How to sell your clothing line?

[cruz50]

I started a clothing line awhile back and sales are good, for someone who just started. I don't really sketch even though I can (i don't know why), but I sew all my designs to almost professional standards (I don't have a multi-thread machine)... I'm currently getting ready to create my spring/summer 2012 look-book this December. A lot of my friends and family have been telling me that I should sell my stuff in clubs & to little boutique stores around our city. My question is, how would I go about doing that. Seeing as my first collection is almost finished...
Here's a link to the shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PartyRebelRestraints (these are only a few of the items that will be sold)

PS: I've also heard about having to trademark my name, copyright sketches (which means I'd have to draw) and things like that... Should I be worrying about that now or not?

[bellden]

First, you need to locate the stores/boutiques in your area that sell that type of clothing.

Then you need to contact them, to see if they work with local designers in the first place.

If they do, be prepared to either submit pictures of your work, or bring samples in to show them.

Make sure you find out EVERYTHING you can about how their process works, IE how much money they will skim off the top of each sale, how frequently you will need to submit anything new, how many of each piece they would want to keep in stock at a time, etc.

Figure out if you can keep up with that level of demand.

[wakeley58]

You need to start reading over at http://www.fashion-incubator.com which is a US site for designers starting businesses. I'm not sure how close US and Canadian copyright law is, but in the US, you don't copyright clothes.

Start with: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/category/newbies/ (particularly the "how I got my start" posts and http://www.fashion-incubator.com/category/intellectual-property/ You probably also need Kathleen's book: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/products_services/ which gets you entry into the private forum, where more substantive things are discussed.