How I Started My Upcycling Clothing Brand with ALMOST $ No Money and turned my passion into my job!

After being in business for almost 4 years, I wanted to share how I started my upcycling clothing brand with very little money. This is my experience only and I hope you are able to take inspiration to turn your passion into a paying job.
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Read About us in:
✨Vogue Magazine - www.vogue.com/article/selina-...
✨W Magazine - www.wmagazine.com/fashion/upc...
✨ Marie Claire - www.marieclaire.com/fashion/d...
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To see samples of my work:
Visit my website: www.selinasanders.com
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📚Want to learn the basics of upcycling and making a top along the way?
Take my DOMESTIKA COURSE! www.domestika.org/en/courses/...
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction
01:31 - Disclaimer
02:10 - Start with your passion!
02:40 - How I collected fabric
03:19 - Use what you already have
03:46 - Vogue and Fabrics gifted by neighbors
05:31 - Machines and Tools
06:11 - Borrowing a Sewing Machine from the Library
06:28 - Dressforms/Facebook Marketplace/Buy-Nothing Groups
07:23 - Making a prototype/sample
07:43- The top that started it all
08:07 - Pattern Making, Cutting and Sewing
08:42 - Learning Online - Domestika and KZbin
09:28 - Find a local Tailor
09:52 - Branding and Story Telling
10:58 - Brand Logo
12:07 - Creative Branding with Recycled Materials
12:57 - Sweat Equity!
13:32 - Be Unique, Do your research
14:37 - Marketing/Advertising
14:58 - Photograph your work!
15:43 - Gifting as Marketing
16:14 - Social Media
16:53 - Studio or work space
17:30 - Selling your work online
18:38 - Selling at Markets and Shows
19:11 - Accounting
19:47 - Growing your team
20:36 - Recap
21:01 - Final Thoughts
21:30 - A small piece of advice
22:29 - Share your thoughts!
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🎀Follow Selina Sanders on my socials!🎀
For more upcycling fashion content, follow me on
Instagram - / selina_sanders
TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@selina_sander...
#howtostartabusiness #sewing #upcyclingfashion #smallbusiness #fashiondesign #fashiondesigner #fashionbrand #clothingbrand #howtomake #howtomakemoneyonline #howtostartabrand

[@seaside2001]

Gosh I did this 25 years ago during the Shabby Chic era. I sold a lot of my creations, to craft and gift shops in California at the time. I purchased my vintage linen stock from a Rag and Bones business in the UK and had then shipped in a bale, transported by ship. It was an easy way to get a lot of stock of beautiful linens. I am now retired from it and living by the Seaside. I am glad you found a way to repurpose beautiful unloved vintage pieces.

[@Selina_Sanders]

Wow! Thanks for sharing your story! I love this work and I am very passionate about it. I do hope to retire by the “seaside” or lakeside in my case, when the time comes.

[@seaside2001]

@@Selina_Sanders You can do it!

[@hatchling88]

I have discovered that tea towels, maybe thanks to the popularity of your great fashions,, are in short supply these days. I check out thrift shops and Goodwill, but usually they have nothing on sale. So, I raided my own cupboards and found 2 😆 but what is often available are sheets and draperies. So, I changed course a bit, took your Domestika course and made a cute top out of one thrifted sheet and an old one of mine. I'm making some matching shorts out of remnants of the two sheets, so I'll have soft original pj's. So, there's my hint.. for thrifting and making, be flexible based on what's readily available to you. A friend of mine had a great idea and wanted to start her own line, but had difficulty obtaining her materials at economical prices. Her supply problems sabotaged her early attempts to become established. A business is more than just a creative idea.

[@nataliechim5227]

Great video for anyone wanting to start a business or a side hustle. Lots of great advice. I started my custom clothing and alterations business the same way, I only wish we had social media then. Word of mouth is the best marketing and marketing is so important and the most difficult thing for creative people.

[@Selina_Sanders]

Thank you for watching! I attempted several times to start a side hustle but it was prior to social media and they all failed due to lack of exposure to the markets I wanted to serve. I didn’t have the money to advertise and it was just more difficult monetarily. It’s a struggle still today with constant posting and engaging but it’s the norm now that I am trying to embrace. I started this channel in hopes to help inspire others chase their own dreams 🫶🏽

[@nataliechim5227]

You are certainly helping to inspire people especially with your gorgeous designs and these honest advice videos. thank you for taking the time to record them@@Selina_Sanders

[@maryraab9066]

Thank you for making this video. It's realistic You are inspiring!

[@Selina_Sanders]

Thank you for watching it! It was fun to make and a pleasure to share what I’ve learned!

[@conniesmith9989]

Hi from Texas. I love your designs. Etc. Thank you.

[@Selina_Sanders]

Hi!!! I hope to do a pop up in Austin in the future!

[@Fav-city20]

You are great 👍 😊

[@Selina_Sanders]

You’re very kind! Thank you for watching 🙏🏽❤️🎀

[@conniesmith9989]

I really like your dress.

[@Selina_Sanders]

Thank you! It was made from a vintage tablecloth

[@veejayfloresca]

really helpful advice =) fellow FIL-AM creative here! =)

[@annikadudley]

Yessss we love to see it

[@Selina_Sanders]

Yay!! I will try and make more ❤🤞

[@stephaniesanchez4226]

Hello beautiful I putchased you class in Domestika. Now I purchased this new 3 bow pattern I love your patterns although I don't use recicle fabric but I do use hankerchiefs thank you sooo much

[@Selina_Sanders]

Hiii Stephanie and thank you! The awesome thing is you are making your own clothes which means you have that personal connection with your garments and I LOVE THAT! Enjoy watching the 🎀 pattern sew-along on KZbin! I am excited to see what you make! Much love ❌0️⃣

[@thebarbers6291]

So proud of you ❤

[@MyTaylordCloset]

Very useful and I'm taking your course. I'm hoping to start an upcycling business as well.

[@Selina_Sanders]

That’s so awesome 🎉 I am so happy to know that more people are producing clothes sustainably. I appreciate your support for taking my course also! Please keep me posted on your journey! ❤

[@romi4737]

Thanks for sharing 🙏🏻🤗

[@yvetteblonk4505]

I'm considering a business in upsycling fashion and headcovering. Maybe a bag here and there. For the last 5 years I have been looking around en exploring the small business wordt and I kept quiting because most business ideas were bad for the planet. For me, sustainability is the most important thing. I want to leave Mother Earth better instead of worse. Because I have a neurodeverse brain I want to keep my company small. But it's hard with taxes and stuff. Thank you for being so inspirational ♡

[@user-un5jb5pe7i]

You are inspiring us thanks

[@2beckdave]

Selina this was so informative! I have thought about starting a business but at this point I'm not sure. I'm trying to narrow down the type of projects I enjoy sewing. I can say with 100% certainty that I love to up cycle! It's so important for our environment and now that I have the time it's so much easier 🥰

[@Selina_Sanders]

I’m so glad to hear this Rebecca. Thank you for watching! Loving the process is the most important and the business will follow. I love that you’re Upcycling and choosing this as your way to produce! I hope more people will join us 🙏🏽❤️

[@dmshofikulbd]

Your videos are really nice