Can You Start a Fashion Business Without a Fashion Background?
Here is an email I get at least once a week:
“I’m so excited about Factory45 and really want to join this year! The only thing is, I don’t have a background in fashion – will this affect my chances of being accepted into the program?”
And every time, my answer is…
“Absolutely not!”
Going to fashion school has absolutely nothing to do with how successful you’ll be at launching your own apparel brand.
I’ve witnessed how true that is — over and over again.
Some of the most successful entrepreneurs to come through Factory45 couldn’t have told you the difference between a serger and a die-cutter.
What did they have on their sides instead?
They understood the value of hard work, grit, creativity and resilience.
And believe me, those skills are far more valuable in starting your own brand than knowing how to draft a pattern or sew a garment.
Don’t believe me?
Factory45’er Angela Tsai, who designed and launched the Mamachic, was a reporter for the NBA before she set out to start her own apparel company.
Hanna Baror-Padilla, who joined Factory45 in 2015, was a transportation planner while she launched her womenswear company Sotela.
Factory45’er Tiffany Shown was working for a PR firm when she started creating Fair Seas Supply Co., a line of organic cotton, round beach blankets.
I’ve had massage therapists, Wall Street bankers, stay-at-home moms, humanitarian workers, executive assistants, advertising execs, and the like, join Factory with no knowledge of manufacturing and without any background in fashion.
That’s all to say, any dog can learn new tricks as long as they seek out the education and are willing to learn.
