We're an Italian couple under 30, located near some clothing manufacturing areas.
We've been studying pattern making and sewing for a couple of years.
We have two retired pattern-making friends who help us, my girlfriend is taking a pattern-making course, and we have relatives who work in the industry.
We have an serger and an industrial sewing machine.
We know how to take measurements, make patterns, sew, and remove defects.
We're currently making custom garments (shirts, pants, jackets, dresses), but we'd like to develop a more structured business.
We already have a sort of business plan: the idea is to create a Made in Italy clothing brand, medium prices and we alternate between a relaxed, hippie-on-vacation vibe and something darker and more glamorous. We like to play with shapes, fabric manipulation, and maintain a refined yet unpretentious vibe. We're trying to reinterpret the "Italian way of doing things" from the past.
The next steps are:
- Thinking about a first collection that we'll present this August at a yoga event.
- Opening social media channels (even though I'm a bit allergic to TikTok and Instagram)
- Creating labels and business cards
- Opening a crowdfounding
- Creating a made-to-order capsule collection and finding a company that will white-label production to our specifications (this creates some problems for us in the sense that it feels like we're having someone else do our job).
Many people close to us tend to discourage us, but we're persevering because it feels good to do it. Do you have any advice on the business approach or any success stories of Italian/European brands?