HAVE A REAL AND UNIQUE POINT OF VIEW. Don't mistake "having a take" though, with creating a watered-down "just for sales" driven product. And not having a "serious" product does not mean not having a dead serious plan for how to grow your business.
Confused?
Let's look at one of my favorite men's collections Duckie Brown
The first time I saw Duckie Brown was in Barneys a few years ago. It was a beautiful, simple jacket, until you looked at the back, which had a huge, colorful, felt house appliqued on the back. The other day at Barneys, I fell in love all over again
with a red plaid sportcoat, with all of the colors of the jacket echoed in tiny beads sewn around the hem of the jacket. Steven and Daniel, the "Duckies" of Duckie Brown, have not played it safe. What has it gotten them? Only some of the most prestigious accounts in the world, like Barneys, Fred Segal, Harrod's and Harvey Nichols; a cast of Hollywood hunks, like Jude Law (do we really need to add anyone after him?), and pages and pages of press. I have so much respect for people that know they are doing it the hard way, do it anyway, and still succeed.
Duckie Brown is winning, not because of big pockets full money, but pure creativity, vision and a little humour. Notice that's "humour" with an extra British "u"; humour like "The Office".
Checkout their website, the photography is great.