BRANDING: 6 Common Mistakes Designers Do When Defining Their Fashion Brand DNA

 [facebook url=”https://www.facebook.com/FashionFXF/videos/1563182017083995/”]
Hello guys,

Fashion brand DNA: what makes a brand unique.
I’ve had some quite passionate discussions with some of you about the DNA of your fashion brand. Lots of the designers I exchange with now start understanding that this industry is not only about designing good looking pieces. Now you are more and more aware that the fashion brand DNA is a vital foundation of your business and that it is the number one thing you should start working on when you launch a fashion brand.
So some of you sent me their fashion brand DNA descriptions. Since I have been so swamped lately, I was not able to deliver you an individual feedback. So I did this live video yesterday with the common mistakes you guys do when defining your fashion brand DNA.
Historically the fashion brand DNA is not the core thing that I am known for in this business. What I am really known for is writing business plans for fashion businesses. After having drafted some fashion business plans for emerging brands, I have written a book about exactly that: Fashion business plans.  I also teach fashion business planning at the ESMOD Paris fashion school.
However the reason why fashion brand DNA came up so frequently in the fashion FXF blog posts, our live videos and so on, is because I found out that it is the key ingredient of your success, even to get funding. And lots of fashion brands fail because they have not sufficiently worked on that part. In the framework of my work with fashion brands, I had opportunities to exchange with different actors of the fashion industry: fashion press experts, fashion buyers, fashion event managers and I found out that what actually made a fashion business interesting for all those people, even what made a fashion brand interesting to fund, was the impact that it delivered. Because impact means sales which increases your chances to make more profits. And the brands that delivered the strongest impact were those with a very well defined brand DNA. Maybe you have seen our last live when we talked about using Instagram to get featured in the fashion press: Sara who shared her expertise started her work by defining the brand DNA.

So starting from there and observing the successful brands, I came up with a method to generate a cohesive brand DNA for a fashion business. It is all in the book I wrote. And the good thing is that after discussions we had on that subject, you guys start giving it a thought from the beginning. I know it can be a tough exercise for many of you.
So here are the common mistakes designers do when describing their fashion brand DNA.

Mistake # 1: No Fashion Brand DNA

Not having a fashion brand DNA is a big mistake. I know a designer who had great intuition. He was doing high end street wear. He designed amazing pieces, he had lots of talent. He had a real gift in crafting a nice shape for women’s body. But he never took the time to do any introspection and understand what made his work so unique. Plus he had lots of imagination so his designs went all over the place. And he lost himself. And since he never took the time to understand what his signature was, the sales decreased, the success vanished.
why me crying GIF by Team Coco
So to avoid having that kind of one time success that you did not do intentionally, work on your DNA first.

Do things on purpose.

Mistake # 2: Defining a fashion brand DNA for the sake of defining one

It shows immediately: you see sentences that are there for no reason. This is not an exercise where you have to fill in the blanks. You are not telling a story just to tell a story. It has to really mean something and be perceptible for your audience.
For example I saw on one designer who wrote that “she did a cruise in the Caribbean island for some time”. Then I checked the designs and I did not see the Caribbean influence at all. Why do you put that there if there is no link with your design? If you add a sentence into your brand DNA, make it really mean something. What you say should really mean something to the aesthetic of your band and what you say in your fashion brand DNA should systematically be visible on your designs. If you say it is a conservative design with a discrete crazy twist, then each time you create something a bag, a scarf, a hat, trousers, antyhing, you should design something conservative and add that little crazy touch you talked about.
Your fashion DNA description is the promise that you deliver to your customer.
Button fashion business plan - Fashion FXF - Fashion cross functional

Mistake #3: Lack of personality

Some designers used generic words such as chic, elegant. I tend to grow allergic to those terms…
bored anna wintour GIF
You have to go the extra mile and spice up the words you are using.
Add some personality to it. Is it “Bon chic bon genre?” is it daring? Is it conservative? Is it audacious? is it whimsical? Dig deep into yourself and make it sound exciting.
It is FASHION, you are here to dazzle and wow your audience.

And the way to do that is to do as if the brand was a person, with its personality traits, the little details and the flaw that makes its charming. Give some depth to your DNA.
Some designers are not inspired and have difficulties describing who they are. In the fashion business plan book, you have a workbook with all kinds of adjectives that you can use to qualify your brand. We use it in our individual workshops as well and the designers I worked with love it in the end because they can really see if they resonate with that.

Mistake #4: A gap between what you say you are, the design you show and your visuals

I guess some designers always dreamt of a certain image and once they start their own brand, they used the words they were dreaming to become one day.
For example, I had a streetwear brand calling its pieces timeless…
fresh prince GIF by mtv

This does not go together! Timeless is a classic design. So it should not be used just because you like the sound of it.
One other mistake I saw is the use of symbols in the logo that had absolutely nothing to do with anything. The brand was selling women’s workwear made of wax fabric but there was an odd shoe in their logo. And they did not even sell any shoes! So why would you use shoes in a logo if your brand is not about shoes?
Another one gap I saw: one designer wrote he was selling luxury design. But the site did not deliver the luxury effect and the logo was not luxury at all. The font was very weird, in a weird blue color. Ideally the graphic design and the visuals should be done with professionals. But in doubt, use a very sleek font, a variation of Helvetica or Lato. But do not use complicated handwritten fonts for your logo.

Mistake #5: too technical descriptions

I see lots of sustainable businesses that do that mistake. They get too caught up in the technical details of what they do. They strongly believe in what they do, which is okay but they totally forget to make their customers dream.
A fashion piece should ALWAYS be desirable. Do not forget: your customers will buy from you firstly because they think the designs look good and your pieces make them feel something special. Of course, your beliefs and the ideas you defend are important. But saying that you are an activist against animal testing or waste should not make you forget about the style.

Style and personality should always come first.

Mistake #6: lack of cohesion

Sometimes designers put too many different adjectives together. As a result, the brand DNA description becomes incoherent and cofusing. Sometimes they are afraid to miss out on sales and they try to target everyone. So the fashion brand DNA becomes this mix of words that do not match.
But who are you? and what is your brand about?
confused jamie foxx GIF by Beat Shazam
In my fashion brand DNA workshop, I help designers generate a cohesive image. Since some designers do not necessarily have the words to express who they are, I offer individual workshops in which we go through styles but also a huge list of words that describe a personality. And they pick three of them that they feel most correspond to them. And during this exercise, it is sometimes difficult to get designers to focus because some of them want to talk to everyone.

One designer picked exuberant and sleek in the same brand DNA description. It does not go together. Is it exuberant or is it sleek?
Pick one. And preferably the one that corresponds to your design.

*******************************************************

Interested in seriously working on your fashion brand DNA? 

Here is the tool you need to get for yourself. The fashion business plan starts with a workbook on the brand DNA and explains how the DNA can build up to a tailored strategy for your fashion business.

Button fashion business plan - Fashion FXF - Fashion cross functional

The Fashion Business plan - Fashion FXF - Fashion cross functional
 

 


DESIGNER TOOLBOX: 8 Tips To Help You Improve Your Menswear Brand

Louis Vuitton : Runway - Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Spring/Summer 2017
 
Hi Guys,
Men’s fashion has started in Paris, a good opportunity for us to understand what makes men tick. This week we found a very useful resource in « Branded Male : Marketing to Men » by Mark Tugate. They have an entire chapter dedicated to menswear.

To summarize, here are 8 recommandations to help you work on your menswear branding :
1.       Stress technical, performance or quality elements
2.       Heritage engenders trust
3.       Confer status
4.       Create loyalty : men are very faithful customers.

5.       The retail environment : sober yet relaxed with impeccable service
6.       Offer additional services : bookstores, barbershops etc
7.       Write guidelines for « correct » dressing
8.       Boost celebrity endorsement and strong product placement, they are extremely powerful for menswear

Photo credit: Gettyimages: Getty Images Entertainment Thierry Orban

*******************************************************

To receive more fashion designer tools, follow us
1448463342_facebook_online_social_media   1448463355_twitter_online_social_media

CASH & FUNDING: When To Make Your Financial Estimates?

A model walks the runway during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at
Source: Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show – Laurent Jean Philippe – Creative Commons

Hi Guys,
Today’s post is going to  be short. After talking with a few fashion designer clients, I thought I would write about the timing when to start making your financial estimates.
Making your financial projections is the last step to carry out in your business plan. To stack all odds in your favor, you need to go through three steps before that.
alignment
Your chances to raise capital are as big as your ability to align those three elements: your vision, your design and your strategy.

What is your vision as a designer? 
Since your vision is the main element that will truly make the difference and be the basis of the whole concept, you need to clarify your vision first. Who are you as a fashion designer? What is your brand identity?
Is your design in line with your vision? 
Have a critical look at your collection. Have you found the adequate balance between madness and more basic pieces? Does the overall result perfectly reflect your vision?
Have you adjusted your strategy to express your vision? 

Your strategy should be a translation of your ideal world. Who is your ideal customer? Do you know how to reach them? In your ideal world, how should your product be showcased? Where would you sell your product? How would a boutique look like? How would you communicate and interact with your customers?
 
In the end, look at the big picture. Does it look cohesive?
If yes, then you have reached alignment. You can now start calculating how much you will need to implement all that and make your financial estimates.
*******************************************************

Find more tools to help you through your fashion business plan, with the number one FXF guide. “The Fashion Business Plan” by Bako Rambini is available on Amazon.
button Fashion BP
Book cover - The Fashion Business Plan
*******************************************************
To receive more cash & funding articles and fashion designer tools, follow us

1448463342_facebook_online_social_media   1448463355_twitter_online_social_media
 
 
 

SALES: 7 Tips To Improve Your Sales Process And Sell Your Luxury Fashion Pieces

7 tips to sell luxury fashion

Source: Creative commons – Anya Kvitka (#6166) by mark sebastian

Hi all,

Exchanging with my clients made me realize how painful it was for them to go through the sales process. Is it because you made the piece and you fear others’ judgement ? Are you afraid that the price of your pieces may not reflect their inner value ? Well, when it comes to selling, most fashion designers are reluctant and dream of a magic agent who would do that for them. However, you may not be able to hire one for the moment.
And yet, you may operate a shift in your sales just by changing your focus. What if you stopped focusing on your fears and just thought of the reason why you started designing at the first place and created your pieces ?
People are not buying a mere item. They are buying an idea.
Selling luxury fashion is a matter of emotion.
Passion.

So after our article about marketing tips revealing 7 secrets to sell luxury pieces, here are a few tips from “Selling to the New Elite” by Stephen Kraus, James Taylor and Doug Harrison to help you communicate your passion to your customers.

  1. Demonstrate your customer you love showing them your fashion pieces. Share your authentic passion for what you do and for your products. An interesting way to practice and prepare is to remember your most satisfying interactions with customers. Also describe what you sincerely like in the products and services you sell, go into the details of the fabric, the draping, the cut, the way the color stands out…
  2. Master the art of storytelling. Practice by crafting detail-rich stories about :
  • you and the origin of your brand.
  • The origin of a collection and specific pieces. Why not share the ideas you had when you made your moodboard ?
  • What makes your high-end pieces different from mainstream products. Maybe it’s the technicity of a certain stitch they have been traditionnally doing in your culture ? or the way you use a certain pearl you can only find in one region of the world ?
  • How your company treats customers and employees extremely well. Maybe you also pursue an old family tradition that you implemented in the way you interact with people ?
  1. Look for a shared interest to deepen the relationship. Observe your customers, try to understand what they may be into, notice what they wear, the stories they tell. Make a discrete self-disclosure and observe whether it is reciprocated.
  2. Present your atelier, your boutique or your showrom, the way a museum docent would. Offer your clients a tour. Show them objects that mean something to your brand and tell them the stories behind. Place your story in the historical context, highlight the origin of the pieces you created, go into the fabrics, the materials and the techniques you used.
  3. Create a ritual of celebration when your customers buy a piece. As they described in Selling to the New Elite by Stephen Kraus, James Taylor and Doug Harrison « Consider Hermès. Sales associatesdon’t slap your purchase in a bag and hand it across the counter casually. It is carefully wrapped in a signature orange  The sales associate typically comes out from behind the counter. He or she presents it to you respectfully, with both hands, and expresses happiness for your purchase. »
  4. Ask questions that show your passion and enthusiasm :
  • Do you want to see something you can’t see anywhere else ?
  • Do you want to know what really makes this brand different from other ones ?
  • Do you want to see something truly exceptional about this dress ?
  • Do you know what first excited me about this fabric ?
  1. Be happy. A Harrison Group and American Express Publishing survey of affluence and wealth in America in 2010 showed that 71% of the affluent describe themselves as happy. Your customers do not shop to be happy, they shop because they are happy. And the best way to reach out to them is to be happy yourself.

 
*******************************************************

Find out how to build a cohesive sales strategy  and other tools to write your fashion business plan, with the number one FXF guide. “The Fashion Business Plan” by Bako Rambini is available on Amazon.
button Fashion BP
Book cover - The Fashion Business Plan
*******************************************************
To receive more fashion sales and marketing articles and fashion designer tools, follow us

1448463342_facebook_online_social_media   1448463355_twitter_online_social_media