Download your guide to learn how to start a UK clothing brand.
If you’re wondering how to start a clothing brand but don’t know where to begin, you’re not alone. The industry is complex, requiring a range of skills to get garments from concept to completion, so this guide breaks down the stages of how to start a clothing brand into 10 manageable steps.
Competition is fiercer than ever. Clothing brands are popping up in all corners of the world via the internet and social media. Having a clear brand story; the why behind your brand and unique offering is key. It takes vision and savvy to make a brand work and turn a profit.
This guide covers how to start a clothing company from set-up, design, development and costings to sourcing material, trims, factories and garment sampling and production ready for retail. See it as a starting point to investigate further. Be inquisitive, use a range of sources and build up your knowledge so you feel confident to start your clothing brand.
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Understanding who your consumer is will ensure you gain traction with your clothing brand. This isn’t just about identifying the age of your consumer, but instead delving much deeper. Our owner, Rachael, is a lecturer on Fashion Marketing & Branding so there are some great tips here on what market research needs to be covered.
Going through the process of developing a business plan can be really important as it will force you to consider aspects of your business that you may not otherwise think of. The guide outlines what needs to be considered in a business plan, to get you started.
Before you start trading you will need to consider the legal entity of your clothing business to ensure it is right for your needs and the purpose of the brand. The guide provides you with the different options and advantages and disadvantages of each so that you can make an informed decision.
Planning a budget before you start a clothing brand and knowing all sources of funds is the best way to avoid failure. The guide lists some of the key costs you can expect, and reminds you of aspects you need to consider, which you may not have thought of until now.
Planning your collection line-up correctly can help you to save costs and attract customers. We have provided you with tips and advice on how to build your collection into a successful clothing brand.
The design journey often starts with mood boards, colour and trend forecasting, sketches and reference imagery. It progresses through to tech packs including design spec sheets, manufacturing spec sheets, size charts and artwork sheets. This process highlights detail, fit, shape, colour and features, communicating the visual aesthetics and construction details of each garment style. Understanding trends and design function are key here.
For your designs to be a success, sourcing suitable fabrics is paramount. Whether you need technical materials, absorbent fabrics, or stretch durable fabrics, you’ll need to decide on fabric for your collection. We provide you with a list of questions to consider when fabric sourcing.
Finding a factory with the right skills for your garments is paramount. It is important to understand the construction of your garments and what machines are needed to produce your garments to a high quality. We outline key questions to ask a factory to determine if they are suitable for your project.
As a new clothing company, you have the opportunity to consider sustainability from the offset. The guide provides some key areas that you can consider when starting your clothing brand, so that you start off considering the planet and people, as well as profit.
There is a misconception that first samples are always correct. Our guide takes you through a realistic projection of what sampling and pattern cutting stages can look like, so that you can budget properly and have realistic expectations.
Pricing is one of the most important steps in learning how to start a clothing brand. We offer some advice on how to price your products and what profit margins you want to be aiming for.
Production is a complex process which needs to be managed properly. The guide assists you in understanding what you should be doing during the production process to ensure the quality of your clothing collection.
Gaining sales is the only way to ensure the success of your new clothing brand. We have given some more marketing tips from Rachael to help you with your sales strategy so that you feel confident in knowing how to start a clothing brand.
Bridge and Stitch provided me with the knowledge and support to get my business off the ground. I didn’t have experience in this industry but wanted to pursue something I’d always had interest in. I didn’t know where to start. Rachael and Victoria provided me with a professional service which allowed me to create my children’s clothing.
Rachael is extremely knowledgeable, time served professional in the textile industry. Having worked in textile print industry for many years, we’re impressed with her garment construction knowledge, project management, commercial awareness and punctual, detailed admin. A rated, invaluable partner. As an individual and company of 30 years , no hesitation recommending.
Bridge & Stitch’s input was brilliant. It’s the knowledge and direction that we were missing prior to working with Bridge & Stitch. We had no sense of direction and didn’t know where to start. They have helped massively with that.
Finding a UK manufacturer was a challenge, the end-to-end service with expertise from fabric to factory was appealing and made the journey stress free. Founder Rachael filled me with confidence, no beating around the bush, she offered a personalised service. Straightforward, she walked me through the process and held my hand.
Bridge and Stitch has a huge network of UK fabric suppliers and factories. I was impressed with how they could locate the right factories for my premium sportswear brand. We use the same factory Velobici use, for quality, long-lasting products. Rachael produced tech packs and contributed with marketing ideas.
Issues creating a technical babywear brand were around factory sourcing, and tech packs you take to factories for sampling/production. When we approached Bridge and Stitch, we needed expertise on design, sampling, production, quality checking and fabric. They were thorough, organised and great communicators.
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