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 [...]
Archive for the ‘Fashion’ Category
Want brand longevity? Think “lifestyle.”
Posted in Brand, Brand Strategy, Branding, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Lifestyle, tagged Brand Strategy, Branding, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Lifestyle, Marketing on October 8, 2010 |
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 [...]
The meaning of color when branding your fashion label
Posted in Brand, Brand Strategy, Branding, Branding Dont's!, Color, Emerging Designers, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Green, Marketing, tagged Brand, Brand Strategy, Branding, Color, Emerging Fashion, Fashion Business, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Green, Logo, Marketing on October 8, 2010 |
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 [...]
It’s official. Emerging designers have clout, thanks to new sales channels.
Posted in Brand, Brand Strategy, Emerging Designers, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Luxury, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Retail, Sales Tools, tagged Brand, Emerging Fashion, Etsy, Fashion, Indie Fashion, IndieShop, Retail, Sales, Smashing Darling on June 17, 2010 | 2 Comments »
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 [...]
Why you should never use clip art as your fashion brand’s logo
Posted in Brand, Branding, Branding Dont's!, Fashion, Logo, Logo Design, Trademarks, tagged Branding, Fashion, Logo, Logo Design, Trademarks on May 3, 2010 |
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 [...]
Advice on how to break into boutiques (psst…good marketing materials help!)
Posted in Brand, Brand Strategy, Branding, Business Intelligence, Emerging Designers, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Logo, Lookbook, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Start-up, tagged Branding, Emerging Fashion, Fashion, Fashion Business, fashion designers, Independent fashion designers, Logo, Look book, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Start-up on March 26, 2010 | 1 Comment »
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, [...]
Getting down to brass tacks: an emerging designer talks about the business side of fashion
Posted in Brand, Brand Management, Brand Strategy, Branding, Business Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Marketing, PR, Retail, Start-up, tagged Brand, Brand Management, Branding, Business, Case Studies, down-market, down-turn, economy, Fashion, fashion designers, Independent fashion designers, Marketing, PR, Retail, Start-up on March 11, 2010 | 2 Comments »
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 [...]
Solve a problem, rock your biz
Posted in Business Intelligence, Children's footwear, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Footwear, Footwear Business, Start-up, tagged Case Studies, Children's footwear, Fashion Business, Footwear, Footwear Business on February 1, 2010 |
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 [...]
How Kathryn Kerrigan turned a footwear problem into a successful shoe biz
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Footwear, Footwear Business, Start-up, tagged Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Footwear, Footwear Business, Start-up on December 22, 2009 |
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 [...]
How to choose the right model to be the face of your fashion brand
Posted in Advertising, Brand, Brand Management, Brand Strategy, Branding, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, Hiring Models, Marketing, Models, Start-up, tagged Brand, Brand Management, Brand Strategy, Branding, Fashion, Fashion Business Brand Strategy, fashion designers, Hiring Models, Independent fashion designers, Marketing, Models, Mood board, Start-up on November 16, 2009 |
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 [...]
Work it, baby: More fashion trade show tips
Posted in Fashion, Helpful Links, MAGIC, Marketing, Marketing Tools, POOL, PROJECT, Retail, Sales Tools, Trade Shows, tagged Fashion, fashion designers, MAGIC, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Sales Tools, Trade Shows on August 19, 2009 |
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. [...]
Do you really know who buys your clothing?
Posted in Brand, Brand Management, Fashion, Luxury, Marketing, Trend, tagged Brand, Brand Management, down-market, Fashion, fashion designers, Luxury, Retail, Trend on August 18, 2009 |
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 [...]
Survival of the Fittest: How emerging labels can build more value in the eyes of retailers in a tough economic climate.
Posted in Brand, Branding, Fashion, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Retail, Sales Tools, Trade Shows, tagged Brand, down-turn, Fashion, fashion designers, Marketing, Retail, retail buyers, Sales Tools, Start-up, Trade Shows on August 6, 2009 |
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 [...]
Need inspiration?
Posted in Business Intelligence, Fashion, Start-up, tagged Business, Fashion, fashion designers, Start-up on August 5, 2009 |
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
Posted in Brand, Branding, Fashion, tagged Brand, Branding, Fashion, Mood board on July 15, 2009 |
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 [...]
Naming strategies for branding your fashion business
Posted in Brand, Branding, Fashion, Marketing, Naming, Trademarks, tagged Brand, Branding, Fashion, Marketing, Naming, Trademarks on June 15, 2009 |
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 [...]
The challenges of branding your green fashion business
Posted in Brand, Branding, Branding Dont's!, Business Intelligence, Fashion, Green, Greenwashing, Logo, Marketing, Start-up, Sustainable, tagged Brand, Brand Management, Branding, Fashion, Green, Greenwashing, Logo, Logo Design, Marketing, Start-up, Sustainable on June 9, 2009 | 1 Comment »
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 [...]
A lookbook success story
Posted in Brand, Branding, Fashion, Guerrilla Marketing, Lookbook, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Retail, tagged Brand, Branding, Fashion, fashion designers, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Retail, Sales Tools on May 2, 2009 |
Surely you’ve heard of Rodarte, the young and wildly successful label by Laura and Kate Mulleavy. Apparently, what got them noticed was their first lookbook, a gorgeous handcrafted piece using paper dolls, which they sent to editors and got immediate attention at WWD and Vogue, giving the young and insanely talented designers a rocket boost [...]
Read this while it’s hot.
Posted in Brand, Brand Management, Branding, Business Intelligence, Fashion, Marketing, Retail, tagged Brand, Brand Management, Branding, down-market, down-turn, Fashion, Marketing, Retail on April 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Portfolio magazine is shutting it’s doors, so read this article before it’s too late. It’s about how the Fashion business is moving forward in these tough times, with great points on brand building, marketing, passion, creativity, value, etc. “Fashion Forward” by WWD staff for Portfolio.com Enjoy.
Why, now, more than ever, you need to invest in your brand
Posted in Brand, Branding, Fashion, Retail, Start-up, tagged Brand, Branding, Business, down-market, down-turn, economy, Fashion, Retail, retail buyers, Start-up on March 30, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Great news! My article went live on Nolcha.com today and was made a feature. For those of you who don’t know, Nolcha.com is a business magazine aimed at start-up fashion companies. It’s got lots of great advice and it’s free! My article is called “Risky Business: Why now, more than ever, you should be investing [...]
Question from a reader re: naming your label
Posted in Brand, Branding, Fashion, Naming, tagged Brand, Branding, Fashion, Naming, Start-up on March 6, 2009 |
Phew! I have been crazy busy—working late nights, weekends, and I’ve got bags under my eyes to prove it!—but am now back in the blogging game. To start, I have a question from a reader I think I’d like to answer here for everyone’s benefit: From Layla: I am starting a fashion business that’s due [...]
Good news for indie designers in this tough economy
Posted in Brand, Fashion, Luxury, Retail, tagged Brand, down-market, down-turn, economy, Fashion, fashion designers, Luxury, Retail on January 9, 2009 |
In a recent article in WSJ, it seems that local indie designers who sell directly to their customers may have a distinct advantage over others in this economy. My quick read: the experience of the customer interacting directly with the designer adds value and a perception of additional luxury, causing customers to develop an emotional [...]
Getting maximum tradeshow visibility on a small budget
Posted in Branding, Fashion, Guerrilla Marketing, Logo, MAGIC, Marketing, Marketing Tools, POOL, PR, PROJECT, Sales Tools, Start-up, Trade Shows, Uncategorized, tagged Brand, Branding, Fashion, fashion designers, Logo, Marketing, Marketing Tools, Sales Tools, Start-up, Trade Shows on December 21, 2008 | 7 Comments »
Hey, kids! It’s that time of year again. MAGIC, POOL, and PROJECT are just around the corner. Will you be ready? If you haven’t started getting your marketing materials together, you have to start now. For start-up fashion labels with a small budget, here are some cost-effective ways to get noticed and remembered. • Rock [...]
Designing the right logo for your fashion brand
Posted in Brand, Branding, Branding Dont's!, Fashion, Logo, Logo Design, tagged Branding, Fashion, Logo, Logo Design on December 3, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Whether you’re attempting a logo design on your own, or have hired a skilled graphic designer and brand image expert (like yours truly), there are molto important things to consider when designing a logo for fashion brands that are unique to the biz. I’ll walk you through several considerations, so you’ll be well prepared when you [...]
Amazing website for killer marketing insight
Posted in Fashion, Helpful Links, Marketing, Marketing Tools, tagged Case Studies, Fashion, Marketing, Marketing Tools on November 24, 2008 |
You have got to check out Marketing Sherpa. It’s a little steep to get a one-year subscription to this site, (I think it’s $400?) but if you can swing the cash, the returns might be handsome. I did it, and was able to gain insights that really helped my clients. A membership gets you direct [...]
How a luxury jeans line used the power of brand image to stay hot in a down-market
Posted in Brand, Brand Management, Branding, Fashion, Jeans, Luxury, Marketing, tagged Brand, Branding, down-market, down-turn, Fashion, Lux, Luxury, Marketing on November 21, 2008 |
I love this story. It supports everything I believe about the power of branding and savvy marketing. When done right, your brand can withstand anything. The folks at Rock & Republic have it down cold. Read their story here: “Selling $300 Jeans in a Down Economy,” by Stacy Perman for BusinessWeek What I really love about [...]
Great article on retail buyers surviving the downturn
Posted in Fashion, Retail, tagged down-market, down-turn, Fashion, fashion designers, retail buyers on November 11, 2008 |
Yikes. Just the title of this article gave me chills. “Retail Darwinism” by Mary Bridges, from Condé Nast Portfolio My quick read: It appears that most retail buyers are stocking with caution for Spring 09, but some are focusing on items that have a strong emotional pull to the customer. Designers: How can you work [...]
