I recently read an amazing article on the Business of Fashion website (a great resource and I'd highly recommend subscribing to their mailing list if you want to know whats going on in the industry) about launching a fashion label, which you can read here. It made some excellent points about the traps that many people fall into. It's so easy to get carried away with ideas and rush into things, but the reality is that a fashion brand is a business, people can't be successful on ideas alone. “To be honest, I don’t know how (other) young brands can start without any business experience,” says Laura Kim, at Oscar de la Renta and I agree - dealing with factories, technical specifications and shipping profiles can be exhausting and a real drain on your creativity. Another quote I found spot on was “The time of self taught maestros has come and gone,” says Luca Solca, head of luxury goods at Exane BNP Pariba. This article has spurred me on more than ever to try and help small and startup labels to get some helpful insight into the very secretive fashion industry.
Who are the new packages for?
My new packages are aimed at those who would love to have their own fashion line but aren't sure where to start, or perhaps they lack experience in the technical side of fashion. I do still offer one off consulting sessions, but the packages I’ve developed have been carefully curated to give a better overall result. The packages all include one-on-one time with me, so we can really look in detail at your situation and identify problems early, so they can be avoided - you're essentially learning from my mistakes! I'd love to say I purposely made all those mistakes with my first business as a cautionary and educational tale for you - but sadly no, I was just young, excited and inexperienced! The packages are completely tailored to your situation, so it doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, or what you’re struggling with specifically, we can create something that works for you. For more information on how I can help, click here. Alternatively, you can send me a message via this link.
Who are you?
If you're new to this website you're probably wondering, who is this person and why does she think she can teach me stuff? Sorry; I'm Vicki, founder of 29andSeptember Studio. I've got 12 years experience in the fashion design and production business and have worked on ranges from their initial idea right through production, merchandising and selling in store. Now I help a range of clients realise their dream of owning their own fashion label by educating them on the ins and outs of the fashion industry. You can learn about my story here if you'd like. On the less formal side, I love to create, decorate my house, eat Ben and Jerry's and drink lots of tea (English tea, like me).
What do I get in the packages?
I now have 4 packages all carefully designed to help with a specific need. As I mentioned, each package includes mentoring time, which can be used to address the issues you're most worried about, or the area of the business your struggling with. I can even look at emails and documents from suppliers if you'd like and we can go through them together;
Range review; I can go over the designs you have created and identify potential problems, both with production and also selling the product to customers
Monthly coaching package; this service allows you to have regular coaching sessions so we can review your business, progress you've made and set targets for the future. It'll also help with action steps to get you closer to your goals.
Complete production package; if you've finalised your designs are are ready to get them made, this service will provide all the tech packs and documents you need to get your samples made. It also includes education on the production process and tips for a successful end product
Complete design + production package; this includes a custom designed range perfect for your customer and style, plus tech packs and help with approaching factories and getting the deigns made.
This gives a really brief overview of each package, as always you're welcome to ask me any questions, or you can read more about ways of working together, here.
I'd love to hear what you're working on at the moment, or what your current aspirations are - if you're happy to share there's a comment box below...
Thanks for reading!
Pickleball outfit inspiration……