Meet NUDE DAY, one of our emerging lifestyle brands that offers effortless everyday style and comfort.
We interview brand owner Sonia, who has some really insightful advice for first-time brand owners.
Every brand has a story, and what most people don't see or aren't aware of, is the groundwork that goes into launching a first collection! A clothing brand isn't built overnight, most new brands will have been planning for AT LEAST six months before their first collection drops. In our Brand Stories series, we interview our brand owners about their experience before the launch.
Read our interview with Sonia, owner of NUDE DAY, below.
What inspired you to start your own clothing brand?
It wasn’t a lifelong dream of mine but I did start to feel like I needed a creative outlet, outside of my typical 9-5, and I had always liked the idea of selling underwear and loungewear - it had always been there in the back of my head. I initially thought about going into wholesale, until I came across Hook & Eye where I realised I could design my own pieces quite easily... and it all just flowed from there!
We feel your brand has a super clear direction, a lot of brands struggle with this. How did you develop the concept and vision for your brand?
My initial concept was very basic - to create clothing based on what I thought was missing from the market and what I would personally wear. The start of your journey can be quite lonesome because it is just you and your ideas but trust your gut and start with what you know. In time, as you work with others and hear their feedback, your vision and concept naturally evolve and become clearer and more specific.
Your brand is growing, do you have a goal? Has it changed since you have started the process?
Our goal at the start was to set-up and to sell. This has changed, and our goal now is continuous improvement. We are actively engaging with our customers, listening to their feedback and not afraid of constructive criticism. For the brand to grow in the right direction we need to be aware of what our customers love about us and what they would improve, and our goal is to act upon that feedback when we design future drops.
Are there any parts of the design and manufacture process that where unexpected?
YES! I came into it with dreams of my first drop being underwear, manufactured here in the UK and creating pieces from recycled materials. I slowly realised that all of that comes at a high cost which isn’t sustainable with a small budget. Hook & Eye managed my expectations, and I ended up creating a much more realistic line. I’ll still go back to those initial dreams as the business grows, but I learnt the importance of starting small.
Looking back at your brand journey, what would you do differently?
Use Base Garments! I spent a lot of money creating garments from scratch, and looking back at all my costs (Design, Manufacture, Shipping, Sampling, Photoshoots, Website, Storage, Postage, Packaging, Social Media) I wish I had made savings during the design process where I could. Hook & Eye have awesome blog posts on cost saving, including use of their Base Garments, which I would highly recommend reading and using.
What is the top priority for any new brand owner?
To be patient. Starting a brand takes time. There is so much pressure to compete with larger, more visible, brands out there and having the best website, the best social media, having a large following and using the best influencers – ignore it all. Work within your means and set realistic goals based on your time and budget and enjoy how far you have come rather than looking at others and worrying about how far you still need to go.
What has been your proudest brand moment?
I think the website going live. That was the final piece of the Nude Day puzzle; we already had our clothing designed and ready to sell, our social media had been set-up and we were regularly posting, and the website was the last major component of our start-up journey. It was then I could take a breath and enjoy being the proud owner of a brand which was finally up and running.
You can check out the Nude Day website at www.nudeday.co.uk and follow them on Instagram @nudedayuk
If you’re excited about starting up your own clothing brand but need a little help, our brand consultation offers inside industry knowledge and advice on brand strategy, concept and market positioning.
Or if you’re ready to get stuck in to designing, head to our tech pack and design sessions page to book a live design session!
Love,
The H&E team xx
