By, The Curator
The Problem
So many people get the extremely original idea of starting their own clothing brand that they are convinced “will be the next Supreme”. They watch a couple streetwear interviews, Google what screen printing is, and immediately make an Instagram account for their brand. There is a reason why so many of these brands fail.
The Reason
No one takes the time to do their research. You can’t just come up with a catchy name, make a half assed logo in Illustrator, register social media accounts for your brand, and become successful overnight. It’s not that simple. The expression, “Practice makes perfect,” is super cliche and often only thought of in the context of a very specific task or talent. It actually applies to all aspects of life though, including business.
The Explanation
You need to understand and practice your craft so that you can become great at it. Michael Jordan didn’t become the greatest of all time the second he touched a basketball. Kanye West didn’t record The College Dropout in one session. Supreme didn’t start selling out the day after they printed their first shirt. Everything takes time. Whether you are dropping a mixtape or starting a brand, you need to learn your craft before you can achieve your goals.
Unfortunately so many people that decide to try their hands at rapping or business have their heads up their asses and know absolutely nothing about what they’re getting into. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way because we all start somewhere, it’s just the cold truth. That’s one reason why I started The Curator Blog and am writing this article. I hope that this information can make it into the right hands and actually help some people before they tank their brands.
The Answer
Research
The first step everyone should take when starting their brand is doing their research. There is this term called due diligence which is used to describe the act of thoroughly educating and preparing yourself for something you are about to do. This is also known as “paying your dues”. This term is primarily used in law and business, but it applies to all aspects of life. For example, before you buy a car or house it is best to learn as much as you can about what you are buying and its history. At many jobs you need to start low while you learn how the company operates and where you fit in before you can start moving up the ranks. Paying your dues is a major part of being successful in anything. There is no way in hell that you should skip this step.
Be Thorough, But Don’t Waste Your Time Either
You don’t have to know every single thing about the clothing industry and what you’re getting into. In fact, many of those lessons are things that you learn along the way with experience. However, you should at least know the basics of clothing production, branding, and design so that you can better communicate with people that you may need to work with at some point. Knowing the basics will also help you run your brand more smoothly and push it in the right direction.
There Is No Pre-Established Blueprint
One of the things that many of the naive motherfuckers who jump right into the game headfirst tend to think is that there is one set way or designated blueprint that you have to follow in order to be successful. The same thing happens outside of clothing as well. You see it in all those annoying ass advertisement scams that promise to teach you how to make $100,000 through dropshipping or claim they have the secret to becoming shredded in a short time. Everyone travels their own path, in their own lane, because it’s their own life. There are certain aspects of the paths that others take which some might find success with, but copying every move that a successful business makes does not guarantee the same outcome. Brands succeed because they capitalize on their wins and learn from their losses. I emphasize “their” because it’s THEIR FUCKING PATH, not yours. You need to stand out and win in your own way because that’s how you become successful in the first place. You attract customers because an aspect of your brand intrigues them or makes you more memorable than the rest.
Diving into starting a brand without doing any prior research can be pretty dangerous. You might get lucky for a bit, but you’re bound to fail at some point. Like I’ve said, you need to learn the industry and develop a plan first. Otherwise one day someone will ask you something or a problem will come up, and you’ll realize you have no clue what the fuck you’re doing. Again, you don’t need to know everything possible about business, but at least get a good idea of what you’re doing so you don’t go in blind.
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The Curator 
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