Starting my own clothing line, with a twist. Not so easy!

[Karl Chester]

So I quit my job about a year back to begin starting my own brand of footwear, I knew I couldn't just jump right in with my own designs and needed potential customers so I have started and successfully established customising shoes via painting/drawing/spray painting on them, being an avid artist that bit is easy! But if I am to become a world know brand I can't just be painting images on to shoes for people that choose their ideas from google of what they like, even with it being my IP surely copyrights will clash at some point and I want to grow beyond that so to incorporate my own brand and unique style.

I feel with over 10'000 potential customers on my business page and a potential celebrity endorsement coming up as well as a website and multiple social medias boosting options, that it may be time to start launching my own designs and styles. I'm guessing I'll need to find a manufacturer of shoes that can incorporate my brand/print designs and I am going to trial run my designs to see what people take an interest to the most before committing to that.

Basically I'm curious if footwear is a reliable ecommerce as a small company trying to grow and if anybody else has had success or failures starting their own line of clothing or just footwear be it quirky or generic ?

Regards
Newby
Karl

 

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[Aaron W]

It will work, just take a look at Vans.

The best thing is realistically just go all in and see what you can make of it - with a potential celeb endorsement you should be able to reach a huge market.


Best of luck.

 

[SEBASTlAN]

Ever heard of The Ave Venice? He was on shark tank a number of seasons ago doing custom shoes. I don't think he got a deal but it was a proven business...

 

[amp0193]

There's a great thread on the INSIDERS portion of this forum about someone documenting his journey creating a clothing line, and another with a custom sunglasses line. I suggest you check both of them out.

I knew I couldn't just jump right in with my own designs and needed potential customers

That sounds like exactly what you need to do. I'm not sure how you get customers or build a brand without a product.

 

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[Karl Chester]

There's a great thread on the INSIDERS portion of this forum about someone documenting his journey creating a clothing line, and another with a custom sunglasses line. I suggest you check both of them out.



That sounds like exactly what you need to do. I'm not sure how you get customers or build a brand without a product.

Thanks I definitely will! Sunglasses recently crossed my mind.

 

[Karl Chester]

Ever heard of The Ave Venice? He was on shark tank a number of seasons ago doing custom shoes. I don't think he got a deal but it was a proven business...

It's weird you mention him actually as he's on my Instagram but until now I never bothered to check his page out, but yeah he does what I do! Guess he was snooping the competition out haha! Difference is he prints them and I paint them but as a one man band I'm questioning the practicality of it as it's so time consuming. Realising his success is an eye opener, thank you!

 

[SEBASTlAN]

It's weird you mention him actually as he's on my Instagram but until now I never bothered to check his page out, but yeah he does what I do! Guess he was snooping the competition out haha! Difference is he prints them and I paint them but as a one man band I'm questioning the practicality of it as it's so time consuming. Realising his success is an eye opener, thank you!

Yeah dude, I think if you watch the episode it will help you alot because they ask him some tough questions and it'll help you get clarity on what you want out of your business.

 

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