Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
How do you start your own clothing brand? The practical path goes through five steps: a clear concept and name (ideally registered as a trade mark), a tech pack for each style, a sewing partner, a source for accessories and labels, and legally compliant labels. The first branded details are almost always the main logo label and the hang tag; logo buttons, zip pullers and metal logo plates come once the brand has stable styles. Here is how to organise the process without overspending.
How to start your own clothing brand: the five steps
1. Concept, name and protection
Define who you are making clothes for, in what price segment and in what style. Then choose a name and check that it is available as a trade mark – at the national patent office (for Bulgaria, the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria) and at EUIPO if you are planning to sell in the EU. Registration is not mandatory to start, but it protects the logo you will embroider, weave and engrave on the accessories.
2. Tech pack
The tech pack is the technical description of the style: sketch, size chart, fabric, seams and all accessories with size, colour and position. Without it, the factory and the suppliers are guessing. With it, you can request comparable quotes.
3. Sewing partner
Choose a factory according to the type of products and the quantities. Clarify whether the factory works on a CMT basis (you supply the fabric and accessories) or full package (the factory sources them). For a new brand, CMT gives more control over the look but requires more organisation.
4. Accessories and labels source
Choose a source that has both stock articles for a quick start and made-to-order production for the branded details.
5. Sample, small run, feedback
Sew samples, test them in the wash and in wear, launch a small run and gather feedback before increasing quantities.
Which accessories to brand first
| Priority | Accessory | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main logo label | The essential carrier of the brand in every garment; one design for all styles |
| 2 | Cardboard hang tag | The first thing the buyer sees; carries the story, the price and the barcode |
| 3 | Care and composition label with logo | Mandatory text plus a small brand mark |
| 4 | Logo buttons, zip pullers, plates | Strong effect, but they require a mould or larger quantities |
| 5 | Logo ribbons, cords, elastics | A recognition detail for a more developed brand |
For the main label, a woven label is most often chosen – it lasts as long as the garment. For the hang tag, see the options under hang tags.
Logo clothing labels and mandatory information
The brand label can be entirely your own design, but the garment must also carry mandatory information:
- Fibre composition – under Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, using the names from the regulation and in percentages.
- Manufacturer details – name or trade mark, postal and electronic address under Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR).
- Identification – article number or batch.
- Language – consumer information in the language of the market of sale (Bulgarian for the Bulgarian market).
- Care symbols – according to ISO 3758; in practice expected by every buyer and retailer.
Prepare the text of the care and composition label at the same time as the main label design – that way you can order everything at once and in a consistent style.
A clothing brand on a small budget
- One main label for all styles. Size and composition on separate labels.
- Standard accessories from stock. Quality zips and buttons without a logo, in the colour of the collection.
- One branded detail with impact. For example an engraved button or a metal logo plate on a key style.
- Laser engraving instead of a mould. More flexible for small quantities.
See more about the methods on the logo branding page.
Visual identity in the details
A brand is recognised not only by its logo but by consistency. Choose two or three main colours and one style of metal accessories – for example antique gold or matte black – and apply them everywhere: label, hang tag, buttons, zip pullers, buckles. The buyer notices when the metal of the button and the zip puller are in different tones, or when the hang tag is a different colour from the main label. Write these rules down in a short brand guide and send it to every new supplier and factory together with the tech pack. That way even a small brand looks well organised from the very first collection.
How to talk to an accessories supplier
- Introduce the brand. What you produce, in what quantities, for which market.
- Send the logo in vector format. AI, EPS, PDF or SVG.
- Be specific. Type of accessory, size, colour or fabric sample, quantity per style.
- Ask about minimum quantities and samples. Minimum quantities depend on the article.
- Ask about documents. OEKO-TEX® certificate, recycled options.
- Approve in writing. Visual, sample, production run.
Suppliers value clear inquiries – the more specific you are, the faster you will receive a useful quote.
Your own clothing brand: common start-up mistakes
- The logo exists only as a low-resolution raster file.
- Labels are ordered after sewing.
- Different sources for each detail with no colour coordination.
- Branding everything in the very first collection – the budget runs out before marketing.
- The mandatory information is missing from the care and composition label.
How to grow
By the second and third collection you will know which styles sell. That is the moment to invest in your own logo buttons, zip pullers, metal logo plates and woven ribbons. Stable styles justify the moulds, and larger quantities reduce the unit price.
Accessories for a new brand from Polkom
Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags, based in Sofia and selling wholesale, with over 30 years of experience. We help new brands with stock accessories for a quick start and with custom logo labels, buttons and metal accessories, with fast samples and delivery across the EU. Browse the accessories category and tell us about your brand via the inquiry form.
