whether your idea has a place in the market.

If it does – then that’s great.

But if it is similar to many other things out there, you need to figure out how to separate it from the pack and make it distinctive.

It’s actually okay to be similar to something that already exists and is doing well, as that just proves its desirability. However, to find customers and perhaps, persuade your competitors' customers to buy your product instead, it...

Fashion product testing enables brands, retailers and manufacturers to ensure the safety, quality and performance of their goods.

Tests can be carried out on items ranging from fabric samples to finished products, including active-wear, apparel for adults and children such as sweaters, sleepwear, outerwear and jeans.

Footwear and fashion accessories such as scarves, belts and bags are also tested. Lest we forget fastenings such as buttons and zips as even these have to be quality and safety assured in order to ensure they’re fit for purpose. These tests are carried out in adherence to a set of Standards which are derived from the combined wisdom of experts in their field.

In every major consumer market, an ever-increasing range of stringent regulations and restrictions for textiles and apparel products are being imposed or are under negotiation. Your products are required to comply with local statutory laws and regulations if you want to sell in a particular market.

Furthermore, fa...

The 2008 global recession has a lot to answer for. Aside from so many fashion brands and retailers closing doors and filing for bankruptcy, many barely survived by adopting a discounting strategy and reducing their stock inventory by heavily reducing the retail price of their products.

The discounting strategy fiasco wasn’t a one-off. It lasted for months if not even years. In fact, one can even argue that it hasn’t stopped ever since.

One thing is certain – the heavy product discounting from that period changed forever it seems the shopping habits of the consumers.

“Bargain hunting” is no longer used to describe an occasional activity, it has become the norm.

Fashion Brands and Their Discounting Strategy

Some brands like the Gap are in permanent discount mode. I am not sure there is a customer left that buys any of that brand’s products at full price anymore. But, make no mistake – this is not happening because they are permanently on the brink of collapse (though a few times...

When starting a fashion business, much like starting any business, there are some rules that apply and are there for a reason. Rule number one is to know your niche. That knowledge is the foundation for any successful business (be it a product or service-based) because it has an influence over every aspect of the company. But, deciding on a niche isn’t always easy. In this article, I will show you why knowing your niche is correlated to the success of your business.

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What a phenomenal time to be alive. Never has it been so easy to launch a business from the comfort of your home, get a global audience and be anything you want to be.

And yet so many fashion brands and businesses don’t make it past the launch line. The lucky ones that do…. Work hard, struggle to keep the business afloat and despite their best efforts, most close their doors a few years later, with not a lot to show for all the hard work put in.

One of the most common reason

...

To launch a fashion brand to a specific niche of customers or market is an age-old tested recipe for business success. To grow your fashion brand is a whole other story. In this final installment of our 3 part series, we show you how to do it and why it is important in fashion to follow and apply what already is proven to work well.

In part 1 we talked about why defining a niche is important for any brand and business and the wide positive effect it will have on your business long term.

In Part 2 we delved and looked into what steps to take once you have completed your research and development and are ready to launch a fashion brand, product or service.

Now it is time to glimpse at when is the right time to expand and diversify your product offer.

To grow your fashion brand, new products and new markets must be introduced. That's true enough!

But when is the right time? How should it be done?

Now that you have launched your brand it is important to FOCUS on growing and establishi...

Infusing your fashion brand with Know Like Trust factor is incredibly important in today's oversaturated designer fashion market. Or any industry for that matter.

Gone are the days when, if you served your customers nicely, helped them over the phone or didn’t make a fuss when they returned something they stayed loyal and came time and time again to buy more from your business.

In today’s day and age, to remain in business you need to create a loyal following.

Read more: The Basics of How to Start a Fashion Business

To do this, you need to stand out from the rest of your competitors.

To do it – you need to connect on a personal level with your audience – with you buyers and customers. They need to know you exist, to begin with, and once they come across your brand, they need to get to know you, get to like you (and want to know more about you and therefore follow you) and in time grow to trust you.

There is a saying that’s often used in business that says: "...people prefer to ...

In today’s oversaturated market, to build fashion brand trust, stand out and build or create a loyal following is not so easy. Not impossible, but not easy compared to even a few short years back even.

For any business to survive not only do you need to have a good product that fills the hole for a clear market need or desire but to generate sales from multiple sources –or be an omnichannel brand – you need to create a trust for your brand.

But trust is not something you can easily buy or hack your way into. Trust takes time to create and establish.

In today’s world, where patience is in short supply and we often feel the pressure to find quick success, creating fashion brand trust faster is important. It means our businesses stand a better chance of survival. So how do you do that?

Further reading: Fashion Branding Basics for Startups

Here are three ways in which a brand can create fast(er) trust with its customers, leverage its core values and purpose as part of an authentic mar...

Fashion pricing strategy is one of the most challenging areas for fashion apparel and accessories brands. For the most part, the challenge is due to product (SKU) complexity, relatively limited item comparability within (especially small) brands and frequent flow of new collections.

Pricing fashion products historically has involved more art than science. Being that most creative are not so number savvy, pricing has led to problems in many fashion businesses.

Today’s consumers are very educated and they really know what they want.

Savvier about price and positioning, more than ever, they are able to easily compare between competitor brands and contrast across all the available options.

This new reality requires brands to be sharper and requires them to spend time to get their pricing strategy right.

What does that mean?

In real terms, it means that as a brand owner you need to be aware of some basic pricing strategy principles in order to ensure that when you do get to do the...

Designing a fashion collection is relatively easy. Anyone can do it. But creating and putting together a cohesive fashion collection that sells requires you to know the secret sauce. Say YES if you want to know the secret ingredients?

Because we live in an age where we all want the recipe and a step by step process to success, below is a list of the top 5 most important ingredients you need to have in order to create a cohesive fashion collection.

RELATED READING: How to design commercially strong fashion collection.

It pays to put some time upfront and think through the elements covered below. Do this and you will reap the results later.

Repeatedly. That sounds good, YES?

Ready to get stuck in and discover the secret sauce?

OK, pay attention and make a note of the key questions below so you can work on them later.

Let’s start briefly by explaining what “cohesive” means – so there is no confusion.

“Cohesive” means something is well-integrated and unified. Synonyms that also can...