How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fits

Alison Hoenes | fit expert & patternmaker
  • 4.9 (7)
  • MZGenre.Podcasts.FashionBeauty
  • MZPodcastFrequency.Episodic.Biweekly

How Fitting® is the podcast that explores how slow fashion brands make clothes – and businesses – that fit. In each biweekly episode, meet a relatable fashion designer or entrepreneur (the kind of indie brands who run their businesses from kitchen tables and cutting tables, not boardroom tables) and hear how the people, performance, purpose, and production shaped the fit of one of their garments. Because fit is relational before it is technical. Host Alison Hoenes (a fit expert & women’s apparel patternmaker) and her guests look at the things all slow fashion business owners experience in pursuit of fit. Things like the empathetic process of designing clothes that fit a niche market, the vulnerability of launching something you deeply care about, the challenges of pursuing both financial and environmental sustainability, the honest conversations with suppliers and factories, the late-night reckoning with your values that make you consider shutting the whole thing down, and the rewarding moments that give us hope for the future ethical fashion. How Fitting® offers validation that you are not alone in your fashion entrepreneurship experience, ideas to try on in your fashion business to create a better fit, and a curious look into how other slow fashion brands are making it work. How fitting is that?

  1. Sep 22

    A Good Product Is Not Enough – Fashion Brands Need a Story and Lifestyle with Ann Simmons of Annie Ozark

    A good product is not enough. As much as we’d like to pour our creative time and resources into creating the most beautiful design and exquisitely crafted product and then let it sell itself, it just doesn’t. In fashion business, the job doesn’t stop when the garment is produced. Marketing it is just as important. And that job actually starts before the product even exists. For some designers, it might seem counterintuitive to think about the marketing and business first, but for Ann Simmons, it came naturally. After working in merchandising and brand marketing at iconic heritage lifestyle brands, she founded her own label – Annie Ozark. Before designing anything, Ann thought about the lifestyle and marketing concept of her brand. In episode 138 of How Fitting®, she shares how this brand story is woven throughout each aspect of her collection’s design and development – including that of the Mulberry Denim Overalls. Annie Ozark founder Ann Simmons was raised in the Arkansas Ozarks with a bent toward design, Americana, and all things vintage. Her mother and grandmother taught her the difference between a garment made for the season and one crafted to be passed down – a distinction that now shapes every piece she makes. After studying Fashion Merchandising in college, she built a career in apparel and retail. Her time at two iconic heritage brands, Ralph Lauren and Wrangler, inspired her to be the architect of her own label, Annie Ozark. The brand was born where the American South meets the Midwest, in the folds of the Ozark Mountains. It offers women’s pieces for everyday living: overalls, work shirts, and bandanas, all designed with equal parts femininity and sturdiness, and built to outlast a single season. What we learn about fit in this episode: Fitting the people How the Ozarks lifestyle influences every part of Annie Ozark How Ann balances fitting herself versus fitting other women in her target market Referencing vintage clothing when designing for the modern woman Fitting the performance The unexpected ways that longevity plays a role in Ann’s design choices How Ann responds to trends in her brand and designs Fitting the purpose Why Ann created the story and world for Annie Ozark before she designed any clothing The Americana niche that Ann found was missing in fashion Fitting the production What Ann learned from producing her first collection that she is bringing into the development of future seasons Balancing cost and quality in production People and resources mentioned in this episode: Annie Ozark website Annie Ozark Instagram Annie Ozark LinkedIn Do you want daily advice and explorations on creating clothes that fit your customers and your business sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes and more.

  2. Aug 18

    Considering What Slow Fashion Means For A Brand’s Present and Future with Arianna Levesque of Triplicity

    If you run a slow fashion brand, you’ve probably experienced this. You saw how wasteful the fashion industry can be and vowed to run your brand differently. You want to pursue quality over quantity, sustainable materials and practices, fair labor, and avoid over-production. But how does this slow fashion intent meet the reality of factory MOQs, wash tests, and production costs for a new brand? Plus, as the brand grows, is there a scale where a slow fashion brand is no longer slow fashion? These are all questions Arianna Levesque considers for her brand Triplicity. Arianna and her triplet sisters create versatile, chic pieces meant for a long-lasting capsule wardrobe. In episode 137, hear what slow fashion values Arianna prioritized as Triplicity started out, how she’s planning for the brand’s future growth, and how these goals impacted decisions for the Adelaide Adjustable Drawstring Pant. Triplicity was founded by Arianna Levesque, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Arianna began her career designing for a fast fashion company and eventually realized she wanted to do things differently. She saw hundreds of styles produced each month in poor fabrics and likely unethical conditions, in trendy designs that would not carry over to the next year. It felt wasteful, and she wanted to offer styles that were higher quality, and could help people build a capsule wardrobe that they could wear for years to come, which would reduce waste, save people money in the long run, and make deciding what to wear easier. Inspired by growing up as an identical triplet and sharing clothes with her two sisters, Arianna developed a passion for designing basics with extra functional details that make her designs versatile, with flexible sizing on many of the styles. These features turn timeless basics into unique, adaptable pieces. What we learn about fit in this episode: Fitting the people How sharing clothes with her sisters growing up helps Arianna design capsule wardrobe pieces How Arianna incorporates adjustable features in each piece without cluttering the simplicity of the designs Fitting the performance The debate between natural and synthetic fibers and where Triplicity landed on their materials How the flexible designs are made for the lifestyle of the Triplicity customer Fitting the purpose How Triplicity follows a slow fashion approach Why sustainability probably isn’t the biggest selling point for your product Fitting the production Why Triplicity doesn’t follow a traditional fashion production calendar What Arianna envisions for Triplicity’s production model to scale the brand without giving up slow fashion values People and resources mentioned in this episode: Triplicity website Triplicity Instagram Triplicity TikTok Do you want daily advice and explorations on creating clothes that fit your customers and your business sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes and more.

  3. Jun 30

    Creative Confidence, Control, and Content-Product Offer Alignment with Ceilidh of BillyNou

    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.

  4. Jun 16

    Why This Circular Fashion Brand Doesn’t Gatekeep Their Patterns with Megan McCullough of The Sample Room

    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.

  5. Jun 2

    How To Engineer A Garment For A Feeling with Karen Poirier of Embrago

    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.

  6. Mar 17

    Can We Make 100% Plastic-Free Clothing? with Meli and Rensso Hinostroza of Eco Aya and Arms of Andes

    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.

  7. Mar 3

    How Custom Clothing at Scale is Working with Daniela Rodriguez & Andre Ramirez-Cedeno of Neems Jeans

    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.

  8. Feb 17

    Viral Growth Without Abandoning Your Joy or Values with Kelsey Campion of Fringe + Co.

    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.

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About

How Fitting® is the podcast that explores how slow fashion brands make clothes – and businesses – that fit. In each biweekly episode, meet a relatable fashion designer or entrepreneur (the kind of indie brands who run their businesses from kitchen tables and cutting tables, not boardroom tables) and hear how the people, performance, purpose, and production shaped the fit of one of their garments. Because fit is relational before it is technical. Host Alison Hoenes (a fit expert & women’s apparel patternmaker) and her guests look at the things all slow fashion business owners experience in pursuit of fit. Things like the empathetic process of designing clothes that fit a niche market, the vulnerability of launching something you deeply care about, the challenges of pursuing both financial and environmental sustainability, the honest conversations with suppliers and factories, the late-night reckoning with your values that make you consider shutting the whole thing down, and the rewarding moments that give us hope for the future ethical fashion. How Fitting® offers validation that you are not alone in your fashion entrepreneurship experience, ideas to try on in your fashion business to create a better fit, and a curious look into how other slow fashion brands are making it work. How fitting is that?

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