So now you have a cohesive clothing line.. now what?
After developing a couple cohesive designs, now what? How do you get them into stores? Your ultimate goal is to get into a big retail chain or department store, right?
Your answer is:
Take your line to a trade show. 
ResearchApparel trade shows these days are the absolute best way to get your brand into stores. Before you pick any trade show, research them. A lot. If you have a chance, attend a trade show before you exhibit-the more you attend, the better. Take pictures and really pay attention to what works. Try to put yourself into the position of the brands exhibiting and write down what you would do differently. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you fully commit to booking a booth. The more you know about how the whole trade show works, the more successful your showing will be. This will give you an idea of what you can and can't bring, how you can decorate, and how to sell your line to retailers. There are dozens of trade shows out there that are right for specific demographics. The sooner you know which trade show is right for you, the more time you have to plan. The first thing you want to do is to register to exhibit. You should give yourself at least 8-10 weeks for planning, construction, logistics and allow some time for mistakes as well.
Seasonal LineThe first thing you need is your product. Make sure it is EXACTLY how you want it to be displayed in stores. They should have the hang tags, packaging, care labels, stitching and all other finishing you would want on your piece in the store. Your product that the retailer sees is going to be the exact product they expect to receive when they place the order.
Booth DesignThe next thing you need is branding for your booth. It needs to match the direction with your line, so put a lot of thought into this. You will also need the booth specs from the trade show management so you can design accordingly for the space you paid for. Make sure you follow the instructions very closely because if you do something you aren't supposed to,(play loud music, bring a TV, etc.) you might get fined. We recommend you hire a professional for this step. (email us at
sales@consuul.com for more info) Really study your target audience and learn what marketing and P.O.P. works.
NetworkThe most effective way to sell your line is to have a solid strategy on getting buyers into your booth. You have put hundreds of hours into your brand by now and the only thing you need to do is show it off. The clothing will sell itself once you show it to retailers, but you need to get them into your booth first. (They aren't just going to walk into a booth that they have never heard of before and book orders.)
The best thing to do is to start posting on your social outlets, compiling an email list of all the stores you want to get into and email them a flyer giving them a sneak peek of your line with an invitation to your booth. Email some of the top retailers you want to get into and try to book appointments. These guys are hardened warriors of the trade show floor, they have been doing it for years so they are on a schedule the whole trade show calendar. They usually make a list of brands they want to see and book an appointment weeks in advance. So if you can sneak into their carefully planned schedule, the better off you are.
CollateralThe easiest piece to forget are the little things. Make sure you have more than enough business cards, pens, paper, water, snacks, red bull and other things you might need throughout the day. These are necessities for the show as the days are longer than you expect and you get more tired than you think. Also, make sure you bring enough catalogs and line sheets for retailers to take with them. They will remember your brand 10 times more if they have something they took with them, even if it is a business card they stuffed into their bag. Plan to make stickers, pamphlets, giveaway product, swag and anything else that would make the retailer remember you. Remember, everyone likes free stuff.
If you need any help or direction at all, feel free to contact us over here at Consuul about anything trade show related. We just finished our sixth trade show season and would gladly help you prepare for your next trip to MAGIC, Agenda, SIA or the Surf Expo. W can handle anything from professional consultation and advice all the way to orchestrating the whole tradeshow trip, making appointments, designing the booth and closing deals with international distributors and large retail chains.
-Consuul
