Serious about starting a clothing line? If so subscribe to our RSS feed or Email notifications for exclusive articles/updates that you don't want to miss!

Note: Make sure you read all the mistakes in by commentators! Thanks

I was looking through some of my notes for articles and just wanted to come up with something new that I haven’t seen on any other blog…at least in the manner that I am going to provide the information. What better way to learn than by knowing and listening to mistakes that other clothing companies in your field make. This list is going to go on indefinitely and I will re-post it to the top of the blog either weekly or daily depending on how popular it becomes. I know most of our readers either have or are in the process of starting a clothing line have made a mistake, wit their own stories to tell of were they ordered too many products or set prices too high while trying to start their clothing line or in their day to day business activities. So I am going to begin the post by listing as many mistakes that I have made and know other companies have made that can limit your chance of success as a clothing company.

Clic Design is a company I came across about a month or so ago and I have to say they have what seems to be some great tools for apparel designers.

I know how many of you ask about how you can do apparel designs on Photoshop and Illustrator. Well Clic Designs tools directly help you create motifs, design repeat patterns on textiles, fabric color matching, integrate yarn dye fabric design solutions right into your Photoshop/Illustrator programs and my favorite Style Draper Pro which allows you to directly lay a print design, textile, or fabric directly onto the body of a model bringing lifelike draping to your computer. (You have to see it here for the full effect) Basically you get a rendering of your fabric, or texture on a live model.

Let’s talk about some of the programs that Clic Design offers:

Levi Strauss is running a contest for its own version Project Runway (Project 501) by having novice-experienced fashion designers contribute original designs to their 501 line of denim. Guess they’re tired of suing everybody and decided to put their efforts toward a rather interesting project. (Read up on their lawsuits here and here)

(Deadline for submissions have passed February 6th )Rules to enter the contest are very simple first you must register on Levi 501 you are automatically entered to win the sweepstakes and once you submit your denim design illustration you become part of winning the grand prizes.

Prizes designers are eligible to win:

• First Prize-Levi’s? will produce your design, and sell it on levi.com, and you’ll also win a $501 gift certificate [redeemable on levi.com]
• Second Prize-A $501 gift certificate [redeemable on levi.com]
• Third Prize-A $250 gift certificate [redeemable on levi.com]

(Voting is still open!)The contest is based on registered voters on the site who are also eligible to win some attractive prizes check them out below:

I was hoping this was a contest that any footwear designers could enter, because the exposure would be priceless. In my opinion I think footwear designers or more so entrepreneurs who start footwear companies have it harder than us fashion designers. There is no t-shirt or lower cost means of starting a shoe line..at least not to my knowledge. Footwear is all about design and quality unless your selling to the masses through a Wal Mart, Target type of store, but your chances of receiving orders from them are slim to none without a proven seller.

Footwear News, Nine West and in association with the Fashion Institute of Technology are putting seven promising designers to the test in the first Shoe Star contest. The contestants were chosen from among the school?s accessories design seniors after a rigorous judging process conducted by the Footwear News staff. I really wish they would have made this available to all footwear designers and it would have most likely made for a better competition.

From the site:

The eco-conscious trend took the fashion industry by storm in 2007. From clothing companies adopting the “green” mentality to full blown lines dedicated toward the cause (Social Awearness) whether or not the consumers are taking notice is still undecided or if it even matters to them at all.

Looks like the denim industry has taken notice and you will see many lines mainly in the womens wear industry adopting styles and moving to 100% organic cotton and other all natural processes. According to WWD sustainable, organic, and natural are the new “buzz” words in the fashion industry and for good reason organic cotton sales are looking to reach $2.6 billion by years end according to Organic Exchange.

Serious about starting a clothing line? If so subscribe to our free newsletter for exclusive articles/updates that you don't want to miss! or Our RSS Feed

Continue This Discussion In Dobizo Forum

Popularity: 4% [?]

Here at Dobizo we like to make sure our readers have a hands up on the competition.

So it is about that time again for an annual trend report from our readers on what you think will be in from womens, children’s, and the menswear fashion industry.

Let’s talk about trends from this year and what you think will carry on to the next seasons and what is down for the count or going out of style for Spring/Summer 2008. Also predict what is going to be the next big trend in your opinion.

I look forward to your comments.

Popularity: 5% [?]

This is a follow up to the Roles Within The Apparel Industry Part 1- Pattern and Sample Makers article series.

If you own a clothing line most likely you have a fashion illustrator in your camp whether you call them a graphic designer or a fashion designer usually they have more than this one task.

I guess at first I could’ve considered myself a fashion illustrator because at one point I took a liking to drawing and fashion was always part of my career plan, plus most of my first original designs started out as fashion sketches and illustrations…now most are started in photo shop from a simple idea. Fashion Illustration is not only accomplished by sketches but is also done with CAD programs (Coral, Photoshop, Illustrator). So being proficient in Adobe design programs would come in handy.

Fashion illustrations are not only used for design catalog’s but also for advertisements, magazines, newspapers, trend forecasting, films, brochures, and flyers. Many illustrators are freelance and work on their on time for many different businesses not all are directly related to the fashion industry they range from a manufacturer to an advertising agency. Earning potential starts at around $60,000.

This is another edition of the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Dobizo Forums. To the Nines Maternity wants to know what the terms R.O.T. and D/R mean in the context of buying wholesale fabric? For example, a fabric header that I have says this:

Put Up: 20 yards D/R - 100/50 yards R.O.T.

I have searched, but couldn’t find too much information on the net. One way is to call up your local fabric store and find out the answer. I was going to go that route, but thought this could be a little challenge for the readers of the blog. Does anybody know right off top? (Thom you don’t count lol just kidding)

Here are some of the other interesting articles from the Dobizo forums:

Do you always want the Highest oz. weight??

How can I access these Overseas Cut-N-Sew Manufacturers???

Understanding the beginning sample/manufacturer process

Popularity: 3% [?]

I just wanted to bring light to a great company that is part of the Global Fashion Network: Where The Apparel Industry Connects. Polina Fashion is a full-service fashion production company offering event production, fashion show production, photo-shoot production,
talent casting and placement services and fashion consulting. The owner Polina Raygorodskaya was featured in Business Week Magazine’s Best Entrepreneus under 25 with sales over $1 million.

I will add their company to our industry page that will be getting a remake to better suit our readers. Make sure and pay Polina Fashion a visit and maybe they can be of some service to your business.

Popularity: 5% [?]

This is another Dobizo Question and Answer session from a readers question posted on the Dobizo Answer aka FAQ page. This question also sparked an idea in my mind for a good series of articles explaining the role of each position within the apparel industry. If you work in the apparel industry in a specific role I would love to interview you and have you write a guest post email fred@dobizo.com with your position in the apparel industry and contact information.
JOSE ESTELA Asks:

“HELLO I HAVE QUESTION I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER HERE BUT CANNOT FIND IT. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A PATTERN MAKER AND WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM AND A SAMPLE MAKER I?M ALITTLE CONFUSED WONDER IF I NEED BOTH OR JUST ONE THANKS HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU”

Great question Jose and I did a quick check with the search tool and found a couple of articles with pattern and sample makers within the context, but none exclusively on the subject of either/or.

Here is some pictures from the Gen Art Fresh Faces Emerging Designers Fashion Show. I wrote about them earlier last month. You can read more about the fashion show by clicking here.

This a compilation of pictures from different websites (Label Networks, Star Pulse) . I thought this would be a good addition considering all the fashion and trade shows I talk about, but not many pictures are related to the shows. Some are from the Chicago edition and others are from the kick-off event to Los Angeles Fashion Week. Enjoy:

Popularity: 3% [?]

New York Times article seems to believe that most of the footwear created in year 2007 is fueled by themes, colors, symbol and ideas from the 80’s.

I definitely agree to a certain extent considering that in my mind most clothing colors/trends are fueled by footwear and accessories (article) and if you look at most of the new trends and clothing companies (Parish, BBPBX) that have been launched this year most are retro styled and the offerings are bright neon and pastels reminiscent of the 80’s culture.

Popularity: 7% [?]