Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Miranda:

Starting a clothing line seems to be on everyone's mind these days, whether they're a chart-topper or just a person who loves clothes. One thing to remember is that hit-makers such as JLo, Eve, and Gwen Stefani have big companies they partner with who are willing to put up the cash if the famous celebrity will put their name on the clothes. They are probably not investing their own money in these businesses. They are also working with experts in the areas of fashion design, production, and marketing, so the celebrity isn't expected to run the operation.

People with fewer resources have to start smaller. You could begin by making just one or two things that you can put together yourself, such as bags or jewelry. The initial investment of time and money would not be huge, and you could develop your business step by step.

For a larger business, a good place to start is by writing a business plan. This is a plan of how your business is going to operate -- how much start-up money you'll need, how the products will be manufactured and where they will be sold, how you'll do marketing and advertising, etc. With a business plan in hand, you can approach investors to give you money to start your business. The U.S. Small Business Administration has info about business plans at www.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html.

Basically, before you start a business, you have a lot of research to do. You have to figure out what you're going to make, and produce samples of it. Then you're going to have to figure out the costs involved in making each piece, so that you know what to charge, whether you're selling wholesale or retail. You'll have to research materials sources and manufacturing companies to get the best quality and the best prices. Then, you have to get orders for the clothes or accessories you're selling. In the fashion business, merchandise is generally only manufactured after the orders are placed, to ensure that what's new and hot today isn't sitting in a warehouse in six months, looking old and out-of-date. Often a new line tries to work with a seasoned Sales Rep who can"rep"the line to Buyers.

If you yearn to be the label everyone's wearing, a great place to start is with FIDM's fast-paced, two-year degree inApparel Manufacturing Management. AMM teaches you the ropes of clothing manufacturing from concept to completion so that you can unleash your inner entrepreneur!

Sincerely, Fashion Girl