10 Books About How To Start Your Own Fashion Line

Are you looking to start your own fashion line? Would you like to sell your own wholesale fashions to retailers?

Fashion. It’s a world of glamour and luxury. It’s a culture that inspires individuality and self-expression. Nothing screams “high end” than wearing Versace while walking down Rodeo Drive. So it’s no wonder that many young hopefuls enter the fashion business, hoping to be the next Alexander McQueen or Coco Chanel.
But like any business’ humble origins, entrepreneurs must face the hardships of running a company and competing in the market. In the words of Tyra Banks, you need to be fierce to survive. But we got your back. Below are a list of books that will help and inspire you in starting your upcoming fashion empire.

The Fashion Designer Survival Guide, Revised and Expanded Edition: Start and Run Your Own Fashion Business

The first step to running a business is survival. Fashion world is a dog eat dog world and if you can’t cut it, then you’re out faster than you can say, “Fierce!” In Mary Gehlhar’s book, she outlines the necessary steps and expected hurdles in creating your fashion empire. The book contains a foreword by renowned fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg for some wisdom and inspiration from someone who’s been in your shoes before.

Creating a Successful Fashion Collection: Everything You Need to Develop a Great Line and Portfolio

Fashion collections aren’t only a cool list of high end clothing to show off to your peers. They are a business portfolio that showcase your talent as a fashion designer and speaks volume about the kind of business you want to run. Steven Faerm guides novices in how to make a sleek and professional portfolio that demonstrate your prowess as a designer and your vision that will inspire people to invest in your business.

Fashion: A Timeline in Photographs: 1850 to Today

Knowing the market that runs the fashion world is to know the history what created it in the first place. Caroline Milbank and Harold Koda talk about the history of fashion and make sure you know the history of fashion in a fun and easily readable book.

How to Start a Home-based Fashion Design Business

For the home-based fashion designers who prefer to sell their garments through Etsy than a clothing store, Angela Wolf’s book is a must read. The book teaches how to run home-based fashion business and compares and contrasts the business models of a home-based business and those of store-based nature. Her book compiles both nuggets of wisdom and practical models to make sure that your jewelry line or summer skirts will be sold out in no time!

The Quick Start Guide to Starting A Clothing Line

Are you always on the go and don’t have time to read a plethora of fashion books? Fashion novices can dip their toe in the scene with James Taylor’s simple read on the fashion business management. With simplistic take on the fashion scene, this is certain to give clear insight in overseeing your upcoming fashion empire in a short span of time.

Parisian Chic Look Book: What Should I Wear Today?

Paris is the capital city of the fashion world. That’s a no-brainer. Everyone wants to wear to their clothes! So what better business model than to adopt Parisian wear. Ines de la Fressange and Sophie Gachet talk about what’s in and what’s out in the Paris runway and the quintessential French wear that still rock the fashion world till this day.

How to Set up & Run a Fashion Label

Let’s say that there’s a fashion business wiz. They know how to finance their business, run a PR campaign on a Spring collection, and manage a huge company, like Forever 21. Are they on their way to becoming a fashion empire? Maybe. It depends on how well they can make all these big parts of a business empire work together. Toby Meadows lays out the groundwork in how to make the gears in your fashion empire work together to optimize and maximize your company’s overall success!

The Business of Fashion: Designing, Manufacturing, and Marketing

The fashion world is constantly changing. The textiles that were in a few years ago are now out. Even where denim is sourced changes from time to time. In their new book, Leslie Burns, Kathy Mullet, and Nancy Bryant talk about the evolving landscape of fashion culture and how it will change in the foreseeable future.

The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever

The bottom line is the goal of every business and fashion is no different. But behind every successful business is a remarkable marketing plan. Teri Agins, a renowned reporter in the world of fashion business, talks about different details that comes with marketing a fashion empire and in the process, lays out the secret to a successful marketing campaign.

Fashion Law & Business: Brands & Retailers

Starting your business is also about knowing the rules of the game. In Lois Herrera and Logan Hogan’s book, they show in detail all laws that govern and affect fashion businesses and how to avoid those pitfalls. The laws surrounding fashion business can be complex, but the book is an easy read that lets you skip law school and go straight to playing the fashion business game.