All good things must come to an end

Hello, darlings. I hope you’ve all been well and rocking out all your amazing business ideas! As for me, I’ve been busy. Super busy. Crazy busy. Have spent the last few months working on branding for an outdoor apparel company, and designing packaging for a company that produces hair-styling tools, and having tons of fun. I’m also working on a novel, which is in the home stretch of completion. So, I haven’t had a sec to work on this blog, and my assistant has been pretty slammed too. I’ve had to make a hard decision: I’ve decided to lay this blog to bed, and this is my last post. It has been lovely to share all my knowledge with you, and I thank you for your dedicated readership. I’ll be leaving this blog up though, so that you can still reference it (though commenting will be turned off). And I’m still available for consulting on all your branding projects. If you need to reach me, you can email me through this page: http://rocketranchdesign.com/contact.php

If I have a chance, I’ll occasionally post links to articles on my Twitter page as I come across them. I post all kinds of stuff on entrepreneurship and branding there, so feel free to follow me: http://twitter.com/giasilverman

Also, I want to introduce you to my friend Juliet’s blog: http://sanderbrandculture.com/weblog/
It’s geared more at established companies who aren’t really considered “emerging” anymore, but it’s wonderfully aspirational and can help steer you in the right direction as you build your brand.

Thanks so much, and I wish you the best of luck!

Mentors Move Mountains: Seattle fashion entrepreneurs to speak at CRAVE Chat, Oct 17

Niveen Heaton (Adicora Swimwear), Morgan Carson (fashion designer behind Renee Ropas) and Juliet Sander (Sander Brand Culture) will be speaking at Monday’s CRAVE Chat, a fabulous series devoted to helping female entrepreneurs rock all aspects of their business. Monday’s topic will be about how mentorship can help you achieve your career and business goals, by learning from the successes and failures of others. Whether you’re in the fashion business or not, this hot talk will only inspire you. For more info and to register, please go to the CRAVE website. Hope you can make it!

May 19, 2011: Local Couture Designer Luly Yang to talk about Finding Success in Fashion

Hey Seattle up-and-coming fashion designers! On May 19, Luly Yang, Seattle’s very own couture rockstar, will be giving a free informative talk about how she turned her passion into a successful business. I mean, a really, REALLY successful business. Juicy info that every fashion entrepreneur could learn from, no? For time and location information, please go to UW’s Professional and Continuing Education website.

FadMashion.net: connecting emerging designers with retailers & fashion enthusiasts

A friend pointed me to this website, and upon checking it out, it looks like a killer opportunity for emerging talent. FadMashion is a website connecting emerging fashion designers with global retailers, fashion enthusiasts, and global media. Designers can create a profile and portfolio, get exposure for their fashion product, and get feedback on and grow their brand. The creators of FadMashion promise a better user experience than other fashion networking sites. If you’re an indie fashion designer and registered on FadMashion, please let me know what you think. I’m interested in hearing about your experience.

I wish everyone in the FadMashion community the best of luck!

How to get Blog Coverage, Do’s and Don’ts

As a follow-up to my last post, where I linked to an article discussing how an emerging fashion designer used the power of bloggers to get the word-of-mouth she needed to boost her biz, I found a great article that covers exactly how to get that coveted blog coverage. So you, too, can have your very own strategy of blog domination. Rock on. Here’s the link, from SmallBizTrends.com:

5 Dos & Donts For Getting Blog Coverage

by Lisa Barone
_____________________________________________________

A little note: The FCC now regulates how companies and bloggers interact, and bloggers must disclose their relationship with you. Read about it here. Note, the link to the right of the FCC page takes you to short videos explaining some of the guidelines.

Great article: how marketing through blogs helped clothing designer thrive

I love this article about Shabby Apple, a dress company inspired by vintage looks, and how the designer launched her business and connected with bloggers to get her message out there inexpensively. The article also covers other strategic hits and misses, things we can all definitely learn from. But founder Athelia Woolley must be doing something right: after being founded in 2007, the company is now doing a profitable 1.4 million in annual sales.

Read the article here on Crain’s New York:

Hits & Misses: Fashioning a winning strategy

Great advice for anyone wishing to set up an Etsy shop

As we know, businesses come in all shapes and sizes. I found this great article and interview on Etsy about doing your due diligence to make your Etsy shop a success, so you can eventually quit your day job. Practical, actionable, and inspiring. And while your business may be different, it’s definitely advice you can use. I love little success stories like these. Enjoy!

Here’s the link: Quit Your Day Job: johnnyvintage

Gap rebranding causes backlash

Wow. The Gap tried to unveil a new logo, presumably to herald a bold new direction with its brand, but no dice. The huge consumer backlash generated on Twitter and Facebook in response to the new logo shows the power of social media to give a major voice to a brand’s believers. These days, if you’re an established brand, consider ways to involve your customer in major decisions like rebranding, so your customers don’t feel like you’ve left them out in the cold. Talk to your most passionate brand advocates, what do they want?

But, to play devil’s advocate, involving too many cooks can spoil the soup. How do you involve your customers in major branding decisions, while being able to move forward? Do you involve them in steps along the way, but in a very focused fashion? I think that would be the best approach. Give customers a chance to have a choice in the matter, tweet options along the way and get votes for their favorite.

Which reminds me, there is a GREAT book called “Brand Hijack” that speaks to this very phenomenon, the idea that brands are driven by customers’ interactions and not by decisions made entirely by the corporation in question. Case studies for companies like Doc Martens, Birkenstocks, and Red Bull are all highlighted as examples of how brand image were driven by customer needs and wants. Which, I think, is the true essence of a brand.

Read more:

On Mashable:

Gap Reverts to Original Logo After Social Media Backlash

On AdAge:

Gap to Scrap New Logo, Return to Old Design

Want brand longevity? Think “lifestyle.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the best long-lived brands think about themselves as a lifestyle. Tory Burch has done this exceedingly well, and in her interview with Ladies Who Launch (available at the link below) credits the lifestyle concept, and following the lifestyle needs of her customers, with being a big part of her brand strategy.  We can learn so much from Tory Burch.  Enjoy!

Meet the lady who Oprah called “the next big thing in fashion.”

The meaning of color when branding your fashion label

Let’s face it. Everyone has a favorite color. But when branding your emerging fashion label, and choosing your brand’s colors, it’s not enough to simply have a personal favorite. It’s better to have a strategy. As in, what color palette best exemplifies the feeling and psychology of your brand? A well-written brand strategy can help you execute the appropriate color palette for your brand. And the appropriate color palette can help you connect to your target customer on an emotional level.

Consider some following commonly-held assumptions about color:

• Black: depending on the other brand elements it’s paired with, it can be swing from upscale and chic, to modern, and even edgy or goth
• Red: vixenish, vampy, but can also be classic all-American; believed to be good luck in China
• Pink: youthful, girlish
• Blue: light to medium shades can come across as casual and relaxing, while darker shades speak of a conservative approach
• Green: clichéd as the color of the Eco movement

The above examples are but a small fraction of the ideas surrounding the meaning of color. Color trends also come and go at a whim, the challenge is to choose something that has staying power and gives you room to grow. Also, if you think your company may have an international audience, you should also research what different colors mean in different cultures when planning your branding. Wouldn’t you be totally, utterly horrified if your brand’s color meant “bad luck” to an international audience. Eek! (Personal story: I once unknowingly pitched an “unlucky” color palette to an Asian client. I should have done my research before-hand. He accused me of wishing death on his business. I was completely naive, and really mortified!)

How would you use color in a way that’s meaningful and relevant to selling your product?

 

 

It’s official. Emerging designers have clout, thanks to new sales channels.

I love this piece that came out in WSJ.com. It talks about how consumers are experiencing brand fatigue from big luxury brands and seeking something unique in fashion, hence the strong emergence of indie fashion, and websites and TV showcases like Etsy, Smashing Darling and IndieShop that give consumers unprecedented access to beautiful, independently produced goods, while creating a mega-million dollar industry.

Read the article here:

Crafts, Clothes and Clout

Small Designers Reach Larger Audience With Growth of Web and TV Showcases

Why you should never use clip art as your fashion brand’s logo

When starting a new company on a limited budget, it’s natural to cut costs as many ways as you can. There are lots of inexpensive royalty-free art/illustration websites out there that are tempting to use as a source of cheap logo art. But I don’t recommend you do so, and here’s why. First off, because it’s royalty-free, anyone and their grandma has the right to buy the same art as you, meaning that the chances of you ending up with a similar logo to someone else are higher than average. That would be like two starlets showing up at a swank party in the same dress. Never cool and always cause for catfight. But seriously—avoid it because it decreases your originality in the marketplace, and if your company has a look that’s very similar to someone else’s, that’s confusing, right? You want to avoid confusingly similar branding as much as possible.

Secondly, you may not be able to trademark a logo that was created using royalty-free art without getting the proper commercial license from the original artist or art service. Which can cost you extra money that you didn’t initially anticipate spending.

My advice: spend your money wisely on a custom, original logo treatment, and increase your brand’s originality and value. Sound good?

Advice on how to break into boutiques (psst…good marketing materials help!)

This article from CNNMoney talks to boutique owners and industry experts and underscores the importance of things I have been discussing on my blog. Like understanding your target market, having a brand strategy, and well-produced marketing materials (like a beautiful look book) that help the line shine. Look like the real deal, nab those appointments, and rock them out!

Read the full piece here:

“How fashion designers break into boutiques”

Getting down to brass tacks: an emerging designer talks about the business side of fashion

I found this great article on Allison Lewis, founder of the emerging label “Lewis”, where she is interviewed by Smart Money Small Business, and speaks on the business side of fashion and running her growing business in a down-economy. She also discusses getting in front of influential fashion editors, which helped her visibility tremendously.

Read the interview here:
InFocus: A Designing Woman

Enjoy!

Solve a problem, rock your biz

Over and over again, I hear about entrepreneurs in fashion and footwear who leap ahead by solving a problem in the marketplace, by filling a market niche that nobody else has served. Cause Han, founder of See Kai Run footwear for children, did this and is now a smashing success. How can you apply this to your business?

Read about her story here on Ladies Who Launch: http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/magazine/cause-haun-see-kai-run/4763

How Kathryn Kerrigan turned a footwear problem into a successful shoe biz

I love this piece on Kathryn Kerrigan. Frustrated by a lack of glamorous shoe styles in her size, she decided to make them herself. With alot of dedication, smarts, and hard work, she turned her smashing footwear business into a fashion businesss with sales projections in the millions. Bottom line: if you can fill a need in the marketplace, you will have a guaranteed audience. How can you apply this to your business?

Read about it here:

http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/magazine/kathryn-kerrigan-footwear/4513?source=2

How to choose the right model to be the face of your fashion brand

I recently wrote about this topic in my latest business piece for Nolcha.com. When you start a new fashion label and you’re on a shoestring budget, it’s understood that you have to make the most of what you have. But when people are sizing up your brand in the blink of an eye, not only do you have to use every tool to your advantage to get customers to identify with your brand, you have to make those tools work extra hard to meet your strategic goals. This is where hiring the right models comes in. Wanna learn how?  Please read my Nolcha piece here:

The Model Puzzle: Choosing the Right Model to be the Face of Your Brand

Enjoy!

Inspiration from Johnny Cupcakes: How to start a rocking t-shirt business

I love, love, love this piece on Johnny Cupcakes, and how Johnny Earle, a 27 year old from Hull, MA started his T-shirt biz selling fun designs out of his trunk, and built it into a million-plus dollar biz. Quick summary: people want what no one else has. Keep it fun, creative, and fresh. Be smart about money, but take necessary steps to protect your brand and intellectual property. After that, the world is yours.

Enjoy the article from Inc here.

Work it, baby: More fashion trade show tips

A few months ago, the amazing Kathleen Fasanella from Fashion Incubator chimed in on a blog post of mine buy posting a comment with some great links from her website on how to better work the fashion trade shows. Here are links to those tips again, posted front and center for everyone to see.

1. How to promote yourself bef1ore a show
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how_to_promote_yourself_before_a_show/

2. How to promote your line at a tradeshow
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how_to_promote_your_line_at_a_trade_show/

3. What it’s like to exhibit at MAGIC
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/what_its_like_to_exhibit_at_magic/

Tip from Kathleen:

“One last take away, I CANNOT stress this enough:
Make sure your booth number is on EVERY SINGLE piece of material in your booth. EVERYTHING, down to press releases, press reprints you give away, line sheets, order forms, business cards, swag, whatever. If that means you have to order little stickers to plaster on everything, so be it. Seriously.”

And lastly, I found this great interview with the folks who put on MAGIC on Fashion Biz Inc’s website. It also has some great advice on how to work the shows. It’s called “Get the most out of MAGIC!”

http://fashionbizinc.org/blog/selling-at-a-trade-show/

Good luck at market everyone!

Do you really know who buys your clothing?

I love this article that just came out in W magazine. My quick, two-second summary: those who are truly purchasing luxury fashion right now are not the skinny 16 year olds, they’re the established forty-something women with experience and the cash to prove it. Sure, they might like edgy or avante-garde styling, but they also have curves and want to be comfortable. What does this teach us? That in order to survive in this market, you have to truly know your customer. And design just for her. May success then follow.

Read the article here:

Adult Content

Not a cash-strapped, trend-crazed kid anymore? Perfect. You’re fashion’s new best friend.

by Dana Wood for W magazine

Survival of the Fittest: How emerging labels can build more value in the eyes of retailers in a tough economic climate.

My latest article for Nolcha.com contains advice on how emerging fashion designers can impress retailers when going to market for the first time. All info was gleaned from interviews with successful boutique owners. Insider info, just for you. Here’s a quick excerpt and a link to the full article:

As an emerging fashion label launching in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, you are undoubtedly making every possible effort to impress buyers at market and gain a competitive advantage. Chances are, you’ve made a considerable investment in all aspects of your business, from samples and production, to branding, marketing, PR, and sales efforts.

But because of the recent economic down-turn, retail buyers are scrutinizing new labels more closely, and some are favoring tried and true brands over new ones, for fear that new ones may not be as “buttoned-up” and therefore a financial risk. With tradeshow season upon us, how can you show retailers that your label is a good investment? Show them that you’re pulled together and super committed to helping them sell your line. Here’s how….

Read the full article here.

Need inspiration?

Here’s a great article on some young, up-and-coming fashion designers, and how they’re pulling off success in these tough times. They’re not only creative, but smart business people as well. Check it out and get inspired:

The New Guard

By Bridget Foley for W Magazine

Using mood boards to visualize your brand

Mood boards are a tool I use quite frequently with new clients when they ask me to create their new brand image. Simply put, a mood board is a collage of a certain style of imagery that represents the kind of look and feel you would like to portray in the marketplace. You can gather the imagery from various sources, but it is designed to be inspiration only. After deciding on whether to go with the look portrayed in the mood board, you would then hire a photographer to shoot images in a similar style. Don’t forget, the mood board must be a direct execution of your brand strategy, otherwise, it won’t make sense.

I think the best mood boards tell a story. If your brand had a story, what would it be and how would it look? Would it look like a black and white film noir? Or would it look like someone’s romantic travel journal? The possibilities for giving your brand a unique look are endless! Think creatively, and have fun.

5 Reasons why you should be using social media in your fashion business

I just wrote on this topic for Nolcha.com. Social media—word of mouth on steroids— can give your fashion biz the boost it needs to gain traction.

Here’s an excerpt:

Social media is all the rage: fashion brands like Gucci, Rachel Roy and Louis Vuitton are all tapping into this medium to have their voices heard in a free-global marketplace.

At the 9 Festival for Fashion and Photography in London, fashion executives spoke about the impact social media is gaining in their business.

Stephanie Phair, Director of www.theoutnet.com explained the new presence of Facebook and blogging in business. “In traditional media fashion designers and retailers had a push mentality where we told you what you wanted and what your should buy.  Now with social media a push-pull mentality has emerged where customers have a very important voice.”

The beauty of this media revolution is that anyone can participate, from the consumer to the independent fashion designer, yet few fashion brands are embracing the full potential of social media’s impact on their business. Here are the top 5 reasons you should be using social media now….Read the full article here.

Launching a fashion or retail business? Join me at CRAVEbusiness Coffee Chat July 19

On July 19, I will be conducting a Coffee Chat through CRAVEbusiness along with fellow superstar consultant Juliet Sander. It will be an informative, informal, and entertaining session where we discuss the ins and outs of launching a successful biz in the retail, fashion, and beauty industries, and what to expect in your business, over coffee. Here’s the official event description and a link to sign up. Hope to see you on July 19 in Seattle!

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This Coffee Chat is for fashion, beauty, lifestyle and retail business owners (or those who want to be) and will give you a snapshot of what to expect for your first 0-10 years in business, how to get off the ground, and how to use branding, marketing, and social media to your advantage. We’ll also focus on your own individual business challenges and will brainstorm helpful ideas to keep your business growing.

Speakers: Giannina Granata Silverman and Juliet Sander
Topic: Make it happen – Strategies for Launching and Growing a Fabulous Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle or Retail Business
When: Sunday, July 19th, 2pm-4pm
Where: Pilates on 10th, 2351 10th Ave E Seattle, WA 98102
Price: $25 per person

Click here to sign up.

Naming strategies for branding your fashion business

Naming your fashion business is one of the most important things you will ever do. The name of your business, coupled with its visual look and feel, and verbal voice, will set the tone for your business and tell your customers what kind of brand you are.

Here are a few strategies, with some quick descriptions, to help you figure out your own approach.

1) The Artist as Brand
Betsey Johnson. Calvin Klein. Dolce and Gabbana. John Galliano. Versace. Armani. All are named for the principle designer, establishing the feeling that the designer is an artist, and the work is an extension of his or her personality or philosophy. This naming strategy may also be the most distinctive, if your name is unique.

2) Arbitrary/Intellectual
Helmet of the Will. Imitation of Christ. These are obscure, sometimes arbitrary names with a literary feel that may only make sense to the designer. They may also describe an intellectual approach to fashion design, where the design of the garment itself is an intellectual exercise.

3) Evocative/Lifestyle
Agent Provocateur. Miss Davenporte. Rock & Republic. Glam. These names evoke a feeling, an era, or a lifestyle. This naming strategy readily lends itself to visual branding, because it easily conjoures up visual ideas.

4) Literal
Truly Organic Apparel. Sustainable Collective. These names describe exactly what you get when you buy these brands. A good strategy when you need to distinguish your brand based on certain distinct attributes.

There is no one right way to name your brand, use what works best for you. When I work with clients on naming their businesses, we start first by creating a brand strategy and trying to figure out what feeling we want to create with their brand. Then, brainstorming names comes naturally. It should also be one of the most fun parts of starting your business. Enjoy!

The challenges of branding your green fashion business

I just wrote about this topic for Nolcha.com. As green fashion evolves from a hot trend to the status quo (and I sincerely hope it does), how will fashion companies distinguish their brands when everyone is using the same branding conventions? In my article, I talk about branding trends—or clichés—to avoid when creating your brand image for your green start-up. I also discuss logos, naming, and more.

Here’s the link:
The Challenges of Branding Your Green or Sustainable Fashion Business”

Enjoy!

Great article on why Anthropologie is so successful

Thanks to my friend, fashion business consultant Juliet Sander, for finding this great article. My quick read: Anthropologie puts a lot of effort into crafting a creative lush environment for its shoppers, inspiring them to extend that feeling into their own lives with their gorgeous wares and distinctive feminine fashions. This is a successful case study in brand loyalty, starting the emotional connection right in the store, building a story right in the store, and involving your customer in that story. It is also a case study in truly knowing your customer, and the kind of life they live and aspire to.

“Sophisticated Sell” by Polly Labarre for Fast Company. Enjoy!

How an unknown shoe designer tapped the power of blogs to create demand

I love this article on Inc.com. It profiles George Vlagos, the founder and designer behind the high quality Oak Street Shoes line, and how he launched his shoe business. The gist of the article: He had virtually no marketing budget, and very little name recognition. But when a blogger friend blogged about George’s new line, complete with nicely shot photos from different angles, and shots of some branded material, word began to spread quickly and George was well on his way to building his name. It teaches us a very powerful lesson about blogs, and how they can be used to promote a brand on a shoestring. My advice to you: identify key bloggers in your industry, and begin building a relationship with them.

My personal note: I love that George’s branding subtly and tastefully calls people’s attention to craftsmanship and Americana. Everything down to the name is perfectly chosen. Job well done.

Here’s a link to the article, which also links back to the sites mentioned above. Enjoy!

Adding Some Pep to Our Step

By Gina Pace for Inc.com

Are you a Smashing Darling?

If you are an indie fashion label, then you should be. SmashingDarling.com is a place where indie fashion labels can show and sell their wares online to the discerning fashionista, as an alternative to mass market fashion and malls. For indie designers, it’s great way to build a cult following and sell your product.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Trish Ginter, one of the amazing forces behind Smashing Darling, and she gave some great advice for indies looking to showcase their wares on Smashing Darling, as well as some thoughts on how sites like hers might shape the fashion world. Here’ s the interview, enjoy!