Blog / Guide
Corporate video for fashion companies: how to show the brand without making an advert
How to plan a corporate video for a fashion brand: what to show, who speaks, how to film the workshop, showroom and team, and which mistakes to avoid.
Fashion brands usually have more than enough photography and product video. What they lack is a video that explains who they are, how they work and why a shop, an investor or a candidate should trust them.
Here's how I plan a corporate video for a fashion company: what I decide before shooting, who appears on camera and what tends to go wrong.
What sets a corporate video apart from a fashion campaign
A campaign sells a season or a collection. It's shot with models, styling and tightly controlled art direction, and it expires in a few months.
A corporate video tells the story of the company: where the design comes from, who makes the clothes, how decisions are taken. It's used on the website, in meetings with distributors, in recruitment processes and in investment decks. It can last for years if it doesn't depend on a specific collection.
My recommendation is one introductory piece of one to two minutes and several short cuts by topic: design, production, team and values. That way you reuse the material on LinkedIn and Instagram without shooting again.
How to do it properly
Who appears on camera
The person who founded or runs the brand, whoever leads the design and someone from production or pattern-making. They work better than models because they're the ones who explain the thinking. I prepare three questions for each of them, film them seated and ask them to talk as if they were explaining it to a shop buyer.
What you show
The real process: the sketch, choosing fabrics, pattern-making, sewing and quality control. Shots of hands working with fabric, scissors or a sewing machine always work, because they convey craft without needing explanation. If part of the production is outsourced, I tell it honestly and show who does it, with their permission.
How to film in the workshop and showroom
In the workshop I use natural light where there are windows and top it up with a soft light. I shoot at 24 or 25 frames per second with a fast lens and a light tripod so I don't get in the team's way. In the showroom I take care of the order before switching anything on: hangers aligned, labels out of shot and no signage from other brands. Colour is the most delicate part: a garment that drifts from its real colour is a problem, so I adjust the grade against a reference from the fabric itself.
Common mistakes
- Making a video that looks like a collection advert and says nothing about the company.
- Filming only models and hiding the team that designs and makes the clothes.
- Using trending music with unresolved rights, which ends up getting the video taken down from social media.
- Showing garments from a collection that is no longer sold, leaving the video outdated within a few months.
- Filming the showroom without tidying first: labels, bags and hangers out of place show up at any resolution.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a fashion brand's corporate video be?
The introduction, between one and two minutes. The cuts by topic, between 30 and 60 seconds. For social media, vertical versions of 15 to 30 seconds taken from the same shoot.
Do I need to hire models?
Not for a corporate video. If you want the garments to be seen worn, someone from the team or a person who already works with the brand can appear. If there are external models, I need their written image consent.
Can you film the workshop without stopping production?
Yes. I agree with the manager the slots when the work can handle a camera and I film short shots without interrupting. One day is usually enough for the workshop and another for the showroom and interviews.
How long does it take to get the video?
Between three and five weeks: preparation, one or two shooting days and editing with one or two review rounds. If it has to be coordinated with the season or with fashion shows, the schedule adapts to that.
If you run a fashion brand and want a video that shows how you work and not just what you sell, get in touch via /en/contact. In a short call I'll tell you which format suits your brand.