Slow fashion originated from the sustainable fashion movement, which encourages consumers to buy new items carefully and selectively. How can you create your own slow fashion line? Vihimex will share some tips with you in this article.
What is slow fashion?
Slow fashion is a concept that encourages consumers to purchase new items carefully and selectively, and fashion brands to focus on quality and longevity instead of quantity. Garments produced through slow fashion often cost more, but they have a lower environmental impact.
Is it difficult to start a business in slow fashion?
Starting a slow fashion business can be challenging, as fast fashion brands are well-established and offer very low prices. However, research has shown that 52% of consumers want to be environmentally responsible, and 37% are willing to pay for that. This suggests that there is a growing market for slow fashion.
The 2021 Global Sustainability Study also found that 39% of Gen Z and 42% of Millennials are willing to pay a higher price for mindfully made fashion products compared to 31% of Gen Xers and 26% of Baby Boomers. These numbers show that the sustainable fashion market is expected to grow to $10 billion by 2025. Therefore, responsible consumption trends like slow fashion can be a sustainable strategy for a startup in the fashion industry.
3 steps of slow fashion development
Some slow fashion brands have thrived and gained a foothold in the market. If you want to develop your own slow fashion brand, you can follow these 3 steps:
Step 1: Research and come up with a slow fashion concept
To develop slow fashion and bring positive impacts to society or the environment, the first thing you need to do is determine what type of product you want to create. Unlike fast fashion brands, your brand should be less about predicting short-term trends and more about creating essential pieces that people can wear over the long term with a variety of outfits.
Many slow fashion brands like Kotn and Pact have more minimalist designs. However, you still have the flexibility to choose different styles for your slow fashion brand. At the same time, you must also determine how you want to be sustainable and ethical.
An important aspect of slow fashion is selling fewer items and instead restocking once sold out. Often, fast fashion brands only release certain styles at a time, which creates a sense of urgency to buy quickly to keep up with short-term trends. But many of these items go out of style quickly, so brands don’t feel the need to restock, which contributes to faster trend cycles. On the other hand, your brand may produce and sell products that are timeless in style or that transcend rotating trends.
Other activism includes drawing attention to sustainable fabrics or unique fabrics. Some brands will also sell items with slight defects at a discount, to reduce textile waste and make expensive, eco-friendly clothing more accessible.
Step 2: Choose the right manufacturer
To realize your idea, you must choose a suitable manufacturer. Usually, people will consider each country’s strengths to choose a supplier there.
Step 3: Develop and communicate the brand
Communicating a new brand can be challenging, especially when competing with established brands with decades of experience. However, with the power of the internet and social media, it is completely possible to reach consumers. Create social media accounts for your fashion brand to give consumers a chance to discover it. You can also reach out to sustainable micro-influencers who can promote your product line to their followers.
It is important to prioritize transparency to build trust with consumers and make promises you know you can keep. If you simply declare on your website that your fashion is slow, sustainable, and good for the environment without providing any images or stories to support these claims, it is not enough. You should show customers where your clothes are made and even be transparent about the wages of your workers. Brands that demonstrate transparency in their production processes, showing customers how their products are made, are often more popular.
Slow fashion is the future trend
Launching a sustainable and ethical fashion business is a commendable goal, but it is also a very challenging one. Focus on practicality in the process of building your apparel brand and meet the value requirements of slow fashion. By doing so, you will be contributing to a big step in the right direction for the fashion industry.