This 19th-century tradition is killing modern fashion brands.
Following the “big brand playbook” of Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections is killing small fashion brands.
๐’๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ+ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป:
โ Brand launches a full seasonal collection
โ Invests heavily upfront in design, production, marketing
โ Prays it sells well โ Gets stuck with 25-40% unsold inventory
โ Marks everything down by month 3
โ Repeats the cycle 6 months later
The math doesn’t work.
The Cash Flow Trap
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐, ๐๐ผ๐’๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ:
โ Pay 50% deposit 3 months before you sell anything
โ Pay the remaining 50% balance 2 months before sale
โ Commit to large production batches without knowing what will actually sell
โ Discount products early because “winter is over” even though it’s still cold outside โ Compete for attention during the exact same fashion week windows as everyone else
Meanwhile, your cash is tied up in inventory that might never sell at full price.
But here’s what really bothers me:
The seasonal model was created by Parisian haute couture houses in the 19th century for wealthy clients who wanted new wardrobes twice a year.
You’re not a Parisian couture house with unlimited capital.
So why are you copying their calendar?
Brands like Asket took a different approach:
โ Started with ONE perfect white T-shirt
โ Added pieces slowly based on actual demand
โ Kept core items in stock year-round
โ Built to 40+ essential garments over 8 years โ Never had to markdown or chase trends
Result? Steady revenue, loyal customers who reorder the same items, and no cash flow crisis every 6 months.
A Better Approach
๐๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐…
โ Launch 5-10 exceptional pieces
โ Keep them available until they sell out
โ Add new items when you have proof of demand
โ Focus on quality and timelessness over seasonal trends โ Produce smaller batches more frequently
Your profit margins improve because you’re not constantly discounting.
Your cash flow improves because you’re not betting everything on two massive drops.
Your customers trust you more because your best pieces don’t disappear after 3 months.
The fashion industry exists on “we’ve always done it this way.”
But when I look at the cashflow projections of brands following the traditional seasonal model, I see the same story:
Profitable on the P&L, but running out of cash by month 8.
You don’t need Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections to build a successful fashion brand.
You need products people actually want, available when they want to buy them.
The rest is just tradition.
And tradition doesn’t pay the bills.
