One of the worst situations I have to deal with is speaking with new brands who truly believe their collection is far superior to the reality. I am not saying I’m always right but I have a fairly good sense of what it takes to be successful. So when I see a line that needs work, I always tell the truth.
As the saying goes, Praise makes you feel good but critique makes you better.
The clearest way to know is if customers are buying it. Consumers vote with their wallets. The more sales you are doing the better your brand is. Of course if they are returning it to the store because the quality is poor or the fit is bad then it doesn’t matter how good sales are.
How do you know if your fashion brand is really good if it is a new company? Here are 3 ways to find out.
- Studying your potential competition and seeing how you measure up is an important step in finding out if your brand is going to have good sales. You need to be as good if not better then the brands you hang with.
- Showing your product to your target audience then listening to the feedback will give you insight, especially if they show enthusiasm for the pieces and want to know where they can buy them.
- Try your product in a couple of stores or pop up locations even if it is on consignment and see how sales are. If it sells great! If not, find out why.
Many times your initial product will need tweaking till it’s right. Researching, studying, and testing the market will give you valuable information and will assist you in making your brand really great. Very few companies open up with a slam dunk and need a few seasons to get their line to be amazing. And, in this day and age your line really needs to be superior to be successful.
