The Fashion Designer Guide

“The ability to design in-line with where their intended market is and more importantly, where it is going. Take the military trend, great designers such as Burberry's Christopher Bailey have moved on from it at the same time as their customers have. Good or 'okay' designers are still working with it, failing to notice the wider social change.”

Daniel P Dykes, Designer, Fashionising.com

“Look after your cash, most businesses fail because of lack of cash, burning it too quickly and running out, or not having enough to grow. Cash is king.”

Julia Reynolds, CEO, Figleaves.com

“To make it you need to be really talented with great innovative ideas, BUT as importantly the business aspect needs to be 100% in place too. Without stockists no business can survive long term however great the designs. All the brands that are doing well at the moment are focused, committed and prepared to sacrifice nearly everything to succeed.”

Guy Hipwell, Founding Editor/Creative Director, Fashion156.com

“Scribble and change. Save, cut, paste. Take a leap. Don’t think about every detail…yet. Go for underlying pattern and theme. Be happy in the moment. ”

Dr. Bob Deutsch, Branding & Marketing Expert , Brain Sells

“Don’t expect success to land on a plate – if it were easy it wouldn’t feel as good when it arrives. Don’t listen too hard to people telling you to change your style or the way you design. Usually that’s the last thing we suggest our clients do…stick with it. Most people don’t make any money for the first 5 years!”

Russell Hammond,, Fashion & Luxury Management Consultant, Scaphan Network

“The most challenging part is keeping ahead and not falling into the trap of floating in the current. It requires keeping a constant eye on the ball and constant work. As Oscar Wilde once said, Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”

Jili Alen, Creative Designer, MJM Int. / Owner of Jili Allen Ltd

“A brand has to have a crystal clear identity as to the market it serves, in terms of aesthetics, mission, tone of voice, practice, pricing, partnerships - anything and everything. If the positioning of a brand is not obvious, it cannot translate to consumers.”

Courtney Blackman, Owner/MD , Forwardpr.com

“I tend to be quite spontaneous and unstructured when it comes to design…however when it comes to development, I want to keep things tidy, accurate and systematic.”

Pascal Nuzzo, Head of Design, Temperley London

“If you can’t clearly and succinctly define what makes your product and service relevant then you can’t promote it effectively. Having a compelling USP is the first critical step to building a marketing campaign.”

Shannon Edwards, Director, Shop Style Europe

“The sad truth is that so many choices of photographer are based on budget which normally ends up being a false economy. It doesn't matter how good your product is, if you don't get pictures that are good enough then your ability to get your product to market is severely hampered. ”

James Lightbown, Photographer, James Lightbown

“Honestly, if you are producing your own collection and do not have someone on the other side as a contact person whom you trust, save your money and buy a ticket. Nothing replaces the ability to oversee the project at hand. ”

Joshua Fraser, Senior footwear designer, Puma