While it is often not a viable option to rent an entire space to launch a pop-up, that doesn’t mean you can’t expose your brand to the public. With the option of shop sharing and having a stall in a curated market, there are now more ways than ever to introduce your brand in an easy and cost-effective way. Most recently, Appear Here collaborated with Haus Kat, who manage the successful Camden Collective shop in the Camden Stables, to offer new brands the opportunity to be seen. Haus Kat is a four-day monthly fashion market, providing up-and-coming fashion entrepreneurs with a London-based platform from which to launch their brands. Set in the heart of Brick Lane in the much loved Old Truman Brewery, this market features thirty brands all selling fashion, accessories and jewellery.
Beligi, Dead Profit, Nic Love and Ephraim Yeboah were amongst the collection of retailers who reached out to the hipster crowds who regularly visit this East London nucleus of fashion. Each of these brands are in the early stages of growth as they introduce their fashion lines to the public and increase their customer base. Urban, innovative and unique, each of these four brands are set to do great things and Haus Kat was a springboard for them to do so.
Here are their four key reasons why retailing through shop shares and collaboration is beneficial:
Get The Right Location
Location is more important than ever when it comes to launching your brand. If you are looking to expose a fashion brand, you must place your brand in a fashion conscious area where the customer base has a need for you. Haus Kat’s location in the heart of Shoreditch is perfect because the East of London crowd is notorious for being fashion focused and forward thinking, always trying to stay ahead of the trend. “Shoreditch is now the epicentre of everything "hip", new and exciting in London,” Ephriam Yeboah told us, “I think the main benefit of joining the market was to have the physical interaction with the consumers. You quickly build up a profile of the type of customers who are interested in your brand. From this you can do more targeted marketing.”
Understand Your Brand
When you’re new to retail, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of excitement that surrounds it. Nowadays, people don’t just buy products, they buy into brands, so if you intend to find success, you need to spend time understanding your own brand. You need to be clear on who you are, what sets you apart from everyone else and most importantly, where you stand in the marketplace. Being part of Haus Kat helped Beligi to answer all of these questions. “Launching our first collection and Pop-Up, we learnt a lot,” Beligi commented, “principally who is interested in our garments, who would consider buying Beligi, and who our wearers are. The Haus Kat Pop-Up enabled us to understand where Beligi could potentially stand in the market. It’s because of our presence at Haus Kat that we’ve secured future collaborations.”
Build Networks
The best way to expand your brand is to make sure everyone is talking about it. What is great about taking your brand into shop shares and curated markets is that you get the opportunity to mingle with like-minded people, those who have experience in the field and people who can offer advice. The urban clothing brand Dead Profit, saw featuring in Haus Kat as key to building networks and connections with other brands and customers. “Benefits are meeting new people in the same field,” Dead Profit told us, “and discussing/networking with others to find out other avenues of brand awareness.”
Learn Fast
There is no definitive handbook on how to become a successful retailer, so the best way to learn is on the job. The early stages of launching a brand are undoubtedly some of the most challenging. Whether it’s financial difficulty, staff management, manufacturing problems or nailing the right brand image, the only way to succeed is to throw yourself into the deep end and learn from those who have gone before you. Haus Kat helped Nicola, from aspiring acrylic jewellry and eyelash brand Nic Love, realise the challenges that all start-up’s must overcome before reaching success. “It's such a cool, busy place and always full of creative types in the same kind of industry,” Nicola comment, “I learnt that it's hard to run a business and get your products noticed. But meeting the right people at places like this gives you so much more exposure and more opportunities.”
The first edition of the Haus Kat market signalled the beginning of what is set to become one of the best emerging fashion markets of East London. It is the perfect place to gain an insight as to where your brand sits in the industry and what customers are interested in. Being surrounded by other popular emerging talent, it is a great opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade and let the public really see what your brand is made of.
It you are interested in joining this exciting collection, spaces are limited so apply today to secure your place.
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