With the consistent rise in the Nigerian fashion industry, starting up your own fashion designing business is not a bad idea at all.
The most interesting part of this business is that as humans, majority of us are not so interested in the company that makes our clothes. All we want to know is how nice the clothes look on us and the quality of the materials used in making them. So, once you get your own designs to the market, be rest assured of sales unless your products are inferior.
Nigeria has produced so many top fashion designers and will continue to do so as far as fashion is concerned in the country. Some fashion designers that have gained both national and international recognitions are:
1. Folake Folarin–Coker
2. Ade Bakare
3. Soares Anthony
4. Mai Atafo
5. Duro Onowu
6. Gorgio Armani
7. Frank oshodi
8. Ralph Lauren
9. Lisa Folawiyo
10. Zizi Cardow
You too can be part of the list if you want. It depends on your willingness to build a career in this niche. Becoming a well known fashion designer is a big deal in this industry and it takes more than just hardwork to pull through.
The following tips would be helpful in your journey as a fashion designer:
Creativity
As a fashion designer, you have to be creative. Your ability to craft out a nice and new design will give you an edge in the industry.
Good designer-customer relationship
You should try as much as you can to be in good terms with every customer. Unlike some fashion designers, there should be no disparity between the customers that buy in large quantities and those that buy in unit.
Good relationship with workers
As a fashion designer, you should be creative but that does not make you an island. Workers that have been given freedom to express their opinions most times bring new ideas. Your workers should be given a suitable atmosphere to give suggestions but not to take decisions on their own. It also makes them to work for you with utmost diligence.
Set goals and accomplish them
Setting goals and standards for your business can not be over emphasized. Accomplishing laid down goals shows growth in your business.
Be fashionable
As a fashion designer, you should also dress in a fashionable manner. Customers are always pleased with what they see. You can sometimes serve as a model for your business unknowingly. Know the right dress code to put on to different occasions.
Starting a fashion designing business I must confess is not quite easy. Learning how to sew clothes is an added advantage. The cost of setting up this business depends on the location you want the business to be situated, cost of equipments and machines, the kind of scale you want for business (by scale I mean if you want a small scale or a large scale business), number of employees etc. On the small scale level, the sum of three hundred thousand naira will go a long way but including the cost of acquiring a store can sum the amount to about four hundred and fifty thousand naira depending on your location.
Major equipments used in fashion designing include:
1. A pairs of scissors of different sizes
2. Tape rule
3. Needles and threads
4. Sewing machine
5. Embroidery machine for creating cloth designs
6. Notchers for seam marking
7. Hole punchers
8. Different set of rulers
9. Pencils and chalks
10. Sketchbook
Guide to setting up a fashion designing business in Nigeria
Choose a specialization
Fashion designing comprises of different aspects ranging from male wears for adult and children to female wears for adult and children to shoes of all sorts, handbags and so on. For starters, you have to choose any specialization of your choice to make it easy for you concentrate on similar products. Though, some individuals choose to start with two or more niches. Whatever the case may be always make sure you can manage your business properly.
Acquire the necessary skills
If you have chosen to focus on bags for instance, you should meet with a professional bag maker to learn the skill of bag making. It is preferable to know all the processes involved in manufacturing your product(s) rather than allowing someone run it for you. You can be cheated or even deceived.
Choose a location
In choosing a suitable location, you have to first understand your market and know who your products are intended for. Choose a location with less competitors, where your products are in high demand and also an exposed environment where people can easily locate you.
Write a business plan
Every business needs a plan. A business plan will help you identify your target market and take necessary decisions to climb above your competitors.
Read more: HOW TO WRITE A LEGIT BUSINESS PLAN
Sort for raw materials and equipments
Search for reputable manufacturers of raw materials in the country or abroad that will consistently provide raw materials to you at a fixed price.
You can buy equipments from the marketplace or better still you can order them online.
Register your business
Register your business under the corporate affairs commission and give it a trademark. It helps to prevent piracy and gives positive remarks about your business to customers and potential investors.
Manufacture fashion products
After you are done with setting up your business. The next step is for you to start applying all the skills you have gathered into the design and manufacture of your fashion products. Remember to always use quality materials. Selling them might not be a problem since it is quality.
Packaging really matters in this business. Ensure to properly package your products and including qualit labels and tags to make you look professional.
Advertise the business
Create mind blowing strategies to help get people to know about yor business.
Creating social media pages and accounts for your business brand is also a remarkable way of advertising along side radio and television adverts.
You can also partner with other top business brands. It makes it easy to gather large followers of your brand.
Sponsoring events most especially those that are fashion related also goes a long way.
There are other series of market strategies you can employ. It all depends on the one that suits your needs.
Open an online fashion store
A website that allows customers to other your products even with coming to your store is another way of advertising as well as making money from your products at ease. You do not need the knowledge of computer programming to do this. There are sites that can help you with that just search for it online.
With this online store, I advise you create affiliate programs to enable people market your products and get some percentage per product they are able to sell.
Fashion designing business takes time to nurture but once you have succeeded, there are no limitations.
I hope you found this post helpful. You can leave a comment and also help in informing others by sharing this post.
