I’m excited to welcome Lauren Remesi, owner and designer at Cut From The Same Cloth to share her brand story, plus some challenges and highlights of being a business owner. I know a lot of you wonder what it’s really like to start your own fashion brand and run a business, so hopefully this insight will help you to figure out if the fashion industry is a good fit for you.
How would you describe your brand?
CFSC is a made to order women's brand that creates easy to wear pieces that are equal parts whimsy and edgy. I like to incorporate patterns and textures that can easily intermix from collection to collection. Taking sustainability and the environment into consideration we strive to use eco-friendly and natural fabrics and are always challenging ourselves to make changes in our business to better the planet.
What was your background prior to launching your brand?
I studied both apparel and costume design, but took a departure to work in the beauty industry. Prior to launching Cut From The Same Cloth, I worked in bridal and for Neiman Marcus.
What drove you to set up Cut From The Same Cloth?
My urge to create! I have always had a fondness of clothing. It says so much... tells a story, creates a mood, and empowers. I guess you can say I had a story to tell and just like a painter picks up a paintbrush, I sat behind my sewing machine.
You create all your own designs, what are you inspired by?
Most of my inspiration comes from music, film, and art. I also find myself pouring through fashion history books and finding elements I love and figuring out how to make them feel current and fresh.
What is your favourite piece from your collection and why?
The Ward Turtleneck is one of my favorites because you can do so much with the graphic windowpane print. It's an amazing layering piece and the gathering at the top of the sleeve creates the best little puff on the sleeve!
You can shop the Ward Turtleneck here.
You have some sustainable products within your range. What does sustainability mean to you and why is it important?
I think that sustainability goes beyond taking care of the planet and starts with taking care of yourself. As a small child I have always paid close attention to the earth and what we did to it. I was particularly interested in the Amazon Rainforest and the destruction that was happening. I felt the need that we needed to nurture and take care of Mother Earth because she's all we have. That philosophy trickled into my daily life and how I take cared and nurtured myself. It only comes natural that the same principals are incorporated in my business. We are making small steps to to make one little thing better everyday.
What have been your main challenges when starting a new brand?
I think that a big challenge I face as a new brand is juggling many hats. Because we make everything in house, my day can bounce around easily. What I planned to tackle for the day sometimes easily gets redirected. Another specific challenge as it relates to my strives in becoming more eco-friendly is sourcing fabrics. Its thankfully a growing demand in the industry and has become a bit easier, but can definitely improve.
And what's been the highlight?
The highlight, by far, is meeting and connecting with my customers. Nothing is more rewarding that seeing someone look and feel amazing in something that you took from just an idea to an actual product. Another highlight for me has been creating community and support within the industry. I love collaborating with other creatives. It takes a tribe, right?
Lots of people think that as a designer, you'll spend the day searching for inspiration, organising fashion shows and living a glamorous life. In my experience, it's a lot more numbers/Excel sheets than glamour! How would you describe the day-to-day of running a brand?
It definitely is not glamorous. My days are often spent drafting, grading, sample making, not getting a fit right, often to start it all over again. There is SO much problem solving that happens during the day. If I’m not sewing, I am usually photographing products, maintaining my website, and packing orders to ship. If I have a pop-up coming up, you can also find me building fixtures and sets for that. The tasks are so sure endless and I wouldn't have it any other way!
What's the biggest piece of advice you'd give other startups wanting to launch a brand?
Just start! There are so many pieces that you may not have exactly the way you want, but don't let that hold you back. Launch and you can always tweak things later. Its also ok to fail. There is so much growth and learning that happens with it. You just need to get up and get on!
Where can people find you and your brand?
On the website; www.cutfromsamecloth.com
And on Instagram, which you can find here.
What are your plans for the future of the business?
We are moving to use even more eco-friendly fabrics in our designs for the future as well as in our supplies and packaging. We also have plans to work with organizations and charities to donate a portion of sales, because giving back is super important to us. We are also working hard to expand our sizing and be more inclusive.
Thanks so much to Lauren for taking part in this interview, I really appreciate it and I hope it’s been useful for anyone who is thinking about starting a fashion range. Don’t forget, you can shop the CFSC collection on the website by clicking here.
Has this post inspired you to start your own sustainable fashion line? If so, I’ve written a free article here with tips for creating a sustainable brand, which you can read by clicking here.
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