Being new to the world of clothing startups can be overwhelming on many levels. For one, entering the manufacturing side of the industry can make you feel like you’re learning a new language. We’ve broken it down to a list of the essentials. Here are the key terms you should know for each stage of…
Read MoreFashion Manufacturing: Domestic vs. International
There’s no question about it: manufacturing is a complicated matter. As a business owner, you must consider many factors when deciding on your production and manufacturing process: What’s going to be expensive or affordable? Where will you have the most oversight? Where will you be able to find the best talent? How will manufacturing impact…
Read More7 Things Every Fashion Boutique Needs to Know About Visual Merchandising
Whether you have a fashion boutique or are considering opening your first pop-up or retail store, visual merchandising should be at the top of your to-do list. As customers become more time and cost-sensitive, creating an experience becomes even more essential. According to Coresight Research, more than 7,150 U.S. based retailers have closed their doors…
Read MoreRetail 101: Merchandising Tips for Brick-and-Mortar Stores
The best way to approach merchandising is to think about it as an ongoing, editorialized process, and not something you do just when new products arrive. Luckily, you don’t have to completely overhaul your store to make an improvement. Here are five easy ways to improve your retail merchandising—today! 1. Branded Hangers When you go…
Read MoreHow to Design Your E-Commerce Store for Success in 2020
If you have an online fashion startup without a physical retail location—or are considering starting one—you should think of your website as your brand’s storefront. Just like with a physical location, you want your website design to be welcoming and engaging. Below, we’ve detailed four things to keep in mind for a successfully designed e-commerce…
Read MoreReality Check: Your True E-Commerce Photography Needs
It turns out that in today’s content-driven climate, as a fashion and retail business, you’re also a media company. Fashion brands are responsible for creating dynamic content to share on social media and engage with customers. Likewise, brands are expected to keep website content fresh and updated monthly. Therefore, the question “why is photography so…
Read MoreRetail 101: Your Design & Production Team
When it’s time to create product samples, the right design and production team is essential for established businesses and fashion industry startups alike. Putting ideas into action by designing pieces that are both attractive and realistically producible is key, as is actually producing those items as samples. And there are a few critical things your…
Read MoreStarting a Fashion Company: Production Sampling
Whether you are a seasoned business owner or launching a fashion business for the first time, understanding your production calendar is a critical juncture in scaling up your business. It’s certainly something experienced brands will attest to: in most cases, you need more time and samples than you’d expect. For all brands, it’s vital to…
Read MoreLearn the Lingo: Wholesale Fashion Terms to Know
The fashion retail world is an exciting one – however, for new fashion startups, it can also be a daunting one if you are just starting up your brand. And while some of the business can be rather “learn as you go”, it is a lot more comfortable to enter the business armed with knowledge…
Read MoreBrick-and-Mortar Retailers: How to Negotiate with Brands & Make Terms
Recently, an interesting conversation with a young business owner brought some important ideas to mind when it comes to the trials brick-and-mortar retailers often face. She was in the process of opening up a new lingerie store in the Midwest, and when we asked her how things were going, what her first collections looked like,…
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