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Fashion Brand Guides

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Practical guides on product development, manufacturing, and brand building, written from 20 years of producing fashion brands from sketch to shelf.

A wide view of a busy trade show hall under the vaulted glass roof at Olympia London, with rows of exhibitor stands lit up below.
Brand Building · 19 min read

How to prepare for a Trade Show: Your Buyers & Wholesale Guide to securing orders

Fifteen years of exhibiting at Top Drawer, Pulse, Pure and Autumn Fair, distilled into an honest guide to preparing for a trade show and securing orders.

BR

Bhavna Rishi

Fashion brand consultant

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Close-up of a digitally printed silk twill scarf showing fine artwork detail and a hand-rolled edge
Heritage & Craft · 6 min read

Custom Silk Scarf Printing UK: The Complete Guide

Everything you need to know about custom silk scarf printing in the UK, including print methods, silk types, costs, lead times, and how to choose the right printer.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Editorial header image illustrating the story of Everlane's sale to Shein and what it means for values-led brands.
Brand Building · 5 min read

What Everlane's Sale to Shein Really Tells Us

Everlane built its identity on transparency and ethical factories, and has been sold to Shein. After two decades in this industry, here is what that really tells us about building a brand with values.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Rolls of printed silk fabric arriving at the finishing stage of scarf production
Manufacturing · 6 min read

How to Find a Silk Scarf Manufacturer with Low MOQs

A guide to finding silk scarf manufacturers in the UK and overseas who work with low minimum order quantities, including how to vet them and what to ask before committing.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Printed silk scarves and heritage merchandise produced for a museum gift shop, photographed as a finished collection.
Heritage & Craft · 4 min read

How to Become a Production Partner to Heritage Brands: Lessons From Two Decades

What ten years as a production partner to the V&A, the British Museum and other heritage brands has taught me about story, licensing, quality and meeting the deadline.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Bhavna Rishi standing arms outstretched behind the DesignerFriday popup stand at a John Lewis GBX pop-up, surrounded by block-print dresses and accessories.
Founder Stories · 8 min read

What I Wish I'd Known Before Our John Lewis Popup

An honest founder's guide to a department store popup, written for the founders who go next.

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Bhavna Rishi
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DLK sustainable golf polo with its stars, lines and squares print, photographed on the brand launch shoot.
Founder Stories · 4 min read

How to create a fashion brand from an idea to securing stockists- Client Story of sustainable golf brand

How a first-time founder took a sustainable golf brand from a single idea to finished product, three approved colourways, and confirmed stockist orders in a few months.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Open sketchbook with fashion illustrations and fabric swatches representing the early stages of starting a clothing line
Brand Building · 6 min read

How to Start a Clothing Line in the UK: The Complete Guide

A step-by-step guide for fashion founders on how to start a clothing line in the UK in 2026, covering niche, design, manufacturing, pricing, launch, and budget.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Bold black and white illustrative artwork featuring abstract faces, eyes, and decorative patterns. Example of dense, detailed original artwork that translates beautifully to silk scarf production.
Heritage & Craft · 15 min read

How to Print Your Artwork on a Silk Scarf: The Complete Guide

An artist's step-by-step guide to turning original artwork into a printed silk scarf: fabric, print method, file prep, low-minimum makers and sampling.

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Bhavna Rishi
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A notebook with financial planning figures and a calculator on a desk
Finance & Pricing · 12 min read

Pricing Your Fashion Brand: The Real Cost of Sampling, Production, and Launch

A complete breakdown of the true costs involved in launching a fashion brand, from first sample to first sale, including what founders typically underestimate and how to price for profit from the start.

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Bhavna Rishi
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A rail of naturally dyed sustainable clothing in soft earth tones
Sustainability · 12 min read

Sustainable Fashion Production: What's Real, What's Greenwashing

How to make genuinely sustainable production choices, what certifications actually mean, and how to communicate your sustainability credentials honestly without falling into greenwashing.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Fashion design sketches and technical drawings on a studio desk
Product Development · 10 min read

Tech Packs Explained: What Founders Need Before Approaching a Factory

What a tech pack is, what it must contain, how to create one even if you are not a technical designer, and why every factory will want to see one before they can give you a quote.

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Bhavna Rishi
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A skilled seamstress at work in an ethical clothing workshop
Manufacturing · 13 min read

How to Find an Ethical Clothing Manufacturer with Low MOQs

A practical guide to finding ethical clothing manufacturers who work with small minimum order quantities, including how to vet suppliers, what certifications to look for, and how to start the conversation.

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Bhavna Rishi
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Colourful rolls of fabric in a textile production workshop
Product Development · 13 min read

The Complete Guide to Developing a Fashion Product (UK, 2026)

A step-by-step guide to developing a fashion product from initial concept to finished sample, covering costs, timelines, tech packs, and finding the right manufacturer.

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Bhavna Rishi
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