5 Networking Tips for Your Fashion Brand

Developing a fashion business and brand is going to require meeting a lot of different people, whether it’s suppliers, consumers, or business partners. Networking is extremely important in the world of fashion — and getting it right, even more so. Because the fashion industry can be so daunting, the idea of networking can be daunting, too, so here are five tips to make it easier.

You Don’t Always Need to Network with the Top People

When you’re trying to promote your fashion brand and work your way up the ranks, it can be natural to want to aim high and get the attention of big business contacts who can help you. Nevertheless, in the fashion world, you have many people starting out or on the same level as you, who may one day rise to the top themselves. Therefore, if you network with them now, you can make it more likely to build lasting relationships with people who may grow to higher positions in the industry. 

Networking Isn’t Just About the Job 

The most lasting business relationships can be created from truly getting to know someone and making a personal connection. If you’re too focused on networking only for business contacts and the title they hold, this can make it difficult to form lasting relationships — especially if you only ever speak to them about business-related topics or contact them when you need something related to work. 

Take the time to get to know people as people, too. 

Look and Feel the Part 

A lot of business impressions are made based on looks alone, and first impressions do count. You need to look professional no matter the business you’re in when you’re attending networking events or meeting new business contacts, but this is particularly important if your business is fashion. So make sure to always dress smart or in line with the clothing you’re trying to promote, and don’t forget the extras like accessories and Creed Aventus cologne or perfume to make a statement. 

Stay Connected on Many Different Platforms 

Fashion is an ever-changing industry with growing trends, and people within this industry may be ever-changing, too. That’s why it’s a good idea to reach out and connect with people through many different platforms, including social media as well as email and messaging. This ensures you can stay connected and conduct discussions more easily, no matter where you (or they) are in the world. 

Don’t Bombard with Messages 

With the previous point in mind, this doesn’t mean that you should contact or network through all platforms at once and chase up messages that haven’t been replied to as quickly as you’d like. You can risk upsetting relationships or putting contacts off if you’re constantly messaging them or asking why they haven’t replied to your messages — and this can be even worse if you do so publicly, such as through social media comments. 

These five tips are a great place to start in making good first impressions, getting to know people on a personal level within the fashion industry, and growing with the contacts around you.