JJM CLOTHING FASHION INDUSTRY BLOG

TODAY I’M GOING TO TALK ABOUT CREATING A LIFESTYLE FOR YOUR BRAND. IT SIMPLY ISN’T ENOUGH FOR A BRAND TO SELL WELL DESIGNED, GOOD QUALITY CLOTHES – BECAUSE THEY WON’T SELL UNLESS THE BRAND IS MORE THAN JUST THE CLOTHES. A BRAND HAS TO HAVE AN IDENTITY OF ITS OWN. YOU HAVE TO CREATE A BRAND THAT SELLS A LIFESTYLE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BUY INTO. SO EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE SELLING POLO SHIRTS OR TRACKSUITS – WHAT PEOPLE WILL REALLY BE BUYING IS A LITTLE PIECE OF THE LIFESTYLE YOU ARE MARKETING YOUR BRAND BY. THE WAY TO CREATE THIS LIFESTYLE IS THROUGH YOUR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING CAMPAIGNS, THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE, THROUGH YOUR SHOPS AND IN-STORE PRESENCE. A FABULOUS EXAMPLE OF A BRAND THAT SELLS IT’S LIFESTYLE TO PERFECTION IS RALPH LAUREN. EVERY PUBLICITY SHOT, ALL THEIR SHOPS AND CONCESSIONS GIVE YOU AN INSIGHT INTO THE RL LIFESTYLE. THEIR SHOPS ARE SET OUT LIKE EXCLUSIVE COUNTRY CLUBS OR MANOR HOUSES WITH WOOD PANELLING, CHAISE LONGUES, LAMPS, PAINTINGS ON THE WALLS ETC – EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE SELLING A POLO SHIRT THAT COSTS $7 TO MANUFACTURE AND LOOKS LIKE EVERY OTHER POLO SHIRT THERE IS ON SALE – CUSTOMERS ARE STILL WILLING TO PAY $60 TO BUY ONE AND THIS IS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RL LIFESTYLE AND ALL THAT IT REPRESENTS. IT MAKES THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES – THEY TOO ARE A RL PERSON BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RL CLOTHES. THEY ARE BUYING INTO THE RL LIFE – JUST BY SPENDING $60 – SO IN THAT RESPECT THE POLO SHIRT IS A BARGAIN AND PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SPEND THAT MONEY TIME AND TIME AGAIN. THE POINT IS THAT YES THE CLOTHES HAVE A GOOD FIT, ARE OF A GOOD QUALITY BUT IF THE EXACT SAME POLO SHIRT WAS SELLING IN BHS WITHOUT THE TINY BREAST LOGO ON IT – NONE OF THE SAME PEOPLE WOULD BUY IT. SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN RE-BRANDING OR WHEN STARTING UP A NEW BRAND IS TO CREATE A SOUGHT-AFTER LIFESTYLE AND SELL THE CLOTHES ON THE BACK OF THAT, AND TO REINFORCE THIS IMAGE IN ALL YOUR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING.

I ONLY RECENTLY BECAME AWARE OF THE BELOW YOUTUBE CLIP AFTER A COLLEAGUE POINTED IT OUT TO ME.

EVEN THOUGH IT IS AN AD FOR A SOAP IT EQUALLY RAISES QUESTIONS TO ALL “LIFESTYLE” BASED BRANDS AND IS PROBABLY MOST PERTINENT TO OUR INDUSTRY. AFTER ALL FASHION IS A FORM OF ESCAPISM, WE ARE SELLING AN IMAGE, A LIFESTYLE. WE SPEND VAST SUMS OF MONEY PERSUADING OUR CUSTOMERS THAT THEY ARE IN FACT BUYING MORE THAN AN ITEM OF CLOTHING, THEY ARE BUYING AN ASPIRATION, A HOPE THAT BY WEARING OUR CLOTHES THEY TOO CAN TAKE A STEP FORWARD TO ACHIEVING THE IMAGE THAT WE ARE PORTRAYING IN OUR ADVERTISING. HOWEVER, AT WHICH POINT DOSE OUR BRANDING BECOME AN EXERCISE IN “FANTASY LIFESTYLES” AND DOSE IT REALLY MATTER?

THE PURSUIT FOR PERFECTION SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME THE GOAL OF THE MODERN AGE, PERFECT HAIR, PERFECT CLOTHES, PERFECT TEETH, PERFECT LIFE AND IT BEGS THE QUESTION; HAS SUCH ADVERTISING AND IMAGERY AS USED BY THE FASHION INDUSTRY A SYMPTOM OR A CAUSE OF THIS. NO ONE CAN ARGUE THAT IN THE EXTREME, WHEN MEN AND WOMEN BEGIN TO JEOPARDISE THEIR HEALTH IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A BODY IMAGE THEY HAVE BEEN FED BY THE FASHION INDUSTRY THEN THINGS HAVE GONE TOO FAR. IT IS A STRANGE TYPE OF DISHONESTY, I FEEL, TO SHOW PEOPLE AN IMAGE OF A BEAUTIFUL GIRL AND IMPLY THAT THEY TOO CAN LOOK LIKE THIS IF YOU WEAR OUR CLOTHES OR BUY OUR SOAP ETC, AND THEN TO LIGHT, MAKE UP, STYLE, AND RE-TOUCH THE IMAGE TO SOMETHING THAT IS TOTALLY UNOBTAINABLE AND TO BE HONEST TOTALLY UN-HUMAN.

I THINK THAT THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS IMPORTANT IN MAKING PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES, TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS BY WHICH TO EXPRESS TO THE WORLD THE PERSON THEY ARE AND HOW THEY WISH TO BE SEEN BY THE WORLD. I ALSO THINK THAT THE FASHION INDUSTRY NEEDS TO BE AWARE THAT PEOPLE SEE THEIR IMAGES AND MISUNDERSTAND AND MISINTERPRET THEM, AND IN SO DOING CAN DESTROY THEIR LIVES.

MORE AND MORE OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE BECOMING WISE TO THE LITTLE TRICKS WE CAN PLAY TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF GLAMOUR AND BEAUTY WHERE PERHAPS IT ISN’T REALLY THERE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS, AFTER ALL WE ARE ONLY GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WILL WANT MORE AND MORE REALITY IN THEIR ADVERTISING. REALISTIC IMAGES OF BEAUTY, PEOPLE FROM THE REAL WORLD, WITH REAL WORLD PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT A MORE MORAL AND ETHICAL CONSUMER IS EMERGING, ONE WHO CARES ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF THEIR CLOTHES AND THE IMAGERY THE COMPANY THAT MAKES THEM USES TO PROMOTE ITS PRODUCTS.

THERE ARE MANY HIDDEN COSTS WHEN IMPORTING. ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF HAS SOME KIND OF DUTY CHARGE THAT THE GOVERNMENT ADDS ONTO THE PRICE OF THE GOODS TO TRY AND PERSUADE YOU NOT TO LOOK TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO MANUFACTURE. CLOTHING IS NO EXCEPTION. IT IS ALSO INCREDIBLY CONFUSING AND DIFFICULT TO WORK OUT WHAT THE COST OF THE DUTIES WILL BE. IT IS A LONG AND VERY DULL PROCESS THAT I WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN TO YOU TO, HOPEFULLY, SAVE YOU A LOT OF TIME AND CONFUSION!

TO BEGIN WITH YOU NEED TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THE CLOTHES THAT YOU ARE IMPORTING. WHAT ARE THEY MADE OF? ARE THEY WOVEN OR KNITTED? EVEN DOWN TO WHETHER THE GARMENTS ARE FOR MEN OR WOMEN.
ONCE YOU ARE EQUIPPED WITH ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION YOU NEED TO GET THE COMMODITY CODE FOR THE GARMENTS. TO GET THIS YOU NEED TO TELEPHONE 02920501261 AND THEN PRESS 3 TO BE GIVEN YOUR 10 DIGIT COMMODITY CODE. FOR EXAMPLE THE COMMODITY CODE FOR A KNITTED DRESSING GOWN IS 6108990010. YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO GET 6 COMMODITY CODES AS A TIME. AFTER THE OPERATOR HAS GIVEN YOU 6 CODES YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL THEM BACK IF YOU ARE STILL NOT FINISHED. THIS IS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING AS THE LINES ARE INVARIABLY BUSY AND YOU MAY HAVE TO WAIT FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME TO FINISH THIS TASK! WITH YOUR COMMODITY CODES IN HAND YOU THEN NEED TO CALL 0845 010 9000. YOU WILL NEED TO GIVE THE OPERATOR THE 10 DIGIT COMMODITY CODE TO THEN BE TOLD THE DUTY RATE. THE DUTY RATES WILL BE GIVEN IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGES OF THE COST. FOR EXAMPLE THE KNITTED DRESSING GOWN (COMMODITY CODE 6108990010) IS TAXED AT A RATE OF 12%. THIS 12% IS CHARGED ON TOP OF THE UNIT PRICE PLUS THE SHIPPING PRICE. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE DRESSING GOWN COSTS £20.00 AND THE SHIPPING OF EACH INDIVIDUAL ITEM WORKS OUT TO BE £1.00 THE 12% WILL BE ON TOP OF THE £21.00 COST OF THE GARMENT (£2.52) MAKING THE COST OF THE GARMENT NOW £23.52.

THERE ARE TWO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN IMPORTING GOODS. FIRSTLY IS QUOTA CAPACITY. CERTAIN GARMENTS ARE INVOLVED IN A QUOTA SYSTEM. FOR EXAMPLE THE UK GOVERNMENT WILL ALLOW 5 000 000 (THESE ARE NOT THE CORRECT FIGURES AND ARE ONLY GIVEN TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT) CATEGORY 5 GARMENTS INTO THE COUNTRY PER YEAR. CATEGORY 5 GARMENTS ARE KNITTED GARMENTS LIKE SWEATERS (THE CATEGORY NUMBER WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU WHEN YOU GET YOUR COMMODITY CODES). SO AT ALL TIMES YOU MUST BE AWARE OF HOW FULL THE QUOTA IS. IF THE QUOTA IS FULL THEN CUSTOMS WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR CARGO INTO THE COUNTRY – UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR WHEN THE QUOTA STARTS FROM 0 AGAIN. CAST YOUR MIND BACK TO 2005 AND ‘BRA WARS’ – MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF POUNDS WORTH OF GOODS WERE STUCK IN WAREHOUSES WITH THE IMPORTERS UNABLE TO GET THEM AS ALL THE QUOTAS FOR THEIR GARMENTS WERE FULL.

A FURTHER CONSIDERATION IS THAT YOU WILL ALSO BE CHARGED VAT (AT 17.5%) ON ALL THE GOODS YOU IMPORT (AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT ZERO RATED LIKE CHILDREN’S CLOTHING). IF YOU ARE VAT REGISTERED YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CLAIM THIS BACK ON YOUR VAT RETURN – BUT IF YOU ARE NOT YOU DO NEED TO ADD THIS ONTO THE COST OF THE GOODS AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH CAPITAL TO SPEND ON THIS ADDITIONAL COST. THE VAT WILL BE CHARGED ON TOP OF THE UNIT PRICE (£20.00), PLUS THE SHIPPING COST (£1.00), PLUS THE DUTY RATE (£2.52) – SO WILL BE 17.5% OF £23.52 (£4.12). THESE COSTS WILL BE INCURRED IMMEDIATELY ON IMPORTING AND PAYABLE TO YOUR SHIPPING AGENT.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IMPORTING CAN BE FOUND ON THE HMRC WEBSITE HTTP://CUSTOMS.HMRC.GOV.UK/CHANNELSPORTALWEBAPP/CHANNELSPORTALWEBAPP.PORTAL?_NFPB=TRUE&_PAGELABEL=PAGEIMPORT_HOME

MANY PEOPLE, NOT IN THE INDUSTRY, THINK THAT DESIGNING A COLLECTION IS SIMPLY A CASE OF DOING A COUPLE OF SKETCHES, GETTING THE COLOURING PENCILS OUT – AND VOILA – SPRING 2009 IS DONE! ‘IF ONLY’, I HEAR DESIGNERS UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY SCREAMING. DESIGNING A COMPLETE, COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION TAKES TIME. THE CLOTHES NEED TO WORK TOGETHER, TO SIT WELL TOGETHER IN THE SHOPS (IF YOU RETAIL), OR WITH WHAT IS FASHIONABLE AND WILL BE SOLD BESIDE (IF YOU WHOLESALE). IF YOU ARE A ‘FASHION’ BRAND YOU WILL NEED TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT THE DESIGNERS ARE DOING FOR THE SEASON AND PICK UP ON ANY OF THE STRONG TRENDS THAT THEY ARE SELLING. EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT A ‘FASHION’ BRAND IT IS STILL USEFUL TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT THE DESIGNERS ARE DOING (READING VOGUE, FOR EXAMPLE) AS THEY MAY GIVE YOU INSPIRATION AND AN IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN TERMS OF COLOURS AND STYLING FOR THE SEASON. THIS IS WHAT THE HIGH STREET WILL DO AND THEREFORE THIS IS WHAT YOUR MARKET WILL BE LOOKING FOR.

DESIGNERS USUALLY START WITH A MOOD BOARD BEFORE THEY EVEN BEGIN TO PUT PEN TO PAPER. THE MOOD BOARD DEPICTS THE FEELINGS, STYLES, FLAVOUR AND PERSONALITY OF THE COLLECTION. THEY CAN CONSIST OF COLOUR SWATCHES, PHOTOS, SKETCHES, PICTURES RIPPED OUT OF MAGAZINES – ANYTHING THAT THE DESIGNERS SEE THAT WORKS WITH THEIR IDEAS FOR THE COLLECTION. IF YOUR BRAND SELLS DIFFERENT TYPES OF GARMENTS IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU MAKE THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER AS OUTFITS. THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE THROUGH THE STYLING AND DETAILS AS WELL AS THE COLOURS. THIS HELPS THE CLOTHES TO SIT WELL TOGETHER ON THE RACKS AND SHELVES AND ALSO ENCOURAGES CUSTOMERS TO BUY MORE PIECES (E.G OH THE SKIRT HAS A MATCHING SHIRT AND JUMPER AND CARDIGAN – I SHOULD REALLY GET THEM ALL) IT ALSO ENCOURAGES BUYERS TO GO WITH MORE OF YOUR COLLECTION TO PUT IN THEIR SHOPS. WHILST DESIGNING ANY COLLECTION YOU MUST ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND YOUR TARGET MARKET. DO THE CLOTHES YOU ARE DESIGNING APPEAL TO THEM IN TERMS OF STYLING AND PRICE? IF YOU ARE TARGETING THE TEEN MARKET IS THERE ANY POINT DESIGNING A CASHMERE TWIN-SET THAT WILL RETAIL FOR £300 – NO, OF COURSE NOT. THEREFORE FABRICS, LABOR (THE MORE DETAILING INVOLVED IN THE PIECE, THE MORE LABOR INVOLVED – THE HIGHER THE COST) AND STYLING ARE ALL CRUCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.

SO, IN SHORT, WHEN CONTEMPLATING DESIGNING YOUR COLLECTION BEAR THE FOLLOWING IN MIND:
WHO ARE YOUR TARGET MARKET?
WHAT CLOTHES DO THEY LIKE TO WEAR? WILL THEY BE INFLUENCED BY WHAT IS IN VOGUE FOR THE SEASON?
WHAT IS THE RIGHT PRICE POINT FOR THEM?
WHAT IS THE COLOUR PALETTE FOR THE COLLECTION AND DO ALL THE COLOURS WE HAVE PICKED WORK WELL TOGETHER?
DOES THE COLLECTION WORK TOGETHER TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BUY THE WHOLE OUTFIT?

WELCOME TO THE JJM CLOTHING BLOG. WE HOPE YOU FIND IT A USEFUL TOOL TO IMPROVING YOUR FASHION BUSINESS. COME BACK SOON.