What if clothes not only reflected the beauty and personality of the wearer, but brought together the skills, people, and livelihoods of a whole community? This is why Kristina Collins is passionate about producing her brand of jackets and sweaters in the USA as locally as possible. In episode 112, hear how she has focused her creativity and her sourcing to connect the community around her. This priority brings challenges, but also many opportunities to her fashion business. Kristina shares her transparent philosophy as well as her tips for brands wanting to set up a local supply chain of their own.
Kristina Collins clothing is women’s jackets, blazers, and sweaters designed and made in the USA. Our mission is stand-out, high-quality garments that are sourced and made with our local community at heart.
This episode explores:
Fitting the customer
- Why made in the USA is important to Kristina and her brand
- Why Kristina narrowed her offerings to just jackets and sweaters
- The dilemma with pricing products as a small brand
Fitting the lifestyle & business
- How Kristina Collins navigates the seasonality of a Fall/Winter focused brand
- How Kristina is adjusting her design and production schedules to accommodate wholesale in 2025
- The production model that is working for Kristina Collins
- Why Kristina recommends working with individuals instead of a full-package factory or agency when developing your brands first products
Fitting the values
- The challenges and benefits of fitting your values in your fashion business
- How to make local manufacturing and production connections
- The types of fabrics and fibers that are easy to source in the USA
- Whether sample sales or resale hurt a brand’s reputation
People and resources mentioned in this episode:
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