Kerri BridgmanHe came to me with the kind of excitement I love — the kind that fills the room with ideas, sketches, and bold plans for the future. He wanted to build a fashion brand. The problem was, he didn’t want to learn how to build it.
He imagined being the visionary and hiring people to handle the rest. But without understanding the process, he couldn’t recognize good work when he saw it. When samples came back wrong or timelines slipped, he grew frustrated, assuming his team wasn’t capable of bringing his vision to life.
The truth was simpler: he hadn’t yet built the foundation.
We had several long, honest conversations about what it actually means to be a designer and brand owner, and the difference between the two.
He learned that:
- He was the one responsible for finalizing the designs — not the factory.
- He needed to choose fabrics, understand material weights, and approve colors — not the creative designers he was hiring.
- And most importantly, he needed to know what his partners were (and weren’t) responsible for.
Because when you don’t understand the process, you can’t communicate what you really want — and no one can read your mind.
Learning the Language of Your Industry
When you enter an industry, any industry, part of the process is learning its language. The terminology, the workflows, and the standard practices exist for a reason: they help you make informed decisions and take control of the narrative around your brand.
For this client, one of the biggest turning points came when I introduced the concept of a tech pack. Until that moment, he didn’t realize that factories rely on this document to know exactly what to produce — from measurements and materials to construction details. Once he understood that, everything shifted. He began to communicate his expectations clearly and began working with a factory to develop samples with confidence.
✨ Click here for a list of easy to learn fashion industry terms.
Why Every Founder Needs a Tech Pack
Whether you’re new to fashion or stepping out on your own after years in the industry, a tech pack is your blueprint. It’s what translates your vision into something a factory can actually produce — accurately, consistently, and professionally.
Each factory works differently. What one assumes is “obvious,” another may interpret completely differently. Even the basics — like stitch type, placement, or trim — need to be called out clearly.
A tech pack keeps everyone aligned. It protects your investment, your relationships, and your vision.
The Takeaway
Creativity drives your brand. But structure sustains it.
Understanding your process doesn’t make you less of a visionary — it makes you one who gets results.
If you’re ready to bring order to your creative chaos and finally build the backend of your business with clarity, I built the Fashion Business SOS: Starter Pack for you — the same foundation I wish every designer had before diving into production.
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