Shows / How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fits
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fits
How Fitting® is the podcast that explores how slow fashion brands make clothes – and businesses – that fit. In each monthly episode, meet a relatable fashion designer or entrepreneur (the kind of indie brands who run their businesses from kitchen tables and cutting tables, not boardroom tables) and hear how the people, performance, purpose, and production shaped the fit of one of their garments. Because fit is relational before it is technical. Host Alison Hoenes (a fit expert & women’s apparel…
Episodes
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsTailoring A Personal Client and Supply Chain Experience with Lauren Linnane of Parla
After moving to Italy to start her brand in 2019 and getting samples made of her first designs, Lauren realized that the price point was too high for the…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsWhat 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsA 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsConsidering 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsCreative 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsWhy 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsCan 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsViral 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsIs 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsMaintaining 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsBreaking 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsWhy 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsIntentional 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsConsistency 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsListening 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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?…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsBecoming 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsCutting 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsWhy 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsRecreating 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsDesigning 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsTaking 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsFit 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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?…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThis 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsOrchestrating 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsQuestions 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsWith 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsExpectations 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsValuing 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsMaking 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsWhat 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThis 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsPrioritizing 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsRethinking 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsInnovating 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsFashion 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsCreating 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsReaching 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsTaking 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsPrioritizing 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsResortwear 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsHow 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 -…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsMaking 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsFilling 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsPowerful 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsStyle 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…
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsThe 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…