When I started down my handbag development journey, I often struggled with the direction I wanted to go. That comes from a lack of focus. I struggle with focus. I tend to get alot of ideas going and then I get overwhelmed. I think the main reason my line has not gone to market is because of just that...focus for my line. What do I want, a luxury brand or middle of the road brand? Do I want to appeal to the massess or to the people who can afford a $500 leather bag (which isn't luxury by the way). Do I want to sell my line direct to the public, strictly through wholesale or both? Do I want to have my bags made in the U.S. or overseas? I often wobbled around these questions, never really defining my brand. Obviously how you define your brand on day 1, isn't necessarily what it ends up being once you officially launch. You have to adapt and change based on costs, feedback, etc. But its good to have a vision for your line when you start down the development path.

I struggled alot with my brand. I started out wanting a line that was affordable and appealing to women between LA and NYC. I wanted a broader range of women to be my target market, not just big city women with money. But as I started buying leather and finding sewing contractors (in the U.S.), I realized I needed to charge alot more for my designs. My line "drifted" towards being a more expensive product and appealing to a different set of women. I have often been drawn to the fancy bags in the stores in New York. I think subconciously that is what I wanted my brand to be, but on the surface I wanted to be different and have a great product for women my age who could afford my price range (closer to the $100 mark - not the $500 mark). Somehow I lost my vision and got confused as to what I wanted. It really shouldn't be this difficult, but because I didn't have a clear focus, my goals became clear as mud. I went forward with samples that were made at a New Jersey factory, but they were too expensive for the crowd I wanted to market them to. So now what?

Define your brand and work from there. My suggestion is to not buy fabric and get samples made and then determine your pricing and target market after the fact. If you have at least an idea of what you want your retail price to be, you can work backwards. You want a bag that retails for $150.00. Okay, then you know you need to buy fabric at a certain price and have cost of production meet a certain price so that you can comfortably wholesale and retail your product and still make money. Who is your target market? Can they afford or will they pay for your $150 bag? Where do you plan to sell your line? On your website or through boutiques? If you are selling wholesale, you need to make sure your costs are low enough for you to do that while still maintaining a reasonable retail price AND making a profit. Its alot to think about, but its just simple math. Do alot of research for materials that meet your cost requirements. If your bags are low priced, then you may have to look to an overseas factory or a small local factory. If you go overseas, can you meet their minimums (visit IBC if you are exploring this route - they help with overseas minumums). If you go with a smaller factory, can they meet YOUR quality and potential minumum requirements. Lots to think about!

Avoid some costly mistakes by creating a vision for your brand. Define your target market. Its okay to stray from this, but stay in control of it. Don't let it control you!

BTW, I think I'm going to scrap my leather line and start fresh with my original vision. I recently came to this conclusion. I still want to do what I wanted to do from the very beginning, but somehow I lost my way. Ugh! I've spent so much getting this far, but its not what I want, so back to the drawing board! Don't tell my husband!!! Learn from my mistake ;).

S