January 23rd, 2015
Before I launched my collection I had no idea how jewelry was actually made. I thought a jeweler’s bench was something that you sat on, Hephaestus-style, and the process was some shiny mystical…
January 15th, 2015
Helen Behn started her business based on a need for balancing a busy life and managing chronic back pain. She found that icing her back…
January 13th, 2015
A few months ago, Avantūr was nothing more than an idea. Two friends with a passion for design and a desire to create. Today, Avantūr is…
January 9th, 2015
Showing your personality and passion in your product Manufacturing your line is an exciting process as you watch your product unfold and come to life. It’s exhilarating to see the product move from…
January 8th, 2015
Charles James once said: “All creative work begins by doing something with the hands. Creation is simply a problem and design is the…
January 5th, 2015
Last year, for better or worse, is gone. 2015 is officially here (yay!) What’s next for your business? Where do you go now? How do you…
December 29th, 2014
As a designer, it’s easy to get hyper-focused on the creative side of your brand. Where is this pocket going to go? What weight…
December 23rd, 2014
When I first set out to develop and launch Najla, an ethical intimate apparel label, my goal was to have as much of the debut collection as possible sourced and made in the United States….
December 20th, 2014
This subject of this post may sound mundane, but I promise you that it is incredibly useful: how to get organized during your manufacturing…
December 9th, 2014
It is that time of year for Holiday Shopping Shows and one of the biggest shows in the Midwest, One of A Kind, happens right here in Chicago! The show has a fantastic assortment of…
December 3rd, 2014
1. Identify your market and the person you’re targeting. To start off, I begin by researching everything there is to know about my target…
December 1st, 2014
Growing up as a professional dancer I always had a lifelong love for movement and fashion. As an adult, I decided that there was no time like the present to go for my dreams… However,…
November 23rd, 2014
The next few months are full of excitement, preparation, vacations, increased sales, increased production and some stress! So all of us…
November 18th, 2014
On Maker’s Row, factories are categorized into 5 segments: Ideation, Pattern-Making, Materials, Sample Making and Production. Just as the term ‘factories’ categorizes many different…
November 17th, 2014
Samples are single products which are sent from a manufacturer or supplier to a designer or brand to represent the size, look and quality of the products they will receive if they place a full…
November 9th, 2014
Before I became an interior designer, I enjoyed a long career as a commercial photographer specializing in home furnishing, still life and food. Those skills are really handy to have, even though I…
November 6th, 2014
The fashion industry is notoriously cutthroat and competitive. From magazines to emerging designers, popular media sells us the picture of…
November 5th, 2014
When I first started my womenswear business, I wanted to do it all. I was young and excited and my energy seemed limitless. I opened up a…
November 4th, 2014
I make necklaces from vintage pieces I find in flea markets all over the world because I love materials that are entirely unique. My…
October 11th, 2014
As an entrepreneur, you will most likely do business with a variety of vendors. Whether it’s retailers that you sell to, factories…
September 30th, 2014
As a designer or a business owner, staying organized can be invaluable to your success. Collect and organize everything! Sketches, notes,…
September 25th, 2014
As a designer one of the most important things you can do is shop the market. Every designer, large and small, shops! They shop where their…
July 27th, 2014
The world of apparel design is never simple and, more often than not, it requires years…