I just finished reading Fashion Unraveled: How To Start, Run And Manage An Independent Fashion Label. The author, Jennifer Lynne Matthews of East Bay Fashion Resource got in touch with me to see if I’d be interested in reading and reviewing her new book. It was perfect timing, because I’ve had some ideas bubbling in the back of my head and I thought her book might be helpful in moving me closer from dreams to reality.
Jennifer is a design teacher at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco and she’s owned her own design business (Porcelynne Lingerie) for seven years, so she has the experience to back up the information she’s presented in this book. Jennifer has covered everything from defining who your customer is and developing a brand identity to all of the parts of production: fabric sourcing, making patterns and samples, grading for different sizes, and how to get your designs produced. She also covers business basics that are essential to any design business like marketing, sales, and finance. She even points out the need to think about what your exit strategy would be.
One of the most useful things about this book is the fact that Jennifer has provided forms and examples for all of the stages of your design business. She even includes a full sample business plan (from her own business, minus some financial specifics). I’ve had so much trouble tracking down a good sample business plan, so it’s so refreshing to see how someone else phrased things in their own business plan! You can find forms from the book available for free download at the East Bay Fashion Resource website. There is also software available for a fee which will help you with developing a pricing and budgeting model for your own business. Unfortunately the software is for PC only (and I have a Mac), so I couldn’t test it, but it’s nice to know that it’s available.
One of the other things I liked about this book were interviews with other independent designers about specific business topics and their experiences. It reminded me a lot of Craft Inc. in this way, which is definitely a good thing. I kind of think that Fashion Unraveled is to the fashion design entrepreneur what Craft Inc. is to the handmade business maven. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone looking to delve into the world of launching and running your own independent fashion label.
