Ep25: Clothing Brand Founder Mistakes To Avoid - Fashion Founder Prep School Part 4

Thinking about starting a fashion brand? These are the mistakes I see first-time founders make again and again - and most of them are completely avoidable once you know what to look out for.

After a decade working with clothing startups, I share the most common (and costly) mistakes first-time founders make - from underestimating how long it really takes to launch, to sending a factory a photo and expecting perfect samples back, to hiring the wrong kind of designer. I also cover brand name and trademark pitfalls, getting your collection size wrong, and why your marketing needs to start long before your website goes live.

What You'll Learn

• Why "a couple of months" is never a realistic timeline to launch a fashion brand
• Why sending a factory a photo (instead of a proper tech pack) leads to disappointing samples
• The difference between hiring an experienced fashion designer and a graphic designer — and why it matters
• Why skipping brand name, trademark and IP checks can cost you everything you've built
• How to avoid getting your collection size wrong, and why marketing needs to start before launch day, not after

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About Michelle Ramsay – The Fashion Expert®

Michelle Ramsay is a fashion designer, startup mentor and fashion consultant with over 20 years of industry experience helping founders bring their fashion brand ideas to life.

Through The Fashion Expert®, she works with first-time and emerging founders on everything from design development and tech packs to manufacturing guidance, launch planning and one-to-one mentoring, helping turn messy ideas and Pinterest boards into real collections ready for production.

After working with more than 400 fashion founders, Michelle has become known for helping people without fashion industry backgrounds navigate the process with clarity, confidence and expert support.