Ragtrader magazine runs a regular Q&A between fashion students and top designer brands.
Here are just some of the pearls of wisdom from the top.
Kym Ellery: Be prepared
"Make sure that you are ready and that it is something that you love and really want to do because the ragtrade can be tough. Finding the right team who work well together and having a healthy cash flow are the toughest areas to master."
Fleur Wood: Spend wisely
"I think you need to find a fine balance between PR and sales. Amazing press won't pay the rent or wages, but the most important thing is to build a brand. I never got outside investment - I have always reinvested the profits and grew from my own cash flow."
Toni Maticevski: Start small
"I started just by doing small pieces, making pieces for clients and friends, and working odd jobs whenever I could as long as they were in fashion or fashion related."
Anna & Boy: Grow slowly
"Writing an order from a department store was really important to the growth of our brand. It is important to be sure you're ready to step into that level of production though, as most department stores will not accept late orders, be fastidious on quality and fit. It can really hurt a business to have a department store return an order or styles within an order."
Gail Sorronda: Focus on skill
"Specialisation in a skill is dying and as a result, creativity is compromised by planned obsolescence. I think things need to somehow reverse back into the days where artisans were born through lifelong apprecticeships to a particular skill to address the skills shortage."
Aurelio Costarella: Back your beliefs
"I have always been very aware of the impact that garment production has on the environment. We signed the PETA agreement against of fur back in the early 2000s. We check our offshore suppliers credentials and I visit to ensure ethical and responsible practices. We use mostly 100 per cent natural materials where possible and I am anti disposable fashion."
