How Fitting Alison Hoenes | women's apparel patternmaker

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, neuro-inclusive clothing brand. Women are told so many shaming messages about how they should dress their boobs, but Vktori is setting a new example of embracing comfort on your own terms.



Keona Moy, with her 13-year healthcare background, founded VKTORI in response to the discomfort of traditional bras and the stigma of going braless. Her firsthand experience with sensory sensitivities at work fueled the creation of VKTORI, a revolutionary women’s wear brand. VKTORI's no-nip tee features a patent-pending and sensory-friendly construction which ensures comfort for all. VKTORI is at the intersection of fashion, wellness, and functionality, which allows women to be comfortable on their terms. 





In this episode, you’ll learn:




How entrepreneurship has forced Keona to confront her devils



The societal pressures of dressing as a woman and how Vktori removes those pressures



The problem Keona started out to solve and how that evolved



How Keona has funded Vktori’s launch and growth



How Vktori’s messaging has changed based on customer feedback



How to decide what feedback to pay attention to and what is just a distraction



How Keona found the team and advisory board members who are excited about Vktori’s mission



How Keona’s perspective on her role as CEO has changed over the years




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Vktori website



Vktori Instagram



Keona's LinkedIn



Join the waitlist for the new NahBra Tee




Has listening to How Fitting helped you create a better fit in your fashion business? Episode 100 of this podcast is coming up and I’m planning a special episode featuring the most notable moments from the 104 guests I’ve had on this podcast so far – plus your story! Click here to tell me about your favorite How Fitting episode and how it has impacted you or your business.



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.

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 the industry for over a decade, she’s learned the rules of textile design. Now, with her own brand, she breaks them. Her luxury fashion and home pieces juxtapose vintage with new and minimal with maximal to create a deeply creative story.



Patternier, the brainchild of Master Textile Designer, Heather Rose Rauscher, is a unique Art, Fashion, and Home company rooted in Textile Design. With a deep passion for vintage fabrics, which showcase design culture, Heather reimagines these pieces through her own lens. Using vintage quilts as the backdrop for her designs, she then hand-paints original patterns over the quilts to create a new textile design- and an original work of art. The new textile is then used to create unique home and fashion stylings.



Pushing it one step further- all fashion pieces are created from vintage silhouettes which Heather sources herself. Using motifs that would not normally be put together, such as, a chinoiserie Jacobean on an Americana Patchwork, Heather somehow makes it work in a sophisticated and inventive way. Any item from Patternier is meant to stand alone as a work of art, not just a luxury good.



Made 100% in New York- from the design and printing to the cut and sew, and quilting, keeping it local and sustainable is at the forefront of Patternier’s mission. Heather’s 10+ year’s in the textile industry ensures that all fabrics of rich cotton, silk, and linen are of the finest quality to match the craftsmanship of the collections.





In this episode, you’ll learn:




What Heather prioritizes in designing her fabrics, textile prints, and products



Why it is important to work for other companies before starting your own brand



How Heather knew it was the right time to start her own business



The innovative technique Heather uses to create the Patternier prints



How each print translates into fashion and home products



How Heather found her seamstresses



The drop schedule Patternier uses to maximize the newness of each print



How Heather gets more eyes on the Patternier brand




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Patternier website



Patternier Instagram



Heather’s Instagram




Has listening to How Fitting helped you create a better fit in your fashion business? Episode 100 of this podcast is coming up and I’m planning a special episode featuring the most notable moments from the 104 guests I’ve had on this podcast so far – plus your story! Click here to tell me about your favorite How Fitting episode and how it has impacted you or your business.



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.

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 sustainable consultancy Recloseted, paints a picture of what a renewed fashion industry could look like and what it would take to get us there. She shares practical steps that brands can take now to improve their sustainability efforts at each stage of business and how to communicate those efforts in specific and honest ways.



Selina is the Founder & CEO of Recloseted and she's on a mission to transform the harmful fashion industry. Her consulting firm Recloseted launches + scales sustainable fashion brands and helps existing brands become more conscious. Selina is also the host of Recloseted Radio, the top podcast for sustainable fashion entrepreneurs.





In this episode, you’ll learn:




What a transformed fashion industry could look like



What it will take to make sustainable fashion the norm



A better way to set sustainability goals



How to approach hard sustainability conversations without backlash



Whether it is possible to be both sustainable and profitable



Why voting with your dollars also applies to fashion brands, not just consumers



Why sustainability can’t be the only selling point



How much money it actually takes to start a sustainable fashion brand




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Recloseted website



Recloseted Fund Your Fashion Line Training



Recloseted How to Launch a Profitable Fashion Brand Masterclass



Listen or Watch: Breaking Down the Fashion Design Process — Interview with Alison Hoenes on the the Recloseted Radio podcast




Has listening to How Fitting helped you create a better fit in your fashion business? Episode 100 of this podcast is coming up and I’m planning a special episode featuring the most notable moments from the 104 guests I’ve had on this podcast so far – plus your story! Click here to tell me about your favorite How Fitting episode and how it has impacted you or your business.



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.

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 in just a few years. Madison is strategic with her decisions, and crystal clear on her customer and business values, and shares so many little-talked-of realities of fashion business in this interview.



Madison was born and raised in Greensboro North Carolina, obtaining her bachelor's degree from NCCU in Business Administration and Marketing! After a year in Corporate America, Madison decided to put her love of business and fashion into something meaningful. Thus, creating her namesake label Madison Victoria; a slowly made, small-batch-produced woman’s label that offers classic silhouettes with creative and functional designs for the modern women. Creating a community for all and a safe space within the fashion industry for black and brown women.





In this episode, you’ll learn:




How Madison got into fashion despite being too scared to pursue a fashion degree in school



The strategic way Madison interviewed different manufacturing partners to make sure she found the best fit for her business



How to stay inspired as a creative without a travel budget



Why Madison recommends every business owner create a thorough business plan



How her business plan has helped her make better decisions in her business



The underrated skill that has helped Madison grow her brand (more than money could)



The importance of storytelling - including what, how, and whom to tell



Why it is so important to find the right day job before your business becomes full-time.




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Madison Victoria website



Madison Victoria Instagram



FashionPedia fashion encyclopedia




Has listening to How Fitting helped you create a better fit in your fashion business? Episode 100 of this podcast is coming up and I’m planning a special episode featuring the most notable moments from the 104 guests I’ve had on this podcast so far – plus your story! Click here to tell me about your favorite How Fitting episode and how it has impacted you or your business.



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.

In episode 94, Freya challenges the assumption that synthetics are better for swimwear with her sensitive-skin-focused brand Solpardus – which means ‘sun leopard’. With natural-fiber swimwear and apparel, Freya cares for her skin and the community of other women living with psoriasis, eczema, and sensitive skin that she’s met through running her business.



Solpardus makes all natural bamboo swimwear and linen clothing with skin comfort at the forefront of our design. We marry style with comfort to bring 100% natural, British made, ethical and sustainable swimwear and relaxed tailoring that is perfect for psoriasis and eczema.



The idea for Solpardus came over lockdown in Cornwall when my own psoriasis was in full flare and incredibly sore. As with some other psoriasis sufferers, I find that a healthy dose of sunshine can work wonders for my skin. However, as I am sure any woman can attest to, synthetic swimwear is far from comfortable at the best of times and unbearable against inflamed skin! So I scoured the internet searching for natural fabric swimwear.



After only finding one brand in America and one in Australia (with neither delivering to the UK) I decided to make my own bamboo fabric bikini. I was thrilled to find that, in spite of the messy stitching and wonky elastic I had achieved with my small sewing machine, my first attempt was perfect for my skin. I wore it all summer taking full advantage of the glorious Cornish weather! 



Since then I have made it my mission to challenge the status-quo of synthetic swimwear and bring it back to its natural roots! With Solpardus I also try to encourage women to find empowerment through both comfort and style, especially those with psoriasis, eczema or any other skin complaint. Solpardus, meaning “Sun Leopard”, is in reference to the pigment disparities that often occur when psoriasis heals in the sun giving the skin a leopard-like appearance.





In this episode, you’ll learn:




The assumption about fashion that Freya is trying to rewrite



How Freya’s sensitive skin sparked the idea for Solpardus



How Freya got manufacturers to take her seriously



How starting Solpardus challenged Freya’s assumptions about the fashion industry



The pros and cons of natural fibers for swimwear



What went into Solpardus’ first in-person event



How Freya cultivates self-awareness when it comes to her skin and her business




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Solpardus website



Solpardus Instagram



Solpardus TikTok




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.

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 in business, Oge has slowly created her own way to make sustainable, comfortable clothes that fit no matter your size. She’s uniquely created Oge Ajibe’s size chart, figured out pricing, stayed visible online, and she has big plans for the future of her brand.



Oge Ajibe is a company that educates consumers on portraying themselves across all aspect, of fashion. Our inclusive, sustainable apparel, all handcrafted in Canada, provides our customers with a unique sense of comfort and confidence.





In this episode, you’ll learn:




How fashion school did (and did not) prepare her for fashion business



What Oge did to build her confidence in the quality of her work



How Oge’s business evolved over the years



Why Oge thinks big brands are avoiding offering inclusive sizing even when small brands like hers can afford to do it.



The unique way Oge created her brand’s sizing to fit XS-5X



Why making custom clothing helped her RTW business



What Oge learned from the home sewing community



The journey one piece of clothing takes to get to the end customer



What success looks like for Oge




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Oge Ajibe website



Oge Ajibe 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.