5 Tips for Up-and-Coming Fashion Designers
Fashion week from New York, Paris, and London has been trending on the internet (as always). Numerous black/POC designers had their collections displayed all over each city. While diversity and inclusion are still a hot topic in the fashion industry, strides are being made by designers during fashion’s biggest event. For any designer who’s still working towards having their work shown at Fashion Week, the dream can be daunting and seem unattainable. However, none of that is true, and your dream is very possible. Since everyone knows that “luxury items” aren’t exactly made from extravagant materials, now is the best time for emerging designers to showcase their talents to the world. For the designers who need a little boost to get themselves out there, here are a few tips to fulfill your goals!
1. Copyright & trademark everything!
First and foremost handle your business! Like any creative, we all love the process of creating something but don’t let all that hard work be so accessible and easy to steal. The forms to copyright and trademark something are easy to fill out, user-friendly, and affordable. If you don’t follow any other tips, please follow this one! Do all the legal work before selling or showing anything.
2. Be original.
It’s easy as a creative to feel as though you have to follow a trend or make “what sells,” but the more you stand out, the more people will notice you and your work.
3. Always look for opportunities to grow.
You don’t have to stray too far from your core audience or aesthetic, but you can dabble in other things. If you do men’s wear, try doing some stuff for women. If you do mostly streetwear, try incorporating some formal stuff into your collections.
4. Invest in yourself.
From the fabric used to design your outfits to the photo shoots to the models, always aim for the highest quality (with what you can afford, of course).
5. Showcase your talents…
even if it’s at a local level. When you think of fashion week, large-scale fashion shows are usually what people think of. However, smaller, local shows gain a lot of attraction and go viral on social media as quickly as shows hosted by well-known brands. If you have an opportunity to show your work or take part in a smaller-scale show, take it. You never know who’s going to see your designs!