How to Create A Sustainable Apparel Brand: Success Secrets

Why does fashion matter?  Fashion is not about the clothing. It's about feeling confident, connected, and being creative. Your style is empowering, it's your voice without words, it's self-expression, and empowers others. 

Style is also good for your health: The movement of "dopamine dressing" is a real:  When you feel confident, you smile. Smiles release dopamine, that happy molecule in your brain that also reduces anxiety. And, smiling is contagious.

Whatever you decide to create, you are combating impractical ideas of society with what true beauty means. Style displays oneself as being unique and comfortable in the way a person desires. Your role in the business of fashion has that ability to help people live their best most confident and connected life.

Your style is it is the quickest way to change a mood. It is not because of the clothing, it is because of the

energy the clothing gives you.   Well... this is NOT a course on Style.  This is a BUSINESS COURSE on how to join in the business of fashion and how you are going to be in position to impart these emotions on others so you can help others live limitlessly. 

There's lots of people out there with great ideas. You have to find the "white space," the idea or concept that you will provide that fills a need. But, what's the difference between a great idea and a successful brand?   

It comes down to strategy and execution. The right strategy and the right execution will have a long lasting impact.

That is what I want for you. These are not tools for me to keep when they can help you achieve. Maybe you've heard the expression, "knowledge it is the straw that stirs the drink?"  Fuel yourself with industry knowledge and you will stir it up! 

In this series, you will experience:

- Why does fashion matters? 
- Trend Trend and Color forecasting
- Branding and Merch
- Luxury Markets
- How to Speak Like an Industry Expert?
- How the Fashion Industry Works & Where You Fit It
- The Future of Fashion & more

Take your vision from beyond your kitchen table and out of the boardroom, into the world!  Elevate and feel transformed inside. I'm here to see you bloom and Blossom.

Why does fashion matter?  Fashion is not about the clothing. It's about feeling confident, connected, and being creative. Your style is empowering, it's your voice without words, it's self-expression, and empowers others. 

Style is also good for your health: The movement of "dopamine dressing" is a real:  When you feel confident, you smile. Smiles release dopamine, that happy molecule in your brain that also reduces anxiety. And, smiling is contagious.

Whatever you decide to create, you are combating impractical ideas of society with what true beauty means. Style displays oneself as being unique and comfortable in the way a person desires. Your role in the business of fashion has that ability to help people live their best most confident and connected life.

-- The history of fashion repeats itself, in fresh new ways --

Look here at Princess Diana wearing an 80's Eagles bomber jacket, similar to the one Kendrick Lamar wore during his 2025 Superbowl performance.  Lamar is also wearing 60's and 70's inspired bell bottoms, his from Celine.   

As you look into the history of fashion, you'll realize the past is always reinterpreted.

50s brought polished elegance, the rise of the little black dress, Chanel, Dior, Balmain, and red lipstick— a color that you'll never see Taylor Swift without, today. 

60s saw politics and a desire for freedom lead to the Space Age, Mod Fashion, and the "bob." 

In the 80s, Chanel was revitalized under Karl Lagerfeld, alongside the rise of punk, hip hop, and power dressing.   

The 90s brought minimalism, casual wear, and colorful bomber jackets by Avirex, Timbs (Timberland), and Tommy Hilfiger.

How can these old brands and styles stay fresh? I leave that to you. Take your inspiration and move forward.

Let's tour a trade show.  Experience the process of creating a garment, embellishing, and producing. 

In this segment, we go to the ISS Show, "Imprinted Sportswear.  T-shirts, loungewear, hats, and basics, aprons and more can make for a wonderful, chic backbone to your creation. It's an easy point of entry into apparel creation. It's also trending:  Mantra clothing tends to spike when there's times of unrest.  Dopamine dressing allows people to wear something new and feel reinvented, all with a basic, fashionable Tshirt that's on-track with the color palette. Color trends are tracked by forecasters, with the most well known being Pantone. Others are WGSN, Fashion Snoops, Peclars.

At an event like ISS, you will experience a lot of options in many color, fit and fabrications. Knowing the trends and forecasting in advance is important to guide you in bringing your vision to life.  You don't want to be confused at an event.  Have a clear understanding of your target desires, what aligns with your brand, and what will sell.

Avoid "Costco syndrome," that feeling of shopping when you mean to buy apples and get a couch instead. Do your research on the trends, the fit, and the fabrications.  Understand the price points of production and what your clients will pay for the garment. Stay Focused. Create a product that's well thought out, and on-trend to deliver your message. 

Looking to create a line?  You don't need to do it all.  You can work with a third-party company and they're going to develop your vision from sketching to cutting. There's so many ways to bring your vision to life. Come along for this taste of the production process. There is more in Fitting In: A Fashion Startup Playbook and in 3 Ways Anyone Can Have Clothing Collection. Of course, I'm always here to consult with you.  

"When you think your finished, you're just starting." 

Step 1:  These are trend forecasting services. Join their newsletters; grab their downloads.

• Brew Creative

• Trendalytics

• Fashion Snoops

• Peclers

• Nelly Rodi Paris   

• WGSN 

• Pantone

Step 2:  If you think you're seeing something unique, or weird, track it. You may be onto the next trend. Do you have the eye to spot these trends? 

--

Fashion FADs   

Barbiecore

Balletcore

Mermaidcore

Tie-dye

--

I saw Trench Coats coming up about 18 months ago. I wanted the GAP to put them out as a Gateway to Gen Z, make them look cool and fun.  This past weekend, that's exactly what the GAP did: They launched a campaign with Parker Posey, wearing a modern trench.

--

See Coat / Outerwear Trench tracking forecast in the resources section.  

--

On the streets of cities from LA and NY, London to Tokyo, you may have the eye to see the trends quietly emerge, and slowly permeate.  You'll see trends trickle in from around the world, from our favorite fashion cities:  Paris, Milan, Tokyo,  to Copenhagen, and trends move from the streets upwards, from the runway down, and most common is moving trends from friends to friends, groups of aspiring individuals dressing similarly.  

This isn't your hobby. It's your business. In this conversation, we teach you how to spot the trends, and what tools to use to keep up to create a successful brand.  

If you are competing on price, it is a race to the bottom. There is always a brand that can make it quicker and cheaper, in our global supply chain. Your brand story is your most powerful tool to allow you to stand out and command the prices you desire. 

How do you want to manage the brand production -Locally, vs. Globally? 

Managing Locally:   The advantages of managing locally, for example, in Los Angeles or New York, allow you to step into your production and keep a close eye on the quality and production.  It's also helpful for small runs, luxury items, and to be able to drop-ship direct to your customers from your warehouse. 

Go Global: If you're looking to build a larger brand, consider a global imprint. How can you begin? 

Check out trade events, such as Sourcing@MAGIC, TechTechtil, and the LA Textile Show to meet with suppliers around the world.  Look at their transparency and factory conditions. Ask, what is needed to get started.   Managing a global supply chain is complex, and simplified when you find your a-team of partners to trust. 

We share more in this lecture on how to produce and partner for your brand.  

For a list of full-production partners to guide you through the process, visit Fitting In:  A Fashion Startup Playbook (on amazon) or email me privately. 

The business of fashion is complex.  Begin with the end in mind:  What do you want to accomplish?   Where do you fit in that uses your best skills? In this section, we look at the aisles of fashion, so you know which rack is perfect for you. 

Did you know your clothing begins with nature?  We take a closer look at the raw materials, like Lyrca and Cotton, to create a magical product, the manufacturing, from China to Los Angeles, and finally, how are you selling it? from Bloomingdales to the boutiques. Plus all the people that support the brand business, from PR to sales to legal.

You have so many choices: Which aisle do you want down? Which rack do you want to hang at? 

This also includes a listing of the different roles inside a fashion organization to you will find what's most fitting.

Gucci, Rick Owens, Vivienne Westwood, Donna Karen, to Chanel, who are the industry movers and shakers and why is their impact so important? Challenge yourself and your community with this fun game of fashion icon. 

Knowledge is the straw that stirs the drink. 

Elevate your conversations quickly with the correct verbiage. 

Ask in stores, "where do they shop for their goods?"

Look at brand labels and question, "where did they source and produce these materials?"

Ask questions about minimums, PO's and order placements, delivery dates, logistics, fashion calendar, production deadlines, delivery dates, sustainability, showrooms, and more.

The faster you speak like an industry expert, the quality of your conversation accelerates.

Do you want to create a rising apparel brand or create product for you and your community to enjoy? 

Get where you want to go.