consulting

Founder Blindness

Like artists who mostly paint in their seasonal palette without being aware of it, founders of brands often create clothing in their personal palette. If the founder is a Winter, he or she is likely to create collections in an almost entirely Winter palette… which is fine if you are in France where most people are Winters.

But what if you want to sell to the UK, whose population is predominantly Autumn? What if you are investing in a brand to franchise abroad? You won’t have repeat customers if they look drained and tired because you’ve not taken their colour palette into consideration. Subtle changes, like offering cream as well as white, camel as well as grey, and chocolate as well as black will ensure you have a clientele who looks fabulous in your clothes.

Thesis Drift

You went into business catering to a specific client demographic, but your desire to expand caused you to forget who they are and the reason they come to you. You don’t want to lose your client base, ideally you want to evolve together. The pillar of style has to remain intact while you experiment with new brand extensions.

Trend Noise

In an effort to stay relevant in the fast moving world of fashion, you incorporate too many trends into your collection or even into one item. The result isn’t cohesive or compelling. Noisy pieces date quickly; they aren’t investment worthy so you are likely to be left with inventory to shift at a lower price point.

Trend Noise is the visual equivalent of listening to three radio stations at once; the style message does not reach the listener.