Five easy steps to start a lingerie brand even if you are a beginner
If you have thought about launching a lingerie brand but have no idea where to start then knowing these next five steps will make it easier for you to begin.
Book out your time
Might sound a simple one, but how long have you been thinking about being a lingerie designer? Launching a brand?
By simply committing to set times/s each week where you do nothing but start to gather information, you’ll see and feel yourself progress forward.
It could simply be at this point 30 mins of Monday evening , and commit to it, often once you get into the motion of starting you’ll find more time pockets in your week to complete things. Consistency is the thing that will get you furthest, spending a whole Saturday sorting things then coming back a month later won't get you as far. This method is also good if you don’t like to make lists. Blocking out time to complete something rather than crossing off a list can be less daunting.
Break it Down
If you are into lists and have made one with all the things you need to do but it still seems overwhelming, you have probably made a list of projects not tasks.
Tasks are something which can be completed in about 30-60 minutes, projects are an accumulation of tasks. So with your list pick one and break it down further, you will then see if something is stopping you finishing it, if you need extra help anywhere.
For example if on your list you have sort labels out - you would need to break that down to, research what needs to go on labels, source label manufacturer, confirmed logo etc.
Have a wild plan
My favourite - and it doesn’t need much explaining: Have a wild plan, as well as having all the things you would like your lingerie brand to do/to be - have something completely wild that you wouldn’t even know where to begin to sort it. This could be “stocked abroad’ ‘featured on front of magazine’ having something totally out of your reach sets your mind thinking bigger and gives you something to aim for to keep going.
USP
I talk about this to the clients that book in with me, what is your USP? Every brand has one, know yours and life will be easier. I don’t mean you map out saying ‘my ideal customer is called Linda lives in London, is 24 years old and works as….‘ you get my drift.
If that helps stick with it, but I’m talking about the beliefs of your customer, if you know what resonates with your brand, find the customer who also resonates with your brand. So if you are running an ethical brand, find those people that loves an ethical stance, those are your target customers so begin to study what they like, where they shop etc and start to bring that into your USP.
For example my USP was lingerie for big boobs, small backs in bright colours or fabrics that weren’t usually found in the bigger cup size, and what I noticed when I began to study that customer who liked that type of lingerie I noticed that a majority wanted swimwear as well, so I designed lingerie shapes in the collection that echoed swimwear shapes as well lingerie in a sexier style. I also had photoshoots outside to resonate with those customers as well.
Commit
I’m not saying it’s easy, at times it can be so hard, if the first idea isn’t working, Pivot, just bloody pivot, just by 5%, change it up. When the times gets shitty seek out inspiration, whether that is interviews from previous designers, attending trade shows, or reading fashion magazines. Sometimes you need to take a pause for everything to come together but don’t stop - just work on another aspect of your brand and come back to the bit that has been causing you grief.
What you find is, it will have worked itself out/ another idea/opportunity will have made itself available or that you have enough distance between yourself and it, that you are willing to try something new or ask for help.
When I’m launching a new product or lingerie piece I’m often working not just on the one thing as I know something will crop up to stall me or I won’t know the answers right away or that thing called self-doubt might creep in, by being able to switch things up to another part of your brand, you never completely stand still so you never give up.
I had a client last year who had attempted to launch her brand and for one reason or another hadn’t finalised everything so thought she had failed as she no interest from anyone but she was now only ready to try again. I asked her what she had been doing to put her brand out there so I could gauge what she was “failing at”. The truth was she hadn’t done anything, she’d done a few posts on instagram, but hadn’t done anything where she was being proactive and talking about her brand, showing her brand etc. So she wasn’t failing at her brand, she had stopped and you only really fail when you stop. If nobody was knowing about her brand how could she sell anything.
By starting with these five steps you’ll find that it doesn’t matter that you are going from the beginning, because you will get there - sooner than you think especially if you never give yourself the chance to start.
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