Key Fears of Starting a Fashion Line: How Do I Choose the “Right” Name?

Coming up with a name for your fashion brand may seem simple, but many fashion entrepreneurs get frozen making this choice. They fear they might pick the wrong name. I’ll give you a few tips to select a good name and move on with your launch.

In “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare’s character Juliet says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” Juliet was suggesting that names do not matter here, but Juliet was no expert in marketing a fashion line.  That was in a time before major brands, intense competition, digital marketing, and consumer loyalty and awareness were important. The name you give your product is important, but don’t be so afraid to choose a name that you delay your launch and never move forward. There are many good strategies you can follow to make sure you choose a name that helps sell your product and make it unforgettable. In this blog, I’ll give you a few.

Basic Guidelines to get Started Naming:

Naming your fashion line is a challenge. Your name is important because it creates an instant image in a consumer’s mind. Your name and your product will be connected forever, and hopefully, it will eventually create brand recognition, familiarity, and trust.

There are a couple of guidelines V.Mora uses to create a strong brand name for a fashion line. First, it should be easy to spell, easy to read, and easy to pronounce. You want people to be able to spell it easily when they go to google or another search engine. Your name should be unique so that you can avoid conflicting trademarks, acquire a good URL, and also be easy to search. A unique name can also mean that you can buy important keywords for less because everyone else is not bidding up the price on them. Finally, keep your name short, punchy, and memorable. Long names make it harder to remember, harder to spell, and more likely to be shortened into a nickname or acronym that you don’t have control over.

Just remember that there is no single “right” name. Just like designing, naming your product is an art and not a science. Some names are better than others; however, it is more important to keep your dream moving forward rather than to get stuck trying to come up with the perfect name.

Brainstorm without Judgment:

Take some time to brainstorm many ideas. Even if you think you already have a great name, it never hurts to explore other ideas. Sometimes, you can come up with another name that fits your fashion line better than the original one. This is simply a process of having a brainstorming session to generate a list of possible names. At first, do not pass judgment on each idea. That will slow you down. Just write down the ideas that come to you, and once you have a long list go through it and see which name you like best.  

Many times we end up combining a syllable from one name idea with a syllable from another and create a hybrid name that works very well. By combining two simple words or syllables, we can often create a unique name for a fashion line or brand that fits it perfectly. 

The best advice when naming a fashion line is to relax and let your creativity fly. Don’t hold back. Don’t criticize. Just let the ideas flow. You can criticize later. Throw out the poor ideas and keep the great ones. Just remember, keep it simple, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember.

Here are a few quick and simple naming tips that help you get started and can make it easier to generate your list to choose a good name that works. Name it for what it is. Name it for what it does. Name it for the benefit it delivers. Name it for a unique technology that makes it work and no one else has. Let’s examine each of these and see how they can result in a solid name that makes sense to consumers.

Name your line for what it is. This is a very simple concept and is often an effective way to go. A name as simple as “EnergyBoy Playwear” for a young boy’s everyday clothing line can work great. The name EnergyBoy can also work as a brand name for a whole family of durable young boys’ products. It makes the purpose and function of the garments instantly clear. 

You can also name a fashion line for what it does. An example of this might be “Hourglass Shapewear” for a line of shape enhancing slimming garments. It instantly promises what the garments do. 

You can name your line for the benefit it delivers. Something as simple as “All-Day Comfortwear” may work very well for fashions designed for working women who need to go to the office all day long. 

Naming your line for the unique technology that makes it work can also be exclusive and effective.  Spandex is known as an expandable fabric technology and has become a very well-known name. No one else can call their garments Spandex and their invented name “Spandex” is now synonymous with stretchable fabric. 

Check your name on the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS):

Once you have generated a list of names with good possibilities be sure to check them with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office - Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) at: https://tmsearch.uspto.gov. In just a few seconds, you can know if the name you came up with is already taken and may have trademark infringement conflicts. Try not to fall in love with any name until you make this search. It is best to avoid any name that is already taken. It could lead to unwanted legal letters and even court actions. It is always best to avoid lawsuits and litigation.

Check your possible name on GoDaddy or another website registration service to see if your [YOURNAME.com] URL is available. If it is available, grab it for at least a year. Even if you may not go with it in the end. It only costs very little to own and control  the URL and once you do you have the option of using it. If you choose not to pursue that name,  just let it expire in a year. 

Test your Name:

Before you finalize the name for your fashion line, it’s a good idea to test it with your potential target audience.  An easy and inexpensive way is to do a web test or a survey to check the concept, name, and measure if there might be strong consumer intent to buy your product. It can also help you identify specifically what features and benefits generate the most consumer interest. 

A limited web test or consumer survey is by no means an empirical method to actually decide whether your product is going to succeed or not; however, it is a very inexpensive way to check whether your product generates interest and buying intent and can also help you identify what names might appeal most to your consumers.

Online survey services like MailChimp.com, or SurveyMonkey.com can help design and launch a survey or web test for you. You can even post a very simple survey on Instagram or Facebook. Simply Google “Sample Web Test Surveys”. You will find plenty of information, guidance, and even sample questions.

An online survey can probe for things like consumer desire, most wanted benefits, most exciting features, intent to buy, and potential favorite names. A web test is like a sample online advertisement that probes for actual intent to buy your product. You target audience will appreciate it because they will feel like they are participating in your fashion line development. They can help provide some insights that you may not be aware of and these may help you make your name and message more appealing to consumers.

Keep your mind open and let the learning and feedback you get from surveys and web tests help enlighten the way you look at your fashion line or brand. With that learning you may discover a great idea for a name or for a benefit you never realized was so compelling and meaningful to your target audience.

Once you have taken these steps, you will probably have a name or two that you like for your fashion brand. Choose one and move forward. Don’t be afraid and don’t question yourself. Remember! There is no right or wrong answer. The best advice when naming a product is to relax and let your creativity fly. Just remember, keep your name simple, easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and easy to remember. Then move forward with your launch.

Stuck on product Production? At V.Mora we can help you through the entire production process from designing, to sourcing and so on through our Production Development services. If you are in need of the following Development and Production services: 

• Sourcing 

• Technical sketches 

• Pattern Making

• Prototype making 

• Sample Making

• Fittings 

• Digitizing and Grading

• Marker Making

• Manufacturing

Please contact us at: vmorainquiry@vmora.com