u/Better-Humor7422

Hi All,

I want to be clear that in this specific post I am not going to go too deeply into my brand vision or what it is about. I want to focus more on the process of hiring from a business and creative perspective.

I'm currently building a womenswear brand in between shanghai and New York.

My background is in modeling, I spent the last 8 years working internationally which gave me not only an appreciation for fashion but firstahnd understandinh of how garments function on the body and exposure to how brands communicate identity across different markets.

I feel I have a strong point of view on what feels relevant in the industry.

I see myself as primarily the found and crveative director. I have a strong sense of what I want to build here. However, because I respect the craft I am currently taking pattern drafting and sewing classes and I hope to eventutally grow into the co-deisgner role. I want to understand every part of the process well enough to lead a team.

However, I do not have a formal background in fashion design or business.

As I've been learning, I have been thinking a lot about how founders find their long-term collaborators.

I know there is a lot of advice out there about not bringing on partners or hiring too early. I understand those risks and their reasoning.

At the same time, I am becoming increasingly aware of my own knowledge gaps reletive to the scale I intent to reach.

I recognize that building this entirely on my own would be unsustainable and ultimately, untenable If I want the brand to succeed.

Especially given that my designs are inspired by the technical deisgn theory of the 1920-1930s I feel a responsiblity.

I'm not rushing into partnerships or to just bring on anyone. I initially planned to bring on an intern to help with sourcing and production communication with me in China. I had to reconsider if I'm actually ready for that, as well as if thats really what I need right now.

Here is where I am right now:

Who should I be looking out for? What is the role called? How do I find these people?

My guess is this would be a technical deisgner/co collaborator or would this be a product developer or another position I have not considered?

I would love to hear from other founders of fashion brands.

Who was your first hire and why?

Who was/is the most critial person on your team (aside from you) and why?

What advice do you have given this information?

What should the creative directer / founder realistically be doing within the first 1-2 years?

What expertise did you decide was worth paying for versus learning personally?

In the USA, how do you find/connect to people, through linkedin? connection? cold call random fashion businesses to hear their story? What was the way to get connected and learn?

If you were based near manufacturing in Asia but wanted to build a brand for the New York market, how would you structure your first team?

Thank you to all who give insight.

I recently got a Sewing teacher and I told him I want to do all the basics because I’m working on starting a Fashion Brand. And he’s taught me how to draft patterns based off of his textbook in Japanese. Holy shit this is so difficult. I’ve been sitting here for well over six hours and not even halfway through.

Hello, I am 26 F.

I feel like I’m running into a pattern and I really would appreciate some objective perspective here
I’m trying really, really hard not to make these situations a reflection of how i feel about myself, I’m fighting a lot of very insecure thoughts and feelings, and I don’t wanna feed into them and I want to change my thought patterns because I’m sure it could influence the situation.
I know that my feeling of deep loneliness makes these situations that much more intense. So I’m trying to keep a very levelheaded mind.

Example 1:
I walked up to this girl at a café because I thought she seemed pretty cool. We started talking and then I asked her for her contact two weeks later we went and met up. We got brunch together and honestly, it was a really great experience. We were laughing and talking, and I really felt like this friendship had great potential.
She even said we should hang out more and she was interested in going to Pilates with me. So about two weeks later, I texted her and asked her if she’d like to come to Pilates with me she didn’t answer for a week and a half, and then we went back-and-forth. Each reply took her several days (3-7). And by the time we actually came to making plans she completely ghosted and now it’s been three weeks since she last replied.

I get that people can be busy, but it really makes me feel like I don’t matter or like maybe she’s not interested in a friendship—which is fine but I wouldn’t rather someone just tell me that. I feel like being led on.

Example 2
My best friend and I went to Turkey with both of our partners last summer he and I are both working on starting fashion businesses and are living in China (different cities) at the moment. I tried to reach out to him several times offered to have a phone call or just see how he’s doing cause I know he was really struggling. But he’s not really reached out to me at all. He recently went back to Europe and then to Turkey again and he was there for over a month and didn’t text me at all. I just feel like if I went to Turkey I definitely would’ve messaged him that I was thinking of him or missed him or anything that showed that I cared. But he didn’t message me at all and I haven’t heard from him in three months. We’ve been best friends for three years and known each other for 5. I feel really hurt by this. I keep trying to push the thought away and just assume that it’s just a weird period right now but I can’t help this feeling that I wish that he would check in on me, but he just doesn’t.
How can i cope with this? Am I supposed to just accept this? Or approach him?

Example 3
I invited this girl I hung out with 3 weeks ago—she’s visiting Shanghai. I invited Her to come to the spa with me with in the morning. She said yes, she would love to, and then at 1 AM she texted me hey I’m on my period. Do you think it’s fine I still can’t and I told her that’s totally recall but I think it’s fine if she’s a tampon on and she didn’t reply at all and at 1:30 PM. I finally texted her. This
“ Hope you’re okay. I don’t mind if plans change, but I do mind being left without any communication.
I kept my morning free and came to the spa expecting we’d meet. Next time I’d appreciate a message.”
I did this because I’m getting really fed up with people being rude. Leaving me hanging or just disappearing.

Again, I don’t wanna carry this mindset into all relationships, I noticed that a lot of times I will see facts and then give them a story and I’m really trying hard not to take facts and out a story to them and then all of these situations I am doing exercises to separate fact from story, but I find I’m still struggling with accepting the truth and knowing WHAT to do with it.

If anybody has any insight, I would really appreciate it. Of course this is only three different examples but there’s been many more same type of situations different characters.

Thank you for reading and helping,

Cheers

sorry If this sounds ridiculous. forgive me.

I realized. yes im self aware. mostly. i intellectualize everyhing instead of feel it. i understand the why, where, what etc. but i dont know how to feel it in my body

this is causing my so much stress. i keep going to the doctors with these mysterious health issues and no causation. starting to think its my nervous system. im not even doing anything stressful. seriously, my physical life is THE most calm and loving its ever been. but inside its war.

i was in pilates this evening and it struck me. im causing my own sickness. i looked at myself in the mirror and for a second i really saw myself. i was just a girl trying to take a pilates class. shes just trying to get through life too.

i really felt for her, and she was me. and i dont know how to feel her. shes so cool and i treat her like shit. eveyrhting is always a fuckin problem. im so sick of myself. seriously. i cant take another day of this toture. im literally losing my beautiful hair.

no family history, all my hormones are great, vitamins perfect. no rash. im just RANDOMLY losing my hair.

its not even about my hair. its about everything. i have so many dreams. so many wishes. so many failures. and i take everything so seriously i end up missing out on the whole point. to live. to enjoy. i just feel like. i have nothing on paper that proves im valuable. isnt that funny?

then im losing my hair? its all ive been thinking about. then in pilates i looked into my eyes, and i thought. well. what happens if i lost my hair? and i almost started crying. i thought. well. "id still be me" and that was kind of comforting. its like, for just a moment. i saw what i needed. and its to accept myself. really. likeno matter what happens. whether i lose all my hair. or my hearing. or never reach success etc. that, im still valuable as a person.

i want to reach this breakthrough. i have such a thick skull. i dont know how to get through to myself. but i need to. im literally losing hair over it. i guess that is a lesson in and of itself isnt it.

my body just wants me to have a conversation with it.

:(

Hi dearest redditers,

​

I dont even know where to start. I have been incredibly lonely for 2.5 years. Lets talk about it.

​

I have friends, however, my closest friends live across europe or in asia. Im american, I have traveled internationally for modeling most of my adult life. Most of my friends are models who I lived with or traveled with for work. These unique experiences bonded us. But, I find in regular life, im having a hard time meeting people I feel akin to.

​

I lived in NYC and these last 1.5 years I tried going to events/parties but I got the strangest feeling. everyone there was so off. Very performative. Very try hard. They felt very young or immature. I really tried to look past this, I tried not to pass judgement, I tried to be open minded but I found that I could not match who they were. They were just different archtypes of people.

​

Well, I moved to shanghai with my partner 6 months ago. Im still so lonely! I tried going to events, I met some people, gone to parties but when I meet people I dont feel a sense of bonding. I feel like I can talk to people, hang out, get coffee, explore etc but the sense of bondedness is not there. It's as is the meaning of the day didn't happen.

​

On top of this I can meet people and my heart says "this is not your person" or "these people are not yours" I dont know how to explain it. Its an intuitive feeling.

​

I have become very nervous to go out now because I know that Im going to feel this way. because I feel this way everytime. I feel like im outside my body, watching everyone else bond, get along, make plans, laugh, have fun and im just sitting there watching the world pass me by. Im turning 27, I need friends. This is getting ridiculous. The one girl I met who I felt a connection and liking to ghosted me for 2 weeks and said shes coming back into down form vacation and would love ot hang out againa nd disappeared.

​

I obviousy can't rely on 1 person to be my only friend. I told my partner about my feelings. what can he day. he has 101 friends. he has people to rely on and love. I have him in shanghai thats it. :)

what is wrong with me

​

Hello,

I am new to fashion design and want to take a short course to help me with the basics. Does anyone know of any course I can take?

English taught

I have been an international model for the last 8 years however, a few months ago I fell into this business idea that I really feel has great potential.

Over the last few months I have quickly developed my target customer, brand direction, aesthetic, the why behind this brand, who are my competitors and where I want it to end up.

I am currently in the process of interviewing interns to manage manufacturing communication and organization. I am currently building the brand in Shanghai (I am residing here) and I dont speak chinese or have the technical communication background to confidently and efficiently handle these interractions. I realized I needed an intern when I felt these communication were taking far longer than they needed to and therefore stealing the time I could be using for other tasks.

I do not have design or business background. Just a person who loves fashion and believes in the vision.

I am wondering for anyone who has built a brand or business. Outside the intern situation what should I be looking out for? Do you have any warnings？Any adivce who I should hire or relationships I should intend to make to allow this brand to actually grow into something substancial? For fashion design questions, I need to determine my fabric/fashion DNA, how can I find this?

I have some creative connections of course. Mostly photographers/models/stylists etc so for campaigns I'm sure I could have these friends/connections pitch in until I can afford to pay them more. I also have a FEW very powerful contacts but I would NOT reach out to them unless I really have this thing locked in and I need publication.

The vision I have for my brand, I believe it has great potential. My target audience would eat this up. Niche New York/LA/European girls who shop at Paloma Wool.

But I need to know I am making the right decisions to support this strong belief.

Thank you to anyone who leaves input. I am taking in everything!!!

I have been an international model for the last 8 years however, a few months ago I fell into this business idea that I really feel has great potential.

Over the last few months I have quickly developed my target customer, brand direction, aesthetic, the why behind this brand, who are my competitors and where I want it to end up.

I am currently in the process of interviewing interns to manage manufacturing communication and organization. I am currently building the brand in Shanghai (I am residing here) and I dont speak chinese or have the technical communication background to confidently and efficiently handle these interractions. I realized I needed an intern when I felt these communication were taking far longer than they needed to and therefore stealing the time I could be using for other tasks.

I do not have design or business background. Just a person who loves fashion and believes in the vision.

I am wondering for anyone who has built a brand or business. Outside the intern situation what should I be looking out for? Do you have any warnings？Any adivce who I should hire or relationships I should intend to make to allow this brand to actually grow into something substancial?

I have some creative connections of course. Mostly photographers/models/stylists etc so for campaigns I'm sure I could have these friends/connections pitch in until I can afford to pay them more. I also have a FEW very powerful contacts but I would NOT reach out to them unless I really have this thing locked in and I need publication.

The vision I have for my brand, I believe it has great potential. My target audience would eat this up. Niche New York/LA/European girls who shop at Paloma Wool.

But I need to know I am making the right decisions to support this strong belief.

Thank you to anyone who leaves input. I am taking in everything!!!

I have been an international model for the last 8 years however, a few months ago I fell into this business idea that I really feel has great potential.

Over the last few months I have quickly developed my target customer, brand direction, aesthetic, the why behind this brand, who are my competitors and where I want it to end up.

I am currently in the process of interviewing interns to manage manufacturing communication and organization. I am currently building the brand in Shanghai (I am residing here) and I dont speak chinese or have the technical communication background to confidently and efficiently handle these interractions. I realized I needed an intern when I felt these communication were taking far longer than they needed to and therefore stealing the time I could be using for other tasks.

I do not have design or business background. Just a person who loves fashion and believes in the vision.

I am wondering for anyone who has built a brand or business. Outside the intern situation what should I be looking out for? Do you have any warnings？Any adivce who I should hire or relationships I should intend to make to allow this brand to actually grow into something substancial?

I have some creative connections of course. Mostly photographers/models/stylists etc so for campaigns I'm sure I could have these friends/connections pitch in until I can afford to pay them more. I also have a FEW very powerful contacts but I would NOT reach out to them unless I really have this thing locked in and I need publication.

The vision I have for my brand, I believe it has great potential. My target audience would eat this up. Niche New York/LA/European girls who shop at Paloma Wool.

But I need to know I am making the right decisions to support this strong belief.

Thank you to anyone who leaves input. I am taking in everything!!!

I saw someone else post on a group asking how to start a fashion brand.
The comments were all about finding the core customer, the WHY for starting the brand, colors, vibe and of course the design itself.

I am starting a brand. I have all the answers to these questions. I’m very clear on why I’m building it and where I want to end up.

Currently building it in Shanghai, however I know my target audience and where I intent to launch. Though, I will ideally launch online first.

I am wondering outside of the design and story building of a brand what else should I know/do to build my brand?
For example, I am hiring an intern right now to take on the tasks of manufacture communication and organization because it is taking too much of my time.
Ideally who should I be looking to hire? Who should my first employee be? I have no design or business background. I was however an international model for 8 years.
I do find this holds me back in many ways, and in other ways it has been an advantage. I have some creative connections in the industry., I just have an idea I really believe in. Should I be keeping my eye out for a partner?

I have everything in terms of vision and reasoning except the next steps. I am targeting this brand to be level with Paloma Wool (though I know this will likely take years) I am willing to put in the work and believe I’m on to something really special for the people.

I saw someone else post asking how to start a brand.
The comments consisted of finding the core customer, the WHY for starting the brand, colors, vibe and of course the design itself.
I am starting a brand. Currently building it in Shanghai, however I know my target audience and where I intent to launch. Though, I will he ideally launching online first.

I am wondering outside of the design and story building of a brand what else should I know/do to build my brand?
For example, I am hiring an intern right now to take on the tasks of manufacture communication and organization because it is taking too much of my time.
Ideally who should I be looking to hire? Who should my first employee be? I have no design or business background. I was however an international model for 8 years.
I do find this holds me back in many ways, and in other ways it has been an advantage. I have some creative connections in the industry., I just have an idea I really believe in. Should I be keeping my eye out for a partner?

I have everything in terms of vision and reasoning except the next steps. I am targeting this brand to be level with Paloma Wool (though I know this will likely take years) I am willing to put in the work and believe I’m on to something really special for the people.

I grieve the mother I wish I had.

My best friend is going through a breakup right now with a boy who didn't always treat her right. I am the witness of her and her family offering her unconditional love and support. My friend got an abortion with this boyfriend, and her mother was not angry and disappointed in her. Her grandma said she had 6 abortion in her life and not to fret and her aunt visited her at the hospital with flowers and not one of them made her feel guilty. They made her laugh. They loved her through her expereince.

What a beautiful thing to have a community of women who see you and protect you. I am happy for her AND also grieve what I will never have.

I had an abortion 6 years ago with a toxic ex, I told my mother about it months after it happened, despite knowing I shouldnt have. I told her on the phone and she went dead silent and said she had to go. She expressed how complicated angry and disappointed it made her feel.

Isnt it worse to have the baby of a man who wasn't good to me? I dont get it. When maybe moments I needed my mother to see ME and love me despite her feelings she could never quite do it.

When I was 19 I moved back home because I was broke, and I developed severe health issues I needed time to sort out. My mother was kind to let me come back. I was previously modeling in NYC. But when I moved home, she made it clear that I was a disappointment. That my life decisions are not what she wanted for me. That I needed to go to college to get a 9-5 and live like everyone else. Which is hilarious because my mother did NOT prepare me for the real world. She didnt care about my education.

Anyway, During this period I met a boy, and we dated for about a year. This boy wasn't someone she liked for me, and maybe he wasn't right for me. Maybe she was right, but instead of allowing me to figure it out and have my mother to fall back to and hold me. She kicked me out, threw all my things ont he front lawn and told me to go live with my boyfriend. She said I chose him over her. Anytime she didnt agree with my choices, she often used it against me. During that time I moved in with his family during covid and was left isolated and alone. My mother cut contact with me for a year. My vulerablitlies never had a safe place to land.

Im watching my friend who is with a boy who has made some bad decisions, my friend got brave and told her family. They are loving her through it, telling her to choose/love herself. But even if she stayed with him, her family would treat him nicely because they know they have to keep her close. They never throw her away.

Even last year, my mother cut me off for 8 months because my partner (different one than before) and I got married. We'd known each other for 1.5 years at that point. We simply fell in love and tied the knot.There was no wedding, I dont have traditional values. I dont believe marriage is proof that my relationship is valid. To me a lot ofweddings feel performative. I didn't want to live with my husband yet, the first years of marriage we lived apart because I wanted to live in my own girl room before we moved in together long term. I value my independence and trust my own internal compass. My partner and I respected this. My mother projected her opinons on me and said that my relationship was fake because didnt live together yet.

I love my partner, he treats me so incredibly well. I feel valued and so lucky to be so loved. After I annoucned we were tyingt he knot. My mother cut me off because I didn't include her on the "wedding" we never had. Granted they had not met yet, and I could have introducted the idea of us getting married better. I can admit my faults. We also got married legally quicker than we would have because hes not american. Hes from another country. We offered to speak to her, to alleviate any concerns. she thought he was using me. she refused to meet or speak to him.Not to mention she went to my siblings and spoke poorly about me, my mother poisioned the introduction of my lover to my family. Now their meeting will be tinted with judgement and drama. Telling them all my business and spoke about my partner like he was some strange man from a strange land rather than a man who lives in a different country than us. Hes a human I felll in love with. As if I had wronged her.. PLent of people meet someone fall in lvoe and get married quickly, shouldnt she be happy I met someone so good? That im loved loudly? Proudly?

She always wanted me to be this normal girl. College, regular job, house, husband, kids. I dont want that. I want a life of freedom, travel, creativity exploration independence and adventure. I want to be a creator. Why is the wayI am not enough?

My husband really struggles with his sleep. I want to help him with this as it’s really harmed his ability to function well in the world.
He’s struggled with it for years, of course he’s gone to the doctors and gotten blood work done but he seems to be in great health
He goes to PT for his herniated L5-S1.
He used to take sleeping pills but they don’t work. And for a period he even became dependent on indica pen to help him relax enough to sleep. But we flew back to China and it’s illegal here to he quit.

His HRV is always very low, around 30. Not sure if this is important. Sometimes in the night probably 2-3 times a week he is tossing and turning. Very disturbed, as if he cannot get his mind to rest or town turn off.
He went through probably 2-3 years where every morning he would wake up very stiff (from his back) and he felt very low energy. I assume his cortisol for the morning didn’t spike like it should? I always wake up ready to jump out of bed and get the day started.i need movement in the morning. But he’s not the same, it seems he is stagnant in the morning. And it used to take him several hours to fully awaken and still his energy didn’t raise and he couldn’t focus.

I guess I’m wondering if anyone has insight on this. It would be a wonder to help get him answers. I’m sure it’s very stressful not to be able to live life fully because something is wrong with sleep.

I kind of wanna start this out with some childhood background, I know a lot of my issues with socializing, stems from the lack of community, stability, repetition, and group settings growing up.

My family and I moved every two years since I was in preschool up until I moved out at 17. I never watched my parents, maintain friendships long term, never really saw my mother have her own friends though i know she longed for it. From middle school until high school we got involved in a very religious community, so there were a lot of politics that my mother had succumb to, she constantly scrutinized & compared me to other girls in the community that she thought were more ideal than myself.

I do think that I internalize this to this day, and I find myself sometimes comparing who I am to other people, especially in group settings when I feel like I’m not measuring up as much as I hope I would. Or at least this is how i perceive it.

All in all this is to say that I really didn’t have much exposure to consistent group settings, and so I really don’t know how to handle myself, or build community. I’ve been trying to read books. Study human behavior. I’m a very bright girl, I’m trendy, attractive, kind, I smile a lot, sensitive, I’m a great listener. And I do speak my mind. I’m not insecure, but. I do feel like I’m not getting something everyone else seems to get.

For example, last night I was invited to a party by myself and there was probably 15 strangers there and one friend who is very social, and I walked up to this table and I nervously said hello and shook everybody’s hand, but then I didn’t feel like I knew how to move forward from that moment, but then I noticed that my friend who is very social and good with people she walked up to the table, grabbed herself a chair and started talking to the girl to her left, and I was just speaking to myself. Why didn’t I do that and I just started wondering what’s wrong with me or what am I missing?

Do these kind of situations just take repetition and practice or is this just my personality? I want to be more open and I’m really working on building a community which is something I never had so it scares me under intimidating, but I realize that it’s very beneficial and something that I definitely need