Saturday, January 29, 2011

How to Create a Handbag Collection

written by: Hollis Dominick    

So you are a designer that feels the need to indulge women in their love of accessories, in particular handbags. Women love handbags and shoes, almost more than they love their boyfriends, husbands or children! The beauty of the handbag is you don’t have to be the perfect size, in other words, no dieting required!






The Crown Jewel Hobo
   

Accessory collections provide some of the largest proportion of the fashion industries income. Hitting a home run with the perfect bag can mean creating a following with women all over the world.



What are the principles one needs to know to start your own handbag collection?   Like any other fashion category one needs to have a great idea. Research is key, what is out there currently? Ask yourself where would your handbags sit in your favorite department store. Would it be in the junior department or do you see them all done out in fine Italian leather and being a neighbor to Valentino, Chanel, and Gucci. When you determine where you will understand who and what your potential competitors are and what they are doing. You will also get a range of price. The price and the look are the keys to targeting who your customer will be. Will she be a very young with a more limited budget, or will your customer have a large discretionary income. The look is going to be your calling card, sleek, modern, vintage, bohemian, lady like……you decide and make sure your every piece you design fits your target look and target audience.



Red Candy colored clutch  w/ crystals
 Once your concept is focused on a target audience. You could ask everyone you know who falls into that demographic what they need and like, talk to them and let them give you feedback on your design ideas. You could also ask the sales associates in the stores what they sell easily and what things that don’t work in general.



At this point, if you haven’t done so already, you can start to sketch your ideas. An important thing to understand, the more details in your designs the more labor that is needed to make them. If you are in a moderate price point or you are gearing your accessories to a young market, competing with a major company will be a challenge. Remember large corporations have the funding necessary to make many handbags overseas before they go to market. Generally a new designer doesn’t have the history nor the budget to make 10,000 handbags out the gate!



 Zip it UP with Attitude! Studded Hobo
 

A good rule of thumb for a new handbag designer with a limited budget means small run production, keeping a close eye on material costs, and setting aside funds to do marketing and sales after the handbag samples are made. Even new designers wanting to produce a luxury product will have the same requirements.



It is at this point that many people get lost. They have wonderful creative ideas, and have put together a cohesive collection. How in the world do you make a handbag? Granted making a complex fitted jacket has its problems, but everyone can visualize sewing clothing…….(trust me, it is a bit more complex as well, but it does seem easier!)



The first thing is to make sure your sketches have taken into account measurements. How long is the handle, how big is the large compartment, what kind of hardware would I like to use. How long are the zippers how many compartments are on the inside. Getting a bit more complicated and scary right?

Don’t fret…….find a bag that is close and use it as a reference. Having dimensions figured out is a necessity.



Now you need to find a pattern maker. If comparing yourself to an architect as designer, the pattern maker is the engineer. A qualified pattern maker will know if your strap is strong enough and how to make it strong enough so it doesn’t rip off the base of the bag. He or she will make pattern pieces (much like a puzzle) that will be sewn together to create your sample. It is always a good idea to get a pattern maker that will work with your sample maker……..lack of communication will cause you to have many redo’s...leading to lots of blame making on both ends, resulting in a mess of a sample and a lot of wasted time and money on your part.


Silvery Bloom clutche w/ Cltrine crystals



Almost simultaneous with the pattern maker you should know what materials you want to use. The pattern maker needs to know this, again an engineer needs to know if you are using wood or concrete. Specifications of materials will make the patterns work without a hitch and they will also need to know about your intended hardware. Hardware is as important, maybe more important than the leather or fabric you are using. The quality will be the determining factor in what price your handbags will be sold. Hardware is a hard thing to source and generally is done overseas, but there are some places in the US that still make quality hardware and there are sources here where you can buy generic closures, zippers and the like. When sourcing fabric, ask if you can you get more should you get orders, the same with the hardware. While you may pay retail prices for your sample, this would make your handbags grossly non competitive in the market place. Also note that timelines require you to get fabrics and hardware ahead of time.




The Golden Treasure Hobo w/ multi-chains
  Next you find a sample maker………key here, do they have the equipment to get the job done as well as the skill to use that machinery. Leather sewing machines, dies, sometime molds are necessary. Ask to see examples of something they have in work…..anyone can show you a beautiful bag someone else put together.

Once the materials are in the hands of your sample maker you start to find yourself extremely excited. Your sketches will finally take form. Your heart starts to beat very fast. Alas at this point be prepared to have to work out problems, find alternative solutions and possibly make minor design changes to accommodate machinery and material constraints. This is NORMAL……obstacles are a common factor in the design business. Be flexible and be CREATIVE. With good preparation, good materials, a sensible timeline that allows for mishaps and professional support in terms of labor you will have completed the first part of your handbag collection.

You will have samples and something to show to sell…………..



"Fall" Garden leaf Hobo
 


This is the first half……marketing and sales will be just as important. Make sure you leave yourself enough money to get your product in front of the appropriate buyers. You can choose to go direct, go online, or sell retail stores. This is just as complex and I will handle this at a later time.




My company The Design Principles specializes in helping the new start up design company. We handle every category of the fashion business, and we also can take you from concept, to paper, to sample, and small run production in most cases. If I can help you in any way please go to  http://www.thedesignprinciples.com/  and contact me.




Beautiful handbags available at:
 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Financing your fashion dream...Crowdfunding

     OK, it's 2011, you have been promising yourself that this will be the year you start your clothing line. You have a ton of ideas maybe even have a few sketches, but no cash to bring your vision to life.  Now what do you do?  Don't panic...your situation is not at all uncommon among new designers and start up clothing companies.  I have a creative solution that just might solve your problem dear fashionista! There is a new trend going on right now; where designers are thinking outside the box to find creative ways to finance their collections.   It's called CrowdFunding...DO READ ON...

According to; http://www.businessoffashion.com, "It’s traditionally been extremely challenging for emerging fashion brands to get the financial and marketing support they need. The crowdfunding approach — pooling together funds from fans via the Internet to finance young designer businesses and one-off collections — could very well help to address this market failure.  There are a few choices oriented toward the fashion crowd." 

Lucky for you, I have the names of a couple of websites that might be able to help you out of this tricky little jam and enable you to raise the much needed cash to finance your fashion dream.
















One company,FashionStake — a new online start-up, will focus, as the name suggests, on the new trend of Crowdfunding your start up clothing line. In my opinion, this website is set to answer the cries of starving designers everywhere.  You can even earn CASH...that's right, cash for recommending your favorite designers resulting in the sale of merchandise.  Can you imagine?  Fabulous!

Another one,  StyleTrek.com is set to become THE launching platform of choice for talented, serious designers who need the cash and exposure to break into the scene.  Finally, last but certainly not least, there is Kickstarter , one of the largest online crowdfunding websites where projects from every scale get funded; from raising funds to aid in disaster relief, financing that dream trip to see the pyramids or an alternative method to raising capital to finance your next business venture. 

These are just a few websites I found when I googled; crowdfunding, so check it out and see what you can come up with.  You can also read the full article on Fashion CrowdFunding websites on BOF here: An Introduction to Fashion Crowdfunding

TIP:  This concept also works for production. For more information on how to create your clothing line , get orders and use Crowdfunding to finance your production, visit my website- TheDesignPrinciples.com


Thursday, December 30, 2010

The 2010 retail Holiday shopping season report....the numbers are good!

As we come to the end of the 2010 Holiday shopping season, I am filled with excitement at the news of the latest posted numbers from this years Christmas blowout in sales.  The retail figures are way up!  Consumers turned out in record numbers this year and were ready to purchase everything from high end luxury items to bargain basement deals.  

According to the National Retail Federation, November and December account for up to 40 percent of annual retail sales and an even greater percentage of annual profits.  It is no wonder the fashion community was breathing a much needed sigh of relief this season as things began to finally return to normal.  Now I know what some of you are thinking, " what improvement"?  Well, for all you doubting Tomas out there, I just so happen to have a copy of the latest figures to back it up.  Here is the complete comparison report for the 2010 retail Holiday shopping season.  Read em and weep....for joy that is!

Pre-Christmas Sales Totals

2010 pre-Christmas sales were $584.3 billion. Pre-recession 2007 pre-Christmas sales were $566.3 billion - MasterCard Advisors Spending Pulse
Pre-Christmas Spending Increases
Retail spending rose 5.5% in the 50 days before Christmas - MasterCard Advisors Spending Pulse
Pre-Christmas Sales Online
Online sales during the holiday season through Christmas Eve rose 15.4% year-over-year to $36.4 billion, according to MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse report.

Super Saturday Sales 2010 vs. Super Saturday Sales 2009
Super Saturday itself accounted for $7.58 billion in sales, a 10.1% increase over the $6.58 billion collected in 2009 (a comparison affected by a Super Saturday blizzard on the East Coast in 2009) - Shopper Trak

Super Saturday 2010 Weekend Sales

Retail sales over Super Saturday weekend (Dec. 17-19) rose 5.5% over the same weekend last year - ShopperTrak.

Super Saturday Foor Traffic in 2010
Foot traffic at the malls was up 3% on the Saturday before Christmas in 2010, compared to 2009 - Shopper Trak

Super Saturday's Significance to Holiday Shoppers in 2010

Nearly 75% of Americans completed their shopping by the end of Super Saturday in 2010 - ICSC
Ten Days Before Christmas - Shopping Statistics

31%-34% of shopping dollars generally change hands in the 10 days prior to Christmas - ShopperTrak

Free Shipping Day Online Increase in 2010
Free Shipping Day sales increased 61% in 2010, compared to the online sales on Free Shipping Day in 2009. - comScore

Free Shipping Day Total Sales 2010
$942 million was spent online on Free Shipping Day in 2010, compared to $586 million on Free Shipping Day 2010 - comScore

Free Shipping Marketing Strategy 2010 52.7% of online purchases included free shipping in the five days prior to Free Shipping Day, which is 12% more than 2009. - ComScore

Green Monday Sales 2010
$954 million was spent on Green Monday (December 13), which was a 12% increase compared to Green Monday, 2009. - comScore

Cyber Monday Sales Increases
Cyber Monday sales at online retail websites were 19.4% higher in 2010, compared to the online sales of Cybe Monday in 2009 - Coremetrics

Cyber Monday Total Sales
$1.028 billion was spent online on Cyber Monday in 2010, the first day in U.S. retail history to surpass the billion-dollar sales level. - comScore

Cyber Monday Mobile Sales
4% of all Cyber Monday shoppers used smartphones and mobile devices to make purchases. - Coremetrics

Total Number of Shoppers on Cyber Monday
9 million people made purchases online on Cyber Monday in 2010. - Comcast

Average Purchases Made Online on Cyber Monday 2010
The average online order on Cyber Monday 2010 was $194.89, which was 8.3% higher than the $180.03 average in 2009. - Coremetrics

Black Friday Sales Figures
$10.69 billion was spent on Black Friday in 2010 - ShopperTrak

Black Friday Weekend Sales
Black Friday weekend sales were $45 billion, compared to $41.2 billion in 2009 - NRF

Average Spent Per Consumer on Black Friday
The average amount spent per consumer on Black Friday, 2010 was $365.34, compared to $343.31 in 2009 - NRF

Total Number of Black Friday Shoppers
212 million shoppers visited stores and online websites on Black Friday, 2010, which was a 9% increase - NRF

Thanksgiving Day Retail Spending in 2010
Consumers spent $407 million on Thanksgiving Day 2010, a 28% increase compared to Thanksgiving Day in 2009. - ComScore

Mobile Commerce 2010
52% of U.S. smartphone users planned to use their phone to compare prices during the holiday season and 40% planned to use their phones to read product reviews. - Google Blog

Online Sales Records in 2010
Six days during the Christmas holiday shopping season saw more than $1 billion in sales - MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse

Total Online Holiday Season Sales
$36.4 billion was spent online by Thursday, the day before Christmas Eve, which was 15.4% more than 2009. - MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse

Monday, December 27, 2010

Fabulous Fashion in " Tron Legacy " the movie

Went to see the latest installment of TRON "Legacy" the movie.  I was stirred to declare a number of scenes in the movie " fashion moments" and quite fabulous from a costume design perspective.  This version soars above the original in special effects; dazzling the mind with a bombardment of high tech imagery.  The fact that I got to see the whole thing in 3D was icing on this futuristic cake.

The clothes remind me of the minimalistic, edgier costumes seen in movies like Gattaca,  The Fifth Element, Blade Runner and The Matrix

So make sure you go and see this movie; it is well worth it.  I hope the costume designer wins the Academy award next year. I also wouldn't be surprised if designer inspired " TRON" looks started showing up next season on the fashion runways; WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Christmas shopping deals...get in on the action!


sponsored by:  http://www.thedesignprinciples.com/


Happy Holidays!!!! Well, it's that magical time of year again when mass crowds of people flood into the shopping centers, retail stores and online websites to play Santa Clause to all those they hold near and dear; much to the delight of retailers everywhere. Want in on the action my savvy designers?  I don't blame you!  Here are a few tips:

The Holidays represent the largest selling season of the year for the fashion business.  If you are thinking of launching your clothing line, go for a fall season premiere instead of spring; you will stand a greater chance of success with retailers expecting major traffic and posting their highest sales records of the year during the last quarter.  They will need a lot of merchandise to sell and will be more willing to look at new lines to help fill their shelves. 

Headed to the crowded malls to shop?  Why not print up your own Holiday deal cards to pass out...aka, brightly colored sizzle cards with your holiday deals, website, or special discounts you can offer to many shoppers who are looking for special, one of a kind gifts for their loved ones.  Simply lay the colorful cards around as you go through the mall and watch people snatch them up right on the spot!  Becareful of mall security though....some shopping centers consider that soliciting.  Hey, if it works, you will get tons of eager shoppers going to your website looking for deals!  Can you say ca-$hing!

That brings me to my last tip.  Online sales during the Christmas and Holiday selling season have soared in recent years.  If you are just starting out, don't have alot of inventory but still want to make money during the holidays, try using this FREE TIP; use freelance artist websites like http://www.etsy.com/ to list your wares and sell them one at a time.  Once your items are listed, now post comments and links everywhere online in chat rooms, bulletin boards, blogs and even offline (see the last tip above) to promote your items and direct shoppers to your item(s) for sale.  In conclusion, you will have to think outside the box if you want to make it as a successful designer in the fashion business.  Hope these tips help my fashionista devotees....ho, ho, ho...Merrry Christmas!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The current State of Fashion

Business as usual has gone out the window...rather in today's business climate, we must adapt, compromise and negotiate to thrive in this current tough economy. Today's fashion consumer is looking for real value, maximum leverage and results for every dollar they commit.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Financing your Fashion Dream…using a private investor

Private Investors


 When launching your fashion business, you will have many concerns, especially when it comes to financing the enterprise. A private investor may be a wonderful option if you haven’t established much credit yet in your life. Private investors are likely to work closer with you and give you a chance at establishing credit. A private investor may be the way to go if you have a very specific and unique idea that traditional banks may reject, as fashion ventures tend to be regarded as very risky investments.


Private investors are more likely to be found among your family, friends or peers. Sometimes private investors are looking for talent and unique products to finance and can be found advertising online or in a business magazine. Some agencies provide listings of private investors and can help small businesses get hooked up with them. Private investors make excellent financial backers for fashion businesses.