The fashion industry globally has witnessed many famous
fashion designers from major cities such as Paris, Milan, New York to London who
have worked tirelessly to create distinct signature style over a period of
time.
Having a signature style that comes through explicitly or
in subtle ways through every piece of fashion item that your brand produces is
one of the best things you can do for your fashion brand.
We can think of famous fashion brands such as Burberry,
Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Nike and a host of many other designers
with unique signatures that make it easy to identify them.
One thing, I stress on when interacting with emerging
designers in Ghana is to invest time in understanding their brand by making
sure they have fully answered out the what, who, why, where, when and how of
their brand. For instance what their brand is about, why they are making these
products, who they are targeting, where they will make it available, when they
need to make it available and how they are going to market the brand. Once
these are clear from the beginning, they can be able to work out their
signature style.
I personally think a lot of designers in Ghana are mainly
driven by passion and have not achieved creating unique signature styles that
make them stand out.
Having a signature style for your fashion brand involves
a continuous effort at creating a distinct brand look and feel over a period of
time. For instance in Ghana, the late Kofi Ansah is known to pioneer modern
African styles and design with his design signature which includes the unique
use of quilting, embroidery and appliqués.
Why is it important for your brand to have a signature style?
Gives
you an identity
Having a signature style gives you a name, it gives you an
identity. One that is easily recognizable because it makes you stand out among
the crowd. Getting noticed in the fashion world is quite a tough one especially
for new entrants who may have a lot of work to do to get noticed.
Being able to create a signature requires that you invest
in charting a path that is unique while playing around with lots of designing
elements such as colors, prints, patterns, silhouettes, embroidery etc and
finally settling on what works for you. Even your own personal style could be
an influence in creating your kind of style.
Helps
Create Emotional Connection
When your brand is unique, you are able to attract your
intended target audience. These customers over time become connected to the
brand and begin to trust your brand. This trust is built by aligning with the
emotional values of your audience.
Having a signature
style helps you to achieve that connection with your customers who become your
tribe and work to support your journey and success.
Build
a Tribe around your brand
We all know it’s not easy to break through in the fashion
industry. With new talents sprouting every minute, having a signature helps you
build a tribe of customers who repeatedly patronize your pieces collection
after collection.
In the end, the primary function of any brand is to sell
their product or services and that can only be achieved when these customers
can identify themselves with the brand’s offering while adding value to their
lives.
With a growing demand for fashion designers globally, the
industry is always on a look out for best designers. If you want to earn a
distinct place in the industry, then you have to develop a unique taste and
style and pay close heed to creating your signature.
This post was originally published in the Business & Financial Times 2/3/2018
Photocredit: Fashion Forum Africa (FFG4)
Outfit: Nadrey Laurent
Important Notice: Currently ongoing is the
Sunsum Sessions at Ano, 1 Lokko Road in Osu from the 17th of
February to the 10th of March, 2018 which highlights and celebrates some of the
works and designs of the late Kofi Ansah with Clothes lent by Fashion Forum
Africa.
If you are in Accra, you may want to check out some of his amazing works at the exhibition.
Faith Senam Ocloo
Fashion Public Relations
Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts
