Category: Factory + Trim Sourcing
SFD070 Build a Fashion Brand with a Cult Following
Seeing other fashion brands on social media with these crazy cult followings can be pretty intimidating. You see these fashion brands and think, “I can’t possibly generate that much interest in my designs.” But it’s possible! You can design products that people want to buy because they are obsessed! With the right consumer research and […]
SFD069 Launching a Sustainable Fashion Brand and Manufacturing in Bali
Do you want to create a sustainable fashion brand… but feel like you’re on the outside edge of what is going on in the fashion world? It can feel as though no one will ever give you the answers to your questions or share their inside information or tips. Well… good news, this isn’t permanent. […]
SFD064 Fashion Startup Advice on Creating, Manufacturing and Selling Your Designs
You’re someone who spends hours getting lost in a fashion idea, drawing and redesigning a garment over and over again until it’s just right. But once those ideas are perfected you’re not sure how to go from hand drawing on a napkin to holding that garment in your hands. But you can wade through the uncertainty […]
Bonus Episode: AliExpress knocked off this fashion brand. Here’s what they did.
Fashion designers worry all the time about how to protect their ideas. Unfortunately? Our industry doesn’t get much protection or have much control when it comes to knockoffs. Grassroots brand Solstice Intimates has had their lingerie and loungewear ripped off before, both by independent designers and large trendy stores. But the most recent incident with […]
SFD062 Building a profitable Baby Bag Fashion Brand with no Experience
Do you have ideas, big ideas that can change the way consumers use a specific fashion product? Do you spend all your time drawing up designs, getting feedback from friends and family and thinking of new ways to create ease of use for your consumer? Do you spend time wondering how you can build a […]
SFD061 Are You Ready to Quit Your Job for Your Fashion Startup Business?
You have had this full time corporate fashion job for several years. You’re comfortable where you’re at, with benefits, income and stability. But you also have this “passion project” that you started as a creative outlet and it has turned into a fashion startup business. You spend all your free time designing, making, creating and problem […]
SFD055: Follow These 4 Tips for Enhanced Fashion Media Coverage
Fashion media coverage is a challenging area for any fashion business, but Lorraine Sanders has perfected the process after years of working as a journalist. On this episode of The Successful Fashion Designer, she discusses how to tackle fashion media and press on your own, without the use of a PR firm. Lorraine explains 4 […]
SFD051: Discover How One Fashion Design Entrepreneur Created a Flexible Direct-to-Consumer Business
Creating a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business in the fashion industry isn’t easy. Learn from serial entrepreneur and new fashion designer Allison Floam on this episode of The Successful Fashion Designer – I promise it’s an episode you don’t want to miss. Allison shares the story behind her latest business venture, Bello Belts. The company specializes in […]
SFD048: How An Amazing Eco Friendly Clothing Brand Was Built On The Passion Of One Woman
Contact Heidi: podcast (at) SuccessfulFashionDesigner.com If you need a shot of inspiration, you’ve got to hear this conversation with my guest Elle – the creator and designer behind Ellerali, an eco friendly clothing brand built solely on the passion of its founder. Elle wasn’t educated as a designer, she was trained as a marine biologist. […]
SFD046: How to Authentically Engage with Your Audience for Fashion Entrepreneurs
As fashion creatives, we think if we come up with the world’s most brilliant design, it will just sell itself. If we just put up an ecommerce site, people will flock to it and buy our beautiful designs. Unfortunately… it doesn’t work that way. You can create the best product in the world, but if you don’t strategically attract […]
SFD045: How to Plan a Fashion Photoshoot (step by step)
There are a lot of variables to consider to plan a fashion photoshoot. And in this interview, fashion photographer Kristen Walther and I cover all of them. From casting models to getting the right hair and makeup, and finding a perfect location to planning for a smooth day, we go through the entire photoshoot process, step by step. You’ll love […]
SFD044: This Company Runs their Fashion Brand like a Tech Startup (and they’re crushing it)
Do you ever feel like the fashion design and development process moves at a snail’s pace? We often work years and multiple seasons ahead, and by the time product is delivered, it’s easy to feel like it’s already outdated. Voormi thinks about things differently, and they’re pushing the boundaries and timelines that fashion takes. What takes many […]
Traveling Overseas to Fashion Factories… I Almost Had a Full Blown Panic Attack
Imagine the stereotypical life of a fashion designer: frolicking in fabric, sketching beautiful designs, and traveling overseas to fashion factories. Truth is, a lot of us don’t do any of this. We spend our days in Illustrator, Excel and writing emails. And for me, after almost a decade in the industry, I’d never had the opportunity […]
SFD041: How to Set Up Your Fashion Brand Successfully, from Samples to Production
Tricia runs her fashion studio, Hello World Fashion, in DTLA. With more than a decade of experience in the industry designing, sourcing and doing production, she can help you set up your fashion brand successfully, from the entire design through development process, including sampling and production. One of the things I love most about how Tricia runs her studio is her […]
SFD039: How to Start Your Clothing Line with No Experience
If you have no fashion industry experience, it can feel really daunting to try and start your own clothing line. Where do you source materials? How do you find factories and manufacturers? How do you sell your line to retail shops? But if you go slow, do your research, and have some patience, you’ll discover you can get […]
The Painful Beginnings of My Own Fashion Brand (that I’ve never talked about)
You’ve been thinking forever, “I want to have my own fashion brand.” It’s your childhood dream and you feel like, “I could really do this!” But there’s a lot of stuff no one ever talks about – like logistics and money and profits (or lack thereof). I’ve shared snippets of my fashion journey before. But I’ve […]
SFD031: Behind the Scenes of an $87k Kickstarter Launch
Sarah Coronado takes us behind the scenes of her $87,000 Kickstarter campaign. Learn first hand how to launch a fashion brand on Kickstarter including how to prepare for your campaign, what to do to make sure it’s successful, and how to keep up momentum after it ends. With no fashion background, experience or contacts, Sarah […]
SFD030: How to Get Press Coverage & Publicity for Your Clothing Line
From figuring out what magazines to pitch to, what your email should say, and what to do if you don’t hear back, learn exactly how to get press coverage for your brand (even if you have no contacts, no budget, and no training).
SFD025: Make the Most of A Fashion Sourcing Trade Show for Your Clothing Line
Attending a trade show is expensive, so before you go, make sure you’re fully prepared. Get industry expert advice from Trish of DG Expo to make the most of your trade show visits. Learn what mistakes you should avoid, and how to walk away with the right fabrics, trims and contacts for your clothing line. […]
SFD021: How to Get Funding for Your Fashion Startup
Billie Whitehouse has been called the Elon Musk of Fashion. In just 4 1/2 years, she’s launched multiple successful wearable tech products. Her most recent, Nadi X, is a line of activated yoga apparel that listens & responds to your body. In the interview, Billie shares her valuable lessons learned about getting funding, advice for […]
