The Do’s and Don’ts of developing an emerging fashion brand: Building identity in a competitive market

Buenos Aires – Creating a fashion brand from scratch involves much more than developing a collection. For those just starting out, the process usually combines creative intuition, practical learning, and strategic decisions that ultimately shape the direction of the project.

This article is part of “The Do’s and Don’ts,” an editorial series by FashionUnited that brings together the experience of industry professionals to address, from a practical perspective, the most common successes and mistakes in key processes within the international fashion business.

Argentine designer Maria Abdala Zolezzi, founder of the knitwear brand Maydi, knows this path well. Before launching her brand in 2014, she spent more than a decade in Europe, where she worked in commercial and marketing roles for international fashion companies.

That previous experience ultimately influenced the way she understands brand building. “It was a bit like diving in headfirst,” she recalls about the moment she started her project. “I came from the commercial side, but with already established structures; they weren’t emerging designers,” she explains. However, that experience also gave her key tools. “I believe that commercial knowledge gave me a crucial tool for creating my brand,” she adds.

From the beginning, Maydi’s proposal has been based on handmade knitwear using natural Argentine fibers—such as merino wool and camelids—produced together with local artisans. Today, the brand has a presence in different international markets.

From Creative Intuition to Brand Strategy

For Zolezzi, the origin of an emerging brand rarely follows a perfectly structured plan. In many cases, it arises from a combination of intuition and previous experience.

“I think what motivated me to create the brand was the passion I have, because I’ve loved fashion since I was very young,” she says. But passion alone is not enough. Zolezzi emphasizes that understanding how the industry works commercially can be decisive in turning an idea into a business. “That’s why I believe that in every fashion school today it’s essential to have a course where creative people are taught the commercial side.” That combination of creativity and strategy also allowed her to anticipate conversations that now shape the industry. When she launched her brand, the concept of slow or artisanal production did not yet have the visibility it has today.

“No one was talking about local production or slow production. I created it at a time when nobody was talking about this,” she explains.

The Do’s

Build a clear identity from the start.

For Zolezzi, one of the pillars of an emerging brand is developing its own language.

“Having your own design and your own identity is extremely important,” she says. In an increasingly competitive market, differentiation becomes essential for sustaining a proposal over the long term.

Choose raw materials carefully.

The foundation of the product also defines brand positioning.

“For me, the raw material I use is a sine qua non condition,” she explains. In her case, the choice of natural local fibers became the starting point for building a recognizable identity in international markets.

Incorporate commercial knowledge into the creative process.

Understanding how a product is sold can be just as important as designing it.

“I believe that commercial knowledge gave me a lot of confidence when launching the brand,” she says. Understanding assortment, customer behavior, and the market allows for more strategic decisions from the beginning.

Learn by doing.

Developing a brand inevitably involves trial and error.

“Sometimes you have to go “sur terrain”—you have to learn by doing,” Zolezzi says. For her, practical experience is a fundamental part of professional development in the industry.

The Don’ts

Don’t rush into international markets.

One of the most common mistakes is trying to expand too quickly.

Zolezzi remembers contacting an important store in Paris when her brand was still in its early stages. “I knew for myself that the collection was still lacking something,” she explains. “It was like burning a cartridge—losing an opportunity.”

Don’t underestimate the time a brand needs to mature.

Projects need time to develop and consolidate internally.

“A Japanese buyer once told me that a brand needs to be around three years old,” she recalls. That period allows time to see whether the concept truly works.

Don’t copy other designers.

The designer warns about the lack of differentiation she sees in certain segments of the local market.“In Argentina we are very creative, but at the same time there is a lot of copying,” she says. For her, replicating other designers’ work weakens the creative ecosystem.

Don’t assume the path will be linear.

Building a brand usually includes moments of progress as well as setbacks.

“The path is not linear—it’s not all success,” says Zolezzi. Understanding that dynamic is part of learning in the fashion industry.

What should be considered?

Developing an emerging brand requires balancing creativity, identity, and business structure. In a context where more designers are launching their own projects, differentiation becomes crucial. “Today the market is full of talent,” says Zolezzi.

Therefore, the challenge is not only to create, but to build a coherent and recognizable proposal. “If I’m going to launch something, it has to be different from my colleagues’.”

Real Cases

In Maydi’s case, its positioning was built on three pillars: an artisanal identity, the use of native natural fibers, and a gradual internationalization strategy.

After her first commercial experiences in Europe, the brand began consolidating its presence in the Japanese market, which remains its main destination today.

“Starting to work in the Japanese market gave me a lot of confidence as a brand,” she says.

Today, Zolezzi continues to present her collections twice a year in Paris and combines wholesale sales with personalized service at her atelier in Buenos Aires.

Key Takeaway

For Zolezzi, the development of an emerging brand does not depend solely on creative talent, but also on the ability to sustain a project over time. In short:

A brand’s differentiation cannot be improvised—it is built through identity, experience, and patience.