How do you launch a Fashion Label?

Where do you start?

Should you go work for someone else first, or dive straight in and do it yourself? Should you manufacture in China or Australia?

Hands up anyone who has asked themselves these questions before?

Yeah me- busted.

When making the decision to start your own label, these are all questions that im sure have crossed our minds at some stage. And if they haven’t- well time to get thinking.

In my opinion it is best seeking advice from someone who is knowledgeable in that field, who has already experienced first hand – exactly the thing you need guidance on!

Otherwise it is just the blind leading the blind.

And yes Aunt Suzy, thank you for your opinion but have you actually started a Fashion Label before?

If you are fortunate enough to find someone who is willing to share their knowledge- LISTEN. And take notes. Lots of them. This subject matter isn’t something that a lot of people are willing to share.

I was fortunate enough to spend time with a beautiful friend of mine Stephanie, who is the Head Designer and Founder of Couture Bridal Label- Sant Elia.

Stephanie has worked as a Senior Designer for various different Fashion Labels before starting her own label- Sant Elia.

Sant Elia gowns have featured in Cosmo Bride, graced the Carpets at the Arias dripping from Celebrities such as Samantha Jade and many gorgeous brides, bringing their dreams to life.

I’ve asked Stephanie the hard hitting questions we are all dying to know, and she was kind enough to share some insight into her journey.

Please tell us about yourself. Who is Stephanie?

My Name is Stephanie Caltabiano Cherrington and I'm 32 years old. I'm a mum to my little boy Rome and run my Bridal label Sant Elia.

I started my fashion career by interning at multiple labels and magazines whilst undertaking my Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles at UTS. Funnily enough, in my second year of study I took a hiatus, six months to decide if I wanted to continue my Fashion course or change to Medical Science - sooo weird.

Obviously, I returned to fashion and from there I really sunk my teeth in and got the most out of the education - I spoke to one of my Uni lecturers the other day and they said I was a 'changed person'.

I went on to complete my degree with first class honours, proving to myself that I was really meant to do this!

Prior to launching Sant Elia, I worked for some major fashion brands, starting from Design Assistant and working my way to Senior Designer at my last role. During this time, I was able to focus on commercial design, budgets, range planning and garment construction - in particular offshore sourcing and production. 

How did the decision come about to launch Sant Elia?

My commercial fashion experience was both challenging and educational, however I was unfulfilled creatively. I had many opportunities to travel and I learnt a lot about factories and markets in China and made a lot of valuable connections.

An opportunity came up to design a wedding dress for an Influencer friend that I had connected with in the industry. Even though I had never made a wedding dress before I decided I wanted to take it on and do it in my own way.

I fell in love with the process, realising that the deeply personal nature of bridal would allow me endless creative opportunity and an outlet to express my design aesthetic.

The bride loved her dress and it was featured heavily on her instagram, and then featured on other wedding focused media pages etc.

I decided to take a leap and start making couture gowns after receiving multiple requests for custom dresses.

Through many, many twists and turns I launched Sant Elia several years ago! I felt that the industry was lacking the distinct style of bridal I create and stayed focused on putting out work that was true to my own vision and have created a recognisable signature look. 

Each of our custom designs reflects the individual style and desired look of our bride, which is then created using luxurious fabrics, intricate detailing and classic couture techniques. 

Would you recommend working for a Designer first? Or should you just take the plunge and launch your own label with no prior experience?

YES! I definitely attribute my commercial eye and understanding of fit for women from my previous experience working for others.

The knowledge I gained on the job coupled with my formal fashion education created a solid base for me going into my own business.

I think that a creative person can have many amazing ideas but sometimes not have the practical skills to launch a business.

I for one, am still learning and wish I could go and intern for Dior so I can learn all their secrets! Or even go sit next to an accounts manager of a big label and learn how to properly run accounts receivable!

I think that if you find opportunities that will support your bigger dreams in the future, why not arm yourself up before taking that leap? If you decide working for someone else is not an option and you need to jump in head first then I definitely recommend finding a mentor and hiring skilled staff to assist you if possible! 

What have you found to be the most challenging part of having your own label?

For me the financial/business side of running my label has come with many stumbling blocks. I'm one of those 'learn from your mistakes' kind of people. Adding structure can be hard when you are growing your businesses, in the past I found it hard to create systems that would support my processes as the processes kept changing and evolving and the back end didn't always grow at the same pace.  

What has been most rewarding part? Career highlights?

Having the confidence to stand back and say 'we do amazing work' is something that didn't come naturally to me. I'm a terrible perfectionist, so I tend to downplay my successes and scrutinise every single aspect of my label.

It feels really good to stand outside of myself and look back through our archives and see the growth and progression of the business as well as myself personally!

I've had some pretty cool opportunities to create custom gowns for red carpet events, one of my favourites was our Hot Pink patent leather number we created for Samantha Jade for the Arias.

Also being featured in Cosmo Bride magazine as one of their leading Australian bridal designers whilst I was pregnant was very cool, the image of me with my baby bump in print will forever be one of my most cherished photos.

But the most rewarding part is seeing my brides in their gowns at their last fitting appointment, I still get goose bumps when they look in the mirror and fall in love with their look. It's the most special thing to witness, I love that I get to make women feel beautiful!

The big debate-Manufacturing in China V Manufacturing in Australia.

I know you have a team of Seamstresses in your design studio and all your gowns are made in Sydney.
Having designed for other labels that manufactured in China V manufacturing your own label here in Sydney, what are the pros and cons in your experience? 

Pros - for manufacturing in China - If you know what you are doing and have reliable connections, China production is great.

Pricing is usually fair and the quality is good if you know what to ask for!

If you are happy to take on the minimum quantities, then the price per unit is usually more manageable and will assist in keeping RRP down.

There is a very broad and diverse range of fabrications and most of the Chinese Factory connections I made were helpful and always wanted to go above and beyond for us.

Cons - if you don't create a solid tech pack you might find your first samples come back looking CRAZY - you really need to do your due diligence and provide clear instructions, samples and useful references to help the factories understand your goals.

Also, if you are looking for low minimums it can be hard to find suppliers who are willing to work with you. I work with my own in-house seamstresses in my Sydney studio because I like to have involvement and experimentation during my production process.

I am involved in every step of the construction and my garments are usually one-off and have high costs per piece.

I think individual businesses need to assess the type of market they want to enter and also how hands on they want to be with the construction process. Offshore production can be handy when you don't want to physically make the pieces yourself, for example you don't have the skill set or resources to produce the pieces in-house, you want a lower cost or bigger quantity. 

If you could have your time over, what would you say to Stephanie of 6 years ago when you were launching Sant Elia?

I would tell Stephanie to be patient and back myself.

I was a little bit timid and relied on a lot of other people's advice/opinions. I would have focused more on developing my business purpose and creating a stronger plan - hindsight is a bittersweet feeling.

I think it's important to listen to yourself and trust your own ability. If you are unsure, gather people around you who are like- minded and are generous enough to share their knowledge - take it in!! 

Do you have any other advice you would love to share with our readers, some pearls of wisdom? 

Trial and error is good! Keep learning, especially from your mistakes. Be fluid and pivot around obstacles. Trust your vision and hold yourself in high regard. 

Collaborate as much as you can.

To learn more about Stephanie and Sant Elia click on the links below: