Ashley Klein, the founder of sustainable brand Akala, joins me for episode 20 to talk about how and why she started her own brand after working in the fashion industry across varying roles from design to e-commerce.
Ashley lives in Seattle with her husband, with baby on-the-way! Akala is currently her side hustle, as she works full time in addition to being an entrepreneur, in hopes of growing Akala to a full time operation.
Ashley studied Fashion Design at Purdue University and the Fashion Institute of Technology, and she has spent close to a decade across the fashion and e-commerce industries. Her goal is to create a new kind of fashion business that fills a gap so many customers are looking for: versatile, inclusive, and sustainable fashion.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why Ashley wanted to start her own brand after working in the fashion industry in many roles from design, to marketing, to styling.
- What Ashley researched before starting her brand
- Why product development was more of a challenge than Ashley expected
- How Ashley balances sustainability and affordability within Akala
- The sustainable textile innovations Ashley’s excited to incorporate into her brand
- What inspires Ashley’s designs
- How Ashley found factories that offered low minimums and aligned her values
People and resources mentioned in this episode:
- Akala website
- Akala on Instagram
- Ashley on LinkedIn
- Evrnu circular textile technology company
- LA Textile sourcing trade show
Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.