Marketing your Home- based clothing Designs in the Local Market.

Feb 4
09:56

2009

Freddy Ngiam

Freddy Ngiam

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A fashion designing career is both exciting and satisfying for all those who engage on it. All that is needed, is for a person to design some original, unique and practical designs which can be turned, to magnificent finished cloth products.

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If you are thinking about a career in fashion design,Marketing your  Home- based clothing Designs in the Local Market. Articles then you don’t have to be a big name designer to start earning good money while at it. You also do not need to live in the fashion design cities of the world. These cities includes; New York, London or may be Paris. In fact all  you need to get started is your local market while at your home and later join the ranks of the famous designers like Giorgio Armani if that is really your intention.

 

Now the question in your mind is, you have tonnes of  designs in your sketchbook and you are dying to sell them in the departmental store, but  how do you do so? Of course the answer to this question is that your sketch work or illustrations is the first step towards realizing your design long process. If you approach a potential client, may they be that departmental store, boutique  shop or private individuals, their main interest is your finished final product. There are various ways of doing this, either you manufacture the finished clothe product in-house by doing it yourself or through hired labor or you license your illustrations to a third party manufacturer whereby they pay you a percentage of royalties.

 

For example if you are the chief designer for a well established clothing company ,you could give out your approved designs to a pattern maker who would then turn them over to the manufacturing division who will send them marketing division for distribution to the retail market.

 

This is not the case if you are doing all  this tasks by yourselves. You are the main guy thus,  you will have to perform all the steps all by yourselves. Anyway, once you put some ideas into sketches, pick two to four of your favorite and create samples. Create a pattern, keeping in mind what sizes you want to sew. As the construction of the garment progresses, keep track of all your expenses by taking notes of everything. You will need to know the cost of designing or assembling your clothes. This should include labor and all other related costs so that you will know how much money you will need to charge in order to make a profit.

 

For the majority of the beginning designers, the sample process experience is the eye-opening phase. The more complicated the illustration, the more costly it will be in  final product manufacturing. So, simplify as much of your sketches as you could possibly be able to. Modify your sketch as you go along to reduce the run away the costs. Once you have sewn your sample up,  make sure they are properly finished and that they will stand up to the handling and  inspection by potential clients. Make a list of departmental stores or boutique shops in your locality that sell clothes that bear a close resemblance  to the ones you have designed noting down their prices and styles. This will guide to  improve your design and in making them unique.

 

Now that your sample is a finished product, you will need to call the stores supply department and make appointment to show off your wares. If it is a small boutique shop, the owner is usually the buyer. Be on time for your appointment and dress professionally. If they are impressed by your designs, they will place orders immediately. Don’t promise more than you could deliver and by the due date. Depending on the terms of agreement, you may request a part of the order be paid up front so that you may have money to buy the raw materials and the balance to be paid once the delivery is done. In case you are selling to private individual’s example a wedding gown, insist on this type on arrangement. You don’t want find yourselves in the situation where all the labor and raw materials are on your side while the clients places an order and then disappears.

 

Once the agreement is reached between you and your clients, prepare a proper purchase order. List all details of the agreement on it and get the buyer’s signature on the order form. Then go back to your office which in this case is your home and start filling out the order. Once you are comfortable with a specific order, start adding more to your work schedule. A word of advice, always promise what you can comfortably deliver. As your client’s order increase, it is time for expansion You will  do this by hiring additional staff or outsourcing a part of the manufacturing process.

 

If your designs are rejected by your prospective clients, don’t give up but rather, go back to the drawing board and do improvement on your sketches. The next time you go marketing, target another different group of potential clients. Never give up as one client’s taste may not be necessarily the same as the next one. Selling your clothing designs is a good way of earning a neat income while you are at your home. Always strive to learn new designs and tricks so that you will be in a position to have an edge over your competition.