A former banker from the UK, Sarah started a custom clothing company in Hong Kong for professional women’s workwear. She became an entrepreneur on the heels of the financial crisis and of becoming a single mom when she adopted her first child. Isabella Wren marries old-school artisanal sewing with cutting-edge technology, paving the way for solutions for made-to-order apparel.
In today’s episode you’ll learn:
- Why Sarah decided to leave the banking industry
- How Sarah financed her enterprise
- About the latest technology in the apparel design industry
- Sarah’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
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What was your biggest insight from this week’s episode? Let Jay know in the comments or on Twitter: @jaykimmer.
LINKS FROM TODAY’S EPISODE
- Read the full transcript from Sarah’s interview
- Find Sarah on LinkedIn
- Find Isabella Wren on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
- IsabellaWren.com
- Map of Isabella Wren’s current showroom location
- Register for Retail’s Cutting Edge event at the StartmeupHK Festival — Don’t forget to use your discount code — JAYKIM20OFF
DETAILED SHOW NOTES
- (3:57) Sarah’s brief introduction of herself and her work
- (4:55) Sarah describes her background, her childhood dream of being a fashion designer, and the personal-ife decision that impacted her decision to pursue entrepreneurship
- (12:45) Sarah explains the ins and outs of how she financially made the jump from banking to entrepreneurship
- (15:46) The challenges Sarah faced in getting clothing to fit and the technological advancements she discovered along the way
- (17:42) Jay and Sarah discuss the differences in the markets between men’s and women’s custom-made clothing
- (21:50) Sarah describes the customer experience, the various ways a customer can go about getting measured for custom garments
- (24:43) The crazy backstory that made Sarah realize she couldn’t build her business around a single pattern maker, which eventually led to a 3D body scanner
- (29:17) Sarah describes her relationship with Marc Close of Bespokify
- (31:00) Sarah describes the customer experience in the Isabella Wren showroom
- (32:25) Details about manufacturing, design, and turnaround time on Isabella Wren garments
- (35:50) Sarah describes her 2018 plans for Isabella Wren
- (37:20) Sarah’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
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