Episodes

  • Ep20: The real story of building a children's clothing brand from scratch

    Ep20: The real story of building a children's clothing brand from scratch
    Jun 21 2026
    From first idea to first collection: the real story behind building a children's fashion brand from scratchIf you've ever thought about starting a clothing brand but had no idea where to begin - or felt that creeping doubt of "who do I think I am to do this?" - this episode is going to feel very familiar.Michelle is joined by Sabrina Campbell, founder of Solly Little, a children's nightwear brand based in Cambridgeshire, UK. Sabrina is a professional makeup artist with no fashion industry background who turned a personal frustration - not being able to find the timeless, nostalgic children's nightwear she was looking for - into a brand she's built from the ground up.In this honest, wide-ranging conversation, Sabrina shares what the startup journey has really been like: the overwhelming early stages, the identity wobbles, the moment her collection stopped feeling like a pipe dream and became something real, and the unglamorous patience required when working with overseas manufacturers.She also talks openly about what it was like to try to find help in an industry that doesn't always make it easy - and why getting the right guidance early made the difference between guessing and actually moving forward.This is a founder story worth listening to whether you're right at the beginning of your journey or somewhere in the middle of it.What you'll learnWhy the fashion industry can feel like a closed door to outsiders - and how to find your way in anywayWhat the design and tech pack process actually looks like for a first-time founderWhy manufacturing is the stage that tests your resilience the mostHow to get out of your own way and stop treating your brand idea as just an ideaWhat it feels like when your collection stops being a vision and becomes a real thingReady to start your fashion brand? Grab my free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint ⁠⁠Links mentionedSolly LittleSolly Little on Instagram Solly Little Website⁠The Fashion Expert®⁠⁠The Fashion Startup Academy⁠ ⁠Free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint ⁠The Fashion Expert on InstagramAbout The Fashion Startup The Fashion Startup is the podcast for aspiring founders who want the courage and know-how to start their own clothing brand. Hosted by Michelle Ramsay, ⁠The Fashion Expert®⁠, a fashion designer and startup mentor with over 20 years of industry experience. If you’re thinking about starting a fashion brand or building a product-based business, this podcast offers real insight at what it takes to turn an idea into a growing fashion startup.Instagram: ⁠@thefashionexpertuk⁠⁠The Fashion Startup Academy⁠ - 6 month 1:1 private mentorship programme for first-time founders to fast-track their fashion brand with an industry expert. Subscribe & reviewFollow The Fashion Startup on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a 5 star review to help more future founders discover the show.About Michelle RamsayMichelle Ramsay is a fashion designer, startup mentor, and founder of ⁠The Fashion Expert®.⁠ With over 20 years of industry experience, she helps first-time founders design, manufacture, and launch their own fashion brands - without the costly mistakes most people make along the way. Find out more at ⁠thefashionexpert.com
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    42 mins
  • Ep19: The secret nobody tells you when starting a clothing brand

    Ep19: The secret nobody tells you when starting a clothing brand
    Jun 10 2026
    The secret nobody tells you when starting a clothing brandIf you're dreaming about launching a fashion brand but feel like you keep going in circles - or you've already started and something just isn't clicking - this episode is going to make a lot of things fall into place. In this solo episode, Michelle breaks down the three approaches most fashion startup founders take, why two of them lead to costly mistakes, and what the smarter, more structured approach actually looks like. Whether you're right at the beginning of your startup journey or somewhere in the middle, this is the episode to come back to again and again.Ready to start your fashion brand? Grab my free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint to see the proven steps to get started. thefashionexpert.com/launchplanStarting a clothing brand isn't just about having a great idea and going for it. There's a structure to it, an order to it - and when parts of that are missing, or done at the wrong time, it doesn't matter how talented you are or how much passion you've got. Things start to fall apart. Usually at the most expensive possible moment.In this episode, Michelle walks through the two most common mistakes she sees fashion startup founders make - and why they're so easy to fall into - before sharing the approach that actually works. She draws on real conversations with founders to show how jumping in at the wrong stage, or treating the process as a simple step-by-step checklist, both lead to the same place: wasted money, lost time, and a brand that stalls before it launches.This is the honest conversation about the startup journey that most people in the fashion industry aren't having.What you'll learnWhy most fashion founders start in the wrong place - and what it costs themThe difference between the scattergun approach and the linear trapWhy your launch build-up needs to start long before your launch dateWhat the smarter, more structured approach to starting a fashion brand actually looks likeHow to know what to work on, in the right order, at the right timeChapters00:00 - Introduction01:30 - The flat-pack analogy: why missing parts matter03:30 - The scattergun approach: jumping in at the wrong stage06:00 - Going straight to manufacturers without the foundations09:30 - Designing your collection before your brand is figured out12:30 - The linear trap: why a step-by-step mindset isn't the full picture15:30 - Tech packs, sampling, and why nothing is ever truly ticked off17:00 - The launch build-up mistake that catches almost every founder out18:30 - The smarter approach: structure, sequence, and spinning plates21:00 - The Fashion Startup Academy: fast-track your brand the right wayLinks mentionedThe Fashion Expert®The Fashion Startup Academy Free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint About The Fashion StartupThe Fashion Startup is the podcast for aspiring founders who want the courage and know-how to start their own clothing brand. Hosted by Michelle Ramsay, The Fashion Expert®, a fashion designer and startup mentor with over 20 years of industry experience. If you’re thinking about starting a fashion brand or building a product-based business, this podcast offers real insight at what it takes to turn an idea into a growing fashion startup.Instagram: @thefashionexpertukThe Fashion Startup Academy - 6 month 1:1 private mentorship programme for first-time founders to fast-track their fashion brand with an industry expert. Subscribe & reviewFollow The Fashion Startup on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a 5 star review to help more future founders discover the show.About Michelle RamsayMichelle Ramsay is a fashion designer, startup mentor, and founder of The Fashion Expert®. With over 20 years of industry experience, she helps first-time founders design, manufacture, and launch their own fashion brands - without the costly mistakes most people make along the way. Find out more at thefashionexpert.com
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    27 mins
  • Ep18: Starting A Product Led Fashion Brand | Gal Golander On Building Noosh

    Ep18: Starting A Product Led Fashion Brand | Gal Golander On Building Noosh
    Mar 6 2026
    In this episode of The Fashion Startup, I’m joined by Gal Golander, founder and CEO of Noosh, to talk about what it really takes to start a fashion brand from scratch and build a product-led business in a competitive market. We cover product development, manufacturing, direct-to-consumer marketing, hiring, and the realities of growing a fashion startup.Ready to start your fashion brand? Grab my free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint to see the proven steps to get started.Gal created Noosh after years of frustration with traditional tights. While working in the cosmetics industry during the rise of inclusive foundation ranges, she began questioning why tights hadn’t evolved in the same way. That question eventually became the starting point for a brand determined to rethink comfort, durability, fit, and shade inclusivity in a category that had barely changed in decades.Gal shares the honest story behind launching a fashion startup without prior experience in the fashion industry. We talk about the long road of product development, the realities of working with manufacturers, and why building a strong product is the foundation of a successful fashion brand.Gal also opens up about the early challenges founders rarely see online, including imposter syndrome, navigating factories as a startup, and the moment she realised she needed to take control of her own marketing strategy rather than outsourcing it too early.You’ll also hear how Noosh tested demand through direct-to-consumer marketing, how Gal scaled the business by focusing on sustainable growth, and why hiring the right people became a turning point for the brand.What you’ll learn:How Gal turned a personal frustration into a fashion startupWhy identifying a real problem is key when launching a product-led brandWhat founders should expect during product development and samplingThe reality of working with factories and why timelines take longer than expectedHow Noosh tested demand using direct-to-consumer marketingWhy founders should understand their marketing before outsourcing itThe challenges of scaling a startup once customers start buyingGal’s advice for first-time founders thinking about launching a fashion brandChapters00:00 – Introduction01:48 – Meet Gal Golander and the story behind Noosh04:32 – The idea that sparked the brand07:59 – From idea to action10:35 – Product development and manufacturing challenges16:55 – The importance of getting the product right20:55 – Early marketing mistakes and learning to run ads herself27:40 – Hiring the right team as the business grows31:30 – Marketing strategies that helped Noosh grow39:40 – Expanding the product range and future plans45:35 – Advice for first-time fashion founders48:45 – Where to find NooshLinks mentionedNoosh: getnoosh.comInstagram: @getnooshTikTok: @nooshbodyAbout NooshNoosh is a modern tights brand founded by Gal Golander. Designed for real women, the brand focuses on inclusive shade ranges, better fit, and durable materials to reimagine what tights can be in the modern wardrobe.About The Fashion StartupThe Fashion Startup is the podcast for aspiring founders who want the courage and know-how to start their own fashion brand. Hosted by Michelle Ramsay, The Fashion Expert®, a fashion designer and startup mentor with over 20 years of industry experience helping founders design, manufacture, and launch fashion brands.Founder of The Fashion Startup Academy 6 month 1:1 private mentorship program for first time founders to fast-track their fashion brand with an industry expert.Instagram: @thefashionexpertukThe Fashion Expert®Subscribe & reviewFollow The Fashion Startup on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a 5 star review to help more future founders discover the show.If you’re thinking about starting a fashion brand or building a product-based business, this episode offers a realistic and insightful look at what it takes to turn an idea into a growing fashion startup.
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    46 mins
  • Ep17: Fashion Design That Solves Problems

    Ep17: Fashion Design That Solves Problems
    Nov 26 2025

    Ready to start your fashion brand? Grab my free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint to see the proven steps to get started.

    Have you ever thought, “Someone really needs to fix this” about a product, garment or accessory that just doesn’t work the way you need it to? In this episode, I’m talking about the founders who take that thought and actually do something with it. These are the innovators who create functional, problem solving fashion products that genuinely make life better for the people who use them.

    I’m sharing why the best design always begins with a problem, why frustration often sparks the most successful ideas and why you absolutely belong in the fashion industry even if you’ve never studied fashion or worked in it. I talk through real examples from inside my studio, from the triathlete who designed his own kit bag, to Tailored Athlete, to Nixi Body. Each of these founders started with a lived problem and trusted themselves enough to create the solution.

    I’m also diving into the fear that so many first time fashion founders have about entering the industry.

    Most people imagine fashion as a glossy, intimidating world, but the truth is very different. Innovation almost always comes from outsiders who understand the gap in the market better than anyone else.

    If you’ve been sitting on a practical, functional or niche idea, this episode will help you see why that idea might be more powerful than you think.

    I also talk about why niche products are often easier to sell, why speaking to a specific customer is an advantage and the question I always ask every founder. How would you feel if someone else launched your idea before you? Your answer usually tells you everything you need to know about your next step.

    If you’ve been waiting for permission to get started, this episode is your reminder that the fashion industry needs more problem solvers, more practical thinkers and more people willing to fix what isn’t working.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and the question I always ask founders
    03:00 Why design is really problem solving
    07:30 Real examples from my own clients
    15:00 Why you do belong in the fashion industry
    22:00 The power of niche products
    26:00 The risk of waiting for someone else to launch your idea
    30:00 How it feels to launch a life changing product
    35:00 Final thoughts and next steps

    About The Fashion Startup
    The Fashion Startup is the go to podcast for first time founders who want the courage and know how to start their own fashion brand. Hosted by me, Michelle Ramsay, The Fashion Expert, designer and mentor to hundreds of startup founders.

    Subscribe and review
    Follow The Fashion Startup on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a review to help more future founders discover the show.

    Follow
    Instagram: @thefashionexpertuk
    Website: www.thefashionexpert.com
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    17 mins
  • Ep16: How To Launch A Petite Womenswear Brand

    Ep16: How To Launch A Petite Womenswear Brand
    Nov 13 2025

    Ready to start your fashion brand? Grab my free ⁠⁠Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint⁠⁠ to see the proven steps to get started.

    In this episode of The Fashion Startup, I’m joined by Barbara Chowaniec, founder of Fosho Petite, a Dublin-based womenswear brand creating timeless, perfectly proportioned pieces for women 145–155 cm tall. Barbara shares the real side of starting a fashion brand from scratch – the challenges, breakthroughs, and mindset shifts that helped her go from idea to launch in just twelve months.

    We talk about how she spotted a gap in the market for elegant petite clothing, what it’s like to transition from a full-time job to becoming your own boss, and why mentorship and self-discipline are key to a smooth journey.

    What you’ll learn:

    • How Barbara turned a frustration into a fashion business

    • Why self-discipline was the hardest part of being your own boss

    • How mentorship simplified her startup journey massively

    • What to expect from the first year of brand building

    • Why your first launch doesn’t have to be perfect

    Chapters
    00:00 – Introduction01:27 – Meet Barbara04:10 – Finding a Gap in the Market06:29 – The Lightbulb Moment09:17 – From Idea to Action11:35 – Becoming Your Own Boss13:30 – The Power of Mentorship18:35 – Building a Brand in a Year22:45 – The Launch Mindset27:38 – Barbara’s Top 3 Tips for New Founders34:09 – Where to Find Fosho Petite

    Links mentioned:
    Fosho Petite: foshopetite.com
    Instagram: @foshopetite
    TikTok: @foshopetite

    About Fosho Petite:
    Fosho Petite is a Dublin-based womenswear brand founded by Barbara Chowaniec. Designed specifically for women 145–155 cm tall, Fosho Petite creates timeless, elegant pieces that celebrate proportion, comfort, and confidence – with no compromises.

    About The Fashion Startup:
    The Fashion Startup is the go-to podcast for first-time founders who want the courage and know-how to start their own fashion brand. Hosted by Michelle Ramsay, The Fashion Expert®, designer and mentor to hundreds of startup founders.

    Subscribe & review:
    Follow The Fashion Startup on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a review to help more future founders discover the show.
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    36 mins
  • Ep16: Why Your Fashion Startup Brand Reset Is Now

    Ep16: Why Your Fashion Startup Brand Reset Is Now
    Sep 17 2025

    Ready to start your fashion brand? Grab my free ⁠Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint⁠ to see the proven steps to get started.

    September is the perfect reset for fashion entrepreneurs.

    In this episode, I explore why this month feels like a fresh start in the fashion industry and how first-time founders can harness the momentum.

    From overcoming self-doubt to setting clear, realistic goals, I’ll walk you through a framework to plan the next four months and keep your fashion brand launch on track.


    What you’ll learn in this episode:

    • Why September is the “new year” of fashion entrepreneurship
    • How to align your fashion brand with the industry’s natural rhythm
    • The mindset shifts to overcome barriers and get started
    • Practical tips for goal setting and planning your next steps

    00:00 Embracing the September Reset

    03:40 Aligning with the Fashion Industry's Rhythm

    07:50 Reflecting and Planning for Success

    12:35 Dreaming Big: Setting Future Goals

    15:26 Taking Action Now

    Whether you’re in the early stages of your fashion startup or looking for a motivational boost, this episode will help you reignite your spark and move forward with confidence.

    Ready to start your journey? Grab my free Fashion Brand Launch Blueprint to see the proven steps to get started.

    Or you can book a free and friendly chat with me to see how I can help you launch your brand by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠clicking here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast to be notified of new episodes and give it a 5-star rating and review to help me see which content you love.

    See you in the front row!

    Michelle Ramsay - The Fashion Expert®

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thefashionexpert.com⁠⁠⁠
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    16 mins
  • Ep15: What Holds Fashion Startups Back With Raquel Braganza Empowerment Lifecoach

    Ep15: What Holds Fashion Startups Back With Raquel Braganza Empowerment Lifecoach
    Jun 5 2025

    In this episode of the fashion startup I’m joined by empowerment lifecoach Raquel Braganza to talk all things mindset and what's holding you back as a fashion founder.

    We cover so much inspiring content such as the inner critical voice, saying yes to your dreams, waiting for that "right" time to start and overcoming fear to embrace something new.

    Raquel also has a special gift for you so make sure to liten to the end.

    You can find out more about Raquel here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠I⁠NSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

    If you'd like to contact Raquel to take advantage of her free gift for the first 3 listeners, or any other enquiries you can email her joy@raquelbraganzalifecoach.com

    If you're considering launching a clothing line and you're not sure where to start you can download my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free launch plan for fashion startups here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It's the blueprint I use with my clients and it covers all the stages involved from idea to launch.

    Or you can book a free and friendly chat with me to see how I can help you launch your brand by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠clicking here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast to be notified of new episodes and give it a 5-star rating and review.

    See you in the front row!

    Michelle Ramsay - The Fashion Expert®

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thefashionexpert.com⁠⁠⁠
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    40 mins
  • Ep14: Branding For Fashion Startups With The Ideas Club® Agency

    Ep14: Branding For Fashion Startups With The Ideas Club® Agency
    May 15 2025

    In this episode of the fashion startup I’m joined by branding experts Scott and Shona Watson from creative agency The Ideas Club. A Glasgow based agency helping bring creative ideas to life. The duo share some gold on choosing a brand name, how a brand identity is more than just. logo and some of the startup mistakes to avoid.

    You can find out more about The Ideas Club here: ⁠⁠⁠WEBSITE⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠I⁠NSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN⁠⁠ ⁠⁠

    If you're considering launching a clothing line and you're not sure where to start you can download my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠free launch plan for fashion startups here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It's the blueprint I use with my clients and it covers all the stages involved from idea to launch.

    Or you can book a free and friendly chat with me to see how I can help you launch your brand by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠clicking here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast to be notified of new episodes and give it a 5-star rating and review.

    See you in the front row!

    Michelle Ramsay - The Fashion Expert®

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thefashionexpert.com⁠⁠⁠
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    35 mins