How to start an haute couture line?

How to start an haute couture line? While conventional clothing brands focus on outperforming the competition, an haute couture line focuses on demonstrating its business capacity through distinction and exclusivity. However, to know how to start an haute couture line you must follow certain steps. In fact, any brand that wants to belong to the fashion sector should carry them out.

 

If you want to start with an haute couture line, you may have wondered how to start. After all, this sector has a very demanding target audience. Because of this, today we will focus on this topic so that you can understand this sector better.

 

First, before mentioning the steps to follow, you must know this sector to determine how it works. This way, you will ensure your business’s success as well as reach potential customers quickly.

 

What does it take to be a couture brand?

 

There is no doubt that today’s fashion world is incredible. However, there’s a lot of competition even if haute couture businesses don’t focus on this topic. In the same way, any business that wants to belong to this industry with such high demand must follow a series of steps to succeed. And what better way to do this than by following the next points:

 

Focus on your brand identity

 

Identity is very important to start with your haute couture line. After all, it’s what will allow your audience to remember you. A luxury brand must reflect who they are and how they work. This is because each client will look for clothing that allows them to have a personalized look. in other words, they will only buy from a business to whom they feel a great connection.

 

To do this, you shouldn’t forget that when a customer chooses a brand it’s because they see it as an extension of themselves. That’s why they are going to select a brand that conveys authenticity.

 

So, to unleash this point, you must ask yourself what you want to project with your haute couture line, and what type of customers will use your clothes. Also, determine the added value you can bring and what will be the best experience you can bring to the user.

 

Take into account the steps for your structure

 

The structure to start a couture line is essential. However, for this step to be effective, you must first define your brand identity. In this step, you must consider elements such as price, licenses, and above all, if you will have partners in your business or will you take it alone.

 

Similarly, within this structure, there must be a consolidated business plan. For this, there’s nothing better than using marketing strategies. Of course, for a luxury brand, it’s important to define several objectives, so the help of professionals in this area cannot go unnoticed.

 

How to know if a business plan is positive? The effectiveness of your business plan will largely depend on your product description, as well as your mission and vision as an haute couture brand. Also, all of this must go hand in hand with a good haute couture marketing strategy to create the roadmap to guide you toward meeting your goals.

 

Take importance to the numbers 

 

Starting a couture line will be more expensive than a conventional clothing brand. That’s why the numbers are very important for the luxury fashion sector, especially when calculating the initial cost. In this sense, on our blog, how much does it cost to start an haute couture brand? You can know the approximate cost that your investment in this sector will have.

 

Now, we will mention certain costs that must be borne by them to start an haute couture line:

 

• Materials for the creation of your haute couture collection.
• Work tools.
• Licenses and permits.
• Create your brand identity.
• Wages
• Various supplies (telephone, electricity, internet, …).
• Web design, in case you want an e-commerce site.
• Investment in strategies marketing and advertising.

 

Of course, the initial cost for your couture line can vary depending on the investment you are willing to make.

 

Determine your pricing strategy

 

There is no denying that an haute couture evening gown will be more expensive than one purchased from a department store. However, this doesn’t mean that you can apply a pricing strategy based on the cost of production of your product.

 

In general, businesses dedicated to the fashion sector set their prices between 30% to 50% of the initial cost of producing a product.

 

However, as we have said at the beginning of the post, for clients who follow haute couture, the most important thing is the distinction, so they will be willing to pay whatever price is for a unique garment.

 

Start with the design of your first collection 

 

When starting an haute couture line, your collection must be inspired by your brand identity.

 

It’s the only way to attract your potential customers and earn their loyalty.

 

What do users expect of your brand? If you have not yet asked yourself this question, work on it and show what you really want to convey as a line of haute couture.

 

Create alliances if necessary

 

For haute couture lines there are many ways to create alliances.

 

In this case, your partners must be as involved as you are.

 

Otherwise, it won’t work.

 

That’s why if you want to find a partner, they must be a complement so that both are in tune when it comes to making the objectives of their haute couture line a reality.

 

Don’t forget that it will be an exclusive clothing line

 

When a customer pays whatever price is for a garment, they do so looking for “exclusivity”. That’s why this word should be remembered every day if your goal is to start with a luxury brand.

 

On the other hand, to demonstrate exclusivity, luxury brands must demonstrate scarcity as the main characteristic. This way, exclusive products won’t be available to everyone and can only be purchased by the customer who has enough money to do so. So, as the owner of an haute couture business, you must guarantee distinction and prestige to your buyers so that it is worth the price they’re paying for any of your garments.

 

What are the steps of haute couture?

 

Because haute couture is exclusive, certain requirements must be met to start as a luxury brand. Of course, the demands have decreased over time, but there are still rules to be approved as an haute couture line:

 

• Haute couture typically requires 200 hours of work to create a garment. That’s why so many of them are only for the runway.
• It’s important to have between one or two workshops in Paris with a minimum of 20 employees.
• Designers must make an annual presentation of their designs. Each collection must have a total of 30 fully original day and night designs.
• Each of the ready-made designs must have the less possible intervention of sewing machines since a garment made by hand will have plus

 

As a curious fact, during Paris Fashion Week, many brands can participate without being members of haute couture. However, they’re not included in the official calendar. Besides, this list of members is updated each year by a commission dependent on the Ministry of Industry. In it, we can find Haute Couture fashion firms such as:

 

• Valentino
• Chanel
• Dior
• Armani

What brands are considered haute couture?

 

A good option to determine how to start an haute couture line is to know how the most recognized brands in the world gained their positioning. That’s why in this post we’ll include a list of some of the 2021 haute couture brands that have the most prestige today:

 

• Dior: When it comes to haute couture, Dior is a brand that knows to be a good representative of this sector through its clothing. It was the French designer Christian Dior who gave life to this fashion brand in 1946.
• Balenciaga: This haute couture brand managed to earn its place thanks to all its collections. Cristóbal Balenciaga was the creator of this Italian brand in 1917, in the city of San Sebastián.
• Dolce & Gabbana: Founded in 1985 by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabanna, this haute couture line of Italian origin has shown why it remains one of the favorites among the most demanding customers, creating garments where the originality is always present.
• Prada: Without a doubt, this brand created by the designer Mario Prada in 1913 is very famous. In fact, it’s now one of the most important in the city of Milan and the rest of the world.
• Fendi: This fashion firm from the designer Adele Casagrande started in 1918 in the city of Italy. Today, it continues to offer exclusivity through its clothing.
• Versace: This list can’t be without this brand created by designer Gianni Versace in 1978, specifically in the city of Milan, Italy. Thanks to this fashion firm’s collections, they now have great recognition worldwide. These are just some of the most important fashion firms in the world. From their start, they all have made it clear why they’re the best when it comes to haute couture. Similarly, one of the secrets of fashion is that these brands have one element in common. Which one you may ask. Well, it’s the fact that all of them have a workshop in Paris to make their garments.

Who wears haute couture?

 

Starting an haute couture line requires a great process to get good results. Besides, an haute couture line must show distinction and exclusivity when making a garment.

 

Otherwise, your brand will just be another one in the bunch.

 

Starting an haute couture line requires knowledge of this sector since customers are usually very demanding. This is because entrepreneurs and celebrities are the ones in search of this type of fashion. And since they pay a high price for it, they ask for the most unique clothes in the world in return.

 

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