Fashion in Nigeria is more than functionality. Clothing items have to embody much more than comfort. These days it’s about style, identity, and luxury. People want to look and feel good, and they are willing to pay top dollar to suit their needs. Luxury wear brands are one of the biggest trends in Nigerian fashion today. They offer sleek, trendy, bold, and unique collections that stand out. Luxury brands cater to diverse styles and clientele, from T-shirts to hoodies and more bespoke options. If you’re looking to start your very own luxury brand, we got you. Here are a few tips that’ll help you get started.
Fashion brands can be very profitable, but there are a few questions you’ll need to answer before diving in.
- Who is my audience?
- What is my brand identity?
- How will I implement my ideas?
- Who do I work with?
To answer these questions, just follow these steps.
STEP 1: DO YOUR RESEARCH
Information is power; the more information you have, the better. Find out the skills you’ll need to have before you start the business. Take time out to study the market. Find out what sells and what doesn’t. Pay attention to successful brands and the strategies they use. Identify great suppliers and artisans. You need to know where you can get materials, equipment, etc. Suppose you’re planning on launching a t-shirt line, for example. You will need to have access to high-quality cotton fabrics, designers, and printers. Doing your research will help you better understand the nature of the business and what you’ll need to do to stand out.
STEP 2: DEFINE YOUR BRAND AND IDENTIFY YOUR AUDIENCE
If you have a target niche, try to spot trends and concepts that perform well with your audience. What does my audience love? Do they like minimal, simple designs or complex and abstract pieces? You’ll need to identify what works. On the other hand, if you plan on reaching a more comprehensive market, you need to have an idea of what you want to sell. What words describe your brand? What types of products do you want to sell? To be a luxury brand is to sell an experience and a certain vibe. Identify what makes your brand unique before you jump in.
STEP 3: CREATE A FEW DESIGNS
Once you have an idea of the direction you want to move in, the next step is to create a few designs. If you’re creatively inclined and can make your designs in-house, great. If not, you will need to find a designer who can help you create visually appealing products. Or, you can make use of royalty-free images or existing designs. The downside to the latter is the lack of uniqueness in your final product. You can hire a designer or work with freelancers online. A lot of successful brands create designs around a central theme or visual. Think “Supreme,” for example. Another popular route is to modify existing motifs to suit your target niche. Pay attention to pop culture and trending topics as inspo for creating designs.
STEP 4: WORK WITH THE BEST
So, you have a few mock-up designs, great. Next up is to determine how to translate your ideas to actual products. It’s simple, you need to work with the best. As a luxury brand, you need to match and exceed your customers’ expectations in quality, design, and comfort. That means working with the best materials, the best designers, and the best printers. Your brand image will suffer if your prints fade, crack or wash away. Catalyst wears is an example to follow. Like many brands, they partner with inklar, a highly rated customization platform, for printing and design validation. Work with the people you can trust to produce the best results.
STEP 5: CREATE A PRESENCE
The next step is to find a place to put it all. Set up a store to display your products and start selling. You can set up a store on an online marketplace in minutes. Create landing pages on multiple platforms like Instagram, Twitter, etc., to provide visibility for your brand. You can also run advertisements through these channels to raise brand awareness. Partner with relevant personalities in your target niche to promote your product. Photoshoots and media campaigns are a must for launching new collections.
STEP 6: REGISTER YOUR BRAND
As your business grows, you will have to register your brand and obtain all necessary legal documents. This is to provide a legal safety net for your brand and to prevent copyright infringement.
Bonus Tips
- Create a business plan for funding, market strategy, and expansion.
- Network with other people in the business
- Price your products sensibly
- Listen to feedback from your niche
- Network and display your brand at events, social gatherings, etc.
- Be patient. Take things step by step
And there you have it. Luxury fashion can be enriching. The satisfaction that comes from seeing hours of painstaking effort proudly displayed is priceless. You too can own your luxury wear business by following these steps and tips. Get started today!
