Five Tips for Independent Fashion Designers

Fashion design is an exciting world where your creativity can meet the needs of countless of people. Your work has the power to influence society and even comfort those who thought they could never find anything that speaks to their identity. This world can also be brutal and intimidating with different players in the game not owning up to their agreement – which is why you should always get things in writing. As you embark on your journey, consider these 5 tips to make your life a little bit easier.
 
  1. Target Audience
First and foremost, you must know who you are speaking to and what their purchasing power is. Understanding this will help you navigate the marketing world that we will cover shortly. If you know your target audience’s struggles, what they need, how they think, and how they want to shop, you will better understand the ecosystem where your product will thrive.
 
  1. Be Business Savvy: Marketing Your Product
Day-to-day activities can be overwhelming, but you must not let that interfere with your marketing campaigns. It is important that you maintain your visibility online and offline. Design may be your strong suit, but having a good business sense will help you form a talented team that will keep your small business thriving.
 
  1. Create an Emotional Connection
Don’t just sell to your target audience, connect with them on a level that will form a long-lasting relationship. Customers are smart and care about issues beyond a product; if you can align yourself with important values, customers will notice and respond well.
 
  1. Locate a Factory Near You and One You Can Trust
You don’t want to be in a situation where your product doesn’t come out exactly how you designed it because a factory didn’t live up to their advertised capabilities. A factory may ruin an order and end up producing 500 items in the wrong size or fabric. Work with a factory that you can visit periodically to ensure the quality of your hard work.
 
  1. Customer Service
The big companies often lack the personal touch customers expect from customer service departments. This is where you as the small business in this huge industry can shine: you can offer customers better repair or replacement options. You can even offer customizing options that the bigger corporations can’t handle since they mass produce. Great customer service is hard to find these days, giving you another avenue to succeed.