New Designers - Funding, Publicity and Marketing Your Line

[Oak Jeans]

Hey,

Im a young designer trying to market myself, i have a limited budget and need more ideas on how to get myself noticed.

I have already gone down the route of giving stylists i know free garments, im gaining abit of a following on myspace as well. Other things ive tried is giving free stuff out to boutiques and some magazine editiors. Ive been told to hire models to wear my stuff in clubs etc but does this really work?

Its hard work and i gave up everything to pursue this passion so if any of you have some good ideas on how i can get noticed please let me know!

 

[jazspin]

Have you tried hiring a PR rep or publicist? I'm freelancer who does a lot of fashion writing and most of the new designers I profile I find out about from PR agencies (I'm established enough that they send me press releases and let me know about new clients). You might be able to write up a press release or make a press kit yourself, or get a friend who's a good writer to help, and send it to local media outlets.

I also check Iqons for new stuff regularly, and keep up with the goings on of the fashion blogosphere (sometimes I'll come across cool new stuff that way).

 

[BetteT]

Oak Jeans,

I'd just like to welcome you to the Fashion Spot.

And good topic! Hopefully you'll get some lots of input here . I don't have a lot more to offer thatn jaspin offered ... all excellent ideas.

 

[educo]

Have you tried actually selling your stuff? There is a website called etsy.com that's pretty much all independent designers. maybe you could start off small and get your myspace followers to go there and buy.

 

[Oak Jeans]

My site

Hey

thanks for reading and replying to this, i have have a couple of people ask for a press release and keep meaning to get one done but im pretty sure i couldnt do one myself. If anyone reading this can write them please let me know, i am willing to work something out if someone can help


As for selling my stuff, i have been getting a few sales on my site and i have a few stores carrying my stuff. I will look at that site as im trying to get noticed and its slow right now!

 

[educo]

Who are you giving the press release to? Did you hire a PR company?

 

[educo]

I also agree, IQONS is a fab website. It's like a myspace for the fashion crowd. It's great for networking. I just signed up and I'm working on my page now.

 

[Oak Jeans]

Press Release



The people from poshglam.com contacted me asking for a press release. I have not written one and after looking at what it requires i think ill ask someone else to do it as i dont want to mess it up. I have not hired a PR company i was thinking maybe freelancers are the way to go until im a little better know.

 

[Oak Jeans]

I checked IQONS.... very nice

 

[fashion tyger]

Urban Fashion Network???

What do you think about the Urban Fashion Network???

Is it worth putting a profile up,or just a waste of time???

 

[FabFashion]

Have you tried actually selling your stuff? There is a website called etsy.com that's pretty much all independent designers. maybe you could start off small and get your myspace followers to go there and buy.

the current PR season 6 finalist Carol Hannah used to sell her stuff on Etsy. i think she still has her account there.

 

[RocknNeedle]

some great advice. Any updates or news? Or further suggestions, would be a great help to me Thanks x

 

[farou7a]

i know this is very cliche, but word of mouth really helps u get recognised b/c if someone likes what a friend of urs is wearing (designed by you) they will def approach you and the chain gets longer that way.
i have seen it happen.
plus u can always also design specifically for the person and again, by word of mouth u will have ppl approach you where u can design specifically for them, hence ur charges going up or down depending on the amount of work/time/cloth/beading etc you put on it.

 

[daniellat]

yeah, word of mouth is the best ad campaig you can get. One thing that worked for me was getting to know my market, try to know the segment of the market you are aiming at and try to get their attention by designing things theyre insterested, what their friends are wearing, what celebs their age are wearing, sort of what they look for or cant find in the stores they shop at, etc Try to look for something that there´s missing so your product can fill that spot.

 

[RocknNeedle]

***Edited***
Was wondering if anybody had any advice on how these magazines select items from new designers/up and coming brands? Sometimes I see brands who don't have PR agents and haven't been going long but have been featured in Grazia etc under sections such as ' What's hot this week'. Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[honeycombchild]

Generally young, and upcoming designers have a PR department of some kind, usually it can be a company brought in that will deal with quite a lot of different brands. Or it can simply be that brands/designers contact the editorial staff at magazines themselves. It's quite easily done. Once you have someone's e-mail address you can send them images, if they like it and think it's worth looking into, they will. Usually by calling in samples..

 

[RocknNeedle]

okay thanks, I have been contacting editors myself as I can't afford a PR agent so I will be persistent. Would you recommend sending samples to their offices, if they haven't responded to my emails over the last few months?

 

[honeycombchild]

I wouldn't hugely recommend it. I work for a big brand, and it's a nightmare for us to get our samples back from the editors, let alone someone sending them out themselves! You might never see them again.

They respond well to short, to the point and visual e-mails if that's any help.

 

[RocknNeedle]

thank you, will keep this in mind! Is it worth sending a press kit out about the brand? or does it not work this way

 

[honeycombchild]

That might be a good idea, putting something together like that. As professional as it can be. That's exactly how any other brand would do it. Sending out Lookbook's of the collection with a press release and such. If you've been able to get the pieces stocked anywhere, include that in the information etc.

The fashion editors get so many packs, and emails and such on a daily basis that it's so easy for it to get lost in there. So just try and make it as strong as possible.