How can I create a fashion brand line?
Posted on March 18, 2021
Here are the basic steps to creating your own fashion line pcs by pcs:
- Conceive of your designs. You can use drawings, photos of inspiration garments or existing garments you want to alter and reproduce.
- Have patterns made. Be prepared to pay $150 or more for each pattern. These can be made on paper or in an autocad fashion design computer program.
- Sourcing your fabrics. You can make a prototype using random or locally purchased fabric but it’s better to make your prototypes in the fabric you’d like to use in production, then you won’t have to redo it again later in the actual production fabrics. Wholesale fabrics cost less than retail fabrics, but sometimes there are minimum yardage requirements. You can always use the extra for production or more prototypes later.
- Have prototypes made. This step is the most frustrating. Most designers don’t realize things don’t always work or fit in reality the way you draw or think they will. This step may take a several alterations to get your ideas refined to a garment that can be cost effectively reproduced. Once you’ve got an approved prototype then you can move to the next step. This is also one of the most expensive steps. Plan on paying $150 for a simple design or more for complicated designs, per version to a good seamstress. Otherwise learn how to sew and do this yourself to save a ton of money.
- Once your designs are where you want them to be and in your final fabrics, you can use them for runway shows and photo shoots, pre sales and marketing.
- The next step is a preproduction one of having your patterns graded into the size runs you want to carry.
- Technical Specifications (Tech Packs) are also required to ensure your designs are being built to your specifications with all of the correct fabrics and notions.
- Having Marker Patterns (or cut sheets) made will optimize the laying out and cutting of your fabrics to ensure the highest efficiency in production.
- Now find one or more production houses to cut and sew your designs. Try Maker’s Row – Manufacturing, Sourcing, Production Education for USA companies.
- Have a factory or production house sample made by sending them a sample garment and pattern so they can give you an example of what they can produce for you. There will be a charge for this.
- Turn around times, logistics, availability of fabrics, customizations, minimum order quantities and other important factors should be considered before making your final decision for production.
- You’re also going to need to have all the appropriate brand labels, sizing and washing instruction labels made.
Sales and marketing of your line is an entirely different subject.
