Nina McLemore’s Post

POST 1: Hello everyone! I decided to start sharing in real-time the steps I've taken and am currently taking to create a fashion brand of women's bags with the concept of "Made in Italy" together with my wife Katarina. I'll also share my thoughts and lessons learned from the ups and downs in business, self-reflection, and personal growth. Let me start with a brief story of how our luxury bag brand was born. In 2018, we founded a family business in the gifts for lovers niche and went through a lot of obstacles, highs, and lows. The constant ups and downs due to the changing market situation, seasonality of the business, and huge risks exhausted us and led to severe burnout. It was truly a "bloody affair." One day in 2023, my wife Katarina, driven by her passion for fashion, decided she wanted to start a business for women. She decided to focus on women's bags. At that time, I was still working on our first gift brand, trying to find a strategy that aligned with my principles and had great potential. How it all started - Katarina found ready-made women's bags from manufacturers in Italy and, after a brief consultation, launched sales under her own brand (OEM production). Given our previous experience with launching, the first sales came quickly, although they were far from as high as at the start of the gift brand. Returning to gifts - At some point after a thorough analysis of the gift brand, I realized that the path needed to achieve the desired scale in the gift business didn't appeal to me. We decided to conclude the development of the gift brand. It was a matter of personal preference, as the market has its own potential. Creating gifts at factories in China taught me a love for creating unique, high-quality, and meaningful products. Our customers felt it, and we sold similar products at prices sometimes twice as high as the market, justified by our high production costs. The Chinese factory even upgraded its production process to improve the quality of the products for us. We achieved that goal. Turning our attention to Katarina's luxury bag brand, after a deep analysis of the market and trends, product development, and conversations with people in the fashion industry, I realized that I liked it and saw the volume and potential in it. I approached Katarina and said, "Let's make something great out of this." Although we had experience in creating and selling brands, fully diving into a new area about which we knew very little (honestly, at that point, we knew nothing about fashion) was like jumping off a cliff into cold, unknown waters, and that's exactly what we did. This marked the beginning of our new exciting journey together. Thank you for reading. I believe that tracking the progress of a project is always interesting. Next, I will describe the specific challenges we faced. Tackling new complex problems and finding solutions is always exciting.

Month in Pre-View for August : Retail - Fashion As a Corporate Medium working with businesses, I offer deep insights about their industry, what trends are going to be coming into play over the next few months as well as how Managers/Staff can work with any new trends, changes, issues and the energy, to maximise their full potential in the market. Here is a very brief run-through of what came through when I decided to look deeper into the Retail industry with regards to the Fashion sector. August Highlights  * You will see an interesting collaborations forming from various brands which may be unexpected. Some will have suspected this but either way, the joint ventures will be more spoken about or be put forward as ‘coming soon’   * There will be new trends set in the most unlikely ways. What once would have be seen as fashion foe par, will soon find its place in the spotlight as new-age creativity is being brought to the fashion world: think unlikely colour pallet, styles, and patterns being put together to create beautiful pieces. * New found success stories will being brought through in relation to fashion icon/brands; think charity organisations, spin off companies, new talent hires that will shift the focus of the industry slightly. Further insights for business owners/leaders in this industry  * Take your time if you’re about to launch something new during this month as there is no need to rush. You have waited this long, a little bit extra to make sure you’re happy with the overall finish product will be just what you need * If you need to pause certain projects or renew an old project but you don’t have all the information then it’s ok if you just give it time to breathe. There is not need to push the outcome. It will happen. * Go easy on yourself and the those working for or around you. This is a special month where new beginnings are happening for most people in their personal and professional lives. There is no need to overwhelm yourself. * Reflection is the key theme for August. Make sure you know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there before you start the journey. A little introspection will make for big changes and longevity for your desired outcome. WORK WITH ME Details listed in the Corporate Services flyer attached in the ‘featured’ section or feel free to DM with any questions. I look forward to discovering what possibilities await you and your business. 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧 Julie Zdravkovski  julie@moderndaymedium.com.au  www.moderndaymedium.com.au #fashionpost #fashion #fashiongram #fashionista #fashionstyle #fashionblogger #instafashion #style #ootd #fashiondiaries #fashionable #fashionaddict #outfitoftheday #instastyle #fashionlover #fashionblog #outfit #lookoftheday #lookbook #fashionweek #fashionphotography #fashiondesigner #clothes #styleblogger #outfitpost #stylish #love #fashiondaily #instagood #mensfashion #fashionshow #beauty

"If you make a product, your responsibility as a business is to try to minimize the harm. So that has been our ambition ever since" Ace & Tate started back in 2013 on the premise that changing your eyewear should be as easy as changing your sneakers. The brand began selling prescription and non-prescription eyewear primarily online before opening their first store in Amsterdam in 2013 and have since seen a huge growth. 10 years later, the brand is on its way to having 100 stores by the end of 2023 whilst serving over 440,000 customers around the world per year. When telling the 10-year brand story, who better to tell it than the Founder, Mark de Lange. When we first met Mark, we loved hearing about how collaboration, creativity & transparency underpinned Ace & Tate from the very beginning. His inspirations came from the likes of Patagonia and Yvon Chouinard who proved that a conscious business could still be successful. To celebrate the anniversary, we worked to place Mark and Ace & Tate in titles where the story and the journey could be looked at from different lenses - success, failures, growth, and creativity. Telling stories that resonate with audiences is our bag. We loved working with Mark and the A&T team to tell stories in places where the journey could be explored. -To read about Ace & Tate’s success and expected growth, see our coverage in WWD -To learn about all Ace & Tate’s successful partnerships, see our coverage in The Business of Fashion -To understand how A&T created their brand image and increased their profits, read our coverage in Creative Review

After the crazy idea of creating a clothing brand from scratch with no prior knowleage of the industry or business over a decade ago, 11 years and 5 months to be precise and winning over 29 awards throughout both of my companies, including Most Empowering Online Clothing Boutique in 2023 and the Award for Courage was awarded to me to my shock! if anyone saw the video in Nov 2019. I was up against a very tall brick wall I didn't think I could get myself out of. I was nominated in 2017 for the Women Inspire Award for being inspirational and a finalist for Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 and 2014 then in the same year I was invited to be a finalist at the Mayfair Hotel in London, where I was a finalist of Inspirational Mother Of The Year with Gloria Hunniford's special awards ceremony. I took my young daughter all dressed in Feathers Of Italy Clothing of course! she was blown away. She graduated with a Bachelor of Law and I am so proud of her for sticking to it through lockdown and beyond. In 2014 I was chosen by Rachel from Dragons Den as Finalist of Business Woman Of The Year and Enterprise of The Year, also Best personal Achievement in 2014 setting up 4 companies in 4 years. Then 2013 came and I was a Finalist Of Inspirational Mother Of The Year by Mumpreneur UK. So a lot to live up to, a lot of personal challenges and a huge amount of triumphs. After buying a Grade 2 Listed House In Shropshire to Renovate this year It has now shifted my energy to my Interior Design and Property Renovation skills and I must say, Knocking down walls and plastering doesn't fit in with My Clothing Range! so the time has come to reach out to all you budding entrepreneurs out there to give you a massive opportunity to run My Fabulous Clothing Brand. Feathers Of Italy is NOW FOR SALE I am looking for a women ambassador who will strive for all great heights to keep Feathers Of Italy where it belongs amongst the bravest of us women. I strived to create an online business from scratch all those years ago with no knowledge of clothing or business I provided an online presence to provide luxury Italian clothing direct from Italy to women of all shapes and sizes and empower their self belief. Women, who just wanted something different. Please contact me at info@feathersofitaly.co.uk or telephone me at the number on the website. www.feathersofitaly.co.uk. If you are interested in buying Feathers Of Italy Boutique Clothing Brand. #fashionretailers #fashionbusinessforsale #businessforsale #italianladieswear #clothingboutique

In exploring the evolution of the fashion industry, a common trend among many brands has been product diversification. This expansion involves branching out into complementary areas such as perfumes, makeup, and hospitality, as these industries have a symbiotic relationship with fashion apparel. Clothes, makeup, and hair, these industries work in tandem to create a complete style experience. In Nigeria and Africa at large, we have seen businesses in these industries expand over time. One brand that stands out is House of Tara. With hundreds of full-time employees across approximately 40 stores in Nigeria and a network of over 3000 independent sales representatives nationwide, House of Tara exemplifies successful diversification and growth. Tara Durotoye embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in 1998, a time when venturing into entrepreneurship was considered unconventional. Over the course of more than 20 years, her beauty business not only thrived but also experienced significant expansion. Let's delve into key lessons from House of Tara that fashion entrepreneurs can implement in the context of their own businesses: Strategic Product Diversification- House of Tara's expansion from a makeup studio to offering a wide range of beauty products demonstrates the power of strategic product diversification. Tara identified gaps in the market for makeup tailored to African skin tones and diversified her product offerings accordingly. African fashion entrepreneurs can learn to identify underserved niches within their market and strategically expand their product lines to meet diverse customer needs. Retail Expansion and Accessibility- House of Tara's expansion to approximately 40 stores in Nigeria and its network of over 3000 independent sales representatives highlights the importance of retail expansion and accessibility. Tara strategically positioned stores in key locations and established partnerships to ensure her products were accessible nationwide. African fashion entrepreneurs can learn the importance of retail expansion and distribution networks in reaching diverse markets and increasing brand visibility. Legal Compliance- House of Tara ensured its products met quality standards and complied with relevant regulations, building trust with customers and stakeholders. African fashion entrepreneurs can learn the significance of legal compliance in protecting their brand reputation and fostering long-term sustainability. Join us as we delve deeper into these lessons and explore actionable strategies for fashion SMEs to evolve and expand. Don't miss the opportunity to gain invaluable insights and propel your entrepreneurial journey forward. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 31st, 2024, and reserve your spot in our webinar series on “Evolve and Expand: Fashion SME to Conglomerate” with the link here- https://bit.ly/AFLwebinar1   Let's embark on this transformative journey together.

I wanted to share a best practice we executed at Marie Claire. As everyone who knows me will attest, I’m a shoe person. One day I asked Nina Garcia, our then Fashion Director, how she gets dressed in the morning and her answer turned my thinking upside down and helped launch one of our most successful brand platforms. Nina described picking her shoes first and wardrobing up. WHOA!!! This was a seed to something great! SHOES FIRST, which quickly became a multi media platform, was born. Advertisers loved the concept and important brands in the category started partnering with Marie Claire for the first time. (@susanduffy remember our native cover??). As a result, our fashion business more than tripled. We also created an incentive program, offering the entire staff a pair of designer shoes if we hit an aggressive sales goal for our big fashion issue. (Thank you Michael Clinton approving). To everyone’s excitement and with a lot of hard work,, we did exceed our goal. Bergdorf Goodman opened an hour early just for us to shoe shop. The time we all spent together —- in an exclusive Bergdorf Goodman shoe floor takeover oasis—- was by far the best team building experience in my career. I will never forget someone buying their wedding shoes that we all helped pick out, and all the assistants getting Chanel ballet flats…. Pure joy! Lessons learned: Be open to turning things on their head to get a fresh perspective . (Even try dressing Shoes First if you haven’t before… you end up with some cool, newly created outfits!) Marketing what you are passionate about makes all the difference. A good incentive program should be team inclusive and deliver a special, valued treat. The success of SHOES FIRST inspired us to takeover other accessory categories too… like GET FRAMED for eyewear. We even launched virtual try ons… more than 10 years ago, with Perfect Corp. Ps: what shoes did I get that day you may ask? A pair of stiletto Valentino pumps that I could never ever walk in today but they sit front and center in my closet as a happy reminder to a successful and fun career highlight. #startwithagood #startwithagoodidea #shoesfirst #advertising #accessories #fashion #retail Leslie Gallin Susan Duffy Karen Giberson Marie Claire

Let me share a success story of my client. Emily Barnet (Changed the name) was a visionary entrepreneur. She had always dreamt of creating her own clothing brand that would stand out for its unique designs and high-quality materials. However, starting a fashion business required a significant investment in terms of manufacturing and inventory costs. Emily knew she needed to find a way to stand out in a crowded market while minimizing risks. Emily's Vision Emily, an aspiring entrepreneur in the fashion industry, dreams of creating a unique clothing brand known for its distinctive designs and high-quality materials. Challenge: High Costs and Risks - Traditional fashion business model requires substantial investment in manufacturing and inventory. - Emily seeks a way to stand out while minimizing financial risks. Innovative Approach: Low Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) - Emily decides to offer a low MOQ to potential clients. - Skepticism from industry experts who advocate larger MOQs for profitability. - Emily sees low MOQ as an opportunity to attract boutique owners and emerging designers. Early Success: Catering to Boutiques - Boutique owners, often overlooked by larger manufacturers, appreciate the opportunity to carry unique and limited-edition pieces. - Emily's approach resonates with boutique owners who have limited budgets and specific customer preferences. - Positive word-of-mouth spreads, leading to a growing client base. Building Relationships: Personalized Attention - Emily's quick turnaround time and personalized attention set her brand apart. - Designers and boutique owners feel valued and supported, fostering loyalty. - Emily's commitment to her clients drives her determination to make a mark in the industry. Expanding Production: Local Collaboration - Reinvesting profits to expand production capabilities. - Collaborating with local artisans and designers Attracting Larger Retailers: Recognition and Partnerships - Emily's brand gains traction and becomes known for creativity and flexibility. - Larger retailers seek Emily's unique pieces to diversify their offerings. - Emily's reputation for delivering on-point designs and attentive service attracts big players. Changing Perspectives: Redefining Industry Norms - Industry experts who were initially skeptical now admire Emily's innovative low MOQ approach. - Emily's journey showcases the power of innovative thinking and customer-centricity. - Her success challenges traditional fashion industry norms. Conclusion: A Journey of Transformation - In just a few years, Emily's fashion business grows and expands beyond her initial vision. - The brand is celebrated for its creativity, flexibility, and commitment to collaboration. Emily's story exemplifies the impact of innovative strategies and the courage to challenge the status quo in a competitive industry. #FashionInnovation #LowMOQ #success #successmindset #innnovation #supplier #supplychainmanagement #strategies

Business Strategy for Haters: Are you a hater? Are you often jealous of your competitors or want to copy them? 🤔 If the answer to both questions is yes, you are in luck today I will teach you how to not be a hater and create your own unique strategy 📖 Back story - the past few weeks we have noticed quite a few haters emerge. Most of them are physiotherapists Their complaints and comments are usually around their conflicting thoughts with the perspectives shared by our team of doctors Granimals Now, I am not one who tears people down or likes to engage in internet comment box squabbles, so I started thinking why the nastiness? Upon investigating the LinkedIn and Instagram profiles of those said haters, I discovered that they too were trying to build their internet presence by sharing their perspectives with their audience Quite simply put - Granimals is a direct competitor and potential threat to them. Therefore, I get their urge to tear us down vs building themselves up. Strategy for haters:🎯 Lesson 1️⃣: Tearing down others is never a useful business strategy. Have you heard Colgate-Palmolive go to the Pepsodent Toothpaste comment box to trash them? No, they focus on their own unique capabilities and their own audience Lesson 2️⃣: Strategy = Your differentiating factor. You are unique, so is your competitor. Any attempt to copy your competitor is like shooting yourself in the foot, because the moment you do that, you will steer away from your core values Differentiation is the most important factor that affects buying behaviour. There is a reason why certain messaging and branding works on some and doesn’t on others. Classic menswear brands like Zegna promote the essence of being a gentleman, power dressing, wearing suits and ties. xSuit also sell suits BUT - on one hand Zegna sell suits made from one of the finest threads in the world such as silk and cashmere, xSuit suits are made of viscose and other materials You don’t see xSuit hate on classic suit wear and vice versa. Their values are different, their business models are different, their target audience is different One costs $4000 and the other costs $500 If you feel threatened by a competitor ask yourself:🪞 What do they sell? What is their story? Who do they sell it to? What is their value proposition? How do I differentiate myself from all of the above to create my own unique unfair advantage? Lesson 3️⃣: Don’t be an A**hole to strangers. Ask yourself - Is that really the best use of my energy and time in the one and only life I have? Because It makes you look weak and petty vs a messiah. 🧐 Final takeaway:🔑 Building a business is a creative process. Your creativity will often be tested and demand a lot of shape shifting and pivoting from you. Embrace it. I promise you, you will never regret practising innovative thinking – Know a hater? Send this to them📩 Enjoyed reading? Follow me, Rochan Kakar for more in the future #strategy #entrepreneurship

Britt Barkwell and Alia Bissett redefine the power of the classic shirt at T.LINE, bringing over two decades of fashion expertise to fuel their growth strategy. The brand, crafting foundational wardrobe essentials made in Canada, sets a new standard in men-inspired shirting designed for women. Read more about the inspiring journey and fashion insights of the T.Line Co-Founders in our latest article! #FashionInnovation #WomenInBusiness #TheBrandIsFemale

"The 'forgotten' customer is fueling explosive growth for this fashion brand." Heard it before? Size inclusivity is all the rage in fashion. But Live Unlimited's founders, RACHEL HEATHER & Tracy Egan, have been doing it the authentic way for years. Their secret? Understanding that style and quality shouldn't stop at a size 16. The results speak for themselves...This isn't just about changing the fashion game, it's about changing how women feel. https://lnkd.in/gR843MXg Download Growth Index using the link in the comments. 👇 #plussizefashion #bodypositivity #entrepreneurship #womeninbusiness #businessgrowth