So you want to start a product based brand?

When I was in New York City for Fashion Week I was also working on my brand Siku Jewelry. Developing this line has been a long journey for me and a learning curve. If you haven’t studied the process in school you learn from experience. I took a few jewelry classes in college so knew the basics of designing but little about building a product based company. I’d like to go over the process and share a few resources with you that might be helpful if building a product based brand is something that you’re interested in doing.

The process goes something like this. You have an idea, then you draw many iterations of that idea to get the design as streamline, comfortable, and functional as possible. When you have your final design you might create a sample yourself. You will then want to take either your design or your sample to a manufacturer. Make sure you have a non disclosure agreement (NDA). I recommend sending your design to multiple manufacturers to see who comes back with the closest physical piece to what you imagined in your mind. When looking for a manufacturer you might want to try using Makers Row.

You may have to go through multiple iterations of your design with multiple manufacturers. Be persistent, what you imagine CAN be created. You just have to find the right person, with patience, who believes in your vision.

If you’re creating a collection of jewelry, accessories, or clothing then you will most likely have to cut out some designs all together. Trust that this process can take months. I recommend getting started ASAP. Best of luck to you on your product based brand!

Comment below or DM me on Instagram if you have questions and I’ll do my best to answer them!