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apparel, business plan, fashion blog, fashion industry, garment manufacturing

Thanks to the support and encouragement of our readers, the Fuel4Fashion blog now has a growing tribe of followers on various social media platforms, from across the world. We have tried to keep giving all of you insights into what is trending in the industry and build up Fuel4Fashion as the go-to place for getting an idea of emerging global fashion trends as well as insightful information about the fashion industry.  In order to bring more quality content from the fashion industry to the community, we are now re-starting our guest blog section. This will feature articles on topics similar to the ones we have been bringing you, but from a variety of authors from the field of fashion. Today we bring you this interesting article from NewThread. – Supriya

Starting a fashion business seems all glamorous from the outside but generally, it’s just time-consuming sessions of never-ending work.

Take for example launching your own private label clothing brand.

Your first inclination would be to find a custom clothing manufacturer overseas. You need to find a reliable factory, and send thousands of dollars halfway across the world. You need to find a shipping agent if the factory is too small to help you in that regard. You need to find relevant quality inspection people as well.

The challenge of sourcing clothes is even more exacerbated when your budget doesn’t cover traveling a few thousand miles away. Just take a look at all the processes involved when you’re planning on manufacturing your apparel:

Many entrepreneurs think that the right amount of passion is enough to fuel their business into being successful but that’s hardly the case. So, to guide you through this journey, here are some tips that will help you create a successful fashion business.

The key to any successful business is definitely patience and dedication. But in order to find that will, you’ll have to first be sure of what you really want to do. It is essential to keep in mind that the world of fashion and apparel is extremely competitive, and at times merciless. Know the ins and outs of the industry and only get going if you’re sure about what you want to do.

The apparel industry is huge and as days pass by, its branches seemed to have grown out even more. There are several different ways of sourcing, manufacturing, selling and what not.

I’d suggest you to first find out about the types of business within this industry. For example; you could be a wholesale clothing supplier, an online private clothing brand, a t-shirt printer, the possibilities are endless.

Read articles about your favorite fashion brands and apparel companies online and get to know about what’s in trend nowadays by reaching out to Fashion Design Studios like Fuel4Fashion. If you already have proper knowledge though through online courses or maybe even your college degree, then you’re already a step ahead!

It is essential to decide what you want to pursue choose the one that fits perfectly with your plans and skills.

Innovation is greatly appreciated when it comes to fashion. The more unique your products are, the more customers you lure in. Otherwise, why would they bother buying your products when there might be hundreds of other potential sellers out there?

Since fashion is diverse, it’s better if you target a certain niche. Think about what age group you are more comfortable with. It could also be just catered towards one gender or the other. There are a lot of aspects to keep in mind when choosing your target customers. Consider the socio-economic and psychological aspects as well when deciding on a target market.

Along with your customers, you’ll also have to pay attention to your products. Be thorough when it comes to the product. Ensure that your product is both comfortable and trendy while being reasonable in price. If your product doesn’t stand out or is of poor quality, your business is less likely to not gain any profit. It is very crucial to understand the competition of the industry and also the importance of marketing throughout your business.

It is almost impossible to run a business alone. If you want to a successful entrepreneur, you’re expected to have strong relationships with influential people in the fashion industry. Aside from that, some traits and skills are also needed to turn you into the perfect businessman.

Note down your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to business. This will help you figure out where you need additional help and where you don’t. A degree in fashion might provide you the knowledge but it isn’t enough to run a company. Time management, financial management, leadership qualities etc. these all are very important skills that complete a business owner. Thus, before starting a business, it’s essential to assess your skills.

As mentioned above, you can’t run a company alone. There are many sectors in a company and if you feel overwhelmed, take advice from someone who is already in the clothing business. If possible, make someone more experienced, your partner who can guide you through the common mistakes.

Slowly but steadily branch out your departments: PR, stylists, photographers, accountants, etc. Don’t worry if you don’t have these contacts, you can visit fashion events to collect more information.

A business plan is mainly a statement that records your business goals. This is the most important part of your business. Estimate your total expenses and sales per year through costing and create a minimum budget that would be required in order to get the business running.

A good business plan not only helps the entrepreneur to set a target and take the necessary steps in order to make it possible, but it also aids in achieving both the long term and short term objectives of a business that makes it successful.

There are many ways you can fund your company. Few of them are mentioned below-

However, keep in mind that it is important to keep a balance between your debts and incomes. Taking too much loans can drive your business to bankruptcy.

If you’re going for private label business or want to manufacture your own products, you’ll have to look for a manufacturer first. If you’re just starting out, find a manufacturer who has a low MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) since it’s not a very good idea to start off with a huge manufacturing order when starting your business. Here’s an infographic to make it easy for you to understand how the process will work.

Once you’re ready to start sourcing, here are five ways you can source your clothing.

This is another aspect that depends truly upon what sort of business you have. If you want to e-commerce seller, you’ll have to make sure your products stand out among all the others. You can also look for distributors that are interested in selling your products and are perfect for your clothes and fashion. Look into what is popular in the country you will be selling. Blank t-shirts for example, are universally popular for the most part.

You have a whole lot of opportunities when it comes to a fashion business, make sure to use these wisely and make the most of it. Attending events or trade shows might help you to promote and sell your products. Other than that, take orders from distributors or clothing stores and print catalogs for them.

It is also essential to establish a good rapport with bloggers and influencers that can bring attention to your brand.

The fashion and apparel industry has more to it than it lets on so beware of the challenges that it throws your way. This is where marketing comes in. A good marketing technique can allow your sales to go sky high.

Research your target market and conduct surveys to understand how you would attract a fair amount of customers. Listen to what your customers say. Reviews are very important and do not hesitate to ask for your customers’ feedbacks before making any major changes to your products.

A successful fashion business consists of the perfect balance between passion, skills and knowledge. It is very crucial to plan out your every step and know that there’ll be a lot of challenges to overcome. Let your passion and determination lead your way into a successful fashion business!

Writer Bio: Yusuf Ahmed is the chief supply strategist at NewThread. NewThread helps businesses establish an apparel supply chain here in Bangladesh, by sourcing the right factory for the product from our network of certified factories, following up with inspection and shipment.






Allen Solly, apparel, brand consultant, design collection, fashion, fashion brands, Fashion Business, fashion consultant, fashion designer, fashion entrepreneur, fashion startup, formal jackets, formal shirts, formal wear, Fuel4Fashion, Indianfashion, Park Avenue, Van Heusen, womensfashion, workwear

Until very recently, a few niche brands in the Indian market such as Allen Solly, Van Heusen, and Park Avenue have been the go-to options for picking western formalwear. Collections usually range from formal pants and skirts to jackets and shirts.

However, for the more discerning Indian woman, the choices in western formalwear were limited, to say the least. Even though aggregators like Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle began offering their in-house western formal collections, they have rarely been adventurous with their choice of clothing.

Today, the work culture around the world has changed, and India is no exception. Depending on the role they play, the local weather, the degree of comfort required and even how much they travel, women are choosing to dress in a variety of different clothes. Let’s look at the evolution of formal western wear for women here and save the discussion on Indian Ethnic Workwear for a separate article.

Here are some styles that have caught our eye. The Shirt with A Twist Statement Pants A Midi Skirt The New Formal Dress Blazer 2.0 The Indian-Western Piece

What other pieces do you think would make a splash on the western formalwear scene? Tell us in the comments below.





 Tunic techpack for a women’s casual wear brand.






apparel, crochet, denim, fabric, freelance fashion designer, garments, lace, leather, London Fashion Week, New York fashion week, prints, sheer, Spring 14, trims

In our previous blogs Part 1 & Part 2, we have discussed the trends and colors seen on the runways of the London Fashion Week & New York Fashion Week. Now let us take a quick round of LFW and NYFW to know the forecast for fabrics and trims.

Fabrics, prints & embroideries at London Fashion Week :

Floral and dragonfly motifs remained central in collection showcased at LFW by designers from Matthew Williamson to Mulbery, House of Holland, Eudon Choi, Mary Katranzou, and John Rocha. Cut outs twisted and shaped into flowers by Christopher blossomed on the range. Leather complemented the subtle base fabric at Mulberry, Burberry, Haizhen Wang, Daks. Use of Tailored lace,  feathers, crochet, sequins by Peter Pilotto, House of Holland and Meadham Kirchoff and Tom Ford embellished the sheer fabrics in soft pastels. London Fashion Week 2014 : Matthew Williamson – Print & Embroidery
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/2USYGp London Fashion Week 2014 : Christopher Kane – Frayed Edged fabrics.
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/2lizlz London Fashion Week 2014: Marios Schwab – Denim dress
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/hXcsTS London Fashion Week 2014 : Mulberry – Feminine silhouettes
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/AXL3Zd

Prints were everywhere at LFW, with floral, stripes and graphic prints being at the core. Frayed Edged fabrics by Christopher Kane’s and Topshop Unique’s rough edged boucle suit and Marios Schwab’s denim dress for laid back day wear carved a different direction of ease with simplicity. Designers gave iridescent fabrics a feminine guise with fluid shapes and sugary hues. Stripes and graphic prints ignited the runway with their presence in range showcased by Burberry, Mulberry, Jasper Conran, Peter Pilotto and Ryan Lo collections. London Fashion Week 2014 : Mary Katrantzou – Acid bright florals
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/5aDxOl London Fashion Week 2014 : Jasper Conran – Contrast color block prints
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/6txdn6 London Fashion Week 2014 : Tata Naka – Graphic prints
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/IPQ766 London Fashion Week 2014 : Haizhen Wang – relaxed silhouettes tailored from leathers, white linens and purple metallic polyesters.
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/LUFlCo London Fashion Week 2014 : House of Holand – sequins & embroidery
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/1XYXXL

Fabrics, prints  & embroideries at New York Fashion Week :

Sheer fabrics were predominantly woven into NYFW runway dresses. Crepe, poplin, denim fabrics, chambray also graced the runway with their presence. Jill Stuart’s little black dress (LBD) in black crepe with black lace. Marissa Web crafted a masterpiece with slim sheath covered in a zigzag mix of flowers, shattered glass and stripes and touches of “powernet,” sort of like a mesh. Rebecca Taylor’s crisp white poplin shirting and geo-eyelet layered with tactile matelaffe, laminated knits and crystal-encrusted lace was a trendsetter. Francisco Costa employed woven leather, snakeskin with a reflection of light and summery hues set in the backdrop of urban landscape. LFW witnessed a widespread experimentation with denim blended in varied silhouettes. New York Fashion Week 2014 : Jill Stuart – LBD in crepe with lace
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/xzf7Q4 New York Fashion Week 2014 : Marissa Webb
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/4BG4Lz New York Fashion Week 2014 : Rebecca Taylor – basic white shirt
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/0haJBl

NYFW featured trivial cutouts and harnesses, on sheath dresses by Prabal Gurung, Nicole Miller’s springtime fashion quotient hinged on a patchwork of gardens, mazes, chandeliers and shattered mirrors, sequins. New York Fashion Week : Anna Sui – print & delicate floral embroidery
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/MQ9c4m New York Fashion Week 2014 : Oscar De La Renta – delicate embroideries
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/Fn6IuQ New York Fashion Week 2014 : Mara Hoffman – Bright hues, cutouts, and flowy silhouettes.
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/nhzi12 New York Fashion Week 2014 : Jason Wu – The bias-cut, gold-beaded in feather-light flowy fabrics
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/cLnK9j

With a brief glance at the forthcoming trend for fabrics, let us now step up to know what silhouettes will enhance these fabrics. So wait till we get you the list of silhouettes by some eminent designers who dazzled the fashion show with their reverberating collection.



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