2022 Goal: Launch Your Own Collection! What Season Should You Be Launching?
January is a fantastic time to work on achieving your most important goals. Resolutions or goals, have the same aim – making you feel good about yourself. Is your dream to launch a clothing line? Want to start that this year? Set yourself up for success by launching with a realistic timeframe.
One simple rule to follow when working on domestically made apparel collections is to work a half year ahead of your season (at a minimum). Let’s assume you are starting today; your timeline might look like this:
January
Define your vision. This is where you showcase your design inspiration, colors, fabrics, and general direction for the season (Fall 2022). We at Michigan Fashion Proto love to give our clients fabric swatches in all of the available color choices first so the design process can get off on the right foot. It also helps production planning if you use wholesale fabric for sampling. This is a perfect time for a consultation so you can plan your steps to success!
February
Get that development started! It can take 2-3 months to develop a style, sometimes more if you have style or fabric changes, so there is no time to lose. The first step is to find someone who can understand your ideas and can create tech packs, patterns, and prototype samples.
March
Make those beautiful samples, have the needed fittings, and perfect your styles so your vision comes to life. Once your samples are approved in your sample size, it’s time to finalize your fit for other sizes and prepare for production.
April
The goal is to get your production started ASAP so you can be ready BEFORE your launch date. So Work those costing sheets, secure your finances and place the order so your factory space is secured. Domestic production timing depends on many factors. How busy the factory is the largest so the sooner your order gets in, the more likely you are to beat the rush for Fall.
May
July- Production Time!
And, don’t forget the fashion calendar wheel never stops turning, so don’t wait for one season to end before planning the next.
If fashion is right for you, then you will be doing what you love and will be building your dream one step at a time. YOU CAN DO IT!