Manchester fashion graduate stitches her business together with the help of Blue Orchid
Manchester fashion graduate stitches her business together with the help of Blue Orchid
A Salford University fashion graduate has launched her own business just months after finishing her course.
24-year-old Danielle Ferguson, who lives in Newton Heath, opened her studio at 12 Hilton Street in the Northern Quarter in October. ‘Danielle Ferguson Designs’ creates fun, playful clothes with a target age of 18-30. Customers are able to buy ‘ready to wear’ clothes in the studio or have clothes designed for them.
With more than a year’s worth of experience at Manchester fashion boutique Rags to Bitches, fashion graduate Danielle decided she wanted to launch her own business. She secured premises and through a friend contacted business support agency Blue Orchid.
“I had really enjoyed watching how the business operated at Rags to Bitches and wanted to have a go at it myself,” she said. “With graduate jobs at an all-time low I had the skills and experience to design and construct garments so; I contacted Blue Orchid for help with finance. I attended an advanced business class which looked at cash flow, profit and loss and key financial areas. I was then given a personal business advisor Wayne Wilson, who helped me with sales and marketing, business planning and also little things like finding a good photographer and web designer.”
Having recently been nominated for North West young designer of the year, Danielle has big ambitions for her business including setting up a factory in Manchester.
“My studio designs have been selling well and I have been building up a strong following on social networking sites,” she said. “I am planning to expand this by launching a website in the New Year. I currently have my clothes stocked in two shops - Flawless, in Accrington, and Vintage Boutique, in Newton Heath. I want to build my presence in small boutiques in the region so I will be able to set up a production factory to cater for bigger orders.”
Danielle said: “Blue Orchid has provided me with the advice and support I needed to put the final touches to my plans. Any queries I had Blue Orchid was there to help. I was recommended them by word of mouth and I would certainly encourage other people thinking about setting up in business to contact them.”
Danielle’s support was delivered though the ISUS programme, in which Blue Orchid is the contracted provider for Manchester. It is provided by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). ISUS is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow. The programme is funded by the NWDA, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Manchester Council.
Visit Danielle Ferguson Designs at 12 Hilton Street, Northern Quarter or 07854 027 335 or visit her blog spot http://Danielleferguson1986.blogspot.com/
