Taking your fashion business from ordinary to outstanding
The top fashion designers and fashion houses of the world are not supposed to be what you aspire to be like. Rather, God has called you to disciple them and show them the more excellent way of doing fashion.
The only way you’ll be able to do that is by mastering the Kingdom fashion design and business principles. You can’t disciple the world by copying the principles of the world. You also can’t rise to the top if the only thing you have mastered are skills.
The good news is that God has hidden these Kingdom principles for us to use and become a sign and a wonder to the world. The world of fashion is in gross darkness and the application of Kingdom principles is what releases the light to shine forth. Therefore, as a child of God, you cannot afford to remain on the skill level alone.
For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright. (Proverbs 3:32 NKJV)
Why it’s important to grow from skills to competency
Until what you know becomes what you do, you don’t know anything. The proof of learning is an improved understanding. There has to be evidence of what you have learnt in your personal life, business or relationships. Result is the evidence of knowledge.
The only proof that the knowledge you have acquired is working in your life, is the increase of the outcomes you receive. One person may say, “I’m competent in what I do,” and another person may say, “I’m skillful in what I do.” Is there a difference? Absolutely there is.
There’s a difference between what constitutes a skill and what constitutes competence. Both of them are under the umbrella of craftsmanship. A craftsman is someone who has mastery in getting things done. It has more to do with dexterity, skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.
A craftsman can be skillful but not competent. A skillful person is someone that knows how to put things together. A competent person is someone who understands the principle of a subject and also the applicable knowledge.
This means that you just don’t understand how something works, you also know how to make something work. For example, an average garment factory worker whose work is to fix the sleeve of a shirt can be skillful in their assigned work but may not understand the principles of design, fabric selection, patterns, trims, finishing, etc.
Competence is the combination of theory and practice. When you say somebody is competent, it means he understands the body of knowledge; he can explain to you the why and how a garment is made in theory and he can also make the garment.
There are people who are skillful and can sew a garment but they cannot explain the principles of design. A deficiency in competence acts as a low ceiling and an impedance to the growth of many fashion businesses.
For example, some people start a fashion business and initially post good results but when they hit a bump and experience failure, they can’t repeat the result they had previously. This happens because they have not mastered the principles they used to obtain the results.
The results came by chance because it wasn’t based on understanding but mere application. Without understanding the inner workings of the principle, you can’t repeat the results in subsequent settings. The essence of competency is to continuously get results because you understand the principle and practice.
Any result you cannot repeat, you borrowed the first one. The only proof of competence is continuous outcome that is better than the last one. If you understand the principles that govern Kingdom fashion, you’ll position yourself to offer the highest value to your customers.
How to increase competency
- Learn the Kingdom fashion design principles. If you struggle with understanding that God is the fashion designer, then you’re still operating way below the minimum required standard. If you’re not aware of the governing principles that God uses in His fashion design, then you won’t be able to do fashion at God’s standard.
Just remember that you’re called to operate from God’s standards. You’re called to reproduce heaven on earth. That is only possible by using the principles of heaven.
- Exercise yourself in godliness. This simply means that after acquiring knowledge of the Kingdom principles, put them to use. It is the doer of the Word that is blessed, not the hearer. The currency of the Kingdom is faith, it is what you use to transfer the reality of heaven to the earth.
It is not a difficult thing to walk in faith. Just remember you got saved by believing (faith) and its that same believing that you will use to activate the Kingdom fashion design principles.
- Most importantly, remember that where God has placed you within the fashion industry is a divine calling. You’re there to serve the interest of the Kingdom according to Matthew 6:33, by seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Through your work, Matthew 6:10 is fulfilled – the establishment of God’s Kingdom and will on the earth as it is in heaven.
Don’t work for money
Fashion business in the world is dedicated primarily to the worship of Mormon – the Philistine demon god of money. It is the love of money that drives the fashion industry in the world. The pursuit of profits at all cost plagues the industry from the fast fashion to the high-end luxury market. The repercussions of this warped business model are dire on the environment, the workers within the supply chain and the consumers of fashion products.
Fashion business in the Kingdom has a totally and extremely different meaning from the world’s definition of fashion. If you can’t tell the difference in meaning between the two contexts, then it will be impossible for you to model your fashion business like God’s.
Unfortunately, because many Christians do not understand the Kingdom concept of fashion, their businesses struggle or won’t grow beyond a certain limit and has little or no Kingdom impact at all.
The promise
Creation was made to give God pleasure. The child of God who has it as a priority to bring God pleasure sets-up themselves for blessings unimaginable.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelations 4:11)
What does God do in return to the person that brings him pleasure?
To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God… (Ecclesiastes 2:26)
This is how the wealth of the wicked is transferred to the righteous. God grants you wisdom, knowledge and happiness that you apply and reproduce heavens fashion on earth. Versace, Gucci, Loui Vuitton, and all the other global fashion brands can never attain to such.
Friend, this is the easier way to the top of the fashion industry where you belong. Become competent in the principles of the Kingdom and use them in service of God’s will and purpose, thus bringing Him pleasure, and then, Kings shall come to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:3).
Kings don’t come empty handed, see how they brought Solomon king like gifts when they came from all over the world to listen to his wisdom. Now Jesus said that He was greater than Solomon, and this Jesus lives in you. That means you have access to all wisdom.
Today is the day and Now is the time to unleash the greatness God has deposited in the inside of you. Will you rise up to the occasion?
