With the increase of programs like ‘Project Catwalk’ and various others that offer prizes for winners, more and more people are considering starting their own fashion brand or online shop. These are great for creating enthusiasm and inspiring people but the problem with these programs is that they only show a process that they have createdRead more ⟶
Category: Observations
5 THINGS EVERY POTENTIAL LUXURY BRAND SHOULD KNOW
So you’re thinking about starting a fashion brand or clothing line. You’re looking at business models and think that luxury is the way forward. Is it because you can design clothes with beautiful fabrics and trims? Maybe you like the idea of fame and being on the front cover of Vogue? Maybe you just think its smart business. HigherRead more ⟶
FASHION TRADE SHOWS. ARE THEY WORTH IT?
As a designer in my early years and a brand builder over the last 15 years, I’ve visited many trade shows in my time. I’ve sourced fabrics, yarns, manufacturers, even a client or two, during my casual chats and of course, trend prediction. They were always bustling with the most important people in fashion retailRead more ⟶
WHY EVERY “NO” TELLS YOU SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR FASHION BRAND.
Have you ever approached a buyer, sent a CV or tried to get some promotion to only get a big fat “No”? It’s frustrating isn’t it. In this post I want to talk about how you can change that into a “Yes” and take advantage of that “No” if it comes to gain some great informationRead more ⟶
R.I.P CUSTOMER SERVICE… P.S. IT’S WHY YOUR SALES SUCK!
In this blog post I want to talk about Customer Service, because these days, people don’t even seem to realise what is good and most companies sales are suffering because of it. I’m going to explain why customer service is important. What it does to your brand name and your sales and what you canRead more ⟶
THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE. ARE YOUR PRODUCTS COPING?
As a woman who has just got engaged, planning to marry next summer and a trained fashion designer, dress pressure is high! But being a laid back kind of girl, as is my partner, we wanted to get married outside, in the great outdoors. We’re great lovers of Tolkien and wanted to replicate an eventRead more ⟶
WHAT EXACTITUDE IS YOUR CUSTOMER PROFILE?
Some time ago I was reading an article about a photographer from Rotterdam, Ari Verslui, who was collaborating with a stylist, Ellie Uyttenbroek, to create a series of photos based around the similarities and differences between groups of people who had never met, but shared striking similarities in their appearance. I wanted to share thisRead more ⟶
NEW BUYING TRENDS AND 10 STEPS TO FIND CUSTOMERS
For years the world has been dominated by large corporations and multinational brands, but in recent years that has all changed. The fall of the west, economically, changed everything in retail. The focus for customers has become price since they are all tightening their belts, but in the search for cheaper products, consumers are demandingRead more ⟶
THE 1 MISTAKE THAT ALL TREND PREDICTORS MAKE
So you are probably saying to yourself [if you are a trend predictor] that either you don’t make mistakes, or that there can’t be many. Well of course when you are starting out there will always be a few but these things can be tuned over time. Eventually you’ll learn where to look, what not toRead more ⟶
WHY CROWD FUNDING DOESN’T WORK FOR FASHION!
Crowd funding, sometimes called crowd sourcing, is a way to finance new projects. It allows you to post your idea on a website where people can find it and donate money to the project if they like what they see. The person posting the project details the procedure and states the amount of money needed to get the ideaRead more ⟶
DRESSMAKING IS NOT RETAIL STANDARD
I was having an interesting conversation last week with someone looking to start-up a new fashion brand. They had no background in fashion or retail, which is quite common and actually not as big a problem as many people imagine. To get started, they chose to learn how to make clothes by going to dressmaking classes.Read more ⟶
THE MISTAKES M&S SHOULDN’T BE MAKING
Some years ago I was designing a range for M&S (Marks and Spencer) and I noticed a number of things that I thought were strange. This year their financial report shows that their profits have been down for the third year running, which comes as no surprise to me. It’s tempting to link the slumpRead more ⟶
UNDERSTANDING CHOICE CAN IMPROVE YOUR CONVERSION RATE
A few months ago I gave a presentation about making choices and how this can increase your online conversion rate. The topic was so popular we had a waiting list, enough for a second presentation! The concept has proven to be very popular, and I think you’ll be interested to watch a video about it. If youRead more ⟶
CUSTOMER PROFILES: WHY YOU SHOULD DO THIS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE!
Your entire business, whether it’s in fashion or in general product retail, hinges on the design of your product. You would think then that product design should be the most important part of your business? WRONG! For example, you might have an amazing product with the most incredible fabric, materials or trims, ethical workforce, and a money-saving orRead more ⟶
CRAFT: THE FUTURE OF FASHION
In the last few years, the world of fashion has changed. Large corporations and multinational brands no longer dominate. Because of the West’s economic fall, people are tightening their belts and paying more attention to how much items cost. They’re also demanding better designed products that are made to last. This has led to manyRead more ⟶