LMT Insights | 10 steps to start your own fashion brand

In our second edition of LMT Insights you will get an overview of how to start your own fashion label. We try to break it down for you in 10 steps how you can successfully start your own label. Let's go!

1. Define your target group!

Don't go with the flow and define your own target group, which you want to reach with your fashion, individual prints and ideas. Focus on a group that is not suitable for everyone. This way you can be sure that your competition is smaller and that you are focusing on a niche first. 

 

2. Conceptualize your brand

Discover your fashion home and think about what style of clothing suits you and your defined target group best. If you feel comfortable with your style yourself and are on fire for what you do, you are more likely to pick up your customers. This is where you need to be living your brand 100%.

Work out for yourself what sets you apart from other brands and competitors. Take a close look at your competitors and look for their mistakes so that you don't make them. These mistakes or flaws can already be the first impression of the online store or also appear in the ordering process. 

 

3. Find your brand name

Your name will stay with you for years to come, so think about it carefully. You should make sure that it is easy to remember and not too long. Stay within the range of 4-7 letters. True to the motto "short and crisp". 

It is also important to research whether your name has any meaning in other languages. Here it can become unpleasant for you. 

Furthermore, for each idea for a name, you should research whether the respective common domains are still available (.com / .de / .net). 

If this is the case, you can start the search for example at the DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office). Make sure that there is no patent / trademark protection for this name. 

If the above two conditions are met, secure all 3 domains and register your trademark at the DPMA (word & word picture), then the first big step is done.

 

4. Register a business

A business is quickly registered, but the legal form of your company should be well considered. There are many different legal forms. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. You should consult a tax advisor or business consultant for detailed advice. 

Also find out from your local Chamber of Commerce and Industry whether they work together with business consultants. There are support programs in which the IHK subsidizes this business start-up. This subsidy can be, for example, a percentage of the costs for the business consultant, who will prepare a business plan for you or obtain a founder's loan.  

 

5. Planning your collection

To do this, always keep the phrase "quality before quantity", because your customers should also buy the next collections and be satisfied with your goods.

First create a timetable to proceed in a structured way. Define your goals, when you want to have completed which step and when you want to release your first drop. Here it is important to consider the seasons. Obviously, it doesn't make sense to launch a t-shirt-only collection or a collection of thin, lightweight products in the winter. The planning of your collection must be well thought out in order to be successful. 

Also, you should always keep in mind that your target group buys the clothes, not you. Therefore, you should question your work at every step and, if necessary, research what is currently hot in your target group. To do this, you can use the classic social media and research hashtags, for example. 

Create a mood board and collect your ideas, designs or design concepts. A mood board should represent the development process from the beginning to the finished product and serves as an overview. This includes details like zippers or finishing of your blanks.

Let's move on to your designs. This is where the first impression counts, because your customers buy your products primarily because they appeal to them visually. The quality then does the rest when the customer holds the product in his hand. LEMUTA can take care of the basic quality of your collection. We take care of unique cuts, high quality fabrics and a production with a good working environment for the employees. We take this work off your hands for the blanks and now your designs have to be convince your designs. Basically deal here with the following points: 

- Animals 

- Geometric shapes 

- Your brand name 

- Effects

and much more …

 

6. Find production / wholesale for own fashion production (Clothes manufacturer)

To launch your own fashion collection you have two options, which depend on several factors. One of the most important factors is your skills. If you are technically and professionally skilled enough to create your own measurements & technical files for your blanks and vector files for your prints, you can start looking for a production. However, you will need a lot of good contacts, otherwise they will either not accept you or charge absurd prices. The possible minimum purchase quantities of such productions are usually not to be disregarded.

Optionally you can fall back on us (www.Lemuta.com). We realize your ideas in our productions for you. Depending on your skills, we support you in your product development and take over development steps that you can not solve alone. Please use the contact form on our website or contact us by phone.

Otherwise you have the possibility to use our High Quality Blanks (www.Lemuta.com) and to refine these blanks. As Wholsale for T-shirts, Hoodies uvm. This refinement of our Luxury Blanks you can do yourself, for example at the print shop of your choice or directly through us. In addition, you have no MOQ's (no minimum order quantity) for our Luxury Blanks. 

Our assortment of Luxury / High Quality Blanks ranges from ultra heavyweight hoodies, vintage hoodies to heavyweight t-shirts and comfortable pants. Hereby you have found a Wholesale, which offers High Quality Blanks with the possibility for direct refinement. 

7. Build up logistics network

If the points 1-6 have been done successfully, take care of your logistics network. For this you should consider the following things, so that your flow of goods runs smoothly: 

Have cardboard boxes produced in different sizes. For the beginning 2 different sizes of cardboard boxes are enough. 

Find logistics partners so that the cost of shipping to your customer is not excessively expensive. Simply contact the usual parcel delivery companies. They usually offer special conditions for companies. 

Always ask the logistics partners directly whether the goods are also picked up free of charge. this saves you a lot of work every day. 

Look for a warehouse that offers enough space for your shipping activities and does not take up any space for you personally. 

 

8. Online store

Create an online store and make sure that it is clean and easy to navigate. Do not use optical gimmicks and keep it simple, because the first impression counts. Customers decide in a very short time whether your presentation is suitable for them. You can fail with the best and coolest products if your online store is too slow or too confusing. 

For your online store you do not have to spend thousands of euros with a professional company. There are already easy-to-use modular systems that allow even a layman to create a clean online store. 

 

9. The power of social media

Create a business account on popular platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and the like. You need this social media presence to attract customers to you and your online store. 

In the second step, start creating content for your feed and stories. Don't forget to use #hashtags that match your brand. 

Likewise, you should make sure that your content is of high quality, both visually and creatively, and that it speaks directly to the customer. Less is sometimes more here, so that the customer remembers your advertising and is not flooded by stimuli. 

 

10. Winning customers for you

Social media is crucial for your customer acquisition. This is the key to the success of your business. The world around marketing is complicated and not so easy to learn. The well-known social media platforms are always changing the ad managers, so you can make a lot of mistakes here. Therefore, look for a marketing partner who specializes in fashion ads or use private contacts with experience in this area. You will not get around investing some money here. If you also have contacts with people with great reach, use their platform to give your products a stage. If you don't want to become the face of your brand, find someone who matches your brand's values.