It is rare that a designer will go from idly sketching on napkins in a coffee shop straight to having their designs and clothes featured on runways and in the fashion mags. Much like other industries, capturing the attention of the bigger design houses and publications is just as much about building an audience for your product as it is about having the talent to get noticed in the first place. Sure you can submit samples to stores, but if you really want to build a following you have to go where the shoppers are… You have to go online.
Here are five tips that you can use to today to sell more of your designs and clothes online.
1. God Bless Etsy
Many hopeful designers assume that Etsy is just for finished products. While you can sell already constructed pieces of clothing there, you can also sell custom-made clothing by promoting your designs through the Etsy market place. Danielle, one of Etsys power sellers has found great success selling custom constructed items through Etsy and recommends making a few prototypes for yourself and then posting photos of those designs. Then, in the product description mention that the designs can be custom tailored to an individuals specification. Danielle says this works much better than simply offering custom-made clothing and leaving the details wide open.
2. Submit to Overstock!
Yes, Overstock is primarily known for selling the same things youll find in stores for much cheaper prices than youd buy them in-store. A few years ago, though, Patrick Byrne and Overstock Co-President Stormy Simon put their heads together and created Main Street. Main Street operates within Overstock.com and is built to showcase independent designers. It features the same types of things youd find in the primary stock but these are manufactured and designed by independent designers and shop owners from around the country. Submit a few of your designs! If youre accepted to their program you can count on your popularity exploding!
3. Spoonflower is Your Friend
If you design fabric as well as actual clothing, youll want to submit your fabric designs to Spoonflower. Spoonflower is an online fabric shop that accepts designs from independent designers. Its sort of like BandCamp but for fabric design. You upload your design and when someone purchases fabric using that design, you earn money from the sale. To improve your chances of selling your fabric designs through this site, writes the Spoonflower blog, take really good photos of your fabrics and designs. You can also increase sales by showcasing photos of things buyers have made with your fabric – both in your Spoonflower store and on your own website.
4. Amazon is Not Just for Books
Amazon lets anybody sell pretty much anything through its Marketplace. Setting up your own Amazon shop is a great way to grab a casual shoppers attention. Why? Because Amazon doesnt have a discriminatory algorithm. If your clothes are tagged and described properly, theyll show up right alongside major brands and fashion labels when people search for, say, “floral sweater” in the system. If youre priced right you could actually grab sales that might have otherwise gone to well known designers! Make sure, when you set up your Amazon shop that you put together a really great Seller Page and that it points to your own website, social media, etc.
5. Use Us!
Here at Style Life Fashion we love to showcase independent designers in our Online Boutique. Submit your designs for our approval and take advantage of our audiences willingness to support indie designers just like you!
These are just five ways that you can sell your fashion online. Obviously, in addition to using these sites youll want to make sure youve got a solid web presence of your own and a way for people to get in touch with you. You might also try selling your work IRL at consignment shops and the like. Good luck!