Running a small fashion business is a very exciting prospect, but being able to offer your customers a really personal touch is even better! Personalisation is a big thing in our modern world (providing that it doesn’t descend into the realms of ‘cringe’ of course), and a little embellishment on your clothing is always welcome in most people’s eyes There are, of course, plenty of ways to do this, but here are four of the most common methods that you might consider making available through your business:
Painting
Fabric paint is especially designed to work on textiles, and is actually very much like ‘real’ painting; you still use a brush! Many natural fibres like silks, linen or cotton work really well with fabric paint, and this would also be a great way to combine a burgeoning artistic talent with a passion for fashion. Obviously, fabric painting will yield some truly unique designs, and you can also achieve similar effects with fabric pens as well. If you want to offer a hand-made element within your fashion designs, fabric paint is well worth your time.
Printing
Fabric printing has been around for years, but it’s useful for so much more than just’ vintage’ clothes. In fact, modern digital fabric printing machines from brands like Epson have moved the technique on so far in recent years that it’s almost unrecognisable in terms of what you can do. Even ‘photo realistic’ prints are possible with a digital fabric printer, and they are a fabulous way to get around some of the drawbacks of more ‘conventional’ fabric printing. Unlike painting, this method can also be used to produce larger, more ‘uniform’ clothing batches; ideal for a small fashion outlet.
Transfer
It might seem to be a little dated, but the old options of ‘iron-on-transfers’ and the like are still of use today. Quick and easy to perform, you can also buy blank transfers from providers like Sign Making and Supplies to indulge your art and design side, so there is a lot to be said for dabbling in this method. Fabric transfers have come on an awful long way since they were first used, so don’t let the ‘low-tech’ side of them put you off! You may have to warn your customers to be a little careful when they wash a transfer design though; sticking to a cool wash setting should avoid any mishaps.
Embroidery
An embroidered bit of clothing is something to behold, and there’s no better form of embellishment if you’re looking to imbue something with a sense of beauty and grace. There’s no getting around the fact that this method of personalisation is pretty classic though, so it’s probably best if you combine this sort of technique with a love of vintage fashion. That being said, the days of sitting with a needle and thread are gone, as places like Stocks Sewing Machines now sell industrial embroidery machines, so this method of personalisation is far more viable that you might think!
Naturally, clothes should reflect something about the person who wears them, and there’s no better way to enable this than by offering a gorgeous bespoke design service. Anyone can provide off-the-shelf designs, so why not mark your own fashion business out as something a little different?
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