Anna Pitchouguina and Claire McElduff are just two of the budding fashion
designers that have been making headlines around the world in 2014. Many people
dream of designing clothes for a living, and they may have new, innovative
ideas that could change the fashion world. However, with such a competitive
industry it can be hard for a new designer to get their voice heard or to get
their latest designs in front of the people that matter the most: the
retailers.
However,
the Internet has helped to change that for many budding designers as people can
now sell online themselves and carve out a niche selling their own style of
clothing, and while this model might work well for some people, for most it is
not a way to earn a living.
Here
are some tips on how the budding fashion designer can get their name out there.
Branding
Before
a product can be sold it needs to be branded. Branding is what makes a product
different to everyone else's and helps it to stand out from the crowd. Without
proper branding, it is not possible to effectively market your designs. So take
some time to consider what the Unique Selling Point of your designs is.
Start
Small
Try
small, independent retailers and think outside of the box. For instance, don’t
just focus on clothing and fashion stores, see if your designs would be a fit
somewhere else. Once a designer has built a steady list of outlets, they’ll
have some idea of the units they can sell and the profits that can be made;
this is all useful information when trying to get the designs into larger
stores and retail chains.
Teel
your Story
Everyone
has a story and sharing the story behind your designs is one way of making your
product memorable. Using the story of your brand is also useful for marketing
and PR to gain further publicity; find blogs in your niche and target local
newspapers that might be interested in sharing the story behind your brand.
Offer
Freebies and Discounts
Offering
freebies and discounts is a great way of gaining publicity. However, don’t
expect all of the people that have signed up for a freebie to become regular
customers. Perhaps offer discounts on the first purchase to get buyers
interested.
Get
Social
Getting
a name out there has been made much easier with social media. It is free to
use, has the potential to reach millions, and can help to build a solid
following of people all keen to buy your designs.
Use
Technology
