About this time of year, I traditionally write an annual review of how life and business went this year. You may recall 2018 being a doozie with the health status of my mom, the arrival of Baby Lohr and the post-partum blues that came with it. But this year I’m doing something a little differently, […]
What is an “eco-friendly” fabric? That’s the golden question — and it’s a subject of debate among designers, educators and industry veterans. Above all, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as “perfectly sustainable.” Everything new has an impact in some way. The goal as sustainable fashion entrepreneurs is to do the best […]
Last week marked the end of the Factory45 2019 program. One of this year’s graduates asked if she could write a guest post to share her experience with all of you. If you’re considering applying to Factory45 in 2020, you’ll want to read Amber’s post until the end. Here she is: Have you been wanting […]
Want to know how fun I am at the ripe old age of 34…? I spent most of the past weekend live-streaming an entrepreneurship conference. Party. Time. Amiright? While this isn’t something my 21-year-old self would ever understand about who I’ve become, this is genuinely my version of a rip-roaring good time. I just said […]
To the person hustling through nights and weekends to launch their brand, To the person waiting for applications to Factory45 to open, To the person not knowing where to start… I made something for you. The Factory45 Shop is a new platform exclusively created for startup fashion entrepreneurs. Over the past 5+ years of running […]
In the last episode of Factory45 TV, I shared five ways to find a clothing manufacturer for the first time. If you missed it, you can watch it here. Moving forward, you’ll eventually come to a point when you think you’ve found the right factory partner and you’re ready to start production… What questions do […]
I recently got an email from one of my current Factory45’ers asking if I had any tips and advice for life as an entrepreneur: “You’ve done such an excellent job sharing all of your knowledge in building a fashion business which has been invaluable for me. Would it be possible for you to even share […]
How do you find a manufacturer for your clothing line? …especially as a new brand without many industry contacts? In today’s episode of Factory45 TV (!), I’m sharing 5 tips to finding a clothing manufacturer for the first time. My best tip — that I haven’t shared before — is saved for #4 so make […]
In the lead up to becoming an entrepreneur, I was a waitress. I’ll clarify: I was a waitress at a rowdy Irish pub turned late-night bar in the tourist district of downtown Boston. I spent the summer of 2009 working six nine-hour shifts a week, serving up to 24 tables at a time — often […]
Do you know one of the most time-intensive parts of creating a fashion brand? Fabric sourcing. It can take months to find the perfect fabric for your product(s). And that’s why fabric sourcing is the very first thing we tackle in the Factory45 accelerator program. Because at the same time as you’re building your social […]
