The seminar on apparel textile sourcing in Miami 2019 presented insights on creating a brand strategy, emphasizing the integration of traditional creativity with new technologies in the fashion industry. Key topics included developing a unique brand identity, sustainability, and new technologies such as smart clothing and 3D printing. The discussion highlighted changing consumer behaviors across demographics, the importance of social responsibility, and the evolving nature of brand building in a digital context.

1. Apparel Textile Sourcing Miami
2019 Seminar Presentations
Presented By:
Creating a Brand Strategy
Frances Harder, President
Fashion For Profit

3. Today’s world of design centers on
the new tools and technology
alongside good old creativity.
Sketching and drawing are no
longer all that you need to create
apparel or footwear but, combine
those skills with knowledge of new
technologies
and the industry doors will open
wider.
Today’s panel includes industry

4. FRANCES
HARDER
• Principal/Founder of Fashion for Profit Consulting
Services to the apparel industry.
• Self-published a series of books (Harder
Publications), which deal with starting a fashion
business. Fashion for Profit is an extensive text that
covers the starting of an apparel company. Costing for
Profit, Brand Building & Forms for Profit
www.fashionforprofit.com.
• United Nations consultant to women owned
businesses producing Alpaca products in Peru and
Cashmere producers in Nepal.
• Consults on product development, branding,
merchandising, production and entering the US
market.
• Serves as an industry expert in legal disputes.
Faculty adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona, a
member of the Southern California District Export

5. GETTING STARTED
• Market
Research
• Choosing
Your
Market Niche

6. LOGOS & BRAND ASSOCIATION

7. WHY CONSUMERS BUY BRANDS
• “Fashion” is based on
creating a demand
where there is none
• Many people are
obsessed with
“fashion”
• It’s the key to lifestyle
and identity
• These people are your
target!

8. AGELESS POPULATION
• Changing workplace dress
codes
• Increasing environmental
awareness
• Casual lifestyles
• Gen X’s may purchase same
styles and brands as Millennials
• Mothers and daughters shop
together
• Ageless Baby Boomers are still
hip

9. CREATING THE BRAND STORY
• Develop an identity:
name, logo, and
story to differentiate
product
• Examine type of
materials used and
how garments are
designed and
constructed

10. BRAND LOYALTY HAS CHANGED
Customers are more
creative with
individual styling and
understand “personal
branding”
•Not a head-to-toe
look
•Blend high-end &
low-end
•Shop everywhere
• Chain stores
• Specialty stores
• Vintage stores
• Online

11. CSR –
Corporate Social Responsibility
• Sustainability
• Support a Cause
• Give back
Ethical Fashion – What does
that mean?
11

12. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
• Spotting a Trend
• Trend Services
• Demographics
• Timing is everything
- Too soon - Too
late

13. VIRTUAL BRANDING

14. PROTECT YOUR BRAND:
DEVELOP AN IP STRATEGY
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that
identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party
from those of others
A copyright protects original works of authorship including
literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic
Trademarks:
➢ Logo
➢ Company Name
➢ Slogan
➢ Product Line Name
➢ Service Line Name
➢ Domain Name

15. • Run a search before using a trademark
• Trademarks are territorially and must be
protected in each country.
• Always use your trademark consistently
• Always use a TM or ® after the first
reference to the trademark to indicate
your ownership of a mark
PROTECT YOUR BRAND:
DEVELOP AN IP STRATEGY

16. PROTECT YOUR BRAND:
SELECTING WHERE TO REGISTER
Develop a plan to prioritize areas of
protection:
• Where are products sold?
• Where are products manufactured?
• Where are infringements likely to occur?
• Where are strong markets for your
products?
• Where are developing markets for your
products?
• Where are your competitors registering
their marks?

17. PROTECT YOUR BRAND :
SELECTING WHERE TO REGISTER
Most countries have Customs Agencies
that will look for infringements and
seize counterfeit goods
• Typically you must own a valid
trademark registration
• File application to register your mark
with customs
• Respond quickly when contacted by
customs agents

19. •Athleisure – Athletic clothing to wear
all day! From gym to lunch or keep the
leggings and a nice blouse and a jacket,
or long top over the leggings, and you’re
good to go from gym to lunch and
to dinner.

20. •Trends or No Trends: That is
the question! – According to a
recent article in the Guardian,
“Fashion used to operate on two
seasons a year. Now trends are
staying in fashion for years, not
months. From now on, fads are
out and personal style is in.”
People are wearing more of what
they feel comfortable in and what
they think best expresses who
they are.

21. •New Technology for Textiles -
Fabrics made from sea weed,
fermented wine and recycled
plastic to name a few
revolutionary textiles.
•Eco-Friendly – e.g. Laboratory
grown leather from mushroom
roots, this will help prevent the
methane gas that cows create
that is contributing to global
warming.
•Sustainability – So much is
happening due to the demand

22. •Recycle – Taking plastic bottles and
melting down to then mix with
organic cotton to create an Eco-
friendly t-shirt is one of the new
examples of both sustainable and
recycling and even upcycling.
•Upcycling – Many upscale stores
are now asking customers to return
garments to resale and for that they
get a $100.00 coupon for their next
sale. Or, buying from second hand
stores and Goodwill stores a t-shirt
then wash and print your logo and

23. •Vintage and Resale
Stores – With so many
clothes hanging in closets
and most of which are
hardly worn there is a real
market for these vintage or
slightly used clothing.

24. •Smart Clothing - By combining
fiber with electronics, to
develop smart performance
clothing, like temperature
control, medical measurements,
fall down detection and
positioning. All of these
innovative textile’s modules can
all be controllable with apps.
•3D Printing – From shoes,
bags, jewelry and soon to be
available in clothing. Choose
your style and print it. Then
when you have enough of that

25. •Mass Customization - Made
to Measure – Go to your
favorite stores and choose a
new style. After having your
body scanned you will be able
to see any styles as they
would look and fit on your
avatar. Then the pattern is
computerized and changed to
fit your own specifications. The
garment will then be sewn to
your own measurements and
shipped directly to you, or you
can pick up from the store in
•Robot Production –
Factories are moving over
to producing clothing with a
factory line of robots. Big
brands such as Nike are
investing in building new
high-tech factories in states
like Arizona and Nevada.
The New Linesheet
Microfactory Doesn't Mean
Small

26. •Millennials – Like the Baby
Boomers from the 60’s,
Millennials are new thinkers and
are changing buying habits,
which is making retailers rethink
their own business models.
Sustainable, plastic free,
avocado sandwiches to name
but a few. They prefer to spend
on life experiences than new
•Baby Boomers – They are
the largest group of aging
people and as such have
their own demands for their
life needs. They want to stay
relevant and also look young.
As they
grow older and hopefully live
longer than their parents they
will have a market that needs
to be catered for.

27. •Made in the USA – With
speed to market in demand
there is more investment in
creating new more efficient
factories and infrastructure
domestically.

28. • Tech Sauvé – As opposed to
technically challenged! Every
aspect of business today
demands the use of technology.
So, in order to succeed in a new
business the owner will need to
have a clear understanding of
all the technical demands or
have someone who
understands the technological
demands. And there are many
technical uses that and now
integrated into any new

29. • Website – From domain
name choice to planning a
website and brand
identification. Before
choosing a name for your new
business it is important to
make sure that any name for
the new brand is available and
there is no confusion in the
market place. Not a good idea
to choose a name like Adidas
as there will be a “cease and
desist” letter from the lawyers
for Adidas. It would all have

30. • Social Injustices – Sweat
shop conditions and fare
wages are a very important
aspect to anyone considering
on manufacturing either
domestically or off-shore.
Please check licenses to
ensure your contractors have
all their legal permits and
documents. Or, to anyone
considering a purchase from
a junior labeled store, or a
cheap discount store please
think if you are purchasing

31. • Artificial Intelligence – Alexa’s
Amazon voice – Is being used in
stores to help people navigate stores
and work with virtual stylists.
• Virtual Reality – The beauty
departments at Macy’s offer
customers the ability to virtually try
on eye shadow and lipstick with an
augmented-reality mirror. Then other
stores scan your body to virtually try
outfits and see if you like them
before going into a changing room.

32. • Mobile Phone Apps –
Use of phone apps for
check-out – Scan your
phone to pay and
checkout.
• Social Media – Finding
positive “Influencers” to
provide marketing and
outreach is a crucial part
of building a brand in
2019.

33. CONCLUSION
Brand building today is a constantly
evolving process
• Authenticity is key
• Quality
• Price
• Feel
• Image
• Target Market
• True to Niche

34. QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
Frances@fashionforprofit.com
www.FashionforProfit.
For a PDF copy of this Power Point,
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35. 22
RESOURCES
Frances Harder, President
Fashion For Profit
frances@fashionforprofit.com
https://fashionforprofit.com/
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