Cohorts Inspire and Growth

Cohorts Inspire and Growth

The Brand Building Accelerator: Defining Your Foundation

Brand Building Accelerator Program

This program is designed to guide you through the foundational steps of developing a successful fashion brand, from defining your purpose to early product concept and research.

Presented by Nicole Ruiz,
Executive director at AIBI

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In the Inspire program we will cover

Finding Your Why, Market & Audience

All about establishing the core purpose of your brand and understanding the landscape you'll be operating in.

Branding & Visual Identity

Focus shifts to creating the recognizable character of your brand—the visual identity that will resonate with your target audience.

Product Concept & Research

This critical week dives into the hands-on research and conceptualization that will inform your first collection.

Week 1: Orientation - Finding Your Why, Market & Audience

By Nicole Ruiz

Get to Know Us & Find Your Why

This week is all about establishing the core purpose of your brand and understanding the landscape you'll be operating in.

An introduction to AIBI, an overview of the Chicago fashion landscape, and defining your purpose. You will identify your ideal customer and their needs, as well as the problems your brand is aiming to solve.
Complete a one-page reflection on: 'Why do I want to build this brand?'
Clarity of purpose and Target customer clarity.

Week 2: Branding & Visual Identity

By Nicole Ruiz

Build Your Look & Feel

Focus shifts to creating the recognizable character of your brand—the visual identity that will resonate with your target audience.

Creation of your brand's Mission, Values, and Vision. You will begin to build a mood board, logo concept, and define your initial color palette.
Create a detailed Customer Profile sheet.
Defined Brand Mission/Vision.

Week 3: Product Concept & Research

By Ceren

Focus on Outcomes

This critical week dives into the hands-on research and conceptualization that will inform your first collection.

Trend research (runways, magazines, street style, cultural cues) and selection of your color palette (core + accents). This includes attending fabric exhibitions/trade shows (e.g., Première Vision, Texworld), collecting fabric swatches & trims, building a mood board with visuals, textures, and references, and defining your theme/storyline for the collection.
Sketch 3 product ideas.
Early concept sketches.

Growth Phase: Accelerator Curriculum

In the growth phase we will cover

Design Your First Cohesive Collection

Sketch 5 looks and Collection plan

Price for Profit & Plan Your Market Strategy

Costing sheet for all items and Financial understanding & GTMS

Launch Your Online Storefront

Build mock store and E-commerce setup

Secure Your Funding & Financial Future

Create 6-month forecast / Business plan finance section

Master the Technical Blueprint (Tech Packs)

Create 1 tech pack / Product blueprint

Mid-Program Progress Check-in

Q & A session / Time to review progress

Master the Art of Telling Your Brand Story

Write press release draft / PR-ready materials

Final Showcase & Next Steps

Submit full portfolio / Ready-to-grow concept

Source Your Production Partners

Research 2 manufacturers and Production plan

Capture Your Collection: Photoshoot & Sales Prep

Create line sheet and Sales readiness

Step into the Future with Fashion Tech

Create one 3D mockup / Tech awareness