5 Ugly Truths About Starting a Fashion Brand

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The simple truth is not everyone has what it takes to start and grow a fashion design brand. Here are 5 things to consider so you can learn from other people's mistakes.

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[phoebe]

I have nothing to do with fashion or product development but my algorithm knows I love videos about competent people passionately talking about their niche 🙏

[niamhtoday]

"If you fail at something that everyone swears is so easy to do in 3 easy steps, that's so damaging for your psyche" This video is giving me everything I need right now. I have been working on my brand for 3 years, launched 10 months ago and have made 4 sales. I felt like such a failure but the truth is I haven't completely worked out my angle because it's hard - you need to cover so many bases - especially if it's just yourself. Thank you Zoe.

[lrbolotin]

I’m on my first venture with made to measure handmade toddler shoes. I am testing different designs with a group of toddlers and the first round I had issues with 80% of the samples! This is not a walk in the park; if you want to offer a quality product, it won’t be overnight.

[autumn_b]

I took a sewing class at F.I.T. and it was not easy. But I learned a lot about constructing a garment. You are 100% correct about needing to be educated in fashion design. It's a must

[gnanivla]

I am a graduate from the school where Zoe taught. One of the instructor taught me to do research by going to high end stores and feel the clothes. It helps me a lot as a designer, even now im still doing it for my brand and other clients

[stampcrab]

Nerdy journey and junky junk need to be part of my dictionary. This channel is always delightful to listen to, with business insight and an authentic voice. Great for fashion consumers such as me as well, not just fashion designers tuning in!

[ajm]

This is so real!!! This is the Kanye "HOW SWAY" conversation in a nutshell. You can't come from a world of selling screen printed t-shirts from your trunk and tell me it's so easy to run a non T-shirt based multi-million high street fashion brand. 😑
I work in corporate fashion for a very well known global brand and I always tell young designers to get a corporate job to learn all the pieces you will be missing before going out on your own! It's INVALUABLE to learn how to build a production calendar, to understand retail quality standards, to learn the legal and logistics side (your import duties can be so expensive due to one small styling detail and there are lots of labeling regulations you have to follow for safety and to avoid litigation), to understand costing and to get familiar with how much something should cost to make, to understand fabric and garment testing, and to make some vendor/ factory relationships!! It's especially important when working with overseas vendors to learn the tone and expectations you need to set early with anyone you are paying to help you produce a product. Everyone will take your money and give you garbage if you give them garbage directions to start with (it's a HIGHLY garbage in garbage out industry!!!) and don't even get me started on branding and marketing. I also tell them it's expensive to start so focus on making ONE thing REALLY WELL and build from the sales of that - I usually reference Cult Gaia and how they went from selling one bag for YEARS to having a full fashion brand now.
I can't tell you how many people are just like WHY DON'T YOU JUST START YOUR OWN THING? I haven't because I fully understand what it takes to do it well!!

[lissettehurtadoschoel]

Honest advice. Please make a part 2! 💎

[allangradus]

Love to see a video which explores the quality of luxury price point clothing and difference in construction if possible?

[aphrodisiakon]

I almost spat out my dinner when you said you will change your name to "Stop making shit". 😂Hahahah. Thanks for the video! Feels much better to have my feet planted back in reality once again. Back to the drawing board I go. 😊

[JillianSiobhanMal]

So much truth in one video! I feel like the only successful fashion-y small businesses are alterations and sellers on like Etsy that do an only few items in different colors. It’s a very expensive skill to even just practice for the most part.

[A.R.W-fz]

So glad you said all these things, they're so pertinent to that experience and I've not heard ever enough conversation about it

[fortysomethingbadgirls]

Its amazing how many fast and easy videos are made and put on YouTube these days. I guess this is how fast fashion got started....lol. Nothing worth doing is fast or easy when quality is in the equation.

[KaysFantasy]

Whenever someone tries to sell me something and acts it's AMAZING and it'll be soooo easy! I think of it as the good old (Sketchy) Snake Oil. 🙄

[SachikoMiwako]

Thank you-thank you for this informative & helpful content.
Am trying to start my fashion brand & it's truly hard... 😅😅😅

[fihourigan]

Thanks Zoe. Love your straight-talking with a sense of humour. Fashion is my hobby as I never pursued a career in it even though it's a strong passion of mine. You might hear from me at some point.

[triumphantakobi]

This is so timely! Cause I'm currently running a bespoke fashion brand but i intend to do full time Ready to wear and this is so so timely.
Thank youuuu!😍

[Neveryoumind-oo]

Some fabric suppliers do good deals on remnant bundles which can be really useful as it's a cost effective way to get your hands on lots of different fabric types to play around with. Colour and pattern isn't important it's getting the feel for the drape and hang and how it sews up.

[alexanderpons]

Another fantastic and insightful video, thank you Zoe Hong! Love that you specifically mentioned that we need to take into account that the cost of sources from a bigger brand compared to an unknown make a difference. Far too often I hear people who want to create items and they use X Brand as their point of reference blinding them to think that that is the final cost they will pay for the item to be made, but when you are a small/independent vendor your cost it's not the cost of a bigger brand. Ms.Zoe Hong rain on our parades all you want, we can be delusional quite often!😄

[lydiahnduku]

This was an eye opener as a small business fashion designer, 2 years In business but it's not easy for sure . I really needed this