18 brands on what they'd do differently if they started from scratch
Advice from some of our favourite London designers about the lessons only time and experience can teach.
By Joe Bobowicz
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Just ask the independent fashion designers who – fresh from graduating art schools that specialise more in big ideas than business acumen – went on to set up their own labels. Perhaps, they were blindsided by production costs. Maybe, they couldn’t afford to show. Or they simply did not factor in the inevitable late payments from stockists. The point is, founding a fashion brand from scratch is never plain sailing. And no amount of crits nor hours behind a sewing machine can change that.
The old adage, building the plane while flying it, seems to be the standard approach most designers take when stepping into the industry, which makes peer-to-peer advice all the more vital. Fortunately, we have a rolodex of names willing to impart their hard-learned lessons to the next gen. While they can’t foolproof every situation, their insights should go a long way, covering everything from little hacks (save receipts) to strategic statements (build your niche, and they will come). If these designers were to start their business today, this is what they’d do differently.
Maximilian Raynor
“Pitch! I used to think opportunities would come my way if I kept putting out strong work and had an amazing online presence and portfolio, but most of the biggest moments for my business have come from cold pitching to companies. I reached out to John Smedley and they said yes to a knitwear collaboration. I reached out to Hi-Fi and they produced and supported my first two shows. I DM’ed the founders of [natural deodorant brand] AKT and they sponsored my debut show. Gola initially approached me just to lend trainers for the show, but instead I made a whole pitch deck on how I imagined a much wider and more meaningful partnership. Basically, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
Priya Ahluwalia
“If I had to choose, I would probably put more thought into trans-seasonal commercial pieces earlier, ones that sell repeatedly. We started focusing on that later down the line, and it makes a difference. But then I wonder: if I had focused on ‘easy pieces’ straight away, would I have built enough hype or interest for people to want to invest in them in the first place? I’m not someone that really lives with regrets because I view everything as a learning curve. When you launch a business, you need to be quite fearless, otherwise worrying will stop you from getting anything done.”
Charlotte Knowles and Alexandre Arsenault, KNWLS
“We’d put far more focus on the business and strategic side from the beginning, and really learn what it means to run a creative business, because almost none of that is learned in school. In the early years, our attention was naturally on the creative, and it took time before we properly sat down and created a clear brand book and defined the structure behind the brand.”
Phoebe English
“I would probably do a lot of things differently. But firstly, I would try and start the business outside London, and I would feel confident in doing that. The strain of trying to keep a creative space here has been hard work. I would skip aiming for any wholesale stockists and just focus on building my own client base. And, I would try to do this as slowly as possible, in my own time, completely ignoring any fashion structures or expectations. I would also integrate the studio work space within nature, embedding our practice in its natural surroundings and using the management of our natural surroundings to build and source the ingredients for our colours while increasing biodiversity and habitat. I think this exchange would give deeper meaning and purpose to what we do, and a sense of vitality when starting work every day.”
Christopher Shannon
“Designers can keep showing only with financial backing, collabs and other income. I struggle to think of anyone making enough money on clothes alone without also a perfume or beauty deal. At this point, I’d not be focusing on trying to sell loads of clothes; it’s not real unless your product is very everyday. Focus [more] on how you think your point of view can be employed and monetised. Look at other ways to express your ideas outside of catwalk shows and the traditional system, which is dying before our eyes.”