The short answer is that people simply don’t know what goes into making certain pieces. But let me explain.
Consumers don’t see the hours of work, the hours of research, the money invested, the samples tried and tested, the overheads and other costs to pay for when running a brand. People don’t see that stuff, all they see is a product picture with a price tag attached. When you remove the context of what went into making that product, it's harder to see the value behind it. This is why I’m such a big advocate of showing the process and telling the story of each product.
Does this mean designers should charge recklessly? No. Of course, we get people who charge ridiculous prices for garments that don’t reflect that, especially when the process behind making their products is simple. This more so applies to real designers who are making clothes from scratch and have a more complex process. If you can back up the price tag and confidently explain why you charged that, then so be it because the truth is the right people will pay that price. Designers need that self belief and self respect if they ever want to rise greatly.
I've never been a fan of the idea that these smaller brands should charge low when starting out their brands and then increase as they grow. It should actually kinda be the other way around if you think about it. The bigger companies can get away with charging lower prices simply because of scale and the fact that they’re constantly optimising for higher profits. Smaller brands are gonna struggle more with those costs because they don’t have that scale and volume yet. The fear of judgement from consumers shouldn't be the reason why these brands are undervaluing themselves. The problem isn't the price tag, the problem is justifying the price tag.
Charge what you believe but back that up. Stand on that and ignore the noise that comes with it because that noise isn't your desired audience.
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