Launch of a clothing brand - produced by me, no drop shipping

[Elisa LoveHate]

Hi people,

I've launched a clothing brand that sells one specific product of lingerie. It's my first venture into the fast lane. It's a common product that didn't have a premium quality option, but it's largely imported and resold on Amazon at a cheap price.

Considering my previous corporate job in a luxury fashion corporate company, I felt the need to provide a safe product (certified innovative fabrics and fine laces) and well-made garment exclusively made in Italy.
I'm a photo retoucher (still am as a freelancer to finance the business), so I had zero knowledge about how to produce clothing.

Since the product already exists, I decided to concentrate on the quality of the materials and on the branding. I thought that both were crucial to differentiate from other brands and cheap options.
I've dived into these two books that i found very helpful:
Fascinate by Sally Hogshead
Brand Seduction by Weber, Daryl

The first struggle I encountered was dealing with the manufacturers to produce them. Here in Italy, the factories are very busy, they can't find employees, and the first huge difficulty was to find someone who actually wanted to take the job. If you are not a big brand, they won't even waste time on the phone listening to you. The first manufacturer that accepted the job dumped me after 3 months of unanswered calls, so I had to find someone else.

Regarding getting in touch with the manufacturers, I prepared 3D models of the garments. I've heard that providing them with drawings would be enough, but considering the attention span they give you, I sent them PDF files with renders, details on the fabrics and lace, measurements, and sizes.
About this, i found very helpful the video courses on skillshare made by Jeff Staple.

From when I started until the day I got the first batch of 200 pieces (a small amount for 6 SKUs, affordable), 8 months had passed.

Meanwhile, I've built the whole website on WordPress with Elementor, I found Shopify to be way to expensive to test the product. I took some pictures by myself to showcase the products as soon as I got them, but the start was very slow (and still is).

Later, I've invested some budget in a good photo shoot a month ago, and luckily, considering my previous career, I knew someone very good who would help me for a reasonable price (photographer, model, stylist and makeup artist = 2k). I hired a stylist to give a good taste to the shooting. I thought that associating the product with fine and classy looks would communicate its value better.

So at the moment, everything is set. I have the products, website, and professional good pictures. I've sold some pieces (5) and everyone is very excited about the product.

Now the problem is, it's been weeks since the last purchase, so I started to take advertising on Meta more seriously, and I found it crazy expensive ( CTR are from 2% to 3,50%).

I'm doing everything myself, so every step takes days or weeks. I've been working on editing a cinematic video, and that took me days to finish it, so those 'serious ads' have been running for a few days now. And nothing, I feel like the desert of desertion is a never-ending struggle.

I'm finding it very hard to reach people. My contact information is at the top of the page, I have an 'About Me' page, and there's a pop-up for the mailing list, but no one ever asks me anything except on Instagram. However, I don't want to rely on social media; I feel like they take too much control over the business. If one day Instagram decides to shadowban the profile, I can't do anything about it. I've been advised to create a landing page, and in fact, the home page is more of a landing page than a shop page. But I also think that in the clothing business, to gain trust from customers, you should look like a well-made shop.

So at the moment, I'm standing in the middle of 'what should I do,' reading books on advertising, creating some content, and working on a video to introduce myself to people, hoping that knowing me personally will charm them into purchasing a trustworthy product.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read the story! Feedback is more than welcome. I hope it might enlighten or be helpful for anyone considering launching a clothing brand.

 

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[Richard Peck]

I don't want to interject but one of the most amazing photo shoots I've ever seen was done by an Italian swimwear company called Parah.

I still have their photos saved in my commonplace and one of them is my background wallpaper. The set they did with the model "Erica Rezende" are sublime: -

There were some I've lost where she's on a table with some pomegranates - looks very much like Renaissance and was amazing. This is a video of it from their Facebook but the images they had were glorious: -

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10151894661845953

Maybe it will provide some inspiration!!

I also found a wonderful photographer called Eugenio Qose whom I really want to work with.

---

Update, found these from looking further for the renaissance images: -

 

[NervesOfSteel]

Hi people,

I've launched a clothing brand that sells one specific product of lingerie. It's my first venture into the fast lane. It's a common product that didn't have a premium quality option, but it's largely imported and resold on Amazon at a cheap price.

Considering my previous corporate job in a luxury fashion corporate company, I felt the need to provide a safe product (certified innovative fabrics and fine laces) and well-made garment exclusively made in Italy.
I'm a photo retoucher (still am as a freelancer to finance the business), so I had zero knowledge about how to produce clothing.

Since the product already exists, I decided to concentrate on the quality of the materials and on the branding. I thought that both were crucial to differentiate from other brands and cheap options.
I've dived into these two books that i found very helpful:
Fascinate by Sally Hogshead
Brand Seduction by Weber, Daryl

The first struggle I encountered was dealing with the manufacturers to produce them. Here in Italy, the factories are very busy, they can't find employees, and the first huge difficulty was to find someone who actually wanted to take the job. If you are not a big brand, they won't even waste time on the phone listening to you. The first manufacturer that accepted the job dumped me after 3 months of unanswered calls, so I had to find someone else.

Regarding getting in touch with the manufacturers, I prepared 3D models of the garments. I've heard that providing them with drawings would be enough, but considering the attention span they give you, I sent them PDF files with renders, details on the fabrics and lace, measurements, and sizes.
About this, i found very helpful the video courses on skillshare made by Jeff Staple.

From when I started until the day I got the first batch of 200 pieces (a small amount for 6 SKUs, affordable), 8 months had passed.

Meanwhile, I've built the whole website on WordPress with Elementor, I found Shopify to be way to expensive to test the product. I took some pictures by myself to showcase the products as soon as I got them, but the start was very slow (and still is).

Later, I've invested some budget in a good photo shoot a month ago, and luckily, considering my previous career, I knew someone very good who would help me for a reasonable price (photographer, model, stylist and makeup artist = 2k). I hired a stylist to give a good taste to the shooting. I thought that associating the product with fine and classy looks would communicate its value better.

So at the moment, everything is set. I have the products, website, and professional good pictures. I've sold some pieces (5) and everyone is very excited about the product.

Now the problem is, it's been weeks since the last purchase, so I started to take advertising on Meta more seriously, and I found it crazy expensive ( CTR are from 2% to 3,50%).

I'm doing everything myself, so every step takes days or weeks. I've been working on editing a cinematic video, and that took me days to finish it, so those 'serious ads' have been running for a few days now. And nothing, I feel like the desert of desertion is a never-ending struggle.

I'm finding it very hard to reach people. My contact information is at the top of the page, I have an 'About Me' page, and there's a pop-up for the mailing list, but no one ever asks me anything except on Instagram. However, I don't want to rely on social media; I feel like they take too much control over the business. If one day Instagram decides to shadowban the profile, I can't do anything about it. I've been advised to create a landing page, and in fact, the home page is more of a landing page than a shop page. But I also think that in the clothing business, to gain trust from customers, you should look like a well-made shop.

So at the moment, I'm standing in the middle of 'what should I do,' reading books on advertising, creating some content, and working on a video to introduce myself to people, hoping that knowing me personally will charm them into purchasing a trustworthy product.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read the story! Feedback is more than welcome. I hope it might enlighten or be helpful for anyone considering launching a clothing brand.

Do you understand your customer base?

 

[pmusu]

So at the moment, I'm standing in the middle of 'what should I do,' reading books on advertising, creating some content, and working on a video to introduce myself to people, hoping that knowing me personally will charm them into purchasing a trustworthy product.

I think your clients don't care about you, just about the product and how it makes them feel.

Agree with @NervesOfSteel question: Who are your customers?

 

[Elisa LoveHate]

First, thank you very much guys for your replies!

Maybe it will provide some inspiration!!

Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing. I did something similar but less scenographic. Those pictures must be very expensive to produce.

Do you understand your customer base?

Definitely not enough, you made me realize that It's hard for me to find a common interest between them.

Who are your customers?

From what I know, there is a guy who purchased them as a present (so i started to target males too), and one person who matched the target audience I had in mind.

But the thing is, the people who click the ads are completely different. Mostly, they are ladies over 60 with no particular interests in common.

 

[pmusu]

From what I know, there is a guy who purchased them as a present (so i started to target males too), and one person who matched the target audience I had in mind.

But the thing is, the people who click the ads are completely different. Mostly, they are ladies over 60 with no particular interests in common.

I didn't mean "who bought it". The sample size is too small to draw conclusions. What I meant is, in your head, who is your ideal customer?

Your Ideal Client is part of the market you target. It’s your perfect customer. It’s basically a fictional character but with very real needs; someone who is almost definitely likely to buy from you. It’s also someone that you love working with and you’re confident they will become a loyal customer and brand ambassador.

 

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[Bearcorp]

Mostly, they are ladies over 60 with no particular interests in common.

Except they're interested in your product? Can you target them with ads that will give them a reason to purchase?

but no one ever asks me anything except on Instagram. However, I don't want to rely on social media; I feel like they take too much control over the business. If one day Instagram decides to shadowban the profile, I can't do anything about it.

So you'll avoid Instagram all together because of a what if? Yes they can come down hard on explicit content and lingerie shots, even nothing too out there might still attract negative attention from Meta, but if people are engaging with you on there make more effort to find more of those people! Don't hide from it when you're getting some attention from potential customers on there.

 

[WealthyKyro]

this may be off topic but i made a very very big mistake doing what your kind of doing with Satinaa.com

please when you are building a brand , DO NOT follow the advice of "speed is key" , "you must be fast"

I did that , and as a result there is a small product quality issue. which has now forced me to stop selling what i have and rebuild. as with a brand , Quality really is the only thing that matters.

And if you need a extra 2 months to test all the different samples , do it.

do not rush it like i did , oh and also make sure your manufacture has a QC option , like actually ask for the video of them QC , and ask for proof.

my manufacture said he got QC , but products came faulty.... Humans make mistakes sometimes , hope you can learn from me

 

[WealthyKyro]

regarding your "white background" photoshoots, get inspo from Finesse.us

they use Clo-3D to make there photos.

 

[RicardoGrande]

Either way you go, wanted to say you can definitely do this.
At one of the BNI groups I visited, there was a dad who had run a custom t-shirt/screenprinting/hat embroidery company since 2009 and had no lack of customers (even with modern PoD places as competitors) at all. He just got sick of working his construction job and put his life savings into the sewing/printing equipment and got right to work working with clients in his local area and hustling to fill in the gaps for the rest.
Once you work well with a few people and gain trust, then the referrals will start coming in.
Best of luck.

 

[Alexander Mish]

I've reread your post, about how you don't want to rely on social media because of potential ban - i feel you.
But would it be reasonable to abandon such a huge marketing channel, just because of what CAN happen?
Even if you get banned - the worst case scenario - you still showed people your product. That's the whole point of marketing, is it not? Just to get it out to the people.
Also, what marketing channel do you focus on? Youtube?
To lower the costs of advertising you can contact some creators on the platform, and ask them to repost your free content. Just don't make it an obvious add. People feel those. That way interested audience will come to you naturally, and if your product is good - will buy.
Sound fair?

 

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[MichelleWood]

Hi

Congratulations on moving forward with your business, even though it's just you and it feels like it's taking forever to get going.

Thank you for sharing the books you found helpful and tools you are using.

I agree with @NervesOfSteel and @pmusu defining your 'client avatar' will help you with marketing decisions. Men (buying as gifts) could be a viable target market. I'm thinking how thrilling it would be to receive luxury, quality gift made in Italy rather than a tacky item made in China from the Adult shop!

Is using an Instagram influencers who love high quality lingerie an option? I know a couple of ladies with beautiful physiques that may fit the bill?

From back in the modeling/acting days, the best photographer I ever did shoots with was a guy called Michael Plumridge. Michael specialises in the female form and takes the most beautiful nudes and lingerie photographs.​

 

[Elisa LoveHate]

Hello everyone,
thank you very much for your replies. I've waited a bit to respond to see if I had some news to share.

Can you target them with ads that will give them a reason to purchase

That's what I've been doing in the past few days. CTRs are improving, with some campaigns even achieving a 5% CTR. I think I've underestimated the time and effort needed to narrow the ad campaigns. I'm glad to see that somehow, even if nobody purchased in these two weeks, the results are improving.

One thing: in the USA, it's basically impossible to advertise on Meta. The amount of money needed is three times higher than in Europe. I've read on digitalmarketer.com that this year, because of the elections, ads will be more costly.

So for the USA, I'm running them on X. Way cheaper, better engagement.

Don't hide from it when you're getting some attention from potential customers on there.

I thought about that, and I think you guys are absolutely right. So, I'm not posting pictures every day, but at least a story to keep the reminder. I've boosted a reel with very few euros per day to maintain a constant growth of the audience, and I try to engage with everyone who follows.

And if you need a extra 2 months to test all the different samples , do it.

I know, luckily I'm quite free now from my freelance job, so I have all the time to focus on the brand. I've definitely underestimated the time needed to gain customer trust. What I've noticed is that clothing has to compete with huge brands that invest tons of money in social media ads.

I'm thinking about changing the communication a bit, focusing more on the fact that it is a "one-man band" shop, instead of trying to look like a well-known big brand that doesn't have the same benefits and budgets.

Once you work well with a few people and gain trust, then the referrals will start coming in.

That's what I hope. I'm thinking about making it clearer that it's just me behind it and using a more personal approach.

Just don't make it an obvious add. People feel those.

I've noticed. The first ads I created used professional photoshoot pictures and a cinematic video. The video had the worst CTR ever! I think the reason is exactly what you mentioned. So, the ones I'm working on now are more "homemade," let's say. They showcase regular customers wearing the products.

Is using an Instagram influencers who love high quality lingerie an option? I know a couple of ladies with beautiful physiques that may fit the bill?

I'm constantly thinking about that. The thing is, that for example the model I used for the shooting has 70k follower. She shared the reels and pictures multiple times, and nothing came from it, absolutely nothing. I'm struggling to find an influencer that it's actually worth the try. The ones i like never replied, i got a request from an influencer but definitely not the one worth the try. Also because the pieces I have, are not plenty, so it must be a good one. I'm finding very hard to find a person that does UGC properly, or an influencer that it's worth the try without spending 1k. But if you know someone, yes please send me the names!!!

I have few questions though: is there anyone here who has tried to run ads in Japan or China? I study Chinese, and my teacher from Shanghai strongly suggested it, but I've never heard of anyone running ads there. So, if anyone has some feedback, please share!

Has anyone tried UGC content? If yes, how did you find the people, and how was your experience?
Is there anyone who is running ads on TikTok? I've heard that the audience there is amazing, but I find it hard to imagine someone purchasing from a small shop on their phone. However, I might be wrong.

Thank you everyone, for taking the time to reply to this thread. It means a lot to me, and all of your suggestions have been very helpful!

 

[StrikingViper69]

- Influencers won't sell anything for you. That's why they all want money upfront and not a profit share
- Are you restricting your meta ads to a single country? Run them worldwide to the language your website uses, e.g. worldwide to people that speak English
- 3% CTR with an ad isn't great but it can work. How is your sales page converting? I sold 10,000 books profitably with a CTR of 2.5%
- A bad CTR might still sell (see last point)
- What's your user flow and how many people are bouncing at each point? E.g. Ad (CTR) > sales page (conversion/bounce rate) > checkout page (purchases) > purchase complete. Is there a weak point you can fix?
- The only measurement that matters is sales. If there are 0 sales you're making guesses until something works. If you have a few sales, work from that. You said that your sales so far were women over 60? Run Meta ads worldwide to women over 60 that speak English.
- What were your meta ads optimised for? Did they ever exit Learning Mode?

I had some UGC which I ran for ads. The pictures looked great but the ad performed awful. But they might be great on my sales page (this is something I'm testing in the future). Meta has a built in tool for finding and contacting UGC people - I used that..

All my sales have been customers buying from an unknown shop on their phone - don't worry about that. In fact, most people buy that way.

I think the "define your avatar" idea is total BS. It's total pie in the sky fairytale thinking. "My ideal avatar is a 45 year old women with a CC who wants 100 copies of my product". Great. But it's fantasy. You said you sold a few items already - those customers are your avatar. You know for a fact they buy - work from that. Anyway, the avatar will be defined by the product, not vice versa.