In episode 64, Amanda shares how she started a sustainable fashion brand, Nicole & Rose, with the goal of making all women feel worthy, powerful, and included. From starting with just a dream of working in fashion to now running her own brand, Amanda’s journey is relatable and affirming.
Amanda has loved fashion for as long as she can remember and has always dreamed of starting her own clothing brand. For so long this dream felt like it could not be a reality, and so she followed a more traditional career path… but in the back of her mind (and heart)she was always hoping this dream may someday, somehow come true.
In the meantime Amanda picked up other hobbies, sewing being one of them! At first the idea of sewing her own clothes felt intimidating, but she bought a sewing machine, watched a ton of YouTube videos and realized right away it was something she really enjoyed!
Sewing gave Amanda a greater appreciation for clothes and really opened her eyes to how much time and effort can go into making clothing. It made her start to really question the fast fashion industry and how clothing was being made at such a quick (and cheap) rate. Amanda dug deeper and discovered more and more about the harmful effects fast fashion has on humans, animals and the environment.
As she continued to learn more about sustainability, Amanda discovered some really amazing slow fashion brands. She loved their approach to creating ethical, sustainable and timeless clothing that is made to last; the opposite of fast fashion. Amanda started to realize her childhood dream of creating a clothing brand might align with her values by starting a slow fashion brand – and so she took the leap!
With Nicole & Rose Amanda not only wanted to create a brand that values sustainability and ethical practices, but also makes others feel worthy, deserving and enough exactly as they are.
Nicole & Rose is a size inclusive slow fashion brand focused on empowering women to be their most authentic, beautiful and worthy selves. They aim to create timeless & effortless clothing that you will not only feel amazing in but also feel amazing about as it’s made with other humans, animals and the environment in mind.
Nicole & Rose collections are made up of versatile pieces that can be effortlessly worn together as a set or easily paired with items from your own wardrobe. Each piece has been thoughtfully created with comfort, ease and versatility in mind and the timeless design allows for them to be worn for many years to come. Each piece is ethically made in Calgary, Canada in small batches.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What sparked her love of fashion from a young age
- The journey that led Amanda to start a fashion brand
- Why Amanda was intimidated to learn to sew
- How Amanda’s perspective on fashion changed once she did learn to sew
- The steps Amanda took to start her brand even before she felt like she was ready
- Amanda’s journey with self-worth and how that shaped the mission of Nicole & Rose
- Why launching a brand with inclusive sizing is more attainable than you might think
- The power of good fit
- How Amanda found the perfect factory for her brand (on the first try!)
People and resources mentioned in this episode:
- Nicole & Rose website
- Nicole & Rose Instagram
- Factory45 founder Shannon Lohr on How Fitting #60
- Color Alchemist Studio
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