Making the Cut: Launch Your Line
Before You Spend a Dime: Why Every Brand Needs a Through Line
Welcome to Making the Cut. This series is called Launch Your Line, and it’s for anyone who wants to start a brand without wasting tens of thousands of dollars doing it.
A lot of people on Instagram and YouTube talk about how to launch a million dollar brand or become a billion dollar brand, and I have yet to meet somebody that’s become a gazillion dollar brand overnight. You guys remember the animal toques, the ones with the little paws that came down? Lions, cats, whatever. So fun. They did absolutely amazing, super fast. And then they didn’t follow up with anything. One hit wonder.
So in this series, if you have an idea and you want to launch a brand, whether it’s apparel, lifestyle, homewares, or jewelry, we’re going through everything. Incorporating and bookkeeping (I get through that in the first 15 minutes because it’s seriously the boring stuff), getting your ideas out of your head and onto paper, sourcing pattern makers and factories and craftsmen, contacting manufacturers overseas or domestic. You can start a line after this for $500, for $5,000, for $50,000, or for half a million. This is very empowering information.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve drawn before. I’ve had students go through this and create their line with stick figures and triangle and square shapes. The point of this isn’t becoming Yves Saint Laurent. The point is knowing how many styles you’re going to have in your collection, how much that’s going to cost you, and knowing what to cut before you actually spend a dime.
Part One: Product Development, Inspiration, and Execution
Before you incorporate, before you think about money, you have to think about what’s inspiring you. What is it inspiring you to make? Put that on paper. Then figure out how you’re going to execute it. That’s product development.
Your Through Line Is Your Brand’s DNA
Think of your through line as your brand’s DNA. To find yours, start with a mood board. Get every magazine you can, old ones, new ones, buy some, and start ripping out things that resonate with you. It doesn’t have to be clothing, even if you’re doing an apparel line. It can be anything that moves something inside you in regard to the brand you want to create.
My own mood board is for a project called Waste Up, and it’s near and dear to my heart. Everything on it is the DNA of that brand. There’s no right or wrong, but you’ve got to put your heart and soul into it, because when you start creating your line, you put it up against that mood board to see if it belongs. It’s the most important thing, and it’s a process most people skip.
Every collection tells a story, no different than a film. In a movie, a through line connects the theme and the plot. In a novel, you can have an 800 page book, but the through line can be summarized in a sentence or two. In a brand, it’s the exact same thing.
Diane von Furstenberg is one of the best examples of a brand that’s nailed its through line. There’s an ad of a model walking through the forest, capturing leaves. It’s fall, and it captures the inspiration for that season. The natural form of the woman’s body has always been the signature DNA of DVF, and you see that completely through her brand, all the time.
Levi’s has stayed true to its DNA decade after decade. Each year draws nuanced inspiration from different places, advertisements featuring cattle ranches, taglines like “the world was not built by men in suits” and “life is calling, go forth.” It all conveys the essence of the brand: the working man, rich or poor, who lavishes in all aspects of life.
And don’t even get me started on Ralph Lauren. The man’s a genius when it comes to branding. Watching the documentary Being Ralph is a must, phenomenal what he’s built. When you walk into any of his stores, you see that through line, and you see yourself in the lifestyle, because what he’s built is a lifestyle brand. Not just clothing, not just homewares.
Why a Mood Board Matters: The J. McCarroll Story
I was consulting for J. McCarroll, Project Runway Season One winner, and personally, I think the most charming, fantastic designer. His winning collection was amazing. It deserved to win. You felt the story on the runway.
I consulted him in 2006, and everything was floaty and whimsical. His colors had a certain airiness. His mood board for that New York Fashion Week collection was filled with images of sky, parachutes, air balloons from the 1950s to the 2000s. Every idea that made it to production got judged against that mood board to determine whether it belonged. If he found a fabric or came up with a design he wanted to add, he held it up against the mood board to see if it fit the story.
This is what nailing your DNA does. When you see someone wearing a Donna Karan dress, a Diane von Furstenberg dress, a Chanel jacket, or a Ralph Lauren jacket, you know instinctively who the designer is. That’s because they know their DNA, and it’s in every fiber of the entire line.
This is the first and most important step to becoming a great designer, company, and brand. It’s also the reason your customer will find you over and over again. Customers are loyal to brands, that doesn’t change, no matter how much e-commerce and shopping habits change. When a brand really knows who they are and stays true to it, your customers will find you. Especially if you’re telling your story, your customer will relate. You’ll nail it.
Part Two: What Goes Into Your Line
So what should your line actually contain? Depending on what you’re making, women’s, men’s, hats, scarves, dog apparel, lifestyle, lingerie, swimwear, a line should consist of approximately 12 pieces to start. That doesn’t mean you’re going to make all 12. It means it should exist as 12 pieces on paper.
More on building out those 12 pieces in the next episode.
This post is adapted from Episode 1 of Making the Cut, “Launch Your Line.” Watch or listen to the full episode [link], and subscribe to get the accompanying PDFs sent straight to you.