How I started a clothing line from home and turned it into a profitable business

Nothing could have fully prepared me for my journey as an entrepreneur in the fashion industry. Not fashion school, not working in the industry for 6 years prior, nothing except hands-on experience and learning from trial and error many times over. I’m pretty sure I cried every day during the first year of running my business. I was confident that with all of my experience, I would crush it as a business owner but the truth is, I had no idea what the heck I was doing, and I was too prideful to admit it.

Prior to starting my business, I was working as a sales manager in the fashion industry. I had a thriving career that allowed me to travel to Paris twice a year, and experience things I never thought were possible for me – I was living "the dream". But deep down, I always had the desire to start my own clothing line and would often daydream about what it would be like. But as I continued to climb up the corporate ladder that dream felt further and further away.

In 2014 I decided to rededicate my life to my Christian faith and when this happened a lot of things began to shift for me. One of those things was the way that I dressed. Before, I had been wearing clothes that were revealing because of my need for attention and validation, but when I discovered my true worth and value in Christ it was like something clicked for me and I no longer desired to lead with my body, but instead honor God and myself with the things I wore. Now you may be wondering what this has to do with me starting a clothing line, but trust me this is a key part of my business journey and your story will be a key part of your journey too.

Not long after this revelation I started to become disillusioned with my once glamorous and exciting job, and in my downtime, I started daydreaming about that business again. I journaled a vision of starting a clothing line that would promote modesty in a fashion-forward way and what it would look like. And soon after I gained the courage to leave my job and start my line.

Now I know that the end of that sentence made this transition seem simple but it was anything but that. At the time I was 24 years old and moved back in with my parents while working a part-time job at Urban Outfitters that would allow me the time to start pursuing my dream. Although this was not what I envisioned for myself at 24 I knew it would take sacrifice to start my line and I was willing to do that.

I knew my savings weren’t going to be enough to start my business so I had to find the capital elsewhere. That’s when I discovered crowdfunding and made the decision that I would fundraise through Indiegogo. So, I set up my campaign and got to work on developing my first collection.

I would come home from work and work on my business in my 200 sqft bedroom. I spent many restless nights googling my life away to piece together a blueprint on how to create a successful brand. And on my off days, I ventured out into LA’s garment district to find vendors to produce my line. I eventually pieced together a team of contractors to work with but I was limited in my findings and didn’t have many options. In fact, I’m pretty sure they all hated me because I really had no clue what I was talking about.

The production manager would yell at me and tell me all the things I was doing wrong.

The pattern maker would stare at me like I had no clue what I was doing (because I didn’t).

I sourced fabric from the wrong places because I didn’t know where any of the wholesale fabric stores were so I just settled for what I could get. 

And when I finally launched, I was barely getting orders and had no idea how to make sales

It was a disaster and it took YEARS of trial and error before I felt like I knew what I was doing.

Why? you ask - because I didn’t ask for help, I thought I could figure everything out on my own. I was too timid and prideful to admit that I didn’t know everything and although I eventually was able to accomplish a lot in my business it took me longer than it should have and caused me a lot of unnecessary tears, anxiety, and emotional eating (I was throwing those vegan cookies back like nobody’s business).

With time, I started to learn the ropes but I also came across some great mentors who were kind and patient enough to explain the things I didn’t understand and point me in the right direction where I could find the things I needed. I was finally able to create things I was proud of and eventually found myself on the Forbes 30 under 30 list and my brand stocked in some of my dream retailers like Madewell and Macy's.

Running a business of any kind will never be easy it takes a lot of sacrifices, problem-solving, and dedication – but with the right people in your corner and access to the information you need, it can make the journey a lot smoother and more enjoyable.

Because of my experience, I began freely sharing what I know with anyone who would come to me asking for resources or help with their businesses, and eventually decided it was time to widen my reach and help more people with their fashion start-up journey.

For the past few years, I've been consulting start-up fashion businesses and wanted to find a way that I could serve my clients better by offering ongoing guidance - and that's how Make Good Fashion was born - out of my desire to create the community and resources I needed when I started my business.  A community of support, coaching, and accountability - and resources that lay out a clear path on how to start a brand from the ground up while avoiding the costly mistakes I made.

Friend, if you're looking to start a brand I would love to walk alongside you so that your journey looks a little nicer than mine did. Check out our amazing membership community that will provide you with the tools you need to get your fashion brand up and running in no time! Click here for a peek!