How To Create a Lookbook For Your Handmade Products
Lookbooks are a great way to show off the products you offer and convey their stories. They’re similar to a catalogue, however, they don’t tend to showcase every piece a business offers but rather focus on key pieces that define a collection or a brand.
A catalogue will also include product information (e.g. price, sizes, etc.) for each item featured and may also be less styled, whereas a lookbook might help tell the lifestyle story behind a collection or brand (rather than flat lay product photos on a white background) and typically doesn’t include product information.
When using a lookbook to pitch to stores, you can include a line sheet. A line sheet shares details about each product (e.g. sizes, color options, pricing, etc.) as well as ordering information.
A lookbook may come in handy for your handmade business:
- to give to shoppers/customers at craft shows
- to mail to existing customers when you launch a new collection (e.g. Fall Collection) to pique interest
- when pitching to retailers
- and even online if you create a digital version
We were lucky enough to have Cheryl of Cloud + Lolly share her Fall/Winter 2014 Lookbook with us as well as some of her own tips for putting one together. Keep an eye out for “Cheryl’s Tips” throughout the article and her beautiful lookbook at the end!
1) Decide if you need a lookbook
Lookbooks take a lot of work to put together, so you want to ensure they’re worth the investment. My business partner (at the time) and I didn’t create our first lookbook until we were ready to sell wholesale to retailers. It was our first go at creating a lookbook (back in 2007) so it wasn’t an exact fit for “industry standards”, but it was a great tool for pitching to local storeowners who were familiar with us and our business.
Consider where you will hand them out, whose hands you would like to get them into, how they will be distributed, and what you would like to get out of it. If the time and cost of creation and distribution justify the outcome you expect from them, then let’s get started!
2) Set a date
Generally, lookbooks come out with each season; spring, summer, fall and winter. Decide when you would like to send out your book and start setting deadlines so you can get your pieces made, priced, and photographed in time.
Don’t forget, many retailers purchase for a season months in advance; the same goes for magazine editors when planning their publications. If you plan to use a lookbook to send with a press release in hopes of getting your work featured in a magazine, you’ll have to stay ahead of schedule.
3) Define your lookbook’s story
Each lookbook should tell a story. Before you plan which pieces to highlight, style of photos to take, settings for photos, fonts to use, etc. decide on the story, feeling, or vibe of your lookbook. For example, “moody, cozy fall” may be the vibe you’re going for, which would impact every aspect of your lookbook. Use a few keywords to define the story of your lookbook or even write a paragraph or two. Use this for your direction and inspiration when choosing lookbook elements.
4) Determine your key pieces
You don’t need to include every product you offer in a collection or product line. Highlight the key pieces that are (or you believe will be) your best sellers and help tell the story of the collection or your brand.
5) Plan the layout
Now that you have an idea of how many pieces you want to include in your lookbook, start thinking about how you would like it set out, how many pages you’ll need, and the type of book you’ll print. You may be able to get away with one sheet, or creating more of a “look postcard” if you want something simple to test the waters.
Cheryl’s Tip: Keep your layout consistent, use quality imagery or graphic elements. Also, consider page count. If you’re just starting out 4 is perfectly fine, whereas 8 to 20 is standard for established shops/designers. There are great resources out there if you’d rather purchase a template or a pre-designed layout. Creativemarket.com is one I highly recommend and it’s very affordable.
6) Take quality photos
If photography isn’t your strong suit, you may consider hiring a professional. Poor-quality photos will discredit the entire lookbook and your brand. Often, lookbook photos are a little more styled and may not necessarily show of all the details of a product, but rather create an overall feel through background/setting, styling, props, etc.
Cheryl’s Tip: Scout a location – speak with your photographer about your ideas, or maybe you’d like them to scout for you (he/she will have insight to what will provide the proper backdrop)
7) Write your text
You have a little creative freedom here. Some lookbooks are text-heavy while others use minimal text and focus on the photos. Determine how much information you want to add to get your message across and how you plan to use your lookbook. If you’re creating one to send to existing customers, then you’ll likely want to include a short product description and price next to each photo. On the other hand, if you’re sending your lookbook to retailers, you may keep text minimal and include a line sheet that offers more details.
You may also want an introduction for the lookbook or an ‘About Us’/bio/brand story section. And don’t forget to include contact information and where people can find more information, shop, or buy.
Cheryl’s Tip: I also like to separate the style names, options, prices etc. for the line sheet.
8) Decide on a printer
You may create digital copies of your lookbook to email or for people to view online. But if you’re going to distribute your lookbook in print form, it’s a good idea to choose a printer first so you know what type of files, dimensions, and image sizes they need for a quality print job.
Cheryl’s Tip: For sharing online ISSUU is a great host. You can publish your lookbook online, plus it allows you to share it via email, embed it into your website or use it as a presentation.
9) Compile everything
You can either send everything to a graphic designer and have them put it together for you or try your hand at it. You can use an editor like Canva to create your pages, combining text and photos, and then piece the pages together to form your lookbook.
10) Start Distributing!
Make a list of all the places you can send or display your lookbook, both in print and online, and get started on putting it out there.
Check out Cheryl’s beautiful work below.
You can email her to order: hello@cloudandlolly.com or become a Cloud + Lolly fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/cloudandlollyshop
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Hey, I’m Erin 🙂 I write about small business and craft show techniques I’ve learned from being a small business owner for almost 2 decades, selling at dozens of craft shows, and earning a diploma in Visual Communication Design. I hope you find my advice helpful!
Hi Erin; Another wonderful update of important information. I intend to visit with an interested retail store owner. I have been asked to do workshops as well for this boutique. Perhaps some info on that would be helpful. Thanks, Joyce
Erin; I look forward to your blog. I have purchased your e-books but try to sign up for the challenges and I don’t get them. Is it because I may have already had the challenges sent to me in the last year? I find them an incentive and a jump start to my business. Any reason why I don’t get the challenges when I sign up? Joyce
Hi Joyce, thanks for reading! That sounds like a great opportunity for you!
And great idea for an article topic, I’ll keep it in mind for the future.
As for the challenges, yes, unfortunately the email service I use doesn’t allow a person to sign up for the same challenge twice. What you can do though is either sign up using a different email address or unsubscribe from my emails (there is a link at the bottom of each email) and then sign up for the challenge again.
I hope that helps!
Erin
Fantastic information in an entertaining way! The blog gives so much insight into the subject matter that it does not only become quite easy to understand the concept but to implement it as well.
I love your blogs for no-nonsense tips and advice. I usually end up thinking “great, I’m on the right track” — I’ve been at the handmade selling thing a while too, and it’s great to have my methods and ideas affirmed. Today was different. You definitely taught this ‘old dog’ a new trick! I had not considered doing a Lookbook for the biz. I had heard the term but to be honest was not entirely clear on what it was or how it could be used — until now. Thanks for the informative, clear and easy to follow blog. Your website should be required reading for all handmade businesses!
Thank you so much Elizabeth! I really appreciate your kind comments and I’m so happy my advice resonates with you. It’s always nice when you read advice that tells you you’re on the right track but even better when you discover something new to help grow your business 🙂 Good luck with creating your lookbook!
~Erin