How To Brand Yourself As A Fashion Designer

In such a high-profile industry, it’s imperative that you start early on making sure what you put out into the public is what you want people to know about you and your clothing brand. We all have our own personal brand—but how can you brand yourself as a fashion designer?

1. To Brand Yourself as a Fashion Designer
2. Outline what your vision is for your future. 
3. Define your mission. 
4. Consider and outline your personal values.
5. Create your story. 
6. Pick your fashion niche. 
7. Showcase that you’re unique in your designs and your personal brand. 
8. Practice your customer service and make sure to always act accordingly. 
9. Create your own branding package complete with logo, color palette, and fonts. 
10. Keep a consistent message and stick with your personal brand.
11. Look as good in person as you do on paper and online.

Whether you’re looking for success in the highest levels of the fashion industry or are looking to start from the ground up on your own brand, follow these steps on how you can become a fashion designer with the right branding tools. 

What is your personal brand?

Before you start out, you need to understand what your personal brand is. It’s a bit different than the brands you put together for your clothing line or your business—and it’s vital for your start as a fashion designer. A personal brand is the way that you market yourself—showing off your skills, abilities, goals, experiences, and everything else about you that is relevant to your work. 

So why do you need a personal brand? You can thank social media for that. Love it or hate it, social media has brought to the forefront not just branding on companies but looking behind the curtain on many of these larger businesses to showcasing the human aspect behind them. When businesses are hiring, they’re looking for someone typically online—meaning your online presence has to match whatever they’re looking for. 

Creating Your Personal Brand

Outline what your vision is for your future

When you’re asking yourself this question, this is the point where you ask yourself what you want to do. What do you want your fashion designs to evoke? What do you want to do with your designs in the fashion industry? Determine your goals that you want to reach with both your fashion designs and your personal brand. 

Define your mission

While this is a little different than your vision, it’s another important aspect of your personal brand. Your vision may be the dreamy statement, but your mission is where it all comes together. How do you apply your vision in the real world? How do you intend on putting that into place and getting to the point where your vision is a reality? That’s your mission statement—the “how” part of your personal brand. 

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Consider and outline your personal values

Not unlike a business, you also need to consider your personal values before you create your brand. If your vision is what you want to do and your mission statement is how you’re going to do it, your values outline why you want to do something. What do you believe in? How does that factor into your fashion design? What are your main focuses during your creation process, and what key values are ingrained in every part of your clothing line? 

Create your story

Put all that information together, and you now have your personal story. Match that up with your experience and history, and it isn’t just a resume you’re putting out there—it’s who you are as not only a designer, but a person. Share that on your social media or your website, and you aren’t just words on a page anymore—you’ve defined yourself as a skilled individual. 

Pick your fashion niche

Now that you’ve determined your how, what, and why, you need to figure out the who. This may be complicated, especially if you are a freelance fashion designer, but you need to consider what kind of clothing you’d like to make and for what target demographic. If you’re trying to get noticed by a particular fashion house, it’s important to create your portfolio in a way that will attract their attention. If you’re trying to strike out on your own, make sure you pick that target demographic based on what you want your business to sell to. 

Showcase that you’re unique in your designs and your personal brand

While you want to find inspiration from many different levels, you need to create something unique. Don’t just copy the branding of others or try to be too specific towards a certain type of fashion house or brand—the more you show that you can think outside of the box, the more attention you will receive. Designers are more often found when they stand out—just make sure you stand out in a way that brings in potential clients, not scare them away. 

Practice your customer service and make sure to always act accordingly

Setting yourself apart isn’t just for your portfolio. You can make sure your customer service is better than most by integrating it into your personal brand. How do you interact with your potential clients or employers? How do you share your designs, and is it user friendly? Do you give your potential clients time for questions or to share their thoughts on what you’re doing? Do you answer contacts to you quickly and efficiently? These items may not be at the forefront of your brand, but they still will be part of the entire package that is you. 

Create your own branding package complete with logo, color palette, and fonts

Creating your own personal brand isn’t unlike creating a brand for a business—you can also create a logo for yourself. This isn’t necessary for all fashion designers, but it is a way to set yourself apart and keep your work consistent across social media platforms. In addition, you can create a color palette for your branding to keep everything cohesive—which is the same with your fonts and typography. A fashion designer is in the business of creating things that look aesthetically pleasing, so giving your social media and advertising all a cohesive look can really go a long way with your potential clients. Use this personal branding to create your social media pages and your website, which is integral to your work as a fashion designer. 

Keep a consistent message and stick with your personal brand

While you should always shift and edit your brand as you continue your work, it’s important to stick to what you’ve created. People love cohesion and consistency and letting that shift between potential clients can really create a disjunct public image of yourself. Maintain a consistent message and tone with all the work you do—professionalism and customer service are the most important parts of your work and will outshine any logo or even fashion design. People work with people, and you should put your best face and work forward. 

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Look as good in person as you do on paper and online

As a fashion designer, it’s important to bring your business and experience into your personal look. You’re working as a fashion designer—your look is your business. Make sure your wardrobe, accessories, and if you’re inclined, your makeup and hair style all match the brand you’re trying to evoke. Your personal brand is representative of who you are—and make sure you stick with exactly that. Don’t try to be something you’re not, and you’ll find being genuine and true to yourself will help you stay on track with your brand and promote who you are to people who want to work with you and appreciate your work. 

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RELATED QUESTIONS

How do I write a fashion designer biography for my personal branding?

Writing your biography is easy if you consider your vision, mission statement, and your experience. Start with your name and what you’re in the business of doing. Explain your job, then explain your skill set and education. Provide examples of some of your best work, and make sure you keep it simple, short, and personal. Use your resume as a guide, but don’t feel like you have to mention everything—you want someone to learn about you, not just what you have done in the past. 

How do I create my own personal logo?

You can use your fashion experience to create a logo for yourself or for your business. Keep your design simple, and if you can, try to create your own font. Don’t be too literal with your design—less is always more. Trends fade, so make sure you can stand the test of time, even with your logo. Maintain balance and proportion, like you do with your fashion designs. The most important aspect? Making sure it reflects you and what you do. 

To learn more about how to start your own fashion clothing line check out my startup documents here

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.