How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fits
How Fitting is a biweekly podcast about slow fashion, hosted by fit expert and patternmaker Alison Hoenes. Each episode profiles an indie fashion designer or entrepreneur and explores how their garment's fit was shaped by people, purpose, production, and performance. The conversations cover the realities of building a small fashion business, including designing for a niche market, navigating sustainability and financial pressures, honest talks with suppliers, and moments of doubt and hope. It aims to validate listeners' fashion entrepreneurship experiences and offer ideas to try in their own businesses.
Episodes
What Fair Trade Actually Means for the Brand, Products, and Production Relationships with Taylor McCleneghan of Mata Traders
If we’re talking about how values show up in the creation of specific clothing styles, you won’t find a better example of this than fair trade fashion. For fair trade fashion brands, the process is just as important as the product. Collections don’t begin with design inspiration, they stem from family-owned production partners, long-term boutique relationships, cross-cultural collaborations, and a
A Good Product Is Not Enough – Fashion Brands Need a Story and Lifestyle with Ann Simmons of Annie Ozark
A good product is not enough. As much as we’d like to pour our creative time and resources into creating the most beautiful design and exquisitely crafted product and then let it sell itself, it just doesn’t. In fashion business, the job doesn’t stop when the garment is produced. Marketing it is just as important. And that job actually starts before the product even exists.
For some designers,
Considering What Slow Fashion Means For A Brand’s Present and Future with Arianna Levesque of Triplicity
If you run a slow fashion brand, you’ve probably experienced this. You saw how wasteful the fashion industry can be and vowed to run your brand differently. You want to pursue quality over quantity, sustainable materials and practices, fair labor, and avoid over-production. But how does this slow fashion intent meet the reality of factory MOQs, wash tests, and production costs for a new brand? Plu
Creative Confidence, Control, and Content-Product Offer Alignment with Ceilidh of BillyNou
As entrepreneurs, we didn’t start businesses to create a job that we hate. In fact, for most of us, it is quite the opposite. We want our work to be fulfilling. But we also want it to pay the bills and not burn us out. So how do we build a business that is both fun and financially stable? That offers both creative confidence and commercial control? Where the day-to-day process feels magical, but a
Why This Circular Fashion Brand Doesn’t Gatekeep Their Patterns with Megan McCullough of The Sample Room
We’re told in fashion business that your brand’s patterns are your IP, don’t let anyone else have access to them. It is true that your patterns are one of the most legally protectable aspects of your brand’s unique fit and design aesthetic, but is gatekeeping patterns really necessary for fashion business success?
Today’s guest, Megan McCullough took the opposite approach for her brand The Samp
How To Engineer A Garment For A Feeling with Karen Poirier of Embrago
It’s an art, and a science. And something we don’t talk about enough in fashion. What do the physical properties of the fabric mean for the physical support of the body? We can read the info on the fabric header like the fiber content, stretch percentage, knit or weave structure, and gsm weight, but do we know how to use those to our advantage to achieve the look and feel we want in a garment?
Can We Make 100% Plastic-Free Clothing? with Meli and Rensso Hinostroza of Eco Aya and Arms of Andes
If you are anything like me, you’ve started paying way more attention to the ingredients in our food and realized just how many nasty ingredients are hidden within. If comprehensive ingredient labels existed for clothing, they would be equally shocking. Even in garments labeled as “natural fibers”, there are hidden sources of plastic and chemicals that have a negative effect on our health and the
How Custom Clothing at Scale is Working with Daniela Rodriguez & Andre Ramirez-Cedeno of Neems Jeans
The custom fit of bespoke clothing with the efficiency and scale of factory production: this is the sweet spot that so many fashion businesses are aiming for. However, finding this sweet spot can be as difficult as finding a pair of jeans that fits just right. Daniela Rodriguez and Andre Ramirez-Cedeno of Neems Jeans have found both. Traditional manufacturing is still evolving and the technology i
Viral Growth Without Abandoning Your Joy or Values with Kelsey Campion of Fringe + Co.
If there is one thing that entrepreneurs face every day, it is choices. Some choices are deliberate and planned in advance. Others are made last-minute when something unexpected happens – like a 13 second video going viral when the featured product is already sold out. With every choice, you get to choose the type of life and business you want to run.
This is just what Kelsey Campion has
Is Your Sizing Actually Good For Your Customer or Just Your Brand with Rick Levine and Steven Heard of ApparelWerks
We think that offering different sizes is serving our customers, but is it actually? Does standard sizing make it easier for the customer or does it just make it easier for the brand? Rick Levine and Steven Heard have thoughts.
They’ve each run multiple manufacturing businesses in different industries and are currently partners of the made-to-measure development and manufacturing studio A
Maintaining Creative Habits and Values As the World Changes with Bergen Anderson of Lilla Barn
As people in creative fields, many of us can look back and see how our activities and interests as a child led to the work we do today. We may have grown up and grown out of clothes along the way, but some things never change. Creativity and other values that are important to us show up in our adult life through our fashion businesses.
This is certainly true for today’s guest Bergen Anderson. H
Breaking From the Fashion Calendar with Intention with Dana Mortada of dal the label
Fashion expects a lot from designers. It expects you to release new collections at a set seasonal schedule. It expects you to just know the right people and know where to find a good production partner (because as you know, some of the best factories don’t even have websites). It expects you to show up on social media to sell. These expectations can run your life if you let them.
Dana Mor
Why This Brand Launched Without Social Media and What They Did Instead with Maria Alejandra Alvarado of ZADIMA
Changing algorithms, the constant time investment, and, with the rise of AI, even more content to compete with for customers’ attention make many of us want to avoid social media altogether. However, it can seem like a necessary evil. Isn’t every brand on social platforms? But what if staying off socials as a fashion brand isn’t just the right choice for your mental health as a founder, but also f
Intentional Fashion Looks Different as a Founder with Lucielle Salomon of ARIMMA
In slow fashion, we like being intentional with our clothing choices. We want our wardrobes to be aligned with what we care about and how we live. It is a reassuring kind of intention. Then there is another type of intention that affects fashion founders – the way we intend things to go. We have intentions for the launch, product development timelines, or what it means to be a good founder.
Bu
Consistency or Newness: What It Takes To Get To A Decade In Fashion Business with Erin Gray Morton of erin gray
Newness builds excitement, but consistency builds trust. Which one will get your brand to a decade in business? Erin Gray Morton just celebrated ten years of her gold-filled jewelry and premium tee shirt line erin gray. The brand has grown to being stocked in over 800 boutiques. To get there, Erin and her team have prioritized relationships while figuring out how to make each wholesale show feel n
Listening to Your Body in Entrepreneurship and Fashion with Victoria Lister of Hummingbird Pie
In an industry obsessed with outward appearances, what if we made decisions by listening to our body and not just looking at it? If clothing choices came from a place of self-awareness, how would that change the way we design products and run fashion businesses? Victoria Lister approaches her work from this perspective. In episode 124, she shares what made her start listening to her body and what
The Time And Resilience It Takes To Launch A Fashion Brand with Gabriela Garcia Olivo of Gabriela Michele
We talk about how timeless fashion lets us build sustainable wardrobes. What if the benefits of timelessness weren’t confined to our customers’ closets? Today’s guest, Gabriela Garcia Olivo, found that her timeless designs helped her build a more sustainable business. Her story is one of resilience, refinement, and reflection. In episode 123, she shares her perspective on what it takes and why it
Becoming a Designer of Supply Chains with Emily Harris of Mrs. Emily
Emily Harris started out as a designer of clothes, but recently, she says she’s become more of a designer of supply chains. Over the fifteen years since starting her brand Mrs. Emily, Emily has produced her signature elastic-waist skirts in different ways – sewing them herself to order, working with a seamstress to stock a retail location, and now working with a fair trade mill and sewing studio t
Cutting Curves, Not Cutting Corners with Michelle Dwight of Aulieude
Michelle Dwight has a notebook of what she calls weird and wonderful ideas. These ideas become convertible dresses and swimwear for curvy women. She started her brand, Aulieude, as a young designer wanting stylish, sustainable fashion. As her business has grown, she’s learned to apply her creativity to her business and not just her designs. As she’s grown too, she’s decided what things are and are
Why Handwoven Fabrics Are More Relevant And Easier For Independent Designers To Get Made Than Ever Before with Jackie Corlett of Motif Handmade
In today’s world, technology has woven its way into nearly every aspect of our lives and work. The fashion industry is always looking for ways to make things faster and automate work that always used to be done by humans – but not Jackie. She’s been working with hand weavers in Bangladesh for over three decades and is more passionate about the future of fair trade, hand-crafted fabrics than ever.
Recreating the Luxury & Legacy of Vintage Textiles with Christine Lindebak of Lindy Lindy
Luxury doesn’t always look like designer clothes, high heels, and a “dream” fashion job in NYC. Sometimes it looks more like quiet morning moments getting ready for a big day, hand-stitched embroidery on a vintage table linen, and barefoot commutes to a home office in a Spanish apartment. Christine Lindebak has always appreciated these small details. With her bridal loungewear brand, Lindy Lindy,
Designing A Life & Business You Love (Even Through Change, Loss, and Challenges) with Doug Phillips and Liz DeBraber of Conscious Clothing
Rose and Doug Phillips asked: “how can we spend every day, together, doing what we love?” Their answer was Conscious Clothing. For two decades they built their business on this premise - even building the gorgeous, sun-filled Michigan studio where their team of ten designs and makes each piece of organic and natural fiber clothing.
Things haven’t always been dreamy, though. As the brand grew,
Taking Smart Risks For The Family Business with Gina Kuyers & Margot Adams of Luxeire
Work smarter, not harder. That is what the high achieving women who wear Luxeire’s technical tailored button-ups are doing and what mother-daughter co-founders Gina Kuyers and Margot Adams do in their business as well. (Okay, sometimes they are working smart and hard). In just five years, they’ve grown the brand to 7 figures. They’re self-funding the business and the growth hasn’t come without ris
The Benefits of Retail Experimentation and Collaboration For Independent Fashion Brands with Elizabeth Solomeina of Flying Solo
If you’ve ever dreamed of having your products in stores but are hesitant to dip your toes into retail because of high overhead, lower wholesale margins, or lack of retail experience, Elizabeth Solomeina has a solution.
In episode 116, Elizabeth shares her refreshingly different approach to retail. Her multi-city retail space and press showroom, Flying Solo, is designed just for independent de
Fit Based on Faith, Values, and Vocation (i.e. Psychographics) with Heidi Keil of Humble Hearts Clergy Apparel
When your brand focuses on a specific body shape, creating clothes that fit is fairly easy. But what if you are designing for specific psychographics instead of demographics? What does fit look like then? Heidi Keil is the founder of Humble Hearts Clergy Apparel. She designs clothes for female pastors and chaplains – which is super niched on both faith values and vocation, not necessarily body typ
How This Designer Changed Her Business To Better Care For her Customers with Paloma Soledad of LuxCare
What would you be willing to do to better serve your customers and mission? Paloma Soledad, a three-time stage IV cancer survivor and founder of LuxCare, is making some big changes in her business to help women going through medical treatments feel more like themselves and less like a patient. In episode 114, she tells the careful details and entrepreneurial journey that has gone into creating Lux
How To Build Trust With Customers As a New Brand With Niche Fit with Neha Samdaria of AAM The Label
We’ve all been burned by an online clothing purchase that didn’t live up to its promised fit and quality. It is no wonder that women who don’t fit standard-size charts are hesitant to purchase from a new brand online. This is the challenge that AAM The Label CEO and founder Neha Samdaria has overcome within her brand that designs for pear-shaped women with fuller hips and thighs. In episode 113, N
How Made In the USA Clothing Connects Craft and Community with Kristina Collins
What if clothes not only reflected the beauty and personality of the wearer, but brought together the skills, people, and livelihoods of a whole community? This is why Kristina Collins is passionate about producing her brand of jackets and sweaters in the USA as locally as possible. In episode 112, hear how she has focused her creativity and her sourcing to connect the community around her. This p
This Brand Has Strong Opinions About Style and Women’s Rights with Kimberly Becker of K. Becker
More and more in today’s fashion industry, women are the ones in charge and designing for themselves instead of for some unrealistic societal ideal. Kimberly Becker is doing this and going a step further for women’s rights with her brand K. Becker. In episode 111, hear how politics, feminism, and sustainability guide her work and how she’s using fashion to give back to causes that support women ac
Orchestrating Change in Concert Attire For Classical Musicians with Mercedes Smith of Blackstrad
Classical music is rooted in rich history, formality, and tradition - but does the musicians’ concert attire still have to be? Blackstrad founder and professional flutist Mercedes Smith thinks it is time for a change of pace in performance wardrobes. In episode 110, hear how she is designing new concert black attire that resonates with the individuality of modern musicians while keeping the harmon
Questions To Ask Your Fabric Supplier To Ensure Quality & Consistency with Thomas Oviedo of Carr Textile
Sourcing fabrics that fit their design, values, and budget is one of the biggest challenges designers face in making their designs a reality. It is such a relief when you can find a fabric supplier you can count on to grow your business. In episode 109, meet Thomas Oviedo, the Sales Manager at Carr Textile. In our conversation, he breaks down Carr’s fabric offerings, printing services, and rigorou
The Adventures Of Outdoor Apparel Entrepreneurship with Suzi Zook of Alta Reina
Which is the bigger adventure: alpine skiing or starting a fashion brand? For Alta Reina founder Suzi Zook, they each provide their own set of thrills and challenges. In episode 108, Suzi tells of the peaks and valleys of starting her outdoor apparel brand made to fit tall women. From navigating sustainable sourcing of performance fabrics to overcoming pre-production self-doubt, Suzi is gearing up
With Aging and Fashion Business, The Only Constant Is Change with Julie Corwin of Birdie & Claire
With age, comes wisdom - and also change. Women 50+ years old are often overlooked by the fashion industry, but Birdie & Claire founder Julie Corwin celebrates style at every age. As these women go through transitions in their lives and bodies, Julie’s business has changed as well. In episode 107, Julie shares how her brand has stayed flexible and draws inspiration from the experience of women
How Customer Conversations Become Actionable and Empathetic Insights with Erin Cavanaugh of See ROSE Go
In episode 106, Erin shares how conversations have shaped their brand and how she turns those insights into empathetic action. It was after decades in the industry at big-name brands like Nike, Converse, and Nordstrom that Erin and her co-founder realized just how hard it is for plus-size women to find clothes that fit after an elevator conversation with a co-worker. That conversation sparked othe
Expectations Vs. Reality of Fair Trade Manufacturing with Ari Louise of Glean & Grace
In episode 105, hear the step-by-step timeline that Ari took to design, launch, and produce her first product for her historically-inspired maternity brand Glean & Grace. In our conversation, she reveals the ways the process didn’t go as planned, but how it has been rewarding and encouraging nonetheless.
Ari is a trained tailor turned sustainable clothing designer. Ari and her husband
Valuing The Longevity Of Clothing with Aiste Zitnikaite of Devinto
In episode 104, hear how Aiste designs for longevity, how she’s learned to do better when it comes to sustainability over the years, and what still needs to happen to make ethical fashion brands viable in the long-term. With over a decade in business, Aiste knows what works and what doesn’t and openly shares her knowledge.
Aiste Zitnikaite is a Lithuanian born designer based in Hyannis, Cape Co
Making The “Right” Next Move For Your Brand with Kristen Chester of Casa Danu
In episode 103, Kristen Chester shares the beautiful moments and the uncertain realities of growing a fashion brand. She started Casa Danu after surviving breast cancer which transformed the way she thinks about clothing. Her mission with the brand is to help women feel more alive and more like themselves no matter what they are going through. Tune in to hear how Kristen makes decisions about prod
What Women Really Think About Pockets According To Research with Aditi Sinha of Point of View Label
In episode 102, women’s workwear brand founder Aditi Sinha speaks out against pocket inequality for women in the workplace. Hear how she is leveraging extensive research and customer feedback to close this gap - not just with the size of pockets - through her brand Point of View Label.
Aditi Sinha is the founder & CEO of Point of View, a Seattle based functional and designer workwear
This Fit Is Not For Everybody (and that’s okay) with Kalia Carter of BodyCon The Brand
In episode 101, Kalia Carter gets real about the challenges she’s faced creating BodyCon The Brand exclusively to fit full-bust women. She’s faced pushback from factories and internet trolls alike for her unwavering focus on full-bust fit, but she’s also created the pieces she’s always wished she could wear and has a growing community of women in her niche that get it and support what she’s buildi
How These Listener-Favorite Episodes Have Shaped Your Fashion Business
It’s episode 100 of How Fitting®! Each of these conversations with fashion designers and business owners has explored how they create clothing and grow a business that fits their customer, lifestyle, and values. I have enjoyed getting to know each of these people and seeing what drives their decisions and it has been a privilege to share their stories with you on this podcast over the past four ye
Prioritizing The People (While Still Being Profitable) with Kat Williford of Pamut
In episode 99, Kat Williford recounts how her brand Pamut has shifted over the years to sustain her and now her team through cross-continental moves, hard times, and new family priorities. Kat puts people first, but doesn’t miss a beat on the creative or the financial aspects of her business either. Hear how her thriving business model works in this episode.
Kat is the owner and designer behind
Rethinking Braless Coverage, Comfort, and Clothing with Keona Moy of Vktori
In episode 98, hear how Vktori founder Keona Moy is challenging societal norms as well as her own self-limiting beliefs as she grows her braless, bandless, neuro-inclusive clothing brand. Women are told so many shaming messages about how they should dress their boobs, but Vktori is setting a new example of embracing comfort on your own terms.
Keona Moy, with her 13-year healthcare background, f
Innovating Textile Prints For Fashion & Home with Heather Rose Rauscher of Patternier
In episode 97, Patternier founder and designer Heather Rose Rauscher gives us a tour of the intricate layers of her innovative artwork and business. Working in the industry for over a decade, she’s learned the rules of textile design. Now, with her own brand, she breaks them. Her luxury fashion and home pieces juxtapose vintage with new and minimal with maximal to create a deeply creative story.
The Price Of Making Sustainable Fashion The Norm with Selina Ho of Recloseted
In episode 96, we ask the question: is it possible for fashion brands to be both sustainable and profitable? My guest, Selina Ho, the founder and CEO of sustainable consultancy Recloseted, paints a picture of what a renewed fashion industry could look like and what it would take to get us there. She shares practical steps that brands can take now to improve their sustainability efforts at eac
The Underrated Skills That Will Get You Far in Fashion Business with Madison Powers of Madison Victoria
In episode 95, Madison Powers speaks about the story, the underrated skills, and the business plan that have helped her “effortlessly creative” business go far in just a few years. Madison is strategic with her decisions, and crystal clear on her customer and business values, and shares so many little-talked-of realities of fashion business in this interview.
Madison was born and raised in Gree
Fashion As Skincare And Self-Awareness with Freya of Solpardus
In episode 94, Freya challenges the assumption that synthetics are better for swimwear with her sensitive-skin-focused brand Solpardus – which means ‘sun leopard’. With natural-fiber swimwear and apparel, Freya cares for her skin and the community of other women living with psoriasis, eczema, and sensitive skin that she’s met through running her business.
Solpardus makes all natural bamboo swim
Creating A Size Chart with Representation with Og Ajibe of Oge Ajibe
In episode 93, Oge Ajibe talks about what she’s learned (and where she’s learned) about inclusive fit and fashion business. After 6 years and multiple pivots in business, Oge has slowly created her own way to make sustainable, comfortable clothes that fit no matter your size. She’s uniquely created Oge Ajibe’s size chart, figured out pricing, stayed visible online, and she has big plans for the fu
Reaching Profitability In Fashion Business with Laura Briggs of The Shortlist
In episode 92, The Shortlist founder Laura Briggs gives us a detailed look at how her fun and cheeky petite-only brand has reached profitability. From pricing and production to business operations, Laura describes the growing pains she’s gone through and the huge milestones she’s reached as she’s scaled her 3-year-old business.
Laura was also my guest two years ago on How Fitting episode 37 whe
Taking The Stage Boldly For Inclusive, Slow Fashion with Suzanne Vinnik of By Vinnik
In episode 91, hear how former opera singer Suzanne Vinnik designs bold, inclusive fashions that make women “feel seen” and encourage them to take up space for who they are. Knowing first hand what it is like to be exploited working in the arts, Suzanne runs her business differently. Her secret to success both on and off the stage is prioritizing community and personal relationships and paying eve
Prioritizing Customer Research and Values To Shape A Modest Activewear Brand with Aja Cohen of Transcendent Active
In episode 90, hear how Aja Cohen left her big corporate fashion career for a lifestyle - and fashion business - that put relationships and her values first. Transcendent Active is helping women embrace who they are and move confidently toward their goals. Her modest activewear designs aren’t just covering, but also comfortable, sustainable, and functional and are worn by more than just the modest
Resortwear That Benefits The Natural World with Janet St Cyr & Diana Kerins of Bambina Swim
In episode 89, hear how Janet St Cyr & Diana Kerins have created a swim and resort brand inspired by nature and travel. Learn what this mother-daughter partnership did to land a dream collaboration with a luxury resort and how they are growing their business slowly and steadily.
Bambina is a women’s swim and resortwear brand owned and operated by mother-daughter duo Janet St Cyr and Diana K
How To Source Fabrics As An Independent Designer with Jay Arbetman of The Sourcing District
In episode 88, textile sourcing rep Jay Arbetman of The Sourcing District walks us through how to source wholesale fabric for your independent fashion brand - even in low quantities. Jay shares insights on fabric quality, sustainable fibers, and how to not spend months on your fabric search. With decades in the business, Jay knows what questions designers should ask and what has helped his longest
Making Fashion Fit Your Way with Rivky Itzkowitz of Impact Fashion
In episode 87, life-long lover of fashion and modest dresser, Rivky Itzkowitz, shares how she makes fashion work for her and other women like her through her brand Impact Fashion. Rivky seamlessly weaves her Orthodox Jewish values, skillful design and patternmaking, and fashion sense into each piece for sizes 2-28.
Rivky Itzkowitz is a fashion designer living in NYC. As a practicing Ortho
The Future of On-Demand Production with Kirby Best of Bespoke Manufacturing Company
In episode 86, Kirby Best, the CEO & President of the innovative on-demand factory Bespoke Manufacturing Company, talks about what on-demand production is and what it means for the future of fashion. Learn the pros and cons of an on-demand model and how to know if it is a good fit for your fashion business.
Kirby is currently the President & CEO of BMC.Fashion, iCreate.Fashion, and 3100
The Intimate Details of Lingerie Design And Start-Up Life with Kristen Anderson of KRSTN NDRSN and Iteration
In episode 85, design agency founder and intimate apparel brand co-founder Kristen Anderson reveals the inner workings of the lingerie and swim industry. Kristen speaks from her experience as an in-house designer, freelancer, intimate apparel design agency owner of KRSTN NDRSN, and co-founder of the intimates brand Iteration sharing the lessons she’s learned and the new innovations she’s excited a
Filling The Gap In Smart, Sustainable Closets with Sophie Kissling of UPPERCASE
In episode 84, UPPERCASE founder and designer, Sophie Kissling, tells us what she’s learned, the mistakes she’s made, and the smart choices she’s made throughout her career as a designer and personal stylist. She now weaves her experience seamlessly into smart closet services - including wardrobe edits and the UPPERCASE line that fills the gaps in sustainable wardrobes.
UPPERCASE was born as an
Powerful Impact Beyond the Clothes with Sadie Burton of FRST John
In episode 83, Sadie Burton shares her story about starting her fashion brand, FRST John, with a focus on real women, real life, and real impact on her community. Hear what she’s learned about designing, marketing, and wholesaling and the big plans she has for FRST John’s impact in the future.
FRST JOHN is a purpose-driven brand focused on designing feminine yet functional womenswear. Each coll
Style Fit For The Petite Professional with Sopi Mitil of The Sopi Mitil Co.
In episode 82, hear how attorney-turned-designer Sopi Mitil turned her frustration with the lack of well-fitting petite professional attire into a business: The Sopi Mitil Co. The brand offers short (but not just small) women stylish, professional attire that fits curves like a glove without a trip to the tailor.
The Sopi Mitil Co. is a fashion brand that has emerged as a beacon of empowe
The Basics of Timeless Slow Fashion with Emily Bracey of Juuney
In episode 81, hear how Emily Bracey took what she learned in fashion school in a whole new direction that focuses on timeless, slow fashion, and ethical fashion in her brand Juuney. Inspired by her grandma June’s purposeful and resourceful closet, Emily creates basics that can go from a wedding to naptime and are made to be meaningful for generations.
Juuney was born out of the founder, Emily
Adding Color (and A Twist) to Midwestern Basics with Joie LaFrentz of Jola
In episode 80, Joie LaFrentz shares all the thoughtful decisions that go into designing for Jola, her line of colorful basics with a twist . Learn how she balances design, production, sales, and admin for her business all from remote Iowa.
Joie LaFrentz was born and raised in Iowa and has always had a love for design, color, and fashion. She studied both fashion merchandising and design b
Thoughtful Style that Petite Women Want to Wear with Jenna Loyal of Pro Hac Vice
In episode 79, hear how Jenna Loyal, the founder of Pro Hac Vice, has created a fashion-forward brand that petite women actually want to wear - all while working a full-time day job. With thoughtful fit, feminine details, and quality fabrics, Pro Hac Vice serves style in just the right proportions.
Jenna Loyal is the founder of Pro Hac Vice, a New York City based clothing brand for petite women
Universal Design for All Abilities with Stephanie and Mary Cayten Brakefield of Brakefields
In episode 78, mother-daughter duo Stephanie and Mary Cayten Brakefield share their passion for universal design that is fun, comfortable, and accessible. Their brand, Brakefields, is built on the idea that designing accessibility is better for people of all abilities and that fashion should be functional without sacrificing style.
It’s funny how the sum of all your experiences come together to
The Fat Success of Comfort and Good Fit with Marina Hayes of Peridot Robes
In episode 77, hear how Marina Hayes has grown her successful robe and lounge brand and a community of “fat activists” to provide more comfortable and well-fitting clothing options to plus size people. After selling out the first production run in less than two days, Peridot Robes has expanded their styles, fabrics, and the difference their clothes make for people that wear them.
Marina's entre
Setting a New Standard for Short-Stature (under 4’11”) Fashion with Chamiah Dewey of Chamiah Dewey Fashion
In episode 76, Chamiah Dewey shares how she has built the UK’s first brand for short-statured (under 4’11”) people with empathy, diversity, inclusivity, and style at the forefront. Hear how she’s overcome the challenges of creating a whole new standard for fit and sizing – and the difference it has made in peoples’ lives.
Chamiah Dewey is the founder and CEO of Chamiah Dewey Fashion, the UK’s f
Outshining Skin Cancer in Style with Erica Sullivan Feggeler of Low Ultraviolet
In episode 75, Erica Sullivan Feggeler dives into how the sun-protective apparel brand idea she put together for a university business pitch competition her senior year has expanded its mission, product line, and impact. 2.5 years later, Low Ultraviolet is making waves in the UPF50 clothing market and creating a community that outshines skin cancer.
Erica is the founder and CEO of Low Ult
Identifying and Connecting with Your Ideal Customers with Jane Hamill of Fashion Brain Academy
In episode 74, drawing from decades of running her own successful fashion and retail business and coaching other fashion product brands to do the same, Jane Hamill shares practical strategies and lessons on identifying and connecting with the ideal customers for your brand. She shares what’s working and what’s not in today’s fashion business landscape.
Jane Hamill is the founder of Fashion Brai
SEO For Fashion Brand Websites with Glynis Tao
In episode 73 - the second episode in our summer fashion business series - apparel business consultant and SEO expert Glynis Tao of Chase Your Dreams consulting demystifies SEO for fashion brands. She explains how SEO works, why fashion brand owners should care, and how an optimized e-commerce website helps you serve your customers better (and make more sales).
Glynis is a clothing brand owner
Selling Your Products Without Selling Your Soul with Elizabeth Stiles
This week we kick of a summer mini-series diving into the business side of fashion!
In episode 72, fashion brand consultant Elizabeth Stiles shares her expertise on selling your fashion products without selling your soul. We talk about getting into a sales mindset that isn’t sleazy and practical tips on how, when, and where to sell so that you can make money doing what you love.
Elizabeth S
Real Style (And Happiness) Has No Size with Patricia Luiza Blaj of Loud Bodies
In episode 71, Patricia Luiza Blaj shares how her own relatable struggle to find clothing in her size led her to start Loud Bodies - an ethical, sustainable, and inclusive brand that offers sizes 2XS-10XL. Patricia believes that you too deserve to be happy, to wear beautiful clothes, and to be respected and represented by brands – and the Loud Bodies clothes and business reflect that.
Pat
Scaling a Lifestyle Brand for Millennial Moms with Leah Longueville of Polished Prints
In episode 70, hear how Leah Longueville grew the onesie screen printing hobby she started in her spare bedroom when her daughter was a newborn into a thriving lifestyle brand for millennial moms. Over five years later, Polished Prints now sells retail and wholesale plus has its own brick and mortar shop with multiple employees. Leah shares practical tips on how it all happened and how her mindset
When Fitting Your Lifestyle And Values Means Closing Your Apparel Brand with Crystal Cave formerly of Poppy Row
In episode 69, Crystal Cave gets real and honest about her decision to close Poppy Row - the inclusive and sustainable apparel brand she started in 2018. She shares what changed over the years in the business and in her personal life and why closing the brand is NOT failure, but growth.
Crystal Cave is a celebrity stylist turned style educator and fashion designer. She is the Founder + Creative
Sustainable Underwear To Wear Slow, Compost Fast with Stacy Grace of KENT
In episode 68, Stacy Grace shares how being frustrated with the overabundance of synthetic underwear options available, she set out with her husband and co-founder Jeff to create Kent - a fully compostable, natural underwear brand. Three years after launch, Kent offers underwear and basics for women and men that are soft and breathable and you get to “plant your pants” when you are done with them.
Experiencing Fashion As Art And Creativity with Emma Rubinson
In episode 67, Emma Rubinson takes us behind the scenes of her namesake label and shares how she designs artful fashion and experiences that encourage people to be their most authentic selves. Hear her creative perspective on design and what it took to produce her recent NYFW collection.
Hailing from the planet Neptune, Emma Rubinson is a rare species of light that only travels in prime numbers
The Raw Truth Behind Fuller-Busted Sports Bras with Lizzie Gordon of B.X.M.
In episode 66, hear how Lizzie Gordon started a fashion brand making sports bras for bigger boobs after years of thinking “some bigger brand will be the one to make this”. Personally understanding the challenges women face trying to find sports bras in larger cup sizes, Lizzie set out to solve those challenges and she shares what she’s learned about being a business owner in the fashion industry i
The Impact Of An African-Inspired Brand with Kahindo Mateene of Kahindo
In episode 65, Kahindo Mateene shares the inspiration, ethics, and inside entrepreneurial journey of her namesake label Kahindo. With a focus on African textiles, her business is built to empower the women who wear her clothes and the women who make them.
KAHINDO is a New York based ethical fashion brand that is inspired by our founder’s Congolese heritage and African upbringing and ethic
Worthiness, Inclusivity, and Sustainable Fashion with Amanda Toy of Nicole & Rose
In episode 64, Amanda shares how she started a sustainable fashion brand, Nicole & Rose, with the goal of making all women feel worthy, powerful, and included. From starting with just a dream of working in fashion to now running her own brand, Amanda’s journey is relatable and affirming.
Amanda has loved fashion for as long as she can remember and has always dreamed of starting her own clot
Being Called To Create “Decidedly Elegant” Workwear For Petite Women with Tigist Ketema of Tigist Petites
In episode 63, Tigist Ketema recalls the demoralizing fitting room experiences trying to find workwear that fit her curvy, petite frame and shares how she felt called to solve that for herself and other women by creating something that didn’t exist before: a luxury workwear brand designed and made just for petite women.
Tigist Ketema is the founder and designer behind Tigist Petites, the
Growing Sustainably From Designer to Business Owner with Bianca Bellantoni of BELLANTONI
In episode 62, hear how Bianca Bellantoni has built her sustainable fashion brand, Bellantoni, to be kind to animals and the planet - and how she’s grown as a designer and business owner in the process.
Bianca Bellantoni is a Canadian designer and the founder behind the sustainable and cruelty-free clothing brand, BELLANTONI, which she started in 2017. She has her Bachelors of Design from
Achieving Big Dreams with Danny Burke and Brandon Winslow of MADE FOR ALL
In episode 61, longtime friends and Co-Founders Danny Burke and Brandon Winslow talk about how they dream big and work to achieve it. They share the story of their 7-years-in-the-making luxury streetwear brand MADE FOR ALL, the wins and challenges of running a brand, and what they’ve learned about entrepreneurship and each other along the way.
MADE FOR ALL Co-Founder and Head of Strategy
Making Launching A Sustainable Fashion Brand Easier with Shannon Lohr of Factory45
In episode 60, sustainable fashion business school founder & CEO Shannon Lohr shares insights, practical tips, and marketing and mindset wisdom for starting a sustainable fashion brand based on her years of experience coaching successful fashion entrepreneurs through her Factory45 program.
As the Founder & CEO of Factory45, Shannon Lohr works with idea-stage entrepreneurs to launch fash
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