Alright, it is the end of the ear and it is time to plan on your fashion dreams for the upcoming year. As you know, or should know by now, designers plan their collection a year ahead, so there is time to be organized, avoid any delays and leave room for error. This is not only a great time to settle your goals for the next year, but also to search trends and create a timeline to launch your first collection. After all, you have learned all the steps to production and now it is time to take action.
Ok, for all my designers who did not take the first step, this is the moment. You can plan on launching your first collection for the holiday season 2022, you can plan on launching winter season 2023, spring and summer season 2023, or if you want to have time, winter 2024. But no more excuses, this is the moment you start getting work done.
I have clients who took the fashion coaching program this year, but they did not start their clothing line yet. Sometimes it is necessary to learn everything you can first, plan on your budget, then give the first step. But let me tell you something, it is free to search trends, start sketching, create your mood board and start working on your branding materials. So, if you know what kind of garments you want to produce, there is no reason to not start gathering information.
The first steps to get started can be easy and do not have to cost you anything. Remember all steps to developing a successful clothing brand?
Well, finding your inspiration and creating your mood board is something you can, and should do on your own. Same with sketching your first styles. No, you do not have to do everything perfectly. That will be your production manager's job: help you put the mood board together, align it according to your inspiration and help you finalize all styles to be produced.
When starting the fabric search, budgeting, and the rest of the development process, everything gets more technical and, obviously, you need a production manager to guide you through each step, but before that, searching trends and sketching some styles is something you should be doing and, as any good designer, should have the habit of doing it on your own. The more you practice, the better you will be at sketching.
This is a good moment to even start looking into fabric vendors. Go to your local stores and see what is available, what inspires you, and what could potentially be used in your garments.
The first steps of starting your clothing line are really no rocket science and all you need is discipline and determination to start getting work done. Write down your goals, when you plan on taking the first step and putting some budget into your new business, then hire a production manager or a coach to help you get started.
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