Making Launching A Sustainable Fashion Brand Easier with Shannon Lohr of Factory45

03/01/2023 57 min
Making Launching A Sustainable Fashion Brand Easier with Shannon Lohr of Factory45

Listen "Making Launching A Sustainable Fashion Brand Easier with Shannon Lohr of Factory45"

Episode Synopsis

In episode 60, sustainable fashion business school founder & CEO Shannon Lohr shares insights, practical tips, and marketing and mindset wisdom for starting a sustainable fashion brand based on her years of experience coaching successful fashion entrepreneurs through her Factory45 program.



As the Founder & CEO of Factory45, Shannon Lohr works with idea-stage entrepreneurs to launch fashion brands that are sustainably and ethically made. 



Shannon got her start in 2010 when she co-founded {r}evolution apparel, a sustainable clothing company for female travelers and minimalists that was featured in The New York Times, Forbes.com and Yahoo! News. 



Through her online business school, Factory45, Shannon has worked with over 500 entrepreneurs in the sustainable fashion space, many of whom have gone on to launch some of the most transparent supply chains in the fashion industry. 



Shannon has worked as a consultant for crowdfunding projects that have surpassed their goal amounts by as much as 300%, and has worked closely with startup apparel companies from all over the world to create ethically-made products with a focus on environmentally-friendly materials. 



Shannon is a strong advocate for increasing supply chain transparency through sourcing, localization and storytelling. She’s been named a thought leader for the future of fashion and was nominated as a "Woman of Note" by the Wall Street Journal.





In this episode, you’ll learn:




Why Shannon started Factory45 after seeing first hand the challenges of starting her own brand



What things new fashion entrepreneurs worry about that actually aren’t that important - and what to focus on instead



How to launch a minimum viable product to test your concept without sacrificing building a long-term business foundation



How to communicate your brand’s sustainability efforts in a way that won’t come across as greenwashing



How to work through the vulnerability of putting your designs out into the world



How to set your brand’s goals and values



The value of knowing your brand’s “why”



The two things in Shannon’s experience that distinguish successful fashion brands from the unsuccessful ones



How long it takes to launch a fashion brand



How Factory45 supports your sustainable fashion brand launch and beyond




People and resources mentioned in this episode:




Factory45  website



Shannon’s email



Factory45 Instagram



Factory45 LinkedIn



Factory45 one-page business plan template



How to Start A Sustainable Fashion Brand podcast



Vetta - Factory45 alum



Loti - Factory45 alum



Poppy Row - Factory45 alum - on the How Fitting podcast




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