Photo by Marina Lnakina
Photography by Skylar Kang
Brand Directories & Resources
for Independent Designers
WRITTEN BY
SAMANTHA PELTRAU
February.08.2021
As an independent designer or small fashion brand, networking is not only a powerful tool to promote your work but also a key to success in today’s digital world. However, as an independent entity, the mainstream content sharing and collaborative platforms often make the most room for larger brands with established audiences. This is why finding alternate methods to stay connected to the industry, connect with designers, and share your work with the world is so important. Below are some incredible resources for doing just that and more.
Pivot Market
Brand Directory For Independent dESIGNERS AND BRANDS
Pivot Market, a well established Miami department store promoting sustainability and environmental activism, has begun a new project: A Brand Directory.
This digital interface has the intention of creating a space for independent stores, brands, designers, and artists to market, collaborate, and network. Pivot allows independent brands to share their purpose, products, projects, and story with the world.
Alvaro De Jesus & Valeria Savino, Co-founders of Pivot Market and Nomad Tribe, have created a valuable resource for independent brands, and naturally, the directory features many environmentally friendly and sustainable artists and stores.
For all interested establishments and artists, making an account and setting up a profile is incredibly easy. Simply navigate to https://pivotmkt.com/ and click “Join Us.” You’ll then select if you're a brand or a store before setting up your Brand Page. While logged in, you can check out other Brands and Stores through the “Connect” feature as well as create posts, send messages, gain followers and interact with other establishments through the “Feed” feature.
Navigate to “Pop Ups” to see how many views your page has gotten as well as “Browse Stores,” a feature that lists retail stores and their locations according to the information you input to refine your search.
Pivot Market’s Brand Directory is an amazing contribution to the community of independent artists and stores, we’ve created in Miami, Florida. Despite living through a time of physical disconnect, this development will help independent artists become more connected than before through collaboration and partnership.
Check out the directory for some local Miami designers on this platform like Pangea Kali Virga, House of AMZ, Sea Jasper, R Fitting Room, and Kathe Cuervo.
Not just a label
Showroom, Brand directory, and retail platform
The Cibelle Pivot Brand Page
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Not Just A Label is an online designer platform, established in 2008 which allows designers and brands to exhibit their work to a global audience.
Not Just A Label is an online platform established in 2008, which allows designers and brands to exhibit their work to a global audience. NJAL, the current leading designer platform, uses open-source software for designers to upload and showcase their work as well as find and collaborate with other designers. When you first get to the website, navigate to the three horizontal lines on the left side of the page to see the content that the website has to offer. To make an account, go to “For Designers” and choose “Join NJAL.” From here, you can read more about NJAL before clicking "HERE" at the bottom of the page and registering to make an account.
Not Just A Label Homepage
Not Just A Label provides each designer with a showroom to upload and retail their work. You can build an audience and attract stylists, customers, and press directly from the platform as well as be promoted by NJAL’s social media, partnerships, publications, and more. The “Black Sheep” of NJAL are a select group of designers scouted for being especially trailblazing and creative in their work. This group is picked weekly in order to display and celebrate the artistry and quality of work from NJAL Designers.
remake
Brand directory and retail platform
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Remake "About Us" Page
Remake is an online store and brand directory for sustainable brands and designers.
Their goal is to end fast fashion and other unethical, waste-producing, and immoral fashion practices around the world. Remake trains women worldwide through virtual and physical events to become leaders, creates films and campaigns to spread knowledge, and uses their "Seal of Approval'' to minimize green-washing or green marketing and promote transparency within fashion brands. Interested in joining their Brand Directory? Navigate to the top of the page and click “Brand Directory,” then scroll to the bottom of the page and “submit your brand” (where you can earn the Remake Seal of Approval as an ethical and sustainable fashion brand). You will be given a rating out of 100 based on "Transparency and Traceability," "Maker Well-being," "Environmental Sustainability," "Sustainable Raw Materials," "Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion."
Remake Tamga Designs Page
Instagram accounts to submit your work to
As for marketing your brand through Instagram, here are some great accounts you could contact to be featured on.
Beaux Magazine
@beauxmagazine on IG, highlights the work of ethical, small, independent, and sustainable fashion brands and designers as well as trending topics and celebrities.
Cochère Magazine
@cocheremagazine, is a lifestyle magazine with a focus on sustainability and circular fashion. Check out the link in their bio to read about submissions.
Vanilla Issue
@thevanillaissue, is another amazing Instagram account that displays the work of independent designers and brands around the world. You can submit your work by emailing them at contact@thevanillaissue.com with your Instagram page and ID, and concept and editorial images in a JPEG format attached. Or include #thevanillaissue when posting content on social media.
Up Next Designer
@upnextdesigner, Up Next Designer is another incredible platform with a focus on upcoming designers and brands around the globe. Email your work to upnextdesigner@gmail.com for consideration.
Dazed Fashion
@dazedfashion, is a well known fashion blog and magazine that features innovative independent designers and brands. You can visit their website here to learn more about their magazines, Dazed100 Fund, and content.
Marketing and promoting your work can be difficult, especially as an independent artist or brand that focuses on sustainability and ethical practices. However, networking yourself is a necessary instrument for gaining an audience and propagating the importance of sustainable and ethical fashion.
THE AUTHOR
Samantha Peltrau, @imsamantha.aaa, is a Junior Intern for Pangea Kali Virga at iPrep Academy. She is a radical writer passionate about sustainable and inclusive fashion as well as racial, economic, social, and political equality and change.