According to Entrepreneur.com the definition of branding is, “The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products . An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets.”
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos
In the fashion business, branding is especially important.  It is important because it helps tell the story of your company. Most customers have their go-to brands for different products.  They may buy bras only from Victorias Secret, jeans from The Gap, and handbags from Coach.  The consumer likes to buy from companies whose product they know and trust.  They want an emotional connection to the brand but even more important they want to know what to expect from a brand.  For example when buying jeans from NYDJ you assume that the fit will be the same what you have bought from them before so you search for that label.
Good branding creates a consistent experience for all customer touch points.  A brand that wants to have a certain image will leave nothing to chance.  They look at and plan everything from the look of the line, quality of product, fit, pricing, logo, website,  social media experiences, advertising, packaging, and customer service.
Branding is what sets you apart from your competition, it tells people what the DNA of the brand is, and promotes recognition.  And recognition is key to what branding is about.  Many store buyers prefer to buy from well known brands.  It elevates the stores reputation for carrying well thought of companies and also makes it easier to close the sale to their customers.
Creating brand recognition for your fashion business increases your customer base which in turn increases sales.  The takeaway is that you should think about branding in every activity of your fashion business and know the image you wish to create.