More than half of young creators goes to fashion school with the ambition to build their own brand but less than 10% end up working independently (and most often as a freelancer for the industry instead of a business owner).
Put simply, talent is not enough. Entrepreneurship is hard in any field, and maybe even more for fashion designers.
Starting a business requires the ability to understand and execute across a multitude of different subjects. An aspiring label owner will need to lead the design, market, manufacture, sales and finances of their business. And they need to execute them well.
In addition ( and this is very specific to fashion ) the designer will need upfront capital to build inventory, buy materials and pay manufacturing costs, create marketing and sales content and promote their brand. Most investment must be done before the items are sold and any revenue is made! The risk is extremely high, making it very hard to raise capital.
A lot of these barriers are being broken down by AI tools. Currently, a designer can create a full collection, marketing and sales materials and campaigns without any physical production and minimum capital invested. Matching the right manufacturing network, designers can create collections that will only be produced if there is demand. No capital investment in inventory, no risk.
All in all, there has never been a better time to be a fashion designer! I can't wait for the explosion of talent we are about to witness!
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