How long does it take to launch a fashion brand?
Starting your fashion brand is going to be a long and difficult journey, but if you can navigate through the challenges you’ll be rewarded with success at the end. We’re going to cover literally everything. Buckle up, let’s dive right in.
The Real Concerns: Time, Money, and the Fear of Failure
If you're reading this, chances are you’re excited but also a bit nervous. That’s totally normal. You’re probably wondering:
Can I afford this?
What if it doesn’t work out?
How much time will I need to dedicate?
How long will it take until I can launch?
These are all valid concerns. The fashion industry can be tough, and starting a brand requires not only creativity but also a solid understanding of business. The good news is, with the right plan and mindset, you can navigate these challenges. Let’s start by stepping back and looking at the big picture.
The Big Picture: How Long Does It Really Take?
You’ve probably guessed this already, but launching a fashion brand isn’t an overnight thing. On average, you’re looking at 12 to 24 months from the initial idea to the day you finally open for business.
But - and this is important - your timeline can vary greatly depending on several factors:
Experience: If you've worked in fashion before, you might move faster. If not, expect a longer learning curve.
Budget: Money can speed up many aspects of launching, from hiring designers to securing manufacturing.
Production Scale: Are you starting small with a capsule collection, or going all-in with a full line? Smaller launches naturally take less time.
Market Entry Strategy: Online brands can launch faster. Setting up a retail store can take a significant amount of time.
Step-by-Step: The Journey to Launching Your Fashion Brand
Launching a fashion brand involves several key steps. Let’s break them down:
1. Concept Development (1-2 months)
Your brand starts with an idea - a concept that defines who you are and what you want to create. This is where you’ll decide on your niche, target audience, and overall aesthetic. This includes both the visual direction of your first collection and the brand identity of your business.
2. Market Research (1 month)
Once you’ve got your concept, it’s time to do your homework. Market research is crucial to understand the landscape you’re entering. This includes:
Competitor Analysis: Who are your competitors? What are they doing well, and where are the gaps? Check out their websites, products, brand and marketing strategies. P.S. you can spy on their ads here.
Target Audience: Who is your ideal customer? What are their needs and desires? What is their price sensitivity? Where do they hangout both online and offline? What are their demographics - age, gender, location etc
Trends: What’s currently trending in fashion, and how can you leverage this?
Market research will help you fine-tune your concept and make sure there’s a demand for what you’re offering. You’ll use all this knowledge to inform your branding and product development.
3. Brand Development (2-3 months)
Once you have a clear idea of what your fashion brand is going to be you need to create the actual brand itself. Unless you are an experienced, competent designer we strongly recommend hiring someone who is. If your brand is crap, you’re going to run into problems getting any sales at all. Your brand needs to be excellent - absolutely no exceptions, excuses or shortcuts. You can get a full set of brand deliverables done for around £1,500, not including your website, which is probably the same (or a bit higher) again.
Brand identity: The fundamental building blocks of your brand, such as your logo, typography, art style (the approach to photos, videos and illustrations) and colour palette
Tone of voice: How does your brand speak? Is it confident with surety and clarity? Professional, sleek and direct? Fun, playful and exciting? Think of this as your brand personality
Messaging: This is everything from your taglines to the core vision, mission and values of your brand. For Nike, it’s “Just Do It”. What’s yours?
Packaging: Covers your hang tags, shipping bags, labels, tape, boxes, wrapping paper, inserts, postcards - everything that’s part of the customer experience around your product. Don’t forget about the lead time on getting these printed and shipped to you after the designs are approved.
Website: You’ll need to think about how your brand is going to look when applied to your eCommerce platform of choice
Social media: From your social media visual style (what is your Instagram grid going to look like?) to templates that you can use to create your own posts with. If you want some cheap (but good) ones you can get them on Creative Market.
4. Business Planning (2-4 months)
Next up is the business plan. Yes, it might sound boring, but it gives you a solid grounding to work from. A good business plan will cover:
Brand Strategy: Your mission, vision, and values.
Budget: How much money you need, where it will come from, and how it will be spent.
Sales and Marketing Plan: How will you acquire customers? What channels will you use?
Operations: What’s the timeline for production, and who are your suppliers? Who will ship your products?
Your business plan is your roadmap, guiding you through every step of launching your brand. Refer back to it often and don’t be afraid to improve it over time. It’s a work in progress that gets better the further you go on your journey.
5. Ecommerce (1-2 months)
For most start-up fashion brands you’re going to want to launch and stay exclusively online for some time. Setting up a retail store can take significantly longer to do as well as require a large capital investment. Your website is where all the buying happens, so it’s got to look and work optimally. You should be able to do most of this yourself. If you need help, first look to Google for a solution and if you’re still stuck drop us a message at info@londonfashionlab.com!
Technicals: You’ll need a domain name, website hosting and professional emails setting up
Platform: Choose an eCommerce platform that’s right for you. We always recommend Shopify because it works right out of the box, it’s low cost, and there’s plenty of powerful apps you can install to boost the functionality of your site.
Payment gateway: You’ll need to make sure your store is connected to a payment gateway and your financial details so that users can buy and you can get paid.
Analytics: Make sure your site is tracking users and the attribution of your advertising campaigns is as accurate as possible. Don’t forget about data privacy compliance either. At a minimum you’ll want Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Merchant Centre, Google Search Console and Elevar set up and installed. These are all free except for Elevar, which has a free licence for up to 100 sales per month.
Brand: Make sure your brand is represented in the look and feel of your site, from the colours and fonts to the images you use. Your website will be your brand's home, afterall!
Products: Add all your products, their descriptions, inventory, images and attributes.
Shipping: Make sure all your shipping costs and regions are correctly configured.
Content: Add in any additional content you need, such as policies (shipping, returns, privacy, terms and conditions etc), blog posts, FAQ pages etc. Use ChatGPT’s free version if you get stuck here.
6. Design and Product Development (4-6 months)
Now for the fun part - designing your collection! This is where your vision comes to life in the form of sketches, prototypes and samples. There’s a lot of work to do here:
Design: You’ll likely go through several rounds of designs before finalising your collection.
Sourcing: Finding the right suppliers for fabrics, dyeing, labels, trims can all take time. You’ll need to see samples and then make larger orders for your production run, which can all take time to deliver to you (expect between 4-8 weeks for delivery).
Sampling: Creating samples is crucial to ensuring your designs translate well into finished products. Going from design to sample can take 6-12 weeks, if it’s taking longer than that then find a new supplier. You can’t run a business with slow and unreliable production partners.
Manufacturing prep: Getting patterns made and approved before grading them across your different sizes, commissioning tech packs for manufacturing and all the many versions, amends and tweaks these require.
7. Production (3-6 months)
With your designs finalised, it’s time to move into production. This is where your products are made, packaged, and prepped for launch. Keep in mind:
Production Timelines: Depending on your manufacturers, production can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Local manufacturing can often be quicker and possible at lower Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) but expect this to be double the unit price of manufacturing overseas. If you manufacture abroad you will need to factor in shipping times (and costs).
Quality Control: Don’t rush this part. Ensuring the quality of your products is vital for your brand’s reputation. In very rare cases a manufacturer may need to make adjustments to an entire batch of completed garments if they fail quality control. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
8. Marketing and PR (2-4 months)
Before you launch, you need to create a buzz around your brand. This is where marketing and PR come into play:
Social Media: Start building your presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. These are crucial for fashion brands. Only do this once you’ve got some photography of your products (samples are great for this) or you will quickly run out of steam of what to post. You could set up a waiting list and run low-cost ads to grow it.
Press Coverage: Reach out to fashion bloggers, influencers, and media outlets to get your brand noticed.
Launch Event: Consider hosting a launch event (even if it’s virtual) to generate excitement.
8. The Big Launch! (1-2 months)
Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for - it’s launch day! But remember, the launch isn’t the finish line; it’s just the beginning of your brand’s journey. Post-launch, you’ll need to:
Monitor Sales: Keep an eye on your sales and cash flow and adjust your strategy as needed.
Customer Feedback: Listen to what your customers are saying and use their feedback to improve.
Marketing Continuation: Keep the momentum going with ongoing marketing efforts.
Logistics: Prepare to order more stock as you sell out. You’ll probably need to order more materials ahead of time too.
Brand development: Start thinking about your next collection or product line - the process repeats!
Real-Life Stories: Every Brand’s Timeline is Unique
Let’s take a look at some real-life examples to illustrate just how varied these timelines can be.
Example 1: Sara Blakely and Spanx
Sara Blakely launched Spanx after spending two years developing her product. She didn’t have a background in fashion, but her determination and smart marketing (she started by sending her products to Oprah!) helped her build a billion-dollar brand.
Example 2: Tom Ford
Tom Ford, on the other hand, had years of experience in fashion before launching his eponymous brand. His timeline was quicker because he knew the industry inside out, had connections, and access to resources.
Challenges Along the Way
No journey is without its challenges, and launching a fashion brand is no exception. Some of the most common obstacles include:
Production Delays: Sometimes manufacturers miss deadlines, which can set you back.
Cash Flow Issues: Balancing expenses with income, especially early on, can be tricky.
Changing Trends: Fashion trends move fast. What’s hot today might not be tomorrow.
Tips for Overcoming These Challenges
Build a Cushion: Always allow for extra time and budget in your planning.
Stay Adaptable: Be ready to pivot if things don’t go as planned.
Lean on Experts: Don’t be afraid to hire consultants or mentors who can guide you. P.S. we can help ;)
Conclusion: How Long Does It Take to Launch a Fashion Brand?
So, how long does it take to launch a fashion brand? The answer depends on your unique circumstances, but generally, you’re looking at 12 to 24 months. It’s a journey that requires patience, planning, and perseverance. But with the right approach, you can bring your fashion dream to life.
FAQ
Q: Can I launch a fashion brand faster than 12 months?
A: It’s possible, but rushing can lead to mistakes. It’s better to take your time to ensure everything is done right.
Q: How much money do I need to start a fashion brand?
A: This varies greatly depending on your goals, but a small capsule collection might start at around £10,000, while a full-scale launch could require upwards of £100,000.
Q: Do I need a fashion background to start a brand?
A: Not necessarily. While industry experience helps, many successful brand owners, like Sara Blakely of Spanx, started without a fashion background.
Q: What’s the most important factor for a successful launch?
A: A clear brand identity and a well-thought-out business plan are crucial. Knowing who you are and who your customers are will guide every decision you make.
Author
Chris Bennett, Marketing Director
With over 15 years of experience in strategic marketing, Chris works with clients to understand customers, drive sales and run a profitable online store. Chris also runs his own high-end fashion label.
If you’re interested in launching your own fashion brand, or growing a brand further, then get in touch to see how we can help!
