Behind buzziest influencer brands like the Bar and Phe Phe. What really goes into building a successful fashion brand?

Ashley Leo is the woman behind some of fashion's buzziest brands, including The Bar and Phe Phe, founded by Bridget and Danielle Pheloung (Acquired Style). After spending over 20 years in the fashion industry building brands like ALC, Rag & Bone, Theory, and Fleur du Mal, Ashley saw an opportunity to rethink how fashion brands are built. She went on to co-found The Bar and launch The Leo Group (TLG), where she partners with creators to turn their audiences and ideas into successful businesses. In this episode of Fashion & Founders, Ashley takes us behind the scenes of the influencer brand business model, from product development and manufacturing to marketing, inventory, and financing. We get into some of the biggest questions and misconceptions surrounding influencer brands: Are sellouts intentional? How involved are influencers in actually designing their collections? Does follower count determine whether a brand will succeed? And can an influencer-founded brand eventually stand on its own?

Ashley also shares her career journey, why she left traditional fashion retail, what she looks for in business partners, and her advice for anyone hoping to break into the fashion industry or launch a brand of their own.

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