Start An Equestrian Brand

How To Start An Equestrian Brand.

The short answer, to use a well known slogan, is – Just Do It…..

Or maybe just  think about it for a while? Leave it until tomorrow? Or next week? Maybe you really need to do some research first? Get your brand identity sorted ? Funding in place ? Dishes need doing ?

You have been dreaming of starting an equestrian brand for some time. You know the direction you want to take and have some loads of design ideas.  So, what are you waiting for ?

No Experience Needed.

You dont need any experience of the fashion industry, or an ability to sketch.  All you need in order to start any clothing brand  are your ideas, a little determination, and some expert help. We can provide as much, or as little of that help as you need.

We are  not saying that you should be reckless and throw your money away, or fund your business through credit card borrowing.

The London Pattern Cutter was formed in 1984 in order to provide new fashion businesses and designers with an affordable one-stop solution to bring their designs to life.

We can help you with every stage of bringing your designs to life.  Just bring us your ideas and we will do the rest. And we can produce your designs in very small quantities, with no MOQ.

Made In London.

London is one of the most exciting  places in the world to start a new fashion brand.  The UK capital is a world centre for fashion design and related fashion business services.

World leading fashion designers are located all round London – The West End, The East End, Shoreditch, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, South Kensington, Brick Lane.

There is no shortage of highly skilled pattern cutters, designers, graders, garment techs or printers. Half of all UK fashion jobs are located in London. And no shortage of  high end clothing factories.

The difficulty for the startup fashion brand is that there are  also plenty of  unskilled people and very poor factories out there too. The big clothing brands tend to hoover up the talent, so it is increasingly hard to find  skilled professionals, high end factories, and suppliers willing to deal with small brands and small orders.

Tech Packs.

Whether you are manufacturing in the UK, or abroad, it is important to produce a tech pack. This is an important blueprint for your design. Because equestrian garments are technical garments rather than basic fashion, they need to be produced to an exacting standard.

If you are manufacturing abroad, it is doubly important that you have a professional tech-pack in order to ensure that your styles are made exactly as you want them to be.

Using Reference Garments.

Above all, Equestrianwear needs to be functional. It also needs to be stylish, rather than specifically fashionable – Unless of course, you have other ideas.

Because it needs to be functional, the shape and fit is really important. So, using reference garments made by well known brands within the horse riding world is the best way to start.

You may also want to use non specialist clothing for reference if you feel that they will be useful. The importance is having a good starting point that will save you time and money.

Other Sources Of Inspiration. 

As well as reference garments, it is useful to keep other sources of inspiration, such as images, colours and fabrics.

Sketches.

Some people are better at sketches than others, but even a poor sketch provides some valuable information. If you need a hand, then we can do the sketches and technical drawings for you.

What Are Routes To Market ?

The route to market is how your product is sold to the public and how your customers find you.  You need to know how and where your target customer prefers to buy. Your business will not have much success without understanding how your customers buy.

Once you have decided your routes to market it is important to check which ones generate the most sales and which ones are ineffective. These days there are for more routes to market than in past years. While it is far easier to do, there is also far more competition.

There is a big difference between  selling via the internet or through a physical shop. Others may choose to sell in a market, or a pop-up shop. Still others may choose to sell through party planning.

Equestrian Wear Startup Workshop.

We highly recommend our startup workshops for equestrianwear. This short workshop is essential for anyone interested in starting a business.

EMAIL   emile@thelondonpatterncutter.co.uk