It’s great to see more and more people create fashion brands in recent years as ‘Fast Fashion’ has had a considerable impact on the industry. But for most, there’s a big focus on the brand name rather than the actual design. With manufacturers across the world offering very affordable prices to have your brand name added to a generic top, the fast fashion sector seems to be very repetitive in recent years. With that being said here’s a look at why designers need to create a diverse product and start opening out their product choice in a saturated market.
Similarity is Becoming An Issue
Sadly, a lot of fast fashion brands are in the industry to make quick money as fast as possible and with that being their strategy, the branding design can be affected. You’ll see a lot of brands such as Mannace started with a signature scribble design which has developed into much more. But the fact is that too many brands offer this style and it’s too similar to differentiate between them. So, brands need to broaden their collections.
Graphics Help With Your Brands Voice
While some brands voice their brand’s ethos well on their logo, others may find it difficult. With detailed designs on your products, potential customers can grasp a much better idea of what your brand is about (even if it is just to look good). Brands such as OBEY, Carhartt and CHNGE use strong wording and graphics to give you more detail about their products and beliefs.
Refreshed Approached to Fashion
You’ll find that if customers like your products as they are, they’ll like new twists of the graphics. Men’s graphic t-shirts can work as products to engage previous and new customers while your branded products (also known as ‘core’ products) can be used as staple pieces for everyday use.
Variety is Key
Even the most established customers aren’t going to keep buying the same repetitive products time and time again, people want to be out and seen in different styles and while you can move the branding into a different position, change the colour or the material it’s not the same as completing changing the style and graphics.
How to Get Started?
There isn’t much risk in creating a limited-edition ‘capsule’ collection to show a new range you want to trail, and a graphic that inspired or inspires the brand could attract new or old customers. Graphic designs can be as simple or as detailed as the brand want them, its key to make it something that’s both attractive and on-brand.
Graphic Aren’t An Option?
If you find that new graphics goes against the brand’s approach, you could consider new materials, quality, fits and even prints on the garment. There are only so many plain styles a small business can sell as a new brand, so it might be time to start thinking outside the box. With brands like FADED offering unique acid washes and HERA releasing new prints on their conventional, you can find inspiration everywhere.
