How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fits

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 also manageable? These are the kinds of questions that underlie all of our businesses and impact how sustainable running the business actually is. Ceilidh has experienced this first hand over the ten years she’s been running her brand BillyNou. What started as a natural dyeing hobby, became a maker business. As the brand grew, she realized both the strengths of her creative process and the limitations of her business model. In episode 136, Ceilidh shares how she’s aligning her product offering with the content she already loves to share and how the Original Overalls she started with still embody the magic she wants the BillyNou community to experience. Ceilidh Chaplin is a British designer and the founder of BillyNou, a slow fashion brand based in Provence in the south of France, focusing on unique, simple, statement pieces coloured with natural pigments and flowers. Born out of a desire for comfort and sustainability, BillyNou clothing is low impact and easy to wear. There is a strong focus on low impact fibers and using natural dyes to colour garments made with vintage and antique French linen. Most pieces are made slowly, from start to finish in her small atelier bridging the gap between fashion and craft. Ceilidh describes the natural dyes she works with as “living colours” having a charm and personality very unlike chemical dyes and offers natural dye workshops and tutorials in person and on line. She communicates her story and showcases her brand in collaboration with her partner, through high quality and visually beautiful content, encouraging people to consider their relationship to fast fashion and over consumption whilst also feeling they have stepped into a magical floral universe. What we learn about fit in this episode: Fitting the people What surprises Ceilidh about the women who buy BillyNou Why listening to her audience led Ceilidh to start teaching workshops Fitting the performance What makes some styles staples that sell for years or decades Fitting the purpose How BillyNou’s Original Overalls embody the brand’s values Why natural dyeing is a big part of the BillyNou brand and a big reason why customers buy from BillyNou How the new natural dyeing course that Ceilidh teaches is making her business more sustainable Fitting the production How Ceilidh balances control and consistency with creativity in production The moment Ceilidh realized that the content she was sharing online and what she was selling weren’t aligned People and resources mentioned in this episode: BillyNou website BillyNou Instagram BillyNou Youtube BillyNou email Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits.

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 Sample Room. 100% of styles are available as both the finished garment and the sewing pattern. Not only that, but Meg designs each pattern and style to be upcycled so that the final garment is not its final form. The unique business model means The Sample Room operates half way between an apparel company and an indie pattern company. In episode 135, we talk about the reasoning behind her decision to sell her patterns and ask the question: ‘Is there any financial benefit to working with upcycled materials?’. It’s an interesting conversation about business, fit, circular design, and more. Hear how this all fits together in her signature Workwear Jacket. Meg McCullough is a clothing designer and the founder of The Sample Room, a circular fashion brand focused on designing garments that can be remade, repaired, and eventually returned to the earth. She also runs Studio M, a freelance apparel design studio where she helps small brands design and tech pack clothing. With over a decade in the fashion industry, her work focuses on better design, natural materials, and clothing made to last. What we learn about fit in this episode: Fitting the people The Sample Room customers’ response when she designed the Workwear Jacket to be upcycled Why Megan shifted from using GOTS certified cotton to upcycling garments in her fashion brand What The Sample Room’s fit testing process looks like given that they sell both garments and patterns How Megan balances fitting each individual fit model versus fitting her customer across the board How Megan keeps the fit and sizing consistent across her fashion brand while working with a variety of fit testers Fitting the performance The regional lifestyle that influenced the amount of ease in the Workwear Jacket How The Sample Room’s different income streams fit together in the business Fitting the purpose Why Megan sells The Sample Room patterns as well as finished garments How Megan designs her patterns so that the garment can be upcycled Fitting the production The production costs of using upcycled versus production using virgin materials How Megan handled conversations with her factory when there was pushback on the sustainable way she wanted her apparel manufactured People and resources mentioned in this episode: The Sample Room website The Sample Room Instagram The Sample Room Youtube Meg’s email Meg’s LinkedIn Circular Factory biodegradable trims Clo3D fashion design software Optitex patternmaking software Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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? The data is structured, but the answers are squishy. Today’s guest, Karen Poirier, proved it is possible to engineer a garment – using the physics, fabric properties, and seam structure – for a feeling. Her brand, Embargo, re-engineers support for full-busted women with bra-alternatives that prioritize comfort and wellbeing. In episode 134, we talk about the engineering that went into their Full Support Bra-Free Top and discover what good fit looks like for Embrago. Karen Poirier, the visionary designer behind Embrago (em-BRA-go), is transforming women’s fashion with her innovative and sustainable approach. Embrago is more than just a clothing line; it’s a movement towards ethical and compassionate living that empowers women to embrace a minimalist fashion footprint.  For Karen, sustainability means creating multifunctional pieces that adapt to the natural changes in a woman’s body. After years of managing a fuller bust through the changes of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and midlife, she dedicated herself to developing a bra-alternative that supports overall health and comfort without compromising on style.  Her patented Body Responsive Fit™ system uses a new approach to built-in bust support that feels like a gentle embrace and ensures a perfect fit every day. This re-imagined system eliminates the pain and discomfort caused by traditional bras and automatically adapts to a woman’s body changes as she experiences hormone and weight fluctuations, from pre- to post-menopause. Embrago’s designs are crafted to be versatile, reducing the need for excess consumption.  Each piece is ethically produced in small batches, using the softest organic cotton and high-quality materials that prioritize both the planet and personal well-being. Karen’s mission is clear: to empower women to feel confident and comfortable, while also benefitting their health and the environment. Through Embrago, Karen is not only reshaping fashion categories but also transforming the way women think about getting dressed, encouraging mindful choices for a more sustainable future. What we learn about fit in this episode: Fitting the people How Embrago creates support without restriction for full-busted women The moment Karen knew that the product was finished The mindset shift that happens when women start wearing Embrago Fitting the performance Why Karen focused on seams in a market category that typically favors seamless construction  How to use the grainline of the fabric strategically for the garment’s function Fitting the purpose How Embrago helps women break free from the social pressure to hide or compress a larger chest Why Karen started Embrago in the first place Fitting the production The factors that went into Embrago’s pricing The fit-testing process for this innovative product People and resources mentioned in this episode: Embrago website Embrago Instagram Embrago Youtube Embrago email Karen’s LinkedIn Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits.

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 health of our planet.  For Meli and Rensso Hinostroza, this realization turned into curiosity and a deep dive into 100% plastic-free clothing production. The two siblings have started two brands – Arms of Andes and Eco Aya. In episode 133, we go into the nitty gritty details of eliminating all plastic from the clothing they make down to every thread, zipper, button, and fabric finishing and how they had to set up their manufacturing to do it. Melissa and Rensso Hinostroza are the sibling co-founders of Eco Aya, a plastic-free non-toxic lifestyle brand, and Arms of Andes, home of the world’s only 100% alpaca outdoor apparel. In an industry dominated by synthetic fibers and microplastics, the sibling duo have returned to their roots to offer a high-performance alternative that is entirely natural and biodegradable.  Born in California and raised between the U.S. and Peru, they have spent their lives navigating two worlds, a perspective that allowed them to see how heritage-driven techniques could solve the modern environmental crisis in the global outdoor market.  Meli Hinostroza is the brand’s creative force and strategic visionary. She leads marketing, sales, and the customer experience, ensuring that every campaign reflects their deep-rooted commitment to the planet. For Meli, the mission is to dismantle the industry's reliance on plastics by building a brand that connects people back to nature through sustainable, purposeful design.  Rensso Hinostroza is the operational backbone of the company. With a background in international business, he manages the entire supply chain directly from Peru. He is the guardian of the brand’s transparency, overseeing everything from sourcing raw fibers to final production. A believer in a minimalist approach to adventure, Rensso is dedicated to proving that performance gear doesn't need chemicals or plastics to excel in the world's harshest environments.  Together, Meli and Rensso are bridging the gap between ancestral wisdom and modern technical performance, proving that the future of the outdoors isn't synthetic, it's natural. This episode explores: Fitting the customer Who Meli and Rensso designed Arms of Andes and Eco Aya for The questions Meli and Rensso wish customers would ask of brands The questions brands should be asking of their suppliers Fitting the lifestyle How the sustainable lifestyle Meli and Rensso grew up with influenced their early business decisions Why Meli and Rensso decided to bring all their textile and garment production in-house in a single country The nitty gritty details of how Rensso and Meli got rid of the hidden sources of plastic in their brand’s clothes Fitting the values Why Meli and Rensso put so much value (and effort) into making clothes plastic-free The balance between longevity and biodegradability People and resources mentioned in this episode: Eco Aya. website Arms of Andes website Eco Aya Instagram Eco Aya email Take the podcast listener survey here. Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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 is still emerging. In episode 132, we look at what is working and what still needs work when it comes to custom clothing production. Daniela Rodriguez-Firmani and Andre Ramirez-Cedeno are the co-founders of Neems Jeans, a fashion-tech company using AI body-scanning technology to create custom-fit jeans for every body. Both Miami natives and Northwestern graduates, Dani and Andre worked as management consultants before their personal frustrations changed everything: they could never find jeans that fit perfectly.  In 2020, they launched Neems together - armed with zero fashion experience but fierce determination to solve a problem millions face every time they shop for denim. Together, they've scaled Neems into a rapidly growing seven-figure brand serving thousands of customers internationally, challenging the myth of standard sizing while proving that innovation and sustainability can coexist. Their mission: make clothing that fits people, not the other way around. This episode explores: Fitting the customer Why Neems isn’t constrained to fitting one customer niche The biggest customer segments for Neems and what that says about the fit of off-the-rack options How Daniela and Andre overcome skepticism from customers Fitting the lifestyle The point-of-no-return investment that Daniela and Andre made How Neems production has evolved through different stages of the business’ life How Daniela and Andre arrived at the price point for their custom jeans Fitting the values The vision and values that keeps them going even when things are hard The different reasons why customers buy Neems People and resources mentioned in this episode: Neems Jeans website Neems Jeans Instagram Choozr body scanning/measuring technology Tukatech pattern software and machinery Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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 been doing for the past 10 years. She is the founder and Chief Sequin Officer of Fringe + Co and my guest in this episode 131. What started in her spare bedroom, grew into a thriving brand that supports color, celebration, and her local New Orleans community. With each stage of her business – even when the decisions haven’t been so sparkly and fun – Kelsey has chosen to transparently live by her values. Kelsey Campion is the founder and Chief Sequin Officer of Fringe + Co., a New Orleans–based fashion brand rooted in celebration, color, and community. She started Fringe + Co. over 10 years ago out of her 200-square-foot spare bedroom, building the business from the ground up with creativity, grit, and a belief that getting dressed should feel like a party.  As the brand grew, Kelsey faced a turning point: scaling production without sacrificing her values. Determined to keep manufacturing local and ethical, she partnered with a New Orleans manufacturer for four years. In 2021, a single viral video changed everything — accelerating the business and creating the opportunity to purchase that very manufacturer in 2022.  Today, Kelsey not only produces Fringe + Co. locally, but also manufactures for other brands, helping founders bring their ideas to life while keeping production ethical, transparent, and community-driven. Her work and story have been featured on The Today Show, she’s been scouted by Shark Tank, and she continues to advocate for small-batch manufacturing, creative entrepreneurship, and building businesses that don’t require burning out or going it alone. This episode explores: Fitting the customer How Kesley designs pieces that go beyond parades and special occasions Why Kelsey is super transparent with her customers about the behind the scenes of her business Why Kelsey describes herself as a “selfish creative” and how that has served her business How Kesley makes Fringe + Co more accessible to people despite a higher price point Fitting the lifestyle Why Kelsey has been feeling a bit bored in her business right now and what she’s doing to bring creativity back How going viral forced Kelsey and her team to systematize the business How the city Fringe is part of (New Orleans) influences the brand How running a fashion business for over a decade transforms your lifestyle Fitting the values The values Kesley will never leave behind as her business grows How Fringe customers became some of the biggest advocates for Kelsey’s business values The points where growth can test your values People and resources mentioned in this episode: Fringe + Co. website Fringe + Co. Instagram Fringe Factory Instagram Kelsey’s email Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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 ApparelWerks. No matter the business, their goal with product design, fit, and sizing has been the same: make each customer insanely happy. It impacts how they see production, technology, entrepreneurship, craftsmanship, customer relationships, and more. In episode 130, we cover it all. Steven and Rick were introduced when Rick was looking into body scanning for a problem his daughter, an engineer, was trying to solve. "There's a guy in Portland who's been making customized clothing for decades. He knows all about scanners and measurement." They discovered a shared appreciation for manufacturing technology, a fascination with old sewing machines, and a view that tech is only a means to an end; their past businesses were focused on making customers happy. Both were also looking for something new and interesting to do, and the result was starting ApparelWerks, a manufacturing and product development studio in Portland creating made-to-measure clothing. Steven Heard has decades of experience making clothing, starting at the Levi Strauss factory on Valencia Street in San Francisco, at a time when all patterns and samples for the company were still created there. He was a senior pattern-maker for Levi's Dockers brand, and went on to spearhead the world’s first large-scale bespoke jeans production, leveraging body scanning technology to craft custom jeans for thousands of consumers. He founded pattern service bureau Clinton Park, doing garment development and pattern work for numerous national and start-up brands, and developed a reputation for being the go-to patternmaker for denim development. He went on to found Japanese-inspired San Francisco denim and workwear brand Dillon Montara in 2014, and was the development and manufacturing partner behind Portland's Ship John brand. Rick Levine is the engineering black sheep in a family of artists. His father was a ceramist and designer, making and using tools to create mid-century ceramic tile and lamps on a large scale. Rick spent a lot of his time growing up around clay and machinery. Rick started his career as a producer and editor for film and video, and stepped sideways into programming tools and user interfaces for computer systems. He worked at Sun Microsystems early in its existence, and then at a series of start-ups. In 2006, Rick followed his interest in manufacturing automation to found chocolate brand Sun Cups. He repurposed industrial-scale chocolate techniques to create artisanal, organic, nut-free chocolates and made them available in thousands of stores. In 2013, he and his brother, designer Neil Levine, founded sock company XOAB, focusing on creating comfortable socks with a broad palette of Merino wool and Supima® cotton colors. They created a domestic supply chain, and used modified knitting machines and pattern analysis software to take new designs from sketch to shelf in less than a week, a capability unique in the hosiery industry.  This episode explores: Fitting the customer Why the garment won’t fit unless you’ve had a conversation with the customer The difference between solving fit for your brand versus solving fit for your customer The advantages and limitations of 3D body scanning for apparel development How they know when they got the fit right Fitting the lifestyle Scaling on-demand production How one-piece production flow changes the way you see efficiency How Rick’s and Steven’s background lead to their perspectives on manufacturing The tools Rick and Steven use to systemetize custom clothing Fitting the values Why there’s value in both craft and technology Why Rick has a “healthy disrespect” for tools People and resources mentioned in this episode: ApparelWerks website Dillon Montara website ApparelWerks Instagram Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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. Her brand, Lilla Barn, makes colorful and sustainable clothes for kids and grownups alike. As a lifelong sewist, Bergen Anderson started Lilla Barn in order to make colorful, genderless, sustainable, baby clothes that stand out in a world of pinks and blues. In the last 12 years, she has grown her brand to include grown-up clothes, accessories, and homegoods including a storefront/studio in Andersonville, Illinois.  Inspired by visual artists who play with color and texture, her work is intended to bring joy, creativity, and individuality into everyday life. Bergen enjoys exploring the overlaps between traditional craft ("women's work"), modern textiles, and functional fine art. As a slow fashion advocate, she believes the personal is political and that our consumer habits and creating habits should align with our values.  This episode explores: Fitting the customer Why Bergen designs what she likes even though she is technically no longer her own target customer Bergen’s process for patternmaking and sizing and its pros and cons for fit Fitting the lifestyle The hardest part about hiring a small team for Lilla Barn The extent that creative habits are intertwined with personal and business lifestyles The projects Bergen wants to take on in her business once she has a bigger team How opening a retail space changed Lilla Barn’s business model Fitting the values How to communicate brand values in a way that is meaningful and relevant even as the broader culture changes around us People and resources mentioned in this episode: Lilla Barn website Lilla Barn email Lilla Barn Instagram Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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 Mortada doesn’t let them. She gave up the traditional wholesale calendar and the pressure that came with it. Her four-year-old brand, dal the label, now releases new capsules on a flexible schedule that works for her. In episode 128, Dana shares how far she’s come by following intention instead of expectations. dal the label is a California womenswear brand redefining modern luxury through elevated essentials. Founded by designer Dana Mortada, the brand focuses on timeless, ethical pieces designed in Los Angeles and made to be worn again and again. Each collection reflects a commitment to intentional design, quality craftsmanship, and a slower, more thoughtful way of dressing. This episode explores: Fitting the customer Why simple designs are harder to fit The marks of craftsmanship that Dana designs for and looks for in clothing Fitting the lifestyle Why Dana doesn’t want the traditional fashion calendar to run her life and instead releases capsules whenever she is ready What makes Dana say dal has come a long way since first launching in 2022 The biggest challenge Dana is trying to solve on the business side Why Dana moved some of her production overseas Fitting the values How long clothes last depends on the designer and the consumer How Dana answers the question of “does the world need another fashion brand?” based on her values People and resources mentioned in this episode: Dal the Label website Dal the Label email Dal the Label Instagram Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

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 for your business strategy?  This is the choice that Maria Alejandra Alvarado has made for her luxury workwear brand ZADIMA. In episode 127, she shares how she’s connecting with people to market her brand instead of competing with algorithms. For Maria, it felt like a natural fit that aligns with her business.  María Alejandra Alvarado is a marketing leader with nearly 15 years of experience shaping brand and product launch strategies for global companies. For the past three years, she’s been building ZADIMA — a brand born from her desire to help modern professionals dress beautifully and intentionally, without adding more decisions to already full days.  Frustrated by the lack of color, personality, and quality in workwear, María set out to create pieces that combine great tailoring, elegant silhouettes, and luxurious Italian fabrics. Each garment is crafted from exquisite Italian deadstock textiles in a woman-owned atelier in Manhattan’s Garment District, designed to make women feel confident, polished, and effortlessly themselves. This episode explores: Fitting the customer The smart questions Maria asked while gathering customer research The ways that knowing her customer helped Maria make decisions about fabric, designs, and colors  Fitting the lifestyle How the lifestyle of the Zadima customer shaped the marketing strategy The practical ways Maria generates word-of-mouth referrals How Maria represents her brand as the founder How Maria prioritizes tasks in her business Fitting the values Why Maria decided to produce her collection in NY How Maria uses AI tools in alignment with her relationships and quality-focused business values People and resources mentioned in this episode: ZADIMA website ZADIMA email Maria’s LinkedIn Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.