The fashion industry in Nigeria has always been one to look out for, but with lower barriers to entry, it’s never been easier than it currently is to begin a business in fashion.
The fashion industry has moved from being a predominantly custom-made industry to other aspects like made-to-order and Ready-To-Wear. Starting a fashion business in Nigeria can seem overwhelming, but understanding the basics makes it easier to begin.
In this post, we’ll cover the basics of starting a fashion business in Nigeria, in 8 simple steps.
Number 1: Decide what aspect of the fashion business to focus on.
Saying I want to run a fashion business is a very umbrella term because, in fashion, you have the designers, the tailors we see on our streets, the retailers, bridals and much more. Deciding what aspect, you would like to focus on will help you determine your next steps.
If you’re interested in fashion design, that means you have ideas and sketches you’re looking to bring to life. If you’re interested in retailing or owning a boutique, that means you’re on a mission to decide what kind of clothes you want to sell (thrift, luxury & designers, affordable and fast fashion etc), the best wholesale plugs and store type.
If you love custom work, that means learning how to sew and hunting for custom projects such as asoebis, bridal trains and lots more. All these facets of a fashion business can always be combined under 1 brand umbrella, but when starting out, it is advisable to choose one and expand as the business grows and makes a profit to be re-invested.
Number 2: Figure out funding.
Now that you’ve decided what facet to focus on, funding is the next most important thing as it will determine every other business decision from how many clothes can be in 1 collection, to if fashion school is an option available to you.
When starting a business, capital can be pooled from savings, loans from friends and family, or traditional loan institutions like banks and money lenders. Funding also determines what scale you can start on, and how much equipment you can afford to start with. Decide where the money will come from and proceed. At this stage, creating a business plan is also crucial, so that you can track your growth and financial forecast.
Number 3: Go to fashion school/hire a tailor
Depending on what kind of fashion business you’re ready to run, the next step will be to go to a fashion school or hire a tailor. A lot of RTW/Made-To-Order business owners aren’t directly involved in the process of cutting and sewing as they outsource to factories or hired tailors.
If you don’t have the time or the resources to attend fashion school, then hiring a tailor who can bring your design ideas to life is the next necessary step. As the business is just starting and you might not have the funds to keep a full-time tailor, it’s a better option to find a tailor you can partner with for when you have orders to attend to. Attending fashion school isn’t a must, but being able to understand the production and sewing process will help you bring your ideas to life faster without many trials and errors.
Number 4: Find good business partners (Fabrics + Delivery)
There’s nothing that sinks a fashion business faster than complaints of poor-quality materials. When starting a fashion business, one of your top-most priorities must be to find quality fabrics. Design influences fabric choice, and vice versa, so you must ensure you’re picking out materials or finding the right materials for different designs.
Pennee not only provides you with credit to buy equipment and inventory but connects you to the best vendors to shop for fabrics from in Nigeria. Find out more HERE.
Number 5: Connect with other designers for tips
Experience is the best teacher, but it doesn’t have to be your own experience. Nothing will help you save cost more, and make more efficient decisions than getting good advice to guide you on your journey to owning a fashion business in Nigeria.
Though you may not get the opportunity to have lunch with a designer you admire, or a household name in the industry, you can learn from their wealth of experience via reading interviews, and podcasts, watching video interviews and just following their social media.
On any podcast platform, you can search for people and Pennee to listen to interviews with high-rising fashion names in Nigeria such as Hertunba, 1964. brand and many more.
Listen HERE.
Number 6: Create your social media presence + branding
As a fashion business, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t have a social media presence. Fashion is very visual, and social media gives you the platform to display it. Every fashion brand has a brand tone and look. Whether it’s the pastel, girly theme of Temi Adebayo Co, the hot, sensual theme of TAG BELLAS, or the easy, everyday vibe of 1964. brand, your fashion style will mostly determine what kind of branding your social media will have.
If you’re making clothes for the sassy, confident woman, it will reflect from the theme of your fashion videos to something as simple as captions and feed arrangement. Getting a mood board or a brand brainstorm will help you determine photo tones, caption tones, and even photography styles.
Number 7: Create your sample wear
If you’ve ever patronized a tailor, you know that things can many times go wrong, from the material cut to as little as how the seams are sewn. Creating samples first will serve as a test run to ensure that things like material type, fit based on the sizing guide, and ability to bring a design to life fully are good to go.
Sample wear can also be used to take photos for collection shoots, and sold off at a discounted price later on. Creating a sample batch is absolutely necessary so that any mistakes that could be made at the production & delivery point are tackled before anything goes live.
Number 8: Go Live
Now that you’ve put together your first collection and you’ve nailed it on the production angle, the next thing is to go live. Whether it’s launching your website or your Instagram store, you’re ready to go. Before launching, ensure that your size guide and your policy on returns and exchanges are readily available to avoid wrong sizing mistakes and lots more.
READ THIS: COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO RETURN POLICIES + A FREE TEMPLATE FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
As your brand grows, participate in events and competitions to build brand awareness, seek out retail stores to put your wear in and take courses & invest in skills like design, communication, quality assurance and lots more to build a solid business.
This is how to start a fashion business in Nigeria in 2024.
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