Must-Know Online Marketplaces For Fashion Startups

Number one you'll have to do yourself, I'm afraid, but for numbers two and three, we've got you covered! If you are an aspiring fashion designer, here is a compilation of websites that will help you market and sell your designs without high upfront costs. Check them out!

1. Goodsie

This website allows you to create your own online shop. It is geared towards small and medium sized retailers, and you can use your own custom domain name. With no restrictions on the number of products that are on sale, it is a practical way to begin your online shop at a nominal fee.

2. Shopify

Shopify is another website that allows you to design a beautiful online store by selecting from suitable themes to create a website template. The site allows customisation and you do not need any knowledge of HTML or CSS to design an impressive store to market you products. Their 14-day free trial allows you to first check out the features before signing up for the actual deal.

3. BigCartel

Similar to the previous two, Bigcartel helps you to set up a branded shop online. You can have your brand up and running in a matter of minutes. Simply upload images, fix the price and begin selling! They have four pricing plans to choose from, based on the number of products you want to sell. Prices are reasonable and their tools are efficient and easy to use.

4. Storenvy

Here you can create your own store and begin selling your designs. The software is simple and can even be used to integrate into an existing website. Storenvy features a marketplace where they feature and curate products from the stores created on their platform. Every product listed on Shopify can be discovered by shoppers, which further helps to market your products and therefore helps to boost sales!

5. Boticca

This is a curated marketplace which allows talented fashion designers of accessories to showcase their products to customers all over the world. To use Boticca, you first have to submit an online application and once the team likes what you have to offer, they'll help you set up an online shop, upload pictures of the items and sell them to their audience.

6. AvenuElegance

Founded by Radoslav Malino in 2013, this is a relatively new online store and it dedicated to bringing fresh talent into the limelight. The traction may be slow at the moment, but if it hits the big time you'll be glad you were one of the first on board.

7. Supermarket

Created by Shop Curated Inc, this is a curated collection of fashion design products. Supermarket invites artists, designers and entrepreneurs who wish to sell their ware to work with them and build their business. Contact them directly to know more: [email protected]

8. Juniqe

Juniqe is an avenue for fashion designers of non-mainstream, hip products in Europe. You can also benefit from Juniqe's great traffic via some pretty high profile press, including features on LesMads, WIRED, Morgenpost and more.

9. Nineteenth Amendment

Now here is a very interesting prospect for every emerging fashion designer! Nineteenth Amendment provides designers a virtual studio to create and share their designs with their audience before it's made. If the design gets at least 10 orders within a 45 day window, the company will make the garments up for the customers and you're paid for the design - pretty sweet deal!

10. Not Just a Label

Not Just a Label, or NJAL as it's more commonly called, is a favourite of novices in the fashion industry. It is a platform that supports designers by offering them valuable advice and help in marketing, business, production and sales. You must apply to be on the platform, but once you're on you receive more than just a shop window: the organization also arranges workshops and events to help their designers gain popularity, and all of these benefits are free of charge.

11. UsTrendy

UsTrendy helps independent fashion designers advance in the fashion industry by providing them a platform to showcase their designs with lots of publicity opportunities in major media publications. What's more, UsTrendy also sponsors talented designers with their runway shows and provides funding for their lines. UsTrendy's forté is targeting a younger customer interested in high street, glamour fashions.

Dare to be different and set off — it won't be long before your brand is discovered, and you find your footing in this industry. If you know of any other online platforms out there that are dedicated to helping emerging fashion designers take off in the ever-expanding fashion world, I'd love to know! Please do leave your comments on this page.

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