Start Your Fashion Business - How to Start Your Own Clothing Line? Part I

Starting a clothing line is a real challenge. Let's face it: Starting a fashion line is hard and interesting but takes preparation (and money). You will need to thoroughly research your market and find the right niche for your clothing line. The demographics and the pricing play an important part in the final decision. Choosing a concept that you believe in makes it exciting to get started and easier to keep going.

A good way to get fresh ideas for your designs is to go shopping. Spend time in the malls checking on what people wear and what people buy. Do not rely too much on this method though as it is common for people to wear clothes now that were fashionable a few months ago. Be careful about your timing, by the time you finally launch your label, the fashion style you were involved in may already be out of date.

Branding your clothing line Branding your clothing line starts by making a clear decision on your clothing line's concept and target. A thirty seconds statement about your brand will help your brand and logo match together. Don't be afraid to be visionary and think (at least one year) ahead of your time.

A tag line, or short statement about your fashion line is also a great tool to sell your products and should be used as part of your sales pitch. Choose a name for your brand that is catchy and gives an angle to your designs. Then, conduct trademark research to ensure that it isn't already registered.

Good luck! You will be surprised to discover that the name you imagined is probably already registered by a dozen of companies. Some of them may nothing to do with the fashion business.

While it is pretty reassuring to see that the name you have chosen is popular, this also means that you will have to research further to find a unique label name.

When you are done, register your clothing brand's name with the United States Patent office. It isn't very expensive so feel free to register more than one name.

The success of your clothing line will depend on the exposure you can give to it. Nowadays, you need to be very present on the net so go and choose a domain name which keywords include part of your tag line.

Finally, register your company name with your city's chamber of commerce and take advice from an accountant to find out what tax returns you have to file and when.