fashion startup — Blogs — Elizabeth Stiles • Fashion Industry Consultant, Business Coach and Mentor

Fashion Retail Coach and Consultant

Posts tagged fashion startup

the fashion feed - episode 13 - lessons learnt in the fashion industry with elizabeth stiles

You asked and I listened!

A few weeks back, I did some insta polls asking what you’d like from the podcast and I was blown away with the amount of people asking for a solo episode … so here it is!

In this episode I share with you my career history so far & something I’ve taken from each business I’ve worked for. It’s quite unsual to have worked in so many different businesses across buying AND supplying so I hope you find it insightful to get a behind the scenes look at the industry!

I share what I learnt about school, uni, Next, ASOS, Asda, Miss Selfridge, NEW girl ORDER, Huge Boss & more!

elizabeth stiles features on drapers news

I was approached recently to comment on the profit loss at Ted Baker by a journalist at Drapers News & wanted to share on the blog in case you missed it!

the fashion feed - episode 12 with fashion designer caro gomez

Episode 12 is with fashion designer Caro Gomez

Originally from El Salvador, Caro and I met in a facebook group when we were prompted to say what our skills were & if they’d be beneficial to anyone else in the group

I needed advice on email marketing and Caro wanted to speak to someone in the fashion industry for advice on launching a fashion brand - funnily enough she became my first ever client!

After realising we were both based in North London, we’d meet by Camden Lock to help each other out but it quickly formed a friendship that was way past a simple skill swap

I wanted Caro on the podcast because people always ask me ‘how do you ACTUALLY start a fashion brand?’

mastering the #hashtag for your fashion brand

2007 saw Twitter completely redefine the hashtag. Rather being used simply for numerical purposes, the hashtag became key in online communication, especially in terms of trends. Since Twitter transformed the hashtag into a way of grouping collective feelings, other social media sites have jumped at the opportunity of utilising the hashtag as a way of increasing engagement, building audiences and subsequently generating greater profits.

the fashion feed - episode 10 with photographer olivia bossert

Established fashion photographer Olivia Bossert is the 10th guest on the podcast!

Olivia approached me via instagram for us to do a podcast swap which I thought was such a great idea

She interviewed me for her podcast ‘It Starts With A Click’ for fashion photographers and I interviewed her for The Fashion Feed!

podcast interviewsElizabeth StilesAugust 28, 2019fashion blog, fashion designer, fashion podcast, fashion pr, fashion consultant, fashion business consulting, fashion influencer, fashion design, fashion blogger, fashion manufacturers, fashion industry consultant, fashion, fashion startup, fashion industry, fashion marketing, fashion startup advice, fashion expert, fashion brand consultant, fashion business, fashion disruptor, fashion brand, fashion label, how fashion brands make money, creative industry, clothing advice, clothing brand, clothing manufacturers for small businesses, clothing manufacturers for independent brands, premium clothing line, instagram for fashion brands, instagram for fashion, independent fashion brand, independent fashion label, independent retail consultant, independent retail, fashion photography

how to set goals and stick to them

As a creative in the fashion industry, I expect your mind is constantly brimming with innovative ideas.

When it comes to putting your future vision into practice, it can be difficult to filter through all of your thoughts in order to reach the most viable route of achieving your goals. Here’s where SMART goals come into play. SMART goals serve to break down your aims into smaller and more calculative steps, which simultaneously instils into your mind precisely how, why and when you intend to achieve each goal.

the fashion feed - episode 9 with fashion brand elsie & fred

This week I’m lucky enough to have 3 brilliant guests on the fashion feed podcast who own the independent fashion brand Elsie & Fred

Founded by three siblings from Coventry, Leanne, Natalie & Ryan Haynes launched Elsie & Fred in 2014 which has now grown into a successful 6 figure business.

the fashion feed - episode 8 with charlotte jacklin

the fashion feed - episode 8 with charlotte jacklin

This week’s guest on the fashion feed podcast is blogger, podcast host & content creator Charlotte Jacklin

I started following Charlotte at the beginning of this year and my friend noticed she was speaking about starting a fashion brand on her stories. I sent her a message to ask if she’d like to come along to the workshop we were running which she did, it was so lovely of her to come down and join us.

Building an Ethical Fashion Business

Over the last ten years there have been a few major disasters within the manufacturing sector which has highlighted a larger problem within the industry. One of which was known as the Rana Plaza disaster where 1,130 people died from a collapsed building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The building contained clothing factories, a bank, shops, and apartments.

the fashion feed - episode 6 with lucy greenwood

the fashion feed - episode 6 with lucy greenwood

My guest on the sixth episode of the fashion feed podcast is Lucy Greenwood who’s the co founder of Lucy and Yak with her partner Chris. Lucy & Yak is an ethical clothing and lifestyle business famous for their super comfy dungarees!

the fashion feed - episode 5 with meg pirie

the fashion feed - episode 5 with meg pirie

My fifth guest on The Fashion Feed podcast is Meg Pirie

Meg runs a slow fashion advocacy business where she’s an eco conscious stylist, writer, designer & workshop leader in Wales.

After having worked for Gucci and giving birth to her daughter India, her outlook on the fashion industry completely changed… for the better!

the fashion feed - episode 4 with amy fuchsia

My fourth guest on The Fashion Feed podcast is Amy Fuchsia of Fuchsia Shaw

Amy Fuchsia is the ultimate definition of a ‘multi - hyphenate’ - she’s a fashion influencer, stylist, content creator and designer for her own brand Fuchsia Shaw. Her career started in costume design and on- set styling but it didn’t fulfil her creative drive so she slowly transitioned into creating her own designs on swimwear.

podcast interviewsElizabeth StilesMay 8, 2019fashion consultant, fashion designer, fashion influencer, fashion pr, fashion industry consultant, fashion design, fashion influencers, fashion blogger, fashion, fashion startup, fuchsia shaw, the future of influencers, fashion industry, fashion marketing, fashion startup advice, fashion expert, fashion business, fashion disruptor, fashion brand, fashion label, eco fashion, how fashion brands make money, fashion business consulting, slow fashion, luxury fashion line, luxury fashion brand, ethical fashion, premium fashion brand, independent retail consultant, interpret trends, influencers, influencer, instagram for fashion, instagram for fashion brands, independent fashion brand, independent fashion label, instagram prompts for a fashion brand, finding a factory, online marketing, multi hyphen, new inspiration, clothing advice, clothing brand, luxury clothing line, fashion brand consultant, streetwear fashion label, streetwear fashion brand, sustainable fashion, launching a fashion label, how to start a fashion business, how to start a fashion line, trend prediction, streetwear clothing line, streetwear brand, trend research

How to find fabric suppliers for your small business

In my Facebook group The Fashion Feed, the same question gets asked quite a lot… where can i buy fabric from?!

I decided to collate all the info into 1 blog post and I ‘ll also keep updating it when I see new recommendations :)

I would highly recommend phoning the company if you can’t buy online. A lot of the fabric mills are very old school and it will be easier to work together rather than sending emails back and forth

the fashion feed - episode 3 with catherine erdly of future retail

My third guest on The Fashion Feed podcast is Catherine Erdly of Future Retail

She has over 19 years experience working with product businesses of all sizes from high street names (such as Laura Ashley, Coast and Paperchase), all the way down to brand new businesses with just a handful of customers.

Catherine is your go - to woman if you want to get more organised and make more money.

podcast interviewsElizabeth StilesApril 25, 2019fashion consultant, fashion influencer, fashion business consulting, fashion startup, fashion, fashion expert, fashion marketing, fashion business, fashion label, fashion design, fashion buyer, fashion industry consultant, fashion disruptor, fashion industry, fashion brand buyer, fashion brand consultant, fashion startup advice, eco fashion, how fashion brands make money, slow fashion, fashion brand, green fashion, fashion designer, ethical fashion, conscious thinking, creative consulting, customer, clothing, clothing advice, clothing brand, clothing manufacturers for independent brands, premium clothing line, confidence, creative industry, podcast interview, business podcast, small business consulting, small business coach, small business consulting services, how to start a fashion business, how to start a clothing business online, how to start a clothing business, clothing manufacturers for small businesses

the fashion feed - episode 2 with sophie slater of birdsong london

My second guest on The Fashion Feed podcast is Sophie Slater of the eco - fashion brand Birdsong London.

Sophie started the brand with Sarah in 2014 as they were inspired by the great skill and creativity in women’s community groups but frustrated by their financial insecurity in the context of budget cuts and rising rents.

the influencers who you need to follow

After considering what the future may or may not hold for the influencer age, it seems apt to pause for a moment and consider the now, by focusing on the bloggers who are absolutely killing it with their style and content.

why do so many fledgling fashion businesses fail?

This is an article I came across last year and regularly forward it on to my clients as it sums up everything I believe in with regards to budget planning at the start of your brand!

It has been written by Kim Winser for Forbes.com & the link to the original article can be found here

Kim was the youngest-appointed and first female director of the Womenswear Group at Marks and Spencer Plc, chief executive at Pringle of Scotland, CEO of Aquascutum and chairman of Agent Provocateur. She also served as retail guru to 3i, and most recently, launched luxury fashion brand Winser London

blogElizabeth StilesMarch 1, 2019fashion brand buyer, fashion consultant, fashion business consulting, fashion designer, fashion pr, fashion industry consultant, fashion design, fashion blogger, fashion, fashion startup, fashion industry, fashion marketing, fashion startup advice, fashion buyer, fashion expert, fashion brand consultant, fashion brand, creative consulting, creative industry, clothing advice, clothing, clothing brand, customer, confidence, clothing manufacturers for small quantities, clothing m, clothing manufacturers for small businesses, clothing manufacturers for independent brands, starting a clothing brand, how to start a clothing company, streetwear clothing line, luxury clothing line, premium clothing line, start your own clothing brand, how to start a clothing brand, how to start a clothing business online, how to start a clothing business, how to start your own clothing brand, how to start your own clothing company, retail, retailer, premium fashion brand, trend research, streetwear fashion brand, streetwear fashion label, streetwear brand, trend prediction, interpret trends, independent fashion label, independent fashion brand, online marketing

managing your suppliers & production to avoid costly mistakes with catherine erdly

This week is an interview with Catherine Erdly of Future Retail UK where we discuss all the tactics you can put into place to avoid costly mistakes within your production process

a video interview about my career & how you can get into the fashion industry

Here’s a video with Emmie from @_emmiestyles_ for ‘The Showroom Collective’ talking all things fashion, my time in the industry & the importance of slow fashion in 2019

the future of influencers

the future of influencers

By 2017, the internet was saturated with hundreds of influencers – many who had made the difficult decision to commit full-time and rely on it as their only source of income