If you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes at Atelier Ninety Five, welcome to a very real week in the life of building a fashion brand.
This week has been one of those weeks where I feel like I have had a hundred different things happening at once. The highs of building a brand are incredible, but the reality is that there are always challenges happening behind the scenes that nobody sees.
So here is a little honest update from inside Atelier Ninety Five.
First up, our AW samples arrived.
This is our second round of fit samples and, if I am being completely honest, they were not quite where we needed them to be.
The last few weeks have been a complete process of trial and error. We have changed fabrics, adjusted zips, changed styles, altered fastenings, changed fits, cut pieces up and re sewn them back together. You name it, we have probably done it.
This is the part of fashion that people rarely see. A finished garment can look effortless, but getting to that final piece takes so much time, patience and attention to detail.
Every little decision matters. The way a sleeve falls, the weight of a fabric, the shape of a shoulder, the smallest fastening. All of these details come together to create something that feels special.
Right now, we are also working against some very tight deadlines.
We have Selfridges deadlines to meet and if I am being completely honest, it feels very, very touch and go at the moment. The samples that arrived created a few moments of panic because there is still a lot to perfect before we get them to where they need to be.
When you have worked so hard towards an opportunity, it can feel incredibly scary knowing that so much depends on getting everything right. There are moments where you have to trust the process, stay calm and remind yourself that every challenge is part of building something meaningful.
So please keep everything crossed for us because the team is working incredibly hard behind the scenes to make this happen. Hopefully we can pull everything together and deliver something we are truly proud of.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
The next challenge this week has been supplier communication.
Our biggest supplier is currently taking five to seven working days to reply to emails, which when you are trying to finalise urgent fit comments and make decisions quickly feels like an eternity.
There is nothing more frustrating than knowing what needs to be done but waiting for answers before you can move forward.
I am trying very hard to keep everything under control, but I have definitely had moments this week where I have questioned whether I should just book a flight to China and sort everything out myself.
Honestly, it has crossed my mind.
The reality of running a fashion business is that you spend a lot of time solving problems. Some days are spent designing beautiful pieces and dreaming about future collections. Other days are spent chasing emails, fixing production issues and trying to keep everything moving.
It is not always glamorous, but every single part of the process is what helps build the brand.
Finally, amongst all the chaos, we are busy planning our next Atelier Ninety Five community event.
This is the part that always brings me back to why we started Atelier in the first place. Creating a space where women can come together, connect, share experiences and feel part of something bigger than just clothing is something I care deeply about.
So although this week has definitely been a little chaotic, with a few more fires than I would ideally like to put out, there are also so many exciting things happening behind the scenes.
Building a brand is never a straight line. There are incredible highs, difficult moments and everything in between.
Thank you for following along with our journey, for supporting us, for sharing your thoughts and for being part of Atelier Ninety Five.
Now, back to the samples...
Founder
Atelier Ninety Five