How to create a clothing line

Launching a clothing line requires certain qualities. Firstly, it is essential to have a good knowledge of the market and the competition. For this you will have to — without surprise — carry out a market and competition study in order to better understand the sector and, why not, adapt your offer to make it more relevant.

If you want to launch a concept that works, and from which you can live, you will have to go through certain essential steps: take the time to lay the foundations and prepare for your success. This guide is here to help you.

🔰 What is a clothing line?

For centuries, designers have been showcasing their talent by creating various fashions of clothing which aim to make a better transformation of both female and male silhouettes and give them a better style thanks to the different lines which, according to each designer, were drawn and then shaped.

It may happen that you have clothes with the same line and the same volume but, these clothes may differ depending on the fabrics, details and finishes that you are going to use.

Article to read: The most sought-after jobs in Africa 

Thanks to these lines, you have the possibility of maintaining, improving your silhouettes to appear even more stylish than usual.

Today, we have several clothing lines that have been set up by brokers.

Now, you who would like to get into the clothing business can refer to this to create your own. First of all, we present the different lines to you.

🔰 Some clothing lines

👉 Christian Dior clothing lines

In 1955, Christian Dior, one of the greatest couturiers in the world, created the following lines:

• The "A" line which is represented by narrow shoulders and a broad arm;
• The "H" line in 1954 which is a line that evens out the shoulders, breasts, waist and hips in a rectangular structure, is also known as the 'pencil', as well as the typical 1960s dress silhouette.
• The “I” line similar to the "H" line but with a difference in the lengths which go from below the knee to the ankle.
• The “T” line, "H" shape with wide armholes and rectangular construction sleeves, which form a composite shape similar to the letter T with the bust. The construction is identical to that of a T-shirt.
• The "V" line with the inverted triangle silhouette, which raises the shoulders and tightens to the knee.
• The “X” line the silhouette is typical of that of the 1950s, it emphasizes the waist by raising the shoulders slightly and opening widely below the waist with the shape of the classic wheel.
• The “Y” line with the silhouette of the 1940s, when women at the time of the war had to improvise themselves as men and therefore enhance the line of the shoulders.

👉 The lines of Yves Saint Laurent

• The "trapeze" line launched in 1958 by another famous couturier of his generation Yves Saint Laurent, it is similar to the “A” shape but much wider, it takes the shape of a trapezium as its name suggests.
• The “triangle” line it also derives from the “A” shape but develops in three dimensions with a wheel cut that starts from the shoulders.
• The "bell" line it is characterized by a tight bodice and wide bell for the skirt, it is the classic cocktail dress of the 1950s.
• The “balloon” line similar to the cloche, but with a looped balloon skirt.
• The “empire” line which is a fluid line that caresses the silhouette with a cut just below the bust. She was born in France, linked to the French post-revolutionary period, and to Joséphine Bonaparte as an icon.

When asked what is a clothing line, we can say that it is a creation of a set of clothes that will fit the female and also male silhouette regardless of their sizes.

🔰 How to launch a clothing line?

To get started in the world of fashion, and especially when it comes to launching your own clothing line, several factors must be taken into account. These factors include, among others:

🎯 Step 1: Get your ideas in order

Your business plan should explain how you plan to manage your collection. When you go to write it, it will be necessary to be as realistic as possible.

In this business plan, an executive summary is important, it is both a description of the raison d'être of your company as well as its projections in the future and a means allowing it to attract potential investors.

This is necessary for any business, but it is particularly so for ready-to-wear collections which often require external fundraising. You must also make a presentation of your company. Here is how to draw up a convincing business plan.

🎯 Step 2 Do market research

The project takes shape, you know where to lead it, you have mapped out the route to follow. then throw a market study, to check the validity of your idea in “ the real life ».

Observe the competition, the purchasing habits and tastes of your target in terms of clothing, exchange with designers, increase the number of meetings… be careful, stay silent about your own brand.

It is about being curious and very observant, multiplying documentary research and field studies, focusing on the following points:

• The market : size, growth, cycle, profitability…
• The competition: direct or indirect, market share, growth and annual figures…
• Suppliers and distribution: who are they ? How do they work?
• The regulations applicable to the marketed product.

Market research has the benefit of break down all prejudices and beliefs, to reveal if the project is really worth launching: so, is the world waiting for you?

🎯Step 3: Design your first clothing models

Create the clothes, ask those who will produce your collection if they have specific constraints to respect. You will need to know that the details are very important. When you draw your sketches, make sure to show all the details using the appropriate terminologies.

Draw your collections according to the seasons

start production

Find your manufacturers, keep in mind the working conditions of the factory. If you have sewing skills, you can create the patterns yourself as well as the prototypes.

🎯 Step 4: Market and sell your collection

To better fit into the market, you will need to:

• Create a website or a store to promote your collection
• Get in touch with other websites, also contact blogs that can create visibility for your brand and your site.
• Promote your collection. You can write a press release, buy advertising space in magazines and on websites that are read and consulted by your potential customers. Sponsor various events, this by bringing together potential customers. Get talked about by a star, use social networks such as twitter, Facebook.
• Become a walking advertisement
• Take orders
• If your budget allows you, take part in a ready-to-wear trade show.

So that's the different steps you should follow to set up your own clothing line. So, follow them scrupulously and you will have the possibility of inserting yourself from this world of fashion.

🔰 How to market your clothing line?

🎯 Use Shopify

 As we said before, Shopify is a fantastic platform to launch your online store.

 With just one click, you can insert all the visuals of your brand. It does wonders for boosting your brand.

 You can also create a " about page » attractive, which is a great place to let buyers know who you are and what your business stands for. Be completely transparent with your story; It's a very effective way to establish trust with potential customers.

 With just one click, you can insert all the visual elements of your brand. It does wonders for boosting your brand.

Finally, you can also optimize your store to rank better on Google. Do keyword research and set up your store so that potential customers find you when they browse the web.

🎯 Partner with influencers

 If you want quickly build an audience online, it is essential to connect with mainstream people already established in the fashion industry.

 All you need to do is contact these authorities and see if they are willing to release information about your product for a fee.

 Depending on your level of influence, a single post can send a stream of traffic to your site. It's amazing to increase your number of followers.

🎯 Use social networks like Instagram

If you are new to the field of digital marketing, Instagram is one of the most accessible platforms to start with.

 Generally, Instagram users are more engaged with brands and therefore more receptive to what they post. Also, you can insert a button " buy now in your posts, which is great for promoting your clothing line.

 Post high-quality images of your clothes and interact with your followers and other people in the fashion industry. It's a winning combination for building an Instagram following.

🎯 Prioritize email marketing

When done well, email marketing is incredibly useful.  This is a fabulous method for getting repeat customers. 

The people on your list are some of your most devoted customers, so they're much more likely to buy from you again.

Sign up for a marketing platform such as Mailchimp so that we can start collecting customers' names and email addresses when they purchase something. 

You can also embed a signup form on your website to capture data from those who might be interested in purchasing later.

🎯 Also do content marketing

Create a blog with your Online Store.  It's amazing for attracting and building a relationship with new customers by providing them with valuable information. For example, fashion tips, fashion tips, trends, etc. You already have an idea.

Start writing a weekly blog. Product reviews and opinion articles are very popular and easy to read, so try writing these types of articles. Check how your audience responds to it and continue to adjust and improve your content marketing strategy.

Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence helps you in this sense. Here is how AI can help you write your articles.

🎯 Post an ad on Facebook for example

Aside from influencer marketing, all of the above methods take some time to get started.

 However, with Facebook Ads, you can see results within days and in some cases hours.

Facebook's algorithm allows you to target a public niche (which is one of the reasons choosing a unique selling point is so important).

 You can target people based on their:

• Location
• Age
• Genre
• Advantages

 This is honestly one of the most powerful ways to find your ideal audience and market directly to them.

🔰 Frequently Asked Questions

👉 How much does it cost to start a clothing line?

It depends, if you are used to working with a printing platform, launching a clothing brand can cost you about 1.000.000 CFA francs.

But if you want to have complete control of the brand and design your clothes from A to Z, it can cost tens of millions of CFA francs, or even more.

👉 How to design your own clothes?

To learn how to create your own clothes, you can train in a school or online, you can also find your happiness on YouTube

We finished !!

We hope that you are now able to launch your own clothing line. Your opinions are expected in comments. But before you leave, here's how Live from your website in 3 months.