How to start a clothing brand

So you've probably been searching through google and youtube trying to find a proper guide on how to start a clothing brand. Here I'm going to give you the steps needed to get started.

1. Pick a brand name and stick with it for the time being, you can always change it later if you end up not liking it. I spent so much time trying to pick a brand name when I should've just picked any and gotten started as soon as possible.

2. Have a vision/point of difference for the brand. Please make sure it is not one like "this is for the ones that want to be different or a brand for the people to get out of the 9-5." These ethos are so boring and unoriginal, trust me, every second brand thinks that they can just use one of these meaningless POD's and become successful. It takes time to think of a brand message and convey what your brand is about so don't rush it. 

3. Come up with a concept or design that you are proud of and can see yourself and others wearing. The first design might not be perfect so work on it everyday and keep chipping away at different designs. You can use applications such as illustrator, photoshop, canva or even pages/word to start designing your first product.

4. Once you have finalised your designs, look for a manufacturer and start making samples. Whether it be locally or overseas, there are so many avenues that you can use to get your clothes made. Pick one manufacturer and start, don't try and cut corners and do things half assed because you will get half assed results. Yes you will have to spend money, a lot of money to get your clothes made, it's all part of the journey so don't be afraid to spend as it's all a learning curve.

5. Now you have gotten samples made, you're happy with one of the suppliers, it's time to start selling. Open a Shopify store and pay for a proper .com domain early, it makes you look more trustworthy and it looks better when you are linking your brand to other people. 

6. Bear in mind that just because you have a cool design and your family and friends say it's cool doesn't mean you're going to sell out in 2 minutes and doesn't mean it will sell at all. It takes time to build trust and entice your customers to purchase your products. Stay positive, keep working hard and always remember Google and Youtube are your best friend so research research research to find out all the information you need because it's just a click away.