September 14, 2021

Making Loved Clothes Last with Alexis Giger of Little Cliff

50 minutes

In episode 25, Alexis Giger talks about her career in fashion from design school, to working for fashion brands big and small, to starting her own mending business during the pandemic in order to make loved clothes last.

Alexis Giger is a fashion designer and textile mender based in St. Louis, MO. She graduated in 2013 from Washington University in St. Louis with a BFA in Fashion Design. She gained industry experience while working for Anthropologie, the St. Louis Fashion Fund, and Summersalt. During the 2020 pandemic, she focused her energy into mask making, which evolved into her sustainable fashion and mending business, Little Cliff. She currently runs her small business while working at Soft Surroundings as an Associate Designer.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What Alexis’ experience was like going to fashion school and then getting jobs in a city that isn’t considered a fashion hub

The different focus between fashion school and working in the industry

Eye-opening things Alexis learned from being in fittings with technical designers

What made Alexis turn her pandemic hobby into a business

Alexis’ favorite mending techniques

Where Alexis finds denim pieces to mend

How Alexis balances a day job as a fashion designer and her mending business Little Cliff

People and resources mentioned in this episode:

Little Cliff website

Little Cliff email

Little Cliff on Instagram

Alexis on LinkedIn

Mending Matters: Stitch, Patch, and Repair Your Favorite Denim & More

The Modern Natural Dyer: A Comprehensive Guide to Dyeing Silk, Wool, Linen and Cotton at Home

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.

...more