Rose and Doug Phillips asked: “how can we spend every day, together, doing what we love?” Their answer was Conscious Clothing. For two decades they built their business on this premise - even building the gorgeous, sun-filled Michigan studio where their team of ten designs and makes each piece of organic and natural fiber clothing. 

Things haven’t always been dreamy, though. As the brand grew, work started to creep into the weekends. The pandemic hit. Then Doug lost his life and business partner. But, the heartfelt vision for Conscious Clothing remained. In this interview, Doug and General Manager Liz DeBraber share how they’re intentionally restructuring the business for the sake of themselves, their team, and their customers.

Doug Phillips is the owner of Conscious Clothing, an organic and natural fiber clothing company based in the Grand Rapids Michigan area. While navigating the challenges of designing and manufacturing in the US for over 23 years against a flood of cheap clothing imports, a mission was born. Exemplifying how a better way is possible by supporting local and organic is better for people and the planet. Doug hopes everyone realizes their power to create change with the purchase power they have and the brands they choose to support.

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Work smarter, not harder. That is what the high achieving women who wear Luxeire’s technical tailored button-ups are doing and what mother-daughter co-founders Gina Kuyers and Margot Adams do in their business as well. (Okay, sometimes they are working smart and hard). In just five years, they’ve grown the brand to 7 figures. They’re self-funding the business and the growth hasn’t come without risks. They’ve learned to experiment quickly and have found what investments pay off for them and which don’t. Their whole business is built for problem solving.

In episode 117, Gina and Margot share how they’ve focused Luxeire’s marketing and ad strategy around what matters most to their customers, how they take risks without jeopardizing their family life, and why producing in New York city fits their business values.

The idea for Luxeire emerged from founder Gina Kuyers’ frustration with the discomfort and high maintenance of beautiful clothing. Gina, unable to find any brands that offered the perfect fit, decided to take matters into her own hands and create one. With a 20-year career and a PhD in school psychology, Gina had spent decades applying research to real-world problem solving. She used this expertise to identify a significant gap in the fashion industry: the lack of stylish, comfortable, and low-maintenance clothing that fits perfectly.

Motivated by her own experiences and the needs of countless others, Gina set out to create Luxeire. Gina’s meticulous approach to research and problem-solving has been instrumental in the development of Luxeire's unique product line. She has leveraged her analytical skills to source the finest materials and employ innovative design techniques that ensure each piece is both functional and beautiful. Luxeire’s wardrobe staples are a testament to Gina’s commitment to quality, comfort, and sustainability, offering a perfect fit for modern lifestyles. Luxeire stands as a testament to her dedication to solving everyday problems with elevated, practical solutions.

In December 2020, Margot Adams, Gina’s daughter, joined Luxeire as the dynamic head of marketing and sales. Serving as the driving force behind the brand’s direct-to-consumer launch, Margot's leadership has been instrumental in reshaping Luxeire’s market approach. Margot attended the prestigious Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she immersed herself in business design with a special focus on marketing and sustainability.

While at Parsons, she honed her creative skills and developed a keen eye for aesthetics and trends. Her time as a marketing assistant and stylist for Sarah Flint further enriched her understanding of the fashion world, allowing her to blend practical experience with academic knowledge. This background has been instrumental in shaping Luxeire’s brand identity, infusing it with innovative marketing strategies and a strong emphasis on sustainable practices.

Margot’s creative vision and strategic insight have been pivotal in elevating Luxeire's market presence, ensuring the brand resonates with contemporary consumers who value both style and sustainability. Her ability to merge creative artistry with business insights continues to be a driving force behind Luxeire’s success.

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If you’ve ever dreamed of having your products in stores but are hesitant to dip your toes into retail because of high overhead, lower wholesale margins, or lack of retail experience, Elizabeth Solomeina has a solution.

In episode 116, Elizabeth shares her refreshingly different approach to retail. Her multi-city retail space and press showroom, Flying Solo, is designed just for independent designers to grow their brands and community. It is a collaborative retail space where designers get to control how their collection is presented, get feedback directly from customers, and make higher margins without the traditionally long wholesale lead times.

Elizabeth Solomeina is the co-founder of Flying Solo, a revolutionary fashion retail and PR platform based in New York and Paris. With a background in design and entrepreneurship, Elizabeth has built one of the most influential independent fashion platforms in the world — supporting thousands of emerging brands over the years and redefining how fashion reaches the market.

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When your brand focuses on a specific body shape, creating clothes that fit is fairly easy. But what if you are designing for specific psychographics instead of demographics? What does fit look like then? Heidi Keil is the founder of Humble Hearts Clergy Apparel. She designs clothes for female pastors and chaplains – which is super niched on both faith values and vocation, not necessarily body type. Manufacturing clothes and a business that fits has been a prayer-filled journey for Heidi, but she serves in this way because she loves it.

In episode 115, hear how Heidi arrived at a size chart and a size range that fits the pastors she serves, why Heidi started Humble Hearts as a business but it’s turned into more of a hobby within her lifestyle, and how Heidi’s faith values and favorite bible verse inspire her humble approach to running her brand.

Heidi began designing clergy apparel, at the request of her pastor, when she was a student in an Apparel Design program. It was something Heidi continued to offer, somewhat sporadically, while working in the costume shop at The Guthrie Theater following graduation. When the theater closed due to the pandemic in 2020 she turned her time and attention to creating a line of clergy apparel (mainly due to her own need for something to fill her time). Gradually, with the help of family, friends, past instructors and work contacts she slowly developed an online presence. Humble Hearts Clergy Apparel is in its 5th year.  

Where does the name come from? "...live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:1-2

Heidi shares: "This small business has been a wonderful way to blend my interest in fashion and apparel design with my faith."

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What would you be willing to do to better serve your customers and mission? Paloma Soledad, a three-time stage IV cancer survivor and founder of LuxCare, is making some big changes in her business to help women going through medical treatments feel more like themselves and less like a patient. In episode 114, she tells the careful details and entrepreneurial journey that has gone into creating LuxCare’s stylish and medically accessible clothing.

Paloma Soledad is a fashion designer and three-time cancer survivor. Inspired by her journey with stage IV cancer, Paloma created LuxCare, a gifting platform, and line of clothing designed to help individuals facing medical challenges feel more like themselves. LuxCare offers adaptive garments, including headscarves for those experiencing hair loss, and versatile clothing that blends comfort, style, and medical functionality. Her brand focuses on sustainability, timeless styles, custom prints, and high-quality fabrics.

Paloma's career highlights include designing for films such as "Coraline," receiving the "Best Emerging Designer" award at Portland Fashion Week, and being named one of Entertainment Weekly’s “Eight Costume Designers turned Fashion Headliner.” Her work has appeared in SPIN Magazine, L'Officiel, Photobook Magazine, and on electronic billboards in Times Square.

With a commitment to slow fashion and environmental sustainability, LuxCare uses certified organic fabrics and continually seeks innovative materials. Paloma's designs are crafted to uplift and empower, offering both comfort and elegance. Raised in Hawaii, her design aesthetics were shaped by the natural wonders around her, instilling a deep respect for the planet's limited resources. Mostly self-taught, she learned from her mother as a child and honed her skills on the job. Today, Paloma seamlessly integrates beauty and craftsmanship into her fashion projects, significantly enriching the lives of those she designs for.

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We’ve all been burned by an online clothing purchase that didn’t live up to its promised fit and quality. It is no wonder that women who don’t fit standard-size charts are hesitant to purchase from a new brand online. This is the challenge that AAM The Label CEO and founder Neha Samdaria has overcome within her brand that designs for pear-shaped women with fuller hips and thighs. In episode 113, Neha shares exactly what she did to build trust with her customers and factory, keep return rates super low, get stocked in Nordstrom, and have Buzzfeed and Forbes editors writing raving reviews.

Neha Samdaria is the founder of Aam The Label, a sustainable fashion brand for the ~25% of women with fuller hips and thighs than the standard size chart. Founded based on her own experience as a pear-shaped woman and bootstrapped entirely from her savings, the brand is now available at Nordstrom and has been featured in Forbes and Cosmopolitan. Neha holds an MBA from Stanford and a Bachelor's In Science from Caltech.

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What if clothes not only reflected the beauty and personality of the wearer, but brought together the skills, people, and livelihoods of a whole community? This is why Kristina Collins is passionate about producing her brand of jackets and sweaters in the USA as locally as possible. In episode 112, hear how she has focused her creativity and her sourcing to connect the community around her. This priority brings challenges, but also many opportunities to her fashion business. Kristina shares her transparent philosophy as well as her tips for brands wanting to set up a local supply chain of their own.

Kristina Collins clothing is women's jackets, blazers, and sweaters designed and made in the USA. Our mission is stand-out, high-quality garments that are sourced and made with our local community at heart.

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More and more in today’s fashion industry, women are the ones in charge and designing for themselves instead of for some unrealistic societal ideal. Kimberly Becker is doing this and going a step further for women’s rights with her brand K. Becker. In episode 111, hear how politics, feminism, and sustainability guide her work and how she’s using fashion to give back to causes that support women across the globe.

Kimberly started this journey as a Textile Major at RISD. After graduating, she worked in the garment district of Manhattan for about a decade off and on – beginning at Liz Claiborne, and then moving to upholstery fabric design, always focused on designing the fabrics. Kimberly’s time at Liz Claiborne gave her priceless experience, both about how the business was run and also in getting exposure to the suppliers and manufacturers from around the world. 

Fast forward 25 years and she is creating art focused on women's rights. Her House Dresses and Dolls for Change were both discussions about how women are still facing an uphill battle in the world. Someone asked her why she wasn't designing clothing. They loved the way the dolls Kimberly was making were dressed. It took about 6 months for Kimberly to find the courage to try. That decision was life-changing. She’s one year in and the brand is settling into the collection and message she feels fits what she was aiming for. 

K.Becker is a collection of sustainable pretty things that fit and flatters real women's bodies. Empowering women is vital. When we feel beautiful we are a force. All clothing is sewn in NYC, and knit in Brooklyn and the company is an all-women team. Kimberly donates 5% of all profits to women-focused causes. 

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Classical music is rooted in rich history, formality, and tradition - but does the musicians’ concert attire still have to be? Blackstrad founder and professional flutist Mercedes Smith thinks it is time for a change of pace in performance wardrobes. In episode 110, hear how she is designing new concert black attire that resonates with the individuality of modern musicians while keeping the harmony of a unified ensemble. 

Mercedes Smith has served as the Principal Flutist of the Utah Symphony since 2012, having previously held the same position with the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet Orchestras.

She has performed in Carnegie Hall, throughout Europe and Asia, and at renowned music festivals including the Grand Teton Music Festival, Tanglewood, Music Academy of the West, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and Marlboro.

Never one to idle, Mercedes turned the pandemic into an opportunity, obtaining a real estate license and earning an M.B.A. from the University of Utah. Her latest endeavor is the creation of Blackstrad, a line of concert attire designed for the modern musician. She resides in Salt Lake City with her husband and three very silly dogs.

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Sourcing fabrics that fit their design, values, and budget is one of the biggest challenges designers face in making their designs a reality. It is such a relief when you can find a fabric supplier you can count on to grow your business. In episode 109, meet Thomas Oviedo, the Sales Manager at Carr Textile. In our conversation, he breaks down Carr’s fabric offerings, printing services, and rigorous quality testing process. Thomas also shares a list of questions to ask fabric suppliers to determine which fabric is the right fit for your project. Whether you are looking for 1yd or upwards of 10,000yds, Carr is here to help.

Thomas Oviedo is the Sales Manager at Carr Textile Corporation, a leading name in stock fabric programs, digital printing on all fibers, and cap component manufacturing. 

With over 23 years of extensive experience in the textile industry across various sectors, Thomas has developed a deep understanding of market dynamics and customer needs.

With a remarkable 51 years in business, Carr Textile has established itself as a one-stop shop, offering an extensive range of fabric options and services to meet the diverse needs of the industry.  Carr Textile boasts a current stock inventory exceeding 6 million yards, all available with no minimum order requirements, making it a go-to resource for customers. 

Recently, Carr Textile acquired Philips-Boyne, a fine woven shirting company based in New York. This strategic acquisition positions Carr Textile to better serve various segments of the apparel industry, further enhancing its market reach.

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