The fashion industry remains a goldmine as it evolves with different trends and styles.
The garment sub-sector which is a lucrative part of the creative sector is projected to yield $100 billion in 2030, according to the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.
Ready to wear clothing is something every experienced designer ventures into either on a small scale or on a large scale, therefore identifying your customer or clients is essential.
Whether you are a clothier for the ordinary person, upwardly mobile persons or for celebrities, it demands that you learn and know how to sew , if you are starting as a home grown designer, and knowing the value chain in the garment subsector is essential. Ready to Wear is a simple style-induced outfit and can cater for children or for the adult.
Therefore, becoming a fashion designer and going ahead to create a brand name and value specializing in Ready To Wear (RTW) clothing remains a gold mine if you can grow organically and identify your niche.
According to Desola of Daisy Wardrobe, being a ready to wear designer involves having a brand which comes first from your business name and the image you create around your work and delivering to the letter and attracting numerous potential clienteles.
“Having been a designer for ten years now, and have navigated the tough waters of entrepreneurship, I am of the belief that ready to wear clothing business is one of the best ways to make extra income and create a brand for yourself.
“I started as a passionate fashion designer, doing everything by myself – getting the fabrics, designing the cloth and making the fabric with the support of a stylists and now- a decade down the line, I can identify the pitfalls to this kind of line of business where customer retention is a must to remain relevant,” she says as she cater for the female gender.
Initial Capital
For a fashion designer, one needs to grow up the ladder, becoming a home grown tailor or cloth maker and growing your clientele to become a brand. Therefore the initial capital depends on whether you own your sewing machine which is becoming on a high side now or you work with those who own. A sewing machine ranges from the simple machine of N15,000 to the multi-function machine of N42,000. Therefore initial capital is from N100,000 to N150,000 to a million naira depending on how you start.
For Motayo Stiches, ready to wear though a saturated niche sector but very lucrative because many clients are looking for a clothier or designer who can make simple dresses for the family- children and mother, and father and the boys.
Challenges
Like all business, being a R2W designer has its intrinsic challenges. Not all fashion designers focus mainly on making R2W dresses because of its seasonal outlook as a man or a woman or a family wants to have clothing or attires for all seasons not just to go to the workplace, or to attend functions or parties or to go to church or mosques which have its styling on its own.
The CEO of Motayo Stiches states that aside the rising price of fabrics, the challenges can be surmounted which is for the designer to be focused and leverage on technology.
Daisy Wardrobes who trains people and would-be designers on how to navigate the process of being a R2W designer on her You-tube channel, stated that knowing why you want to be a R2W designer is crucial as this would determine whether the person can stand the rigour and seasonal flow of garment designing. She counsels young designers to start small and grow the business organically and their customers as this will allow them to overcome the mistakes during the teething period.
Return on Investment
The business of fashion designing is versatile and diverse getting return on investment is determined by location, the market the person serves and his or her dream and ability to overcome the challenges faced. In a month depending on the seasons, a designer can make a hundred thousand naira or less as its return on investment.
The R2W designer should leverage on making loyal and multiple customers who demand for her services often. This increases the fortune and the ROI.
