SMALL CAN BE MIGHTY WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGNING YOUR FASHION COLLECTION AS A STARTUP DESIGNER

FASHION LAUNCH INSIDER EDITION 2 - 31ST MARCH 2025

By Your Launch Architect, Jane McMillan

DESIGNING JUST ONE PRODUCT CAN ACHIEVE MORE CLARITY THAN A LARGE COLLECTION IF YOU'RE JUST STARTING YOUR FASHION BUSINESS

For years THE FASHION INDUSTRY GATEKEEPERS (buyers, editors and agents) said that more choice was better.... 

But does more choice equate to more sales?

Have you ever tried to buy a pair of blue denim jeans, only to be bamboozled by choice and left the shop empty handed— hot, sweaty and  mentally exhausted because you didn’t have the energy to try them all on!    

Sometimes choice is too much for our brains so we end up choosing nothing!  By offering less choice your customers don’t need to think, so actually buy more.

Look at cup cakes.  They were just another cake in the cake shop.    But when bakers started selling ONLY cupcakes demand went through the roof.  One baker in Dubai even sold golden cupcakes for $1,000!

This strategy isn't new.  Some of the biggest fashion empires started with just one product.  Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, focused on inventing ONE SINGLE ORIGINAL product that she knew could be sold to millions of people.  That single product resulted in her becoming the youngest self-made billionaire in the US!  Ralph Lauren started his GLOBAL empire with only ties ....  And we all know that not every brand producing huge 40 piece collections is successful! 

What do these mono-product or small range designers do to become so successful and stay in business ?   Well, they all knew their audience extremely well and narrowed their focus to a product they knew a lot of people would want to buy.

So, how can you start your business with either a mono-product or a small capsule collection?

1. Firstly, Focus on what you do best and that you know a lot of people will want to buy.   This takes DISCIPLINE but that narrow focus of attention will help you become better than anyone else at creating and selling that specific product .    It will also allow you to focus on growing your business as a Catalyst of innovation instead of getting caught up in product problems. 

2. The product must have a distinct point of originality and, despite what you might have been told, original does NOT mean wild or outlandish!

3. Set up your business structure as simply as possible.   If you want help with this the 3 X Fashion Launch Formula gives you the steps. 

4. Find a good assistant who will grow with you.

5. Develop good relationships with fabric suppliers and manufacturers.  This is vital to achieving better quality products and prices.

6. Understand your customers….  This is much easier when you’re focusing on one product or small range of products because you can communicate better, gain their trust and ultimately increase sales.
   

To prove that more choice does NOT equal more sales Columbia University carried out a study of jam.   They set up two sales stands.   one selling a choice of six jams and the other a choice of 24 exotic flavours.  More people did show interest in the table with 24 jams.   But it was actually the table with only six jams that sold the most. They sold 30% compared to only 3% on the table with 24 jams!!

So which stand would you want your products on?     Do you want to be the designer with a large collection attracting lots of attention but getting hardly any sales and only lasting a season or would you rather be a Catalyst designer who creates a disciplined focused range, attracts a specific audience and gets exponential sales and profits?

To become a Catalyst designer, pioneering a new direction in fashion, there are three vital elements:

🦋 INSPIRE elite buyers with a memorable launch that sparks conversation around their brand for months.

🦋 CAPTIVATE their audience by generating a buzz that captures the attention of fashion press, and makes buyers fall in love with their designs. 

🦋 AMPLIFY their launch results with a high-impact promotional strategy that expands their reach to celebrities, influencers and key industry figures.

You need all three of these to become a Catalyst designer.   Even missing just one component will result in a launch that falls flat, missing the momentum needed to attract elite buyers and industry attention.

When you master these elements: Inspire, Captivate & Amplify you don't just launch.   You raise your brand profile and make an unforgettable impact on the press and the RIGHT audience.