What Independent Designers Need to Know to Thrive in 2025
The State of Fashion report by McKinsey & Company for 2025 paints a pretty clear picture of the challenges and opportunities ahead for small, independent and artisanal designers like you.Ā
With so much uncertainty I thought itād be helpful to break down the key takeaways and how they might impact your work moving into 2025.
A Shift in Consumer Behaviour
First off, the market is still pretty tough. Consumers are still feeling the pinch and are more price-conscious than ever but this shift is NOT just about discount shoppingāthereās more demand for value, which includes embracing things like resale, off-price, and, believe it or not, even dupes!!
As an independent designer, this could mean reconsidering your pricing strategy but much more importantly, and what I tell the designers in Fashion Entrepreneurs Academy, itās about how you communicate the value of your work.
Regional Shifts
Since China is not growing as fast as it was, many global brands are pivoting their attention to o
...SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IS DEAD!ā ļø
Relying on social media marketing to grow your fashion brand is DEAD!ā ļø
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Huhhh. š«£ā¦ā¦
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OKā¦.. Ā I am being a little dramatic!!!Ā š¤£Ā
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BUT the reality is that you can no longer rely SOLELY on social media marketing if you want to avoid an empty order book!
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According to McKinsey & Company BRAND MARKETING is back!!Ā Ā
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They said in their annual State of Fashion report that [in 2024] 71 percent of executives plan to spend more on brand marketing than in 2023.
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So what does this mean for you as an independent fashion designerā¦.
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It means that brand marketing is more relevant in 2024 and you cannot be AS dependent on Instagram!!Ā Ā
You need both social media AND brand marketing! Ā
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In 2024 your Instagram, other social media marketing and Facebook (Meta) ads demand more raw authenticity than everā¦.Ā and your content needs to be turbocharged to create an emotional connection if you want to drive people to eventually become a customer.
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A HUGE mistake I see hundreds of ...
Not "Hugging" Your Customers Could be Preventing Big Results In Your Fashion Business
Most fashion designers think that to grow a successful fashion business all you need are fantabulous unique designs, customer acquisition, sell as many products as you can and make great profits.
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I understand why you think thatā¦.Itās what everyone told you: college tutors, business books, the marketing guruās, your bank manager,Ā business advisorsā¦! Ā Ā We are conditioned to believe that business is all about the cold bottom line and that we have to focus only on the intellectual aspect of a sale.... Ā But, Ā have you ever wondered why 60% of UK businesses that put blood sweat and tears into great products, sales and profits fail in their first three years.
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Donāt get me wrongā¦.you do need fabulous unique products, sales and profits to grow a successful fashion brandā¦..However what is very often missed is the EMOTIONAL CONNECTION.Ā Ā Building strong emotional connections with both your customers and your team will form strong lasting relationships that keep your customers returning, ...
Jane McMillan
Jane McMillan
Founder of Fashion Entrepreneurs Academy
Jane McMillan is a fashion business coach living in London. Her Mac Millan brand gained celebrity clients including a member of the British Royal Family and her work has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, WWD, etc. Collections were shown on the official schedule at New York Fashion Week and at London & Paris fashion weeks. For many years Jane was also a lecturer on the fashion course at St Martins College of Art & Design in London. Now she loves to help artisanal independent fashion brands reach customers who appreciate unique products and take their business to the next level.
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