In episode 39, Rachel Thebault and Neda Talebian Funk, the co-founders of Woodley + Lowe, talk about how they keep it cute, comfortable, and socially conscious for their inclusive and sustainable Gen Z fashion brand.

Neda Talebian Funk comes from a background in start-ups, fitness and retail companies. She began her career as an equity research analyst for Bear Stearns, covering the retail industry with a focus on teen apparel retailers. She then transitioned into direct roles at several retail companies until she decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge and start her own business.

In 2011, she co-founded FITiST, the first one-stop membership and bookings platform for boutique fitness, which led to the creation of FITiST Labs, a strategic and brand consultancy where she also served as an advisor to lifestyle and e-commerce businesses such as Lively and Jetblack. Today, as cofounder of Woodley + Lowe, Neda oversees marketing, technology and Partnerships. Neda currently resides in New York City with her husband and three sons. 

Armed with a built-in focus group (three daughters, ages 16, 12, and 8), Rachel Thebault co-Founded Woodley + Lowe in 2019, where she oversees design & production and visual marketing for the business. Prior to founding Woodley + Lowe, she honed her entrepreneurial operating experience through the retail bakery she founded and ran for 12 years—Tribeca Treats. Beloved city-wide, Tribeca Treats served tens of thousands of clients, including a roster of celebrities and major corporations. While running the bakery, Rachel also authored a cookbook, which was published by Random House in 2008. Prior to that, Rachel jump started her career in finance, spending seven years in investment banking covering high growth retail & restaurant companies. Rachel resides in New York City with her family.

Rachel and Neda met through a mutual friend in 2019, and the two discovered a niche in the market that remained untapped. Neda and Rachel recognized a void in the Gen-Z market, a lack in reliable sizing, and knew it was hard for brands to find a middle ground between teen and adult wardrobe. When they realized no one was targeting Gen Z directly despite the market growing into their spending power, they created Woodley + Lowe. 

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 38, Marquita Chanel of L’Vena Collection shares how she curates her brand image and makes a statement with her handmade jewelry and refashioned vintage creations while staying true to who she is.

Marquita Chanel is the owner of Intended Images, LLC which focuses on bringing out the very best in women in regards to image, self-presentation, and personal style. Her clientele consists of women in leadership, C-suite, entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, etc.

Marquita is also the owner of L’Vena Collection, LLC, a custom handmade jewelry business named after her late sister LaVena (Angel) Gates.  Every piece of jewelry in the collection is named after a woman that was influential in Angel’s and Marquita’s life. L’Vena Collection is not just about fabulous handcrafted jewelry, it’s about celebrating the accomplishments and beauty of women. In September 2019, L’Vena Collection expanded its product base to include re-worked vintage, handmade, and sourced clothing. Women that wear pieces from L’Vena Collection make powerful statements without speaking.

Marquita Chanel is a graduate of Webster University with a M.A. in Management & Leadership.  She received her B.S. in Business Administration from Harris-Stowe State University.

In addition to her businesses, Marquita Chanel is a Lead IT Program Manager for the Next NGA West Program, a $2 billion dollar construction project in St. Louis City. People are always stunned when she tells them that! They always say, “You’re in IT? You should be in New York or Chicago working in fashion!” Her response is, “I’d rather use my gifts at home and then share them with the world.” It is her goal to contribute to St. Louis being the fashion hub that it once was! The movement has begun, and she is here for it!

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 37, Laura Briggs talks about the fun, work, challenges, and rewards of starting her petite fashion brand, The Shortlist, without any fashion industry experience. 

The Shortlist creates gorgeous, limited edition fashion exclusively for petites.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 36, Janna Volmert of JM Couturière walks us through her journey in custom bridal and how the experience is special and significant for both her and her clients. 

JM Couturière is a bridal and formalwear design service offering custom gown design, re-design, and intense alterations. Utilizing couture and commercial techniques, JM Couturière can make your dream gown a reality or perfect an existing gown. 

Janna, owner/designer, holds a Fashion Design and Product Development Degree from Stephens College and has been creating gowns for 10+ years for a wide range of clients.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 35, Terri Stipanovich, founder and CEO of small-batch manufacturing factory The Collective Thread, shares how her background in the non-profit world and mission to empower women to earn a living wage led her to start The Collective Thread as a resource for emerging designers, training ground for industrial sewing, and a place for all to find meaning in creating something beautiful.

In 2010 the founder of Faith that Works, now The Collective Thread, Terri Stipanovich traveled to East Africa on a vision trip. Terri was heartbroken when she saw refugee Somali women facing severe poverty and oppression. During that trip, she made a decision to start an organization that would empower refugee women both in her hometown of St. Louis, Mo, and in the Somali region of East Africa. After some years of working with women in both areas, she realized economic empowerment was the only sustainable solution to the issues she was passionately working to solve. At that point, The Collective Thread began to offer free sewing classes, which then led to living wage jobs for women both in Africa and St. Louis.

It wasn't long before some St. Louis apparel brands approached Terri asking her team to take on their sewing needs. She knew this was a potential business opportunity that could fund the mission she had spent 10 years developing. But she needed experts in commercial sewing to succeed.

Terri grew her team and expanded to a beautiful historic space in The Garment District in Downtown St. Louis. They purchased state-of-the-art equipment to increase their free sewing education classes to the community and to offer top-notch product development and small-batch manufacturing to companies in need of these services. They grew their management staff by hiring aspiring fashion designers and creating a winning team that has served over 50 brands fulfilling apparel design and manufacturing needs—all while staying true to The Collective Thread’s mission to empower vulnerable women through new skills and a living wage job.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 34, Natalia Trevino Amaro shares how she’s grown her slow fashion namesake label from a side project out of her parent’s midwest home to her full-time job since graduating from FIT in 2020. 

Natalia is a 22 year old fashion designer & content creator focusing on slow fashion and sustainability.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 33, KaLeena Thomas talks about what was missing in her career wardrobe, how entrepreneurship and community go hand in hand, and the meaning behind her brand J. Margaret Weaver.

After more than a decade of struggling to find classic, high quality, and easy-to-care for professional work clothing and accessories, KaLeena Thomas decided to stop shopping and start the solution. In January 2021, she launched J. Margaret Weaver, a brand specializing in simple and smart work clothing and accessories for women. J. Margaret Weaver is committed to promoting ethical, US-based production, size inclusivity, and easy-to-care for pieces. Her vision is to empower and simplify life for women by streamlining the first decision you make every day – what am I going to wear?

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 32, Elizabeth Frenchman shares what worked and what didn't about starting a sleepwear brand in her home town of NYC after retiring from a career in graphic design.

Elizabeth Frenchman is an apparel designer who adheres to the “less is more” philosophy as well as G-d being in the details. She was born and raised in Ohio but escaped to earn a BA in printmaking from Rutgers in New Jersey. This led to a long varied graphic design career in Boston and New York. An MLS from Pratt facilitated a switch to architectural materials librarianship. Many courses at both FIT and Central Saint Martins (London) prepared her for launching a sleepwear line, Fichu Bedwear.

In architecture, in fashion, in graphics, the designer must listen to her materials. Design serves a purpose: to shelter, to clothe, to mediate harmoniously with nature yet it harness nature for knowledge, beauty and utility.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 31, Broads the Label founder Daron Linton shares how she turned a life-long clothing struggle into a fashion business.

Daron Linton spent most of her life thinking that sleeves are bullshit. A sleeved shirt, dress, or jacket has meant a day of tugging, puckering, and restriction all because genetics (and a love for being active) handed her a pair of wider-than-average shoulders. 

Having lived in 4 season climates her whole life, cutting sleeves out and only wearing tank tops was not an option, so living with uncomfortable and unflattering clothing was inevitable – that is until Broads the Label was born. 

More than anything, Broads the Label embraces the bodies of strong-shouldered women. All of our clothing is tailored to women who always find themselves frustrated with the fit of the shoulders on a typical sleeved shirt, dress, and jacket. Our broad shoulders often mean tugging, puckering, and restriction. 

Broads the Label is always comfortably and reliably fitted for broad shoulders, pairs sophistication with simplicity, and is created to last. Finally, broad shouldered women are getting their sleeves back.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.

In episode 30, Alexa McNeal of Cedar & Sand Swimwear (now Bold Beach Swim) shares why and how she launched a swimwear brand in October 2020 where every suit is made to adjust to your body - not the other way around.

Alexa has been designing adjustable swimwear for every body type since October 2020 when she launched her brand Cedar & Sand Swimwear.

Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.