Building a team - anyone interested in upcoming clothing brand?

[hreveur]

Hey, whats up NT, been on here for close to year now and could honestly say this is one of the better forum communities on the net. I've learned much about sneakers, tv shows, business, and so much other things. Some really cool people on here, even if it's not from actual PMs but just going through the threads and reading. Actual conversations with points and substance as oppose to people going back and forth ( I mean that does happen here but trust me not as much on others )

I'm not gonna post everything, but if your interested you can PM me and I'll elaborate more.

Straight to the point, Couple months ago I started my brand, Live Tu Reve, I've been interested in fashion for a couple of years now since I came to America in 8th grade and during h.s I met this girl that created her outfits from scratch. When I met her and saw the outfits she was making from just fabric and ideas it just instantly phased me. We began talking and I started drawing out outfits I would see in cartoons whether it would be American cartoons like Hey Arnold or anime like Dragon Ball Z and she was able to either make it come to life or make something close to it. Sophmore year of highschool she decided to make a collection for fashion show, all cut and sew pieces, I helped her with fabric sourcing, she did the pattern, she sewed the clothes  and the show was a succes. As most know having a brand is a serious commitment and we couldnt manage or have the funds to create collections and promote it and get into shows while striving for the best in school. That was 2010, fast forward to 2013, we just finished our first year of college and realize that this is what we want to do as a career and this is what brings the most joy. Whats the point of working hard but not enjoying it? it's pointless. Here I am introducing my brand Live Tu Reve. We launched a unisex t-shirt capsule collection last week and will be dropping the female cut and sew capsule collection in 1-2 weeks.

Men's cut and sew clothing are a bit harder to make and mass produce compaered to females, especially when it's one person making the pattern and sewing the clothes, so most of the men's apparel for the first collection is printed until we recieve the funds to get the mens cut and sew clothing into production.

You can check it out at http://livetureve.com  & let me know what you guys think.

I"m looking for someone who's good at something I'm not. I've done everything so far so it's not like I can't do much but I think it would be easier if there was a group of people or even another person.

As of right now I do everything from funding to designing to marketing to be becoming a sales rep and emailing doors and [font=Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ect.[/font]

If I can meet someone who's good at the business/marketing side of things. It can greatly help, whether it be marketing or a sales rep mostly. It's not like you have to invest any money cause thats not what i'm looking for. What i'm looking for is time, or even tips could help.

Knowing that this is business people will be compensated whether it be through money, clothes, ect.

If you read all of this thank you. I appreciate it NT dam.

 

[rocthemikee]

Hey Bro,

I'm actually involved in a similar project with a friend of mine in the area. I was a marketing B2C major, with concentration on media and advertising. If you ever need any type of advice, industry trend, let me know.

I also have a friend who has a small size fashion trend/forecasting business that's been really taking off. Lots of local and national areas have been hitting them up for expertise. His website is http://www.boazandclark.com/

PM me if you ever have any questions, or want to hear about what's been happening on my end.

Lastly, congrats on going after your dream! I just heard this quote and it resonates with me a lot. "Most people choose unhappiness over uncertainty." Enjoy the journey and keep grinding towards the dream, homie!

 

[hreveur]

Will def hit you up in the PMs when I get off work.

Also thanks for the info and positivity, I really appreciate it.

We're doing pretty well for what we're doing right now but wouldnt mind some assistance.

 

[water]

I really like the white/black shirt. 

Do you have any pics of the stuff you used to make and the fits like Hey Arnold ect. 

Would be cool to see. 

 

[djyoung08]

There is no way I can justify paying $40 for a graphic tee

Best of luck, OP

 

[hreveur]

Thanks for the best of luck, I truly appreciate it.

Regarding not being to justify paying 40 dollars for a graphic tee(not my brand but any other brand) it's probably isn't marketed towards you then, not to be disrespectful. It's just preference and target audience, some people cant justify paying 170-250 for a pair of j's and lebrons when nike makes them for a fraction of that price, even if they do buy one they cant justify buying multiple pairs at that price. In fashion they're multiple brands that sell graphic tees for well over 40 dollars, **** lol if you shop at nordstram or barneys you can find plain white tee's ranging from 70-400, mind you these are white tees. Also you have to remember the craftsmanship that goes into this, each shirt me or my gf sew in tags individually, we go out and source tees with the best cotton. So the prices arent based on "trying to be expensive" but more so on quality and time put into crafting. 

But once again and most importantly thanks for checking out the site

 

[moderndarwin]

It looks good. My only concern is regarding your initial request of asking for people to help you out...how would that be possible? If I am understanding it, the only way thee products get made is for your girlfriend to hand make them. And looking at the site it shows that some of the stuff is sold out. So, you don't want to expand your market and sell more products I think? I'm just not sure what is your goal moving forward?

 

[hreveur]

Thats mostly cut and sew where she hand makes them, all of the stuff on the site at the moment is printed and we either have our custom label printed inside or we have a satin custom label sewed in.

I do want to expand my market, most of my sales are from word of mouth, whether be around campus or from a friend oversees who purchased and then admires the design and quality.

Looking forward I should've been more clearer initially. I'm looking for someone who's more social media/marketing savvy in order to expand market and viewers, whether it be advice or actual help

 

[marco23]

shirts look cool, might cop one. I wouldn't mind paying 40 dollars because i'm already paying 25-35 dollars on graphic tees from streetwear brands so an extra 5 dollars for a higher quality shirt is no big deal.

 

[guzzy]

The designs are more creative from past brands Ive seen. But to me its still simple.

Have you tried prints??

Thanks for the best of luck, I truly appreciate it.

Regarding not being to justify paying 40 dollars for a graphic tee(not my brand but any other brand) it's probably isn't marketed towards you then, not to be disrespectful. It's just preference and target audience, some people cant justify paying 170-250 for a pair of j's and lebrons when nike makes them for a fraction of that price, even if they do buy one they cant justify buying multiple pairs at that price. In fashion they're multiple brands that sell graphic tees for well over 40 dollars, **** lol if you shop at nordstram or barneys you can find plain white tee's ranging from 70-400, mind you these are white tees. Also you have to remember the craftsmanship that goes into this, each shirt me or my gf sew in tags individually, we go out and source tees with the best cotton. So the prices arent based on "trying to be expensive" but more so on quality and time put into crafting. 

But once again and most importantly thanks for checking out the site

I think he was trying to say, he couldn't justify buying a tee for $40 for an unknown brand and also not knowing the quality. Or maybe not,thats just me.

 

[cruzair13]

where do you go to school OP?

How are your financial stats or are you just starting up?

From what I got from the website, my impression is a premium urban wear brand compared to I guess LRG, Obey and what not.

what does Live TU Reve mean?

 

[hreveur]

shirts look cool, might cop one. I wouldn't mind paying 40 dollars because i'm already paying 25-35 dollars on graphic tees from streetwear brands so an extra 5 dollars for a higher quality shirt is no big deal.

I really appreciate it, & yea average graphic tee on a basic streetwear brand ranges from 25-60, atleast the ones i see, so when you add in the fact that for the box logo tees the the tags are sewn in and the quality is better then its understandable. Let me know when/if you do cop a shirt or two, i might be able to throw in a discount or freeship based on how much you spend, regardless if you buy or not I still appreciate the fact that you took the time out of your day and looked.

 

[hreveur]

The designs are more creative from past brands Ive seen. But to me its still simple.

Have you tried prints??

I think he was trying to say, he couldn't justify buying a tee for $40 for an unknown brand and also not knowing the quality. Or maybe not,thats just me.

Yea i have tried prints, but thats for the females capsule collection, where we actually went to the fabric store and picked out diff patterns and stuff and cut it out and made it from scratch. kind of trying to stay away from the generic all over print stuff your seeing on brands nowadays. If we do all over prints it has to be done right.

& regarding the "unknown brand" stigma, I use to be in the same boat but once I got into the business I realized, b/c the brand is unknown does that mean it has to start off at a low price point? If you been buying a brand that you like for multiple years then all of a sudden the price rises but the quality is the same, you would be like wtf, you lose respect for the brand and the brand might lose their core supporters. Most brands you know now have always had their pricepoint and the quality to match.

 

[cruzair13]

Yea i have tried prints, but thats for the females capsule collection, where we actually went to the fabric store and picked out diff patterns and stuff and cut it out and made it from scratch. kind of trying to stay away from the generic all over print stuff your seeing on brands nowadays. If we do all over prints it has to be done right.
& regarding the "unknown brand" stigma, I use to be in the same boat but once I got into the business I realized, b/c the brand is unknown does that mean it has to start off at a low price point? If you been buying a brand that you like for multiple years then all of a sudden the price rises but the quality is the same, you would be like wtf, you lose respect for the brand and the brand might lose their core supporters. Most brands you know now have always had their pricepoint and the quality to match.

NOOOO
start high... if it's too low consumer's will think it's not up to par with the other brands.

and then you can cut the price little by little but don't ever start low

 

[hreveur]

where do you go to school OP?

How are your financial stats or are you just starting up?

From what I got from the website, my impression is a premium urban wear brand compared to I guess LRG, Obey and what not.

what does Live TU Reve mean?

Vermont(smh lol, funny story how I ended up here) but Im usually in NY every other weekend.

Financial stats as in how much I make from the brand? or how much I've put in? & the brand was officially launched 2 weeks ago but we've been selling things offline and just for friends/people who ask.

The tees & hoodies as of right now are a more higher street wear feel, however that is because to make the clothes that I want to make is more expensive, I cant jump out the gate and mass produce trench coats, wool sweaters, destroyer jackets, ect. (things in the higher fashion realm). So i have to make tees which in their own right are a higher quality in their own right. 

& Live Tu Reve means Live Your Dreams in 3 diff languages.

 

[hreveur]

Also, if anyone has just comments or suggestions I wouldnt mind hearing them.

 

[rocthemikee]

You can PM me or email me but in a nutshell, I'd look to strengthen your online presence tremendously. Not only does this mean increasing awareness through social media, SEO, and using analytics...but I'd even look at getting your website done.

Right now you need Brand Identity Management. Because people don't know your brand, you need everything to point to a single, uniform identity. The type of brand that says "Oh this is what they're about." Learn from everyone's reaction to your site. And I mean EVERYONE. Now is not the time to be offended by ANYONE. Free opinion, albeit the non-ridiculous ones, are GOLD. The gentleman who said he wouldnt pay $40 for a t-shirt...what he means is he wouldn't pay $40 for YOUR t-shirt. If someone offered him a Gucci, LV, Saint Laurent, etc t-shirt for $40...I'm sure he'd jump in. So figure out why he wouldn't. If you have to tell him, "then this isn't marketed towards you," then you've failed in some regards. The average consumer SHOULD be able to tell that without you saying a word from your website/store/identity (for now your website IS your identity since that's all you have vs. brick/mortar, newsletters, catalogs...etc.). People walk into high-fashion stores and know RIGHT AWAY if this is for them or not...everything from store architecture, layout, design, color scheme points to an identity.

Chew on that, and take my advice for what it is...but THAT's what I'd work on. But you do have one crucial thing going. Work on a few designs to start off. Many people make the mistake of having too many options available in the beginning of their clothing line. Pick a couple of your BEST design, and let it catch on fire before you expand into other items.

 

[rocthemikee]

I'd also look at a cleaner logo. Even if it stays the same, make a sleeker, cleaner version of it. And get models. Statistics always show that clothing look better on people, rather than just hanging. Hanging t-shirts give off a cheaper vibe. Also some of your t-shirts look wrinkled on the sleeves. That's a no-go. Especially since you are looking for a slightly higher priced market when you price t-shirts at $40 and hoodies closer to $100.

 

[hreveur]

thanks for the feedback, I truly appreciate you checking out and dissecting the site. will pm you shortly

 

[stillin729]

$40 for a tee might be a bit much; I can dig the simpleness of the brand but nothing really wows me

 

[hreveur]

$40 for a tee might be a bit much; I can dig the simpleness of the brand but nothing really wows me

thanks for the honest feedback

 

[meek meals]

Also, if anyone has just comments or suggestions I wouldnt mind hearing them.

I like the stuff on your site, impressed me, I liked the triangle logo tees and the blue 'LIVE' hoodie.

A suggestion as far as marketing, you could increase your presence on Tumblr. If a post with your brand in it get's reblogged say 100 times, that's 100 potential new customers.

 

[feelmode]

OP, first best of luck with the new venture.

Its a tricky business, but can be both a lot of fun and very rewarding but that comes with a lot of hardships and sometimes heartbreaks.

I cant offer a ton of advice as im not an expert but i have been doing this for about 6 years now and opened my own store about a year ago but two words that you need to learn to live everyday are persistance and consistancy.

You are going to hear more no's then yes, but try not to get discouraged. If its something you really enjoy and want to do, and it sounds like it is then just keep your head down, mind your own and eventually people will catch on if you are both persistant and consistant.

Stay at it man.

 

[guzzy]

Yea i have tried prints, but thats for the females capsule collection, where we actually went to the fabric store and picked out diff patterns and stuff and cut it out and made it from scratch. kind of trying to stay away from the generic all over print stuff your seeing on brands nowadays. If we do all over prints it has to be done right.

& regarding the "unknown brand" stigma, I use to be in the same boat but once I got into the business I realized, b/c the brand is unknown does that mean it has to start off at a low price point? If you been buying a brand that you like for multiple years then all of a sudden the price rises but the quality is the same, you would be like wtf, you lose respect for the brand and the brand might lose their core supporters. Most brands you know now have always had their pricepoint and the quality to match.

I agree with you on the new brand shouldn't start off at a low price point. But that will deter other customers and I.

I have. Obey has raised prices on their graphic tees. Yet, its still one of my fav brands.

The gentleman who said he wouldnt pay $40 for a t-shirt...what he means is he wouldn't pay $40 for YOUR t-shirt. 
 

This is what I was talking about.

Why would I pay $40 for your shirt when I can purchase a Obey tee for $30.(No offense,of course)

 

[hreveur]

I like the stuff on your site, impressed me, I liked the triangle logo tees and the blue 'LIVE' hoodie.

A suggestion as far as marketing, you could increase your presence on Tumblr. If a post with your brand in it get's reblogged say 100 times, that's 100 potential new customers.

Thanks man, 

& regarding marketing, I got a diff blog that i post pics from that 100+ notes, the tumblr blog that i have is just a more for people to see the product. the other blog with 6k followers is a mixture of things.