The author of How To Start A Streetwear Brand has been featured in
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How To Start A Streetwear Brand: Chapter 1
by Brian Roberts, Author, How To Start A Streetwear Brand
The club was dark, dimly lit and hot as hell.
Packed together like sardines, I couldn’t scratch my nose if I tried. Anyone who’s ever been to a nightclub in New York City will agree. Being the “chill” type, it wasn’t my idea to go here. While I’d much rather prefer a corner in a Barnes & Noble someplace, my fashion-forward friends had other plans.
One of them was so fashion-forward that he decided to wear a set of grillz to the club. Talk about balls. I thought he was crazy. The other clubgoers? Not so much. Matter of fact, he was scoring praise all night. People just wouldn’t stop approaching him.
“Where did you get those?” “I need a set of those!” and “Damn, I wish I could afford those!” For the entire night it’s all I heard. I was shocked. Here’s this peculiar fashion accessory I never saw on anybody except trap rappers and pimps being praised by all these people. Who would’ve thought?
Fast forward a year: I’d done over six figures in sales and scored features everywhere from Forbes and Business Insider to Hypebeast and Complex by selling grillz of my own. I'd be asked a million times by customers on how to start a streetwear brand. And oh, and I horrified my mother in the process. “You’re selling gold teeth!?” she’d say.
Which leads to my first point.
Don’t build a nightclub in a graveyard. Yes, the foundation of any successful business - whether it's on how to start a streetwear brand or anything else - starts with an idea. But it can’t just be any idea. It has to be the right idea. Now what’s the right idea?
Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with what you’re passionate about, what you like or what your friends and family like. It has to do with the market. This is the first and most important step in learning how to start a streetwear brand (or anything else).
For you to be successful your idea has to meet the needs of a marketplace: an audience of potential customers. It may not make your mom happy at first. It may not even be something you’re particularly fond of. But that’s not the point. The point is to make other people happy with it. Satisfy a need they have. It’s about them not about you. Even when it comes to something like how to start a streetwear brand.
And that wasn’t just idle chit chat, praise or ego stroking my friend was getting. It was a sign of an unmet need in the marketplace. These are what I call “code words” and are the foundation your brand will stand on. Words and phrases like:
In my case, people couldn’t seem to find affordable grillz. The only options available were either cheap, auction site grillz or high-end Johnny Dang or Paul Wall style grillz. Nothing in between. My former brand filled that gap in the marketplace, and we became the affordable alternative.
The best way to find the right idea is by listening for code words like the ones I mentioned above. Once you gather enough feedback on a potential idea, it’s important you continue vetting it further.
Again, people don’t spend money because they like you or they think you’re attractive (unless you’re me). They do it because you help with one (or several) of the following:
With my grillz, they accomplished 1, 2 and 6 very well.
They were affordable, helped my customers cross off any coolness concerns and were way easier to setup versus traditional grillz. Traditional grillz involved shipping molds back and forth and a whole host of other steps. Mine came with molds and instructions on how customers could do it themselves. Plus, if they had any issues, we’d ship them a new set or new molds no problem.
Talk about making life easy.
Here’s the kicker though: for your idea to have six or seven figure potential, it can’t just be local. It has to be global. Here’s how to take your idea a step further. Nothing complicated. The key here is to distance yourself as far from speculation as possible. No guessing games, dice rolls or big risks. That’s for rookies.
If you’re still stuck with finding an idea, create a few bullet points like the ones I’ve made below. To get you started with how to start a streetwear brand, I’ve filled in my responses as examples. Remember: it all starts with your market, so do that first. Then, using the feedback you get - aligned with your interests and skills - ask yourself what needs are out there and how you could meet them. Here’s how it looks when you put it all together:
Map out as much as you can now so you know exactly what need you’re meeting, know who has the need, where they congregate, what they read and more. Don’t buy into the idea you need a business plan. That’s just a waste of time. Instead, develop a market plan.
Fact is, if you don’t know who your audience is, what they like and where they hang out at - it won’t matter how many spreadsheet you whip up.
Here’s an example of how your plan should look. 9 rows. That’s it.
Market size
500,000
Market need
Affordable grillz, mid-level grillz
Market communities
Streetwear subreddit, OVO forums, etc.
Market media
Complex, StupidDope, etc.
Market retailers
Karmaloop, Dr. Jays, Jimmy Jazz, Against All Odds
Market competition
eBay (low end), Paul Wall (high end)
Market price points
49.99-99.99
Market demographic
Male, 18-25
Market passion level
High
This right here is how your business should be structured.
The more niche and easily defined, the better.
Head over to Alibaba.com.
If you aren’t familiar with the site, it’s the largest hub of manufacturers anywhere. Using their search bar type in a few keywords that best describe your product. Just think back to the keywords you found via the Google Keyword Volume Tool from earlier.
Here are some questions and things to look out for when dealing with potential suppliers:
Gold supplier?
Gold suppliers pay a fee for the designation. Look for 4+ year suppliers.
3rd party assessed?
More through than just “gold” - they’ve had all business functions vetted.
Turnaround time?
Aim for 7-15 days maximum.
MOQ?
Minimum order quantity? The lower the better.
Accept PayPal?
This is the easiest way to pay in the beginning for samples, etc.
Make sure to speak with several.
The most important part of the discussion process is to gauge response levels and times, ease of reaching, etc. You don’t want someone who takes a week to respond. Narrow your list down to 2-3 key suppliers who check all the above boxes and also respond fast. You’re not ordering anything yet, just making sure you have the capabilities to get your idea produced. If you can’t find it on Alibaba there’s a good chance it can’t be made!
Now that you know the product can be made and there’s a serious possibility of it meeting a need in the marketplace, it’s time to start selling the idea. Be thankful you mapped out competitors and retailers, because now you have a starting point.
Packed together like sardines, I couldn’t scratch my nose if I tried. Anyone who’s ever been to a nightclub in New York City will agree. Being the “chill” type, it wasn’t my idea to go here. While I’d much rather prefer a corner in a Barnes & Noble someplace, my fashion-forward friends had other plans.
One of them was so fashion-forward that he decided to wear a set of grillz to the club. Talk about balls. I thought he was crazy. The other clubgoers? Not so much. Matter of fact, he was scoring praise all night. People just wouldn’t stop approaching him.
“Where did you get those?” “I need a set of those!” and “Damn, I wish I could afford those!” For the entire night it’s all I heard. I was shocked. Here’s this peculiar fashion accessory I never saw on anybody except trap rappers and pimps being praised by all these people. Who would’ve thought?
Fast forward a year: I’d done over six figures in sales and scored features everywhere from Forbes and Business Insider to Hypebeast and Complex by selling grillz of my own. I'd be asked a million times by customers on how to start a streetwear brand. And oh, and I horrified my mother in the process. “You’re selling gold teeth!?” she’d say.
Which leads to my first point.
Don’t build a nightclub in a graveyard. Yes, the foundation of any successful business - whether it's on how to start a streetwear brand or anything else - starts with an idea. But it can’t just be any idea. It has to be the right idea. Now what’s the right idea?
Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with what you’re passionate about, what you like or what your friends and family like. It has to do with the market. This is the first and most important step in learning how to start a streetwear brand (or anything else).
For you to be successful your idea has to meet the needs of a marketplace: an audience of potential customers. It may not make your mom happy at first. It may not even be something you’re particularly fond of. But that’s not the point. The point is to make other people happy with it. Satisfy a need they have. It’s about them not about you. Even when it comes to something like how to start a streetwear brand.
And that wasn’t just idle chit chat, praise or ego stroking my friend was getting. It was a sign of an unmet need in the marketplace. These are what I call “code words” and are the foundation your brand will stand on. Words and phrases like:
- "I like, I hate, I love, I wish, etc."
- "Expensive, cheap, can’t find, etc."
In my case, people couldn’t seem to find affordable grillz. The only options available were either cheap, auction site grillz or high-end Johnny Dang or Paul Wall style grillz. Nothing in between. My former brand filled that gap in the marketplace, and we became the affordable alternative.
The best way to find the right idea is by listening for code words like the ones I mentioned above. Once you gather enough feedback on a potential idea, it’s important you continue vetting it further.
Again, people don’t spend money because they like you or they think you’re attractive (unless you’re me). They do it because you help with one (or several) of the following:
- Save time or money?
- Build up or stroke ego?
- Improve happiness?
- Provide safety?
- Increase comfort?
- Making life easier?
- Increase efficiency?
With my grillz, they accomplished 1, 2 and 6 very well.
They were affordable, helped my customers cross off any coolness concerns and were way easier to setup versus traditional grillz. Traditional grillz involved shipping molds back and forth and a whole host of other steps. Mine came with molds and instructions on how customers could do it themselves. Plus, if they had any issues, we’d ship them a new set or new molds no problem.
Talk about making life easy.
Here’s the kicker though: for your idea to have six or seven figure potential, it can’t just be local. It has to be global. Here’s how to take your idea a step further. Nothing complicated. The key here is to distance yourself as far from speculation as possible. No guessing games, dice rolls or big risks. That’s for rookies.
- Listen for code words online. Whether it’s browsing through your Twitter feed for complaints or praise, or reading through forums and Reddit threads, see what crowds of people are saying.
- Browse Amazon reviews. Specifically, starting digging through 3 star reviews. 5 star reviews are all praise and 1 star reviews are all hate. Usually 3 star reviews offer insight into what worked, what didn’t and why. Take heed of how you could make something that meets those points.
- Browse Reddit. It’s not called the “front page of the internet” for nothing. Their communities (called subreddits) are nothing short of gold mines. People speak rather open and honestly about their feelings on very specific things. Dig deep into a particular set of subreddits that are relevant to your idea. What questions are the most popular? What responses are the most popular? Why? What links are the most shared? Who writes them? Document all of this.
- Use Google’s Keyword Volume Tool. This one requires you to create a gmail email address and a basic AdWords account but don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy. Type in a few keywords that best describe your idea and look for high search volume and competition. The second one might surprise you but heed this: competition is a good thing. It means people are actively searching for and spending money on the idea. Don’t fear it. Embrace it! Check Google’s “Trend” tool too.
- Use Facebook messaging. This one might make you a bit uncomfortable, but that’s the whole point. What you’re going to want to do is reach out to potential customers letting them know about your idea or offering. A brief, personalized message to friends that outlines why they’d be interested + a link to your free PayPal account. Kind words of support are great, but try paying bills with them. Verizon doesn’t give a shit how many people love your idea.
If you’re still stuck with finding an idea, create a few bullet points like the ones I’ve made below. To get you started with how to start a streetwear brand, I’ve filled in my responses as examples. Remember: it all starts with your market, so do that first. Then, using the feedback you get - aligned with your interests and skills - ask yourself what needs are out there and how you could meet them. Here’s how it looks when you put it all together:
Map out as much as you can now so you know exactly what need you’re meeting, know who has the need, where they congregate, what they read and more. Don’t buy into the idea you need a business plan. That’s just a waste of time. Instead, develop a market plan.
Fact is, if you don’t know who your audience is, what they like and where they hang out at - it won’t matter how many spreadsheet you whip up.
Here’s an example of how your plan should look. 9 rows. That’s it.
Market size
500,000
Market need
Affordable grillz, mid-level grillz
Market communities
Streetwear subreddit, OVO forums, etc.
Market media
Complex, StupidDope, etc.
Market retailers
Karmaloop, Dr. Jays, Jimmy Jazz, Against All Odds
Market competition
eBay (low end), Paul Wall (high end)
Market price points
49.99-99.99
Market demographic
Male, 18-25
Market passion level
High
This right here is how your business should be structured.
The more niche and easily defined, the better.
Head over to Alibaba.com.
If you aren’t familiar with the site, it’s the largest hub of manufacturers anywhere. Using their search bar type in a few keywords that best describe your product. Just think back to the keywords you found via the Google Keyword Volume Tool from earlier.
Here are some questions and things to look out for when dealing with potential suppliers:
Gold supplier?
Gold suppliers pay a fee for the designation. Look for 4+ year suppliers.
3rd party assessed?
More through than just “gold” - they’ve had all business functions vetted.
Turnaround time?
Aim for 7-15 days maximum.
MOQ?
Minimum order quantity? The lower the better.
Accept PayPal?
This is the easiest way to pay in the beginning for samples, etc.
Make sure to speak with several.
The most important part of the discussion process is to gauge response levels and times, ease of reaching, etc. You don’t want someone who takes a week to respond. Narrow your list down to 2-3 key suppliers who check all the above boxes and also respond fast. You’re not ordering anything yet, just making sure you have the capabilities to get your idea produced. If you can’t find it on Alibaba there’s a good chance it can’t be made!
Now that you know the product can be made and there’s a serious possibility of it meeting a need in the marketplace, it’s time to start selling the idea. Be thankful you mapped out competitors and retailers, because now you have a starting point.
Remember: you’re not going to be spending anything, but you’re going to be mapping out how much you anticipate spending and what it means for you. Now you’re going to take information from the above charts (minimum order quantity and market price point) and plug it into your bigger financial picture.
With manufacturers the more you order, the higher your margins (difference between sale price and cost of goods), but having a bunch of high margin products nobody wants is dumb. We'll get to making sure you have a proven demand before you start ordering in bulk and that the pricing is scalable soon. First make sure retailers can buy your product at a discount and you can still make a profit. Pricing ≠ product.
Ask yourself: can you sell at a heavy discount and still profit? Major retailers like Urban Outfitters (see below) and others buy in volume at a discount, so plan for future pricing.
With manufacturers the more you order, the higher your margins (difference between sale price and cost of goods), but having a bunch of high margin products nobody wants is dumb. We'll get to making sure you have a proven demand before you start ordering in bulk and that the pricing is scalable soon. First make sure retailers can buy your product at a discount and you can still make a profit. Pricing ≠ product.
Ask yourself: can you sell at a heavy discount and still profit? Major retailers like Urban Outfitters (see below) and others buy in volume at a discount, so plan for future pricing.
Brian's brand Refinement Co. in Fortune 500 retailer Urban Outfitters
Boil down your bigger financial picture to hard numbers using my calculator below. Then, once you have your hard numbers, redo it again with your ideal lifestyle so you know how much you'd need to make. Let’s say it's in $4500 in monthly income.
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Plug that in first (monthly net income goal). Next, based on the research you’ve done, plug in your market price point - the price you plan to sell your goods at (revenue). By now you should’ve spoken to manufacturers to determine what your product will cost. Plug that in (cost of goods sold). Now you should be able to figure out gross profit, margin and exactly what your monthly sales goal is.
See below for an example.
Suddenly that whole "get rich" thing isn't so far fetched.
Now that you know what you want to achieve, let's dive into the sales and marketing...
See below for an example.
- Monthly Net Income Goal: $4500.00
- Revenue: $49.99
- Cost Of Goods Sold: -$9.99
- Gross Profit $40.00
- Gross Margin 80%
- Monthly Sales Goal: 112 pieces (or just 3-4 a day)
Suddenly that whole "get rich" thing isn't so far fetched.
Now that you know what you want to achieve, let's dive into the sales and marketing...