My Fashion Story — Manufacturing

I know what you’re thinking - What about Real Estate? Where and when did fashion come into play. As I was working in the real estate world, freelancing with interior design and staging teams, I took a hiatus into fashion. (This was my home studio after the pandemic shut us down). Back in 2013, I had an idea to start designing my own interior design goods and garments as a hobby. I spent hours sketching out designs, but I quickly realized that figuring out how to turn these sketches into real-life garments was a whole other ballgame, especially domestically. This was before Instagram and easy access to manufacturing companies, so even Googling wasn't getting me anywhere, and sustainability was a buzzword.

So, I started a fashion blog to network with other designers and hopefully learn some insider tips on how to break into the industry. But much to my surprise, designers were tight-lipped about their secrets! No matter how close I became with them, they kept their manufacturing processes and insider knowledge under lock and key.

I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and jumped headfirst into the garment manufacturing world. Starting as an executive assistant at a garment manufacturer, I quickly moved up the ranks to sales and eventually Head of Business Development. With each new role came more responsibilities and more opportunities for learning about the ins and outs of manufacturing.

But after a few years in this industry, I realized there were so many gaps when it came to sustainability and access to information. Many clients were misinformed about the process simply because manufacturing isn't taught in schools. So, I set out to change things by creating The Sewhaus Agency - an online course that teaches designers everything they need to know about domestic manufacturing.

It took years of hard work and dedication before becoming an expert on this topic, but now I'm able to share all the tiny details that make a massive difference both in terms of design outcomes and financial success. And while creating this course has been a blessing that generates passive income for me now, it's important to remember that getting into fashion and garment manufacturing isn't easy - it takes grit, determination, and lots of hard work. But if you're willing to put in the effort, anything is possible!