Designer to Designer

Natalie Futo-Wallace is the founder of Lielle Womenswear, a resort wear brand based in Redcar, North Yorkshire. Diagnosed with dyslexia early in life, Natalie leaned on her creative strengths which led her to study fashion design and construction at her local college before travelling and then heading back home to start her career. What most people don’t know is that before Lielle, there was Kiwi. A brand she co-founded way before Instagram was a thing. Their way of marketing was taking pictures and posting them on Facebook seeing as they didn’t have a website yet. That went on for a few years until tensions were high and Natalie knew it was time to venture into something new - thus Lielle was born. However, Lielle was birthed at a time Natalie describes as the ‘hardest time of her life’, as she sadly lost her mother due to sickness. In this interview Natalie really opens up about how difficult that moment was for her and her siblings, but how she turned her grief into strength. With a fantastic work ethic and a strong support system, she has worked tirelessly to make Lielle the success it is today. In this interview you’ll learn about: How all the things you experience are not in vain and will lead you to your calling The reality of working with friends and family Turning grief into strength The real and honest reality of building a brand from the ground up How influencer marketing really skyrocketed Natalie’s brand Visit Lielle Womenswear’s website - www.liellewomenswear.co.uk Follow Lielle Womenswear on Instagram - @liellewomenswear Follow Natalie on Instagram - @nataliefutowallace Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for daily doses of fashion business and mindset content: www.theentryplatform.co // @theentryplatform.co

Before ntwrkd, Sabinah pulled together £500 to purchase wholesale pieces from a supplier in Manchester. In just a few months, she was able to use the revenue from that brand to start working on her own designs for ntwrkd. Along the way, as you can probably relate, she had her own fair share of challenges. From problems with finding the right manufacturer, to the impact of Covid. At a time where her business was reaching new heights, the sales disappeared overnight, and her job at the time almost halved her salary. It was tough. But she took it day by day. Today, ntwrkd has been worn by many influencers all over the world including Yris Palmer and Lydia Dinga, and serves a group of loyal customers who love their affordable pricing, high quality and the representation of a South Asian woman at the forefront of a growing British label. In this podcast episode we discuss: How her 9-5 drove her to start her own brands The production process behind her designs The impact of influencer marketing Why and how she’s creating a business on her own terms Visit ntwrkd’s website - www.ntwrkd.co.uk Follow ntwrkd on Instagram - @ntwrkd Follow Sabinah on Instagram - @sabinahe BOOKS MENTIONED: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Rich Dard Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for daily doses of fashion business and mindset content: www.theentryplatform.co // @theentryplatform.co

Seventh Stores is a two year old brand that has really been eleven years in the making. Bukki Ojo, founder of Seventh Stores, began her entrepreneurial journey at the tender age of 18 after college as a sales assistant in then Topshop Oxford Street. No one could prepare Bukki for the blessings and pain she was to endure over the next decade. Before Seventh Stores, Bukki ran two businesses where she had the opportunity to learn the business of fashion, putting her in an advantageous position to build Seventh Stores quickly. However, she faced much rejection and financial pressure that nearly made her file for bankruptcy. In the midst of it all, her mother, who was also Bukki’s best friend, passed away. But not without equipping her daughter with the mindset and tools for success. We discuss: The origin of Seventh Stores How faith has played a huge role in Bukki's life The tough challenges Bukki has pushed through in business The key to designing and building a legacy brand  How to prepare for wholesale  Advice for the next generation of designers  Visit the Seventh Stores website Seventh Store's Instagram  Seventh Store's Twitter Bukki Ojo's Instagram Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram and Twitter for daily doses of fashion business and mindset content. Visit our website

Reni Abina is the founder of VOGUE approved Nigerian-based luxury womenswear brand, Rendoll. The label was founded in 2019 sparked by Reni sitting in the infamous Lagos traffic. The initial investment in the brand was £400 from her hair business at the time which she used to buy fabric and make the first ten designs, produced by local Nigerian tailors. Over the last three years, as the business has grown exponentially, Reni has had to grow too and step into her CEO hat. In this episode, Reni offers practical advice on: Her first steps once she decided to pursue Rendoll Her creative design process The steps she takes when launching and promoting a collection What her marketing strategy looks like today How she’s dealt with the very tough moments in business Visit the Rendoll store Follow Rendoll on Instagram Follow Reni on Instagram Follow The Entry Platform on Instagram for daily doses of fashion, business and mindset content Visit our website

Djulia Flach is the founder of German-based label Jeewl, a brand which specialises in luxury camera bags. Djulia noticed a gap in the market whilst working as a freelance photographer, content creator and social media marketing. The idea came to her on and off for five years, but it was a quote on Pinterest “camera bags for women are either functional and ugly, or beautiful and not protective” which led her to officially launch Jeewl in 2020. A recurring theme on the D2D podcast is that something goes wrong before it goes right. In October 2021, Djulia set up a Kickstarter campaign to raise ​​£20,870 to help with her production costs. After one month, she raised £2,815 and made the hard decision to cancel the campaign. But where there is ‘failure’, there is always a lesson. What people may not know is that crowdfunding can be used as a form of advertising and marketing. This episode is for those in the early stages of launching their brand, something Djulia is still experiencing and shares with us in an enlightening conversation: “things become real, when you really work hard for it”. Discover more about Djulia and Jeewl: Jeewl Online store Djulia Instagram’s  @djul___ Jeewl Official Instagram: @jeewl.official Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform

Anosha Anwary is the founder of Avyaana, a beautiful Islamic modest wear brand. Think Ralph and Russo but for the modern modest lady! Anosha’s story is one many of us can really relate to. There’s a lot of challenges we face behind the scenes. We don’t just draw all day (but oh, how we wish!) Coming from a warzone country, her mother didn’t have the opportunity to get an education or a job. So she learnt how to sew really well. When Anosha went to 6th form and needed clothes to wear, she couldn’t find anything that respected her religion whilst being young and wanting to experiment with her style. This led Anosha to start Avyaana. Her mum took her sewing skills to work and made all the pieces for her whilst Anosha studied a full-time degree and masters in law. If not for her strong family unit and friends, Anosha doesn’t believe she would’ve been here today. You’ll hear the reasons why in the episode but to summarise: She had to survive on £20 a week to keep her business alive It was a challenge balancing her education with a growing business She’s faced two legal battles already! As Avyaana grows, it’s becoming more apparent that she needs a team so she can move towards the vision. But there have been many beautiful moments, only because she has persevered through it all. This interview isn’t about religion, although we do discuss why it’s important for her as a designer. It’s really about the challenges all business owners face and the attitude you need to overcome them. I hope you love it just as much as I enjoyed speaking to Anosha! Don’t forget to leave us a 5* review. It really (really) helps. Discover more about Avyaana: Avyaana online store Avyaana Instagram Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform Amazon Kitchen timer (not a sponsorship, just a shout out)

Cara Melzack is the founder of London-based knitwear label Cara & The Sky. Cara’s career began as a fashion buyer, working for a number of retail brands including Ted Baker and M&co. After being made redundant from her last position, Cara made the life-changing decision to take her experiences and start her own brand, launching Cara & The Sky in 2019. The brand has since been stocked in 65 boutiques across the UK and Ireland, alongside being nominated for Drapers Independent Womenswear Brand of the Year 2020. But the journey has been far from easy, and she often spent late nights isolated in her storage unit, packing hundreds of orders and shipping them out. We delve into: The ins and outs of the business logistics 3 elements to be ready for in knitwear What boutique owners are looking for in stocking potential fashion brands The harsh realities of running a solo business How to navigate a brand in those early stages Quote by Cara: “Your business is an evolution, and where you start isn’t where you end. It’s never going to be perfect” Discover more about Cara & the Sky: Cara & The Sky online store: https://www.caraandthesky.com/ Cara & The Sky Instagram: @caraandthesky Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform

Karina Molby is the founder of Liverpool-based womenswear brand Molby The Label. Overnight, during the pandemic, Molby The Label went from a few hundred people to now boasting of nearly 80,000 followers. The brand has been seen on Made in Chelsea stars, A-list celebrities, and the biggest influencers on Instagram. Karina manages a full team of seamstresses and assistants who help her bring her designs to life, with an e-commerce site that opens every Sunday and sells out in minutes. What people did not see though were the five collections she made on her sewing machine which received little to no orders. For five years, Karina worked as a buyer at Boohoo whilst running a brand that made no money. She’d pour her heart (and coins) into collections and cry herself to sleep when no order came through. Now, the brand has to control the demand by shutting down their e-commerce store once they’ve reached full capacity for orders. Karina’s story is a tale of persistence and being so certain about what you want in life. I asked Karina, why did you continue even when things didn’t look good. She said she just knew it’d work out. In this episode, Karina and I discuss the 5-year grind and how she remained persistent, the moment that changed her life forever, the one key thing every designer must do, how influencer marketing skyrocketed her business, and how she manages her amazing team. This honest and open podcast makes us realise that you don’t need to achieve perfection to be successful - and sometimes it’s okay to go with the flow! Discover more about Molby the Label: Molby The Label Online store: https://www.molbythelabel.com/shop Karina Molby Instagram: @karinamolby Molby The Label: Instagram: @molbythelabel Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform

This week we speak to co-founders Jen and Zoe of luxury loungewear and lifestyle brand, Sunday Luxe. The two met in 2015 through their work in advertising, Jen and Zoe share similar work ethic values and this came about from their upbringings. From an early age, under her grandma's influence of helping her fix holes and zips, Jen fell in love with fashion and her sewing machine. Matched with a mindset to live a luxurious life and watching her parents work hard, Zoe’s love for fashion expanded when she was met with shooting for premium brands like Marie Claire. Jen and Zoe grew an instant connection at work when they realised that their conversations were led by wanting their own business. Their entrepreneurial mindsets made them realise the gap in the market for loungewear that makes a statement yet is still classic and made to with the finest of fabrics. Years on, they obtained successful careers and still managed to keep in contact, as Zoe eventually moved to New York and Jen laid the foundation of Sunday Luxe. In this episode, we take a trip down Zoe and Jen’s journey into running a fashion business and how being customers for their own brand enabled them to create the perfect loungewear label. We also discuss how their combined skills benefited roles now, how money comes to play when you have a co-founder and the importance of having the right mindset to help achieve success in business. This is a great episode to remind you that setting up a fashion business may not be easy, Jen and Zoe experienced some difficult obstacles along the way of launching and even after launching, but you’ve got to be strong and leave the comparison habits at the door. I hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, please leave a review 5* review on Apple as this helps us grow our platform. Discover more about Jen and Zoe and Sunday Luxe: Sunday Luxe Online Store: www.sundayluxe.co.uk Sunday Luxe Instagram: www.instagram.com/sundayluxe_ Jen's Instagram: www.instagram.com/justjenny_1 Zoe's Instagram: www.instagram.com/zoegomezduce Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform

This week we speak to Ola Alabi, co-founder of Shoreditch-based fashion label, Cold Laundry. Born into a Nigerian heritage, Ola grew up in London and Kent and spent his childhood traveling with his adventurous parents- a key destination being the artistic markets in Italy where he witnessed different design practices. This early influence introduced him to the world of fashion design and helped shape his creative expression and independence. Following a brief career in professional football, Ola went on to work at River Island, where he met his wife and fellow co-founder, Cerise Alabi. Together they shared a passion and interest for fashion design and dreamed big for a future they knew would involve being entrepreneurs. Years later - after one failed footwear label, a few creative projects, and an inspirational 6-month trip to Korea (Asia) - they launched Cold Laundry in 2019. Ola and Cerise have since achieved major success, organically generating 1 million in sales during the first trading year and opening their first brick & mortar store in July 2020.  The couple have work-balance down to a fine art, where Ola focuses on marketing, creative direction, campaigns and collaborations, and Cerise focuses on the product design - the rest is shared amongst the Cold Laundry team. In this episode, Ola paints a real picture following the journey of Cold Laundry, from the couple’s early days hosting a pop-up store in Boxpark, Shoreditch up to their future vision - which is nothing short of creative! We discuss the importance of networking with people (such as suppliers and manufacturers) in the early stages, being resourceful in order to generate cash flow (it’s not just about the idea, designers!), and trialing price points for products. We also touch on hiring team members and the inside POV of selling wholesale to retailers. It’s hard to not be inspired by Ola and Cerise’s aim to achieve a state of mind, feeling, and lifestyle - and Ola consistently finds himself immersed in the fashion world. You don’t want to miss this one that teaches us - “Passion drives success” Discover more about Cold Laundry: Cold Laundry Online store: https://coldlaundrystores.com/ Cold Laundry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coldlaundry/?hl=en Ola’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olaalabi_/?hl=en Cerise’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cerisealabi/?hl=en Follow The Entry Platform for regular doses of fashion, mindset, and business gems on Instagram! @theentry_platform