So you did a quick course in Photoshop and Illustrator 3 weeks ago, have some design skills and are somewhat fashionable and "crazy creative" between your group of friends. Please read on before sending me again your re-re-rehashed, ugly and poorly executed linesheet which you haven't even sampled yet, and if you dare even think about calling yourself a fashion designer I hope your unartistic fingers curl up in unoriginal spasms of lame pain, turn a nice shade of sunset purple and fall off never to "design" again.
Some quick tips to get your shit noticed and not the subject of laughter between the store you want to be stocked in.
DON’T use MSPaint for your designs EVER. Amusing, yes? Funny, yes? It's a true story ..... apparently it was meant to correspond to the feel of the range, I used that linesheet to wipe grease off my bike.
DO take your time, good designs don’t happen overnight and if you asked any good label out of the possible 30 designs they might make, at least 20 will get scrapped before it goes into production. AT LEAST !
DON’T use imagery in your range that has no meaning to you or to what you represent. eg, If you Skate, dont start flipping off designs of Fixie's just cause it's the in thing right now ... frontin is wack yo
DO make your catalogues presentable. If it looks hand-drawn for effect it will probably get thrown out, no need to get too arty with it either, simplicity is pretty much the key, it should have the following things :
1. Photo of sample (or very clear illustration if sample is not done)
2. Colourway options
3. Fabric
4. Delivery date
5. In a separate excel sheet there should be style codes, pricing, units, adressee, addresser and with ability for customer to fill in order details
DON’T replicate images that has been used a few times already, nothing spells unoriginal moreso than seeing designs which major companies have already used and abused. Imagery such a Misfits skull, Barbera Kruger box ala Supreme'sque "box tee's", Dunks/AF1's in some re-appropriated manner.
DO listen to the feedback you get and be objective about it, don’t only ask friends but people you would like to see wear your stuff and ask for an honest *HONEST* opinion, don’t be upset by negative commentary but use it wisely my padawan. Shop owners will be the hardest to please, ask what they like and don’t like about your designs and what else they would like to see.
DON’T make a manifesto of crap, that marketing 101 class where they tell you to write a mission statement about what your label is about, throw it out the window, honestly most dont care about some narcissistic description of your label and how it's going to change the world and why your travels to Somalia feeding the poor is the reason why you started a label (and besides they all know your label is inspired by music, art, fashion etc etc nothing new here ) .... hopefully one day they will ask for it.
DO use professional printers if your planning on selling it through a store, pro screen printers do this shit for a living and will help your range look more polished than homejobs, I use the guys from www.superspecial.com.au, Ben knows his shit inside out and upside down and will guide you through what you can and cannot do.
DON’T claim that shit is limited edition, it would be obvious because your a small label that the run is going to be small.
DO the markets, they are a good gauge of the sellability of your designs and is a cheap way of doing some market research, it will give you a instant fanbase and will also put some coin back in your pocket so you can do bigger and brighter things, some of the big labels you know of began their journey sitting on stools behind foldable tables.
Best of and I'll see you on the racks .......