September 17, 2019
Starting a Fashion Brand Without a Clue
This blog is dedicated to my friend Agustina. Inspiration comes from unexpected places.
Starting a fashion brand when I don’t follow fashion? What was I thinking!

I learnt the hard way that my preferences in fashion accessories are not everyone’s. I had neglected to consider the fact that I am that person who loves the soon-to-be-discontinued items on retail shelves. I was way behind the trends, that I needed to be way in front of.
So, in the beginning, it was a little bit hit and miss. Mistakes happened, but our first collection included beautiful items that have now become customer favorites. Others - well, not so much, but that is where the questions, the learning and the growth began. I had a steep learning curve to deal with around what fashion actually is and who decides what makes something fashionable or on trend.
Feeling completely clueless, I surrounded myself with people who love and follow fashion, who live and breathe it every day. Their skills in identifying trends, defining a look, or an aesthetic to pursue and predicting what people would want to wear in summer, as we sat in the depths of winter were fascinating to me. I soaked in everything they had to say and recruited their instincts, where mine had previously failed.

This created a massive challenge for us. Many lovingly made styles that have been handed down from one Maker to the next, had emerged because of the artisanal techniques themselves and may not have changed from one generation to the next! This means nothing when it comes to the trends of the modern fashion industry.
It hasn’t been an easy ride and we are still continuing to navigate how to incorporate our Maker’s skills and styles, with the demands of ever evolving seasonal trends. One way to deal with this is through collaboration. After studying the market and refining what we expected the next trends to be, we decided to put those thoughts to our Makers, a step that meant we would all have to evolve in some way.


Purpose doesn’t have to be cannibalized by fashion. Both sides can co-exist and in Finders and Maker’s case, the result is beautifully stylish accessories that transcend the retail discount bin and transform the lives of so many. Because how you look is only half the story.
Until next time,
Carina
All photos copyright of Finders and Makers
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