Advice for #Fashion startups
"It frequently happens that talking about fresh fashion business ideas is the best way to fall in love with the industry again." - Jennifer Pilkington, Managing Director at RETAIL ASSEMBLY Inc.
Our Managing Director, Jennifer Pilkington, had this advice to the fashion startups at Ryerson University's Fashion Zone:
I will always tell you to know your customer and their business. Listen to what they say, as well as what they don’t say to you. Most customers and prospective customers will give you honest responses and feedback. The easiest way to get in – make sure you are aligned while staying true to your brand.
"You don’t know how big you can be without trying."
I also encourage many entrepreneurs to seek meetings and appointments with the large brands / retailers at the top of their game. The feedback you will get is likely to be high quality, and you don’t know how big you can be without trying. But even the most progressive organizations may take a bit of time. Fashion is an industry with a reputation for constant evolution, sometimes it can seem like a slow moving beast. An organization or professional who initially said “no” to you may change their response to a “yes” a few seasons in the future. Stay in touch with any organizations that are open to it, and those you know will make good partners.
