Changing The World Through Fashion

I love inspiring stories of how fashion when you're a child translates into what you're going to do for the rest of your life. And today, when we're talking to Autumn Adegbo about her life growing up in Nigeria and her Nigerian mother and just her love of fashion and how that really permeated her culture and how that led her to create a line today that is all over the United States, carried in every high end department store from Neiman to Bergdorf to Nordstrom, many of your favorite retailers around the world. Carrie Autumn's line. So today we're dissecting what did it take to build her own fashion line? What did it take and what did she learn from her upbringing and from her life as a celebrity stylist, who her favorite celebrities are that she would love to dress one day, and how everyone who has a hand in the fashion world could learn from the stylist world. I love this conversation because it's so insightful. Autumn has, you know, had experiences that so many of us will never have that opportunity, especially behind the scenes with music videos and movies and just the styling culture. So today I'm so pumped, you guys to have Autumn on the podcast so you can hear her story and learn all about creating your own fashion line. Let's talk about your business strategy and the juicy details of what actually works. From mainstream fashion to fashion on Main street and the entire ecosystem behind it. How do we scale your company and do it with the balance and the happiness that we all seek? Let's hear from those insiders, experts and strategists that actually make it happen. I'm your host, Ashley Alderson from the Boutique Hub and I can't wait to chat. You guys. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode and I'm so excited to make a personal invitation to you. You guys know, behind the scenes at the Hub, we are always looking for new ways to serve our industry. Both our community of retailers, but also our community of wholesalers. And so for the last two years, we've been working on one massive project. A brand new wholesale marketplace built by the industry, for the industry. And you're invited with so much of your feedback along the way. Today we're so excited to announce the grand opening of hubventory.com that's hubventory. H u b v e n t o r y dot com. You're invited to come make a profile to shop your favorite curated and vetted brands handpicked by the Boutique Hub. But not only to shop because you see, Hubventory is a different kind of wholesale marketplace where we want to help you buy smarter. Each and every week. We want you to invest in your inventory rather than buying on a whim. So when you sign up for Hubventory, not only will you be able to find your favorite brands, but we'll encourage you to follow those brands and and then start to pin products to boards to build boards that are designed for your next new arrivals launch or an upcoming collection by product category or even by uploading your open to buy plan and buying with your budget. So you're welcome to join us today on hubventory.com to plan and buy smarter and to follow the vetted, curated and trusted wholesalers that we all love. I'll see you on hubventory.com hey Autumn. Welcome to the podcast.

Ashley, I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.

You bet. I did not realize we shared some Midwest connection roots before we got started. I like to tease, especially when there's a lot of people from Texas that listen to this podcast, that Midwest is the best. They can't be offended when we say that. Right. And even though I know your story has led you around the world, I mean, we've got to brag on those Midwest routes a little bit, right?

Yeah. You know, I've experienced a lot of the parts of our country and internationally and I the tagline for my company is culture color conscience. So I really, really do embrace the different cultures of even different regions of the U.S. and the Midwest definitely has its own cultural stamp that I appreciate.

Perfect. Well, you have such an amazing story to share, Autumn. Just of first of all, the inspiration for all that you do and what your company stands for. But you have an amazing investment story as well and how you've scaled this business and the support you have behind the business. So if anyone hasn't had the opportunity to get to know you yet, I would love to hear just kind of from step number one, where you first were inspired with fashion and what led you to creating this line and this business and where you first got your feet wet, where you first got started. I would love to hear.

Sure. As the daughter of Nigerian immigrants, this kind of cross cultural pollination, I was born into having like an African, you know, deeply proud African heritage that was born and raised in the U.S. i also have siblings that are biracial. So within my family also having different cultures experiencing growing up, I think I just always appreciated people's differences. But also kind of more importantly, what made us the Same with just those foundations. And my mother, who is a physician, she became a physician after attending medical school at the age of 35 as a single mom with two kids. So she has that ambition drive that I picked up on from a very early age. I was 10 when she went to medical school. We moved to the Midwest so she could go to medical school. She also has a very strong creative side and she used to sew a lot of my dresses growing up. So I was always the little girl in kindergarten with the colorful print one of a kind dress that my mom sewed for me. And I was voted best dressed in the fourth grade. So I've been on this path my whole life. I love that I'm a fashion lifer. So I went to college, I went to Spelman, which is all black girls school in Atlanta, Georgia. Loved it. Loved the culture of Atlanta, loved the culture of being submersed in the black American experience. Being a Nigerian American and learning what that was all about. But also realized that my favorite part of every day was getting dressed. I still loved the exploration of my closet every day. Like, yeah, I was an economics major and I was getting really comfortable with numbers and math and solving three page long math problems in my math econ classes. I mean, it was. That experience was wonderful because it gave me that business foundation of being comfortable with numbers. But I took my love of getting dressed for every day and I applied to Parsons School of Design and got a second degree on top of my economics degree in fashion design. And that's when it all kind of really started to take shape.

I love that when you first decided this is for me right after having that second degree and wanting to make the move into fashion. I think a lot of people struggle right at that point of where to turn and understanding am I going to self fund this venture? How do I find the most reputable manufacturers and go down that path? How did you first step your toe into that water? When you're like, all right, let's create a brand, let's start to build, where did you start to go next?

So while at Parsons, I believe in having a strong foundation in terms of strategy. A lot of things crumble because either the people didn't put in the work to build that foundation, whether that's education, experience, networking, etc. So I've been working at this for a long time to stand where I am today. And you know, while at Parsons, I was, I was interning with celebrities, you know, big celebrity stylists to start to gain my entry into that World of high, high profile women, high profile, profile fashion brands, networking with very high profile people. And also very hard work. You know, getting up at 3:00am because the music video starts shooting for JLo at 5:00am, you know, working for 24 hours on a press tour with Gwen Stefani. When she left no Doubt and launched her solo career, you know, I was like, the, the this Shit is Bananas music video, I was in the background, like ironing on bananas on jeans, you know, under Andrea Lieberman, who is now alc is her that very popular contemporary brand. But I knew her when she was a stylist and I was her intern. I also worked in retail. I worked at Paul Smith for three years. And not just on the floor. I worked in the sales department, the PR department, the visuals department. I worked at Anna Suite in the retail department. And what I gained from those experiences was a, you know, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. I did not know that clothes could cost $700. I did not know that suits had cost $1,200. And it's almost like you feel like you're tricking a customer and you' you're trying to get them to buy something. You're like, it's $700. You're like, afraid to say the price and they're like, oh, I'll take three. And you're like, what? Yeah, like, that was a big shift for me in terms of understanding that people. Because when I was growing up, my mom couldn't even afford to buy me Umbros, which were like $14. And it was like the trend when I was growing up was like the soccer, soccer umbrella set. So it was a huge shift for me. After working in retail, working in celebrity fashion styling. The final part of my journey before we switched into starting my launching, my brand was working actually in. Well, I worked at W magazine freelance on and off for about a year, which gave me the editorial experience. But working in New York City nightlife hospitality was like kind of the game changer for me because every night there was 400 people that came in. It was the hottest restaurants in the world. So everyone from the celebrities to the entrepreneurs to the PR to the magazine editors were wanting their tables. And I had a bit of quote, unquote power in terms of where people sat or actually giving them the reservations they wanted. And there was that give and take and so the ability to build relationships that way. And that's when I actually started my brand. I was working at W magazine during the day, sometimes celebrity styling, freelancing and working nights as A hostess. And I designed seven dresses, seven African printed dresses that gave a percentage of sales back to women in Africa. And that was the beginning of it.

I love that. You know, what I love is how, I mean, you were scrappy, you went and you knew you had a dream, you had something you wanted to do. But look at all the different experiences you had that led you to that. It wasn't just, I'm going to do this thing, where do I start? But, I mean, all those relationships and those steps along the way, is there anything looking back that you're like, man, I would definitely do this different, or I would definitely do this again. And I would recommend other people before they get their brand started. Is there anything in that experience you would either change or recommend?

I kind of wish I would have gone deeper into my styling career. I assisted two of the best stylists in the world, 2 to 3, and I wish I would. I did it for, like, eight years as an assistant and, you know, started to be kind of an associate. I wish I would have gone deeper into that world. That's the one thing that I kind of wish I had a little bit more experience around. Even though, you know, I got addressed Julianne Moore, many, numerous times, Jennifer Connelly, J. Lo, you know, tons of women. But that world is just an interesting, fun thing that I wish I got to do a little bit longer.

Yeah, I bet that was an amazing experience. When you then decided to start your brand and you were ready to create your first couple of patterns and your first few pieces, you decided you were ready to have financial backing. And I know you have some tremendous accolades in terms of some of the financial backing and investment that you've had in your business as well. Take me down the path of that part of your story.

It's a long path. People think that it happened overnight.

Yes.

When I. When I did those. When I designed those seven dresses, I put a business plan together, and it was one of those that you, like, take the staples, and it has, like, the clear front and the black back with, like, the spiral, you know, And I put, like, all my ideas for the brand in it. And the first two people I pitched who I thought could invest in me were my uncle, who, in my perception, was wealthy, and the owner of the restaurant that I worked at, who was very wealthy. So I asked them both. My uncle, Softly, was just like, no. And the owner of the restaurant, his name is Jonathan Siegel, he has a chain called stk, which is a very popular steak chain. And I was in the flagship one the launch in Manhattan and it was maybe two years old. And he came in and I'd never spoken to him. And I had my business plan. I was like a hostess, you know, working that night. And I approached him and I was like, hi, my name's Autumn, I'm one of your hostess and I have this idea for my business. And he's like, yeah, I'll take a look. And he took and he sat down at one of those like 8 to 10 person big booths and he like patiently leaped through each page and he got to the end of it and he's like, this is. There's some really good ideas in here. Where are your projections? And I was like, what are projections? And I never got those projections together because I was never comfortable with Excel enough to do that. So I never closed that loop and actually gave him what he was looking for in terms of potentially investing in my company. But what did happen is I went on to enter the New York Public Library of Business plan competition in 2014. And they taught me, kind of self taught through a book that we all worked through, how to build projections. And I finally got my business plan together in 2014, placed third in the business plan competition and. Eventually went out to start speaking to people about raising capital in 2014. But the initial funding for the company didn't come through until 2017.

So tell me about the art of the follow up during that time. I mean, you had to have made a number of connections. Follow up, I'm sure do a number of presentations. Is there anything if someone is listening and they are interested in receiving some sort of investment along the way, Is there any advice you would share with them?

Yeah, you know, approach people who you authentically admire, who have built something that you feel in alignment with. I felt that with Katrina Lake, who went on to be one of our investors, you know, the founder and most. She recently stepped down from her position, but you know, she's CEO of Stitch Fix and built that company to over a billion dollar brand in under 10 years in annual revenue. But I felt an authentic connection with her, even just watching her through YouTube or her videos. So find people and find ways to connect to them. A lot of people do public speaking. If you follow them on Instagram, you know, they might do a zoom where, you know, they open themselves up through a partner organization or honestly, people notice support, people notice their real fans, people notice when you put in the work and you're like constantly liking, constantly commenting. You know, do that for six months to a year to even one of the biggest people in the world, they're gonna notice you. And you'd be surprised that when you, when you put in the work of actually supporting someone over time, how open they are to returning that support to you in some way. So I get asked all the time, people who don't follow me, people who I've never seen or heard from before, they send me DMs, asking me for things, and I'm like, why would I. What have you, what work have you put in to show me that you deserve my time? And that's not because I think that I'm whoever or whatever. I think we all deserve to value our time and give it to people who actually deserve to have it.

Take me back to when you first received that investment. Right? There's that sense of, ah, you know, I've done it, I've got this, let's go. And you're going back to fully creating your first line and really building your brand and your go to market strategy. Talk to me about that initial, like, push that initial strategy for you, how you were going to set yourself apart to be different and how you were going to gain market share right away as your business was ready to start growing.

You know, to me, strategy is very, like, intellectual, but I'm more of an intuitive person. I am definitely like an intellectual person. So, you know, step one in terms of strategies and identifying a product that really can break through the noise. And you can do that by figuring out your why and the story that you're going to tell and why you're going to tell it. Step two is not pulling back on quality. Whether it's the price point, whether it's design aesthetic. Like, don't think that your customer isn't smart enough to identify good quality versus bad quality. Like, make sure you're serving your customer. They will notice. They will notice when you, you take that extra step to put a pocket in, or you put a hook and eye on the top of the dress so that the zipper doesn't open, or you use cotton instead of polyester because it's a spring season and you don't want them to feel sweaty. Like, always thinking about your customer, always thinking about your girl and always thinking about how you're going to serve them. When you create a product that breaks through the noise, that truly, that truly serves the customer and doesn't shrink on quality in terms of standards, it has no choice but to be well received by your community and eventually by whoever else that you're, whether that's investors or you Know, customers, stores. It has no choice but to be well received.

Yeah, you said that your tagline is color consciousness and culture. Tell me about that.

Yes, Culture. Because of my Nigerian heritage and my desire to connect women across different cultures. Color because we like to create an artistic product so that our girl can be the bright spot of every room and conscience. Just thinking about everything that we do, our whys. So that can be producing product in women owned production facilities in the usa, partnering with women for trunk shows so that we can pay them a percentage of sales, creating community and investing in women across our supply chain as well as making product internationally and with fair standards.

How do you recommend, you know, there's so many retailers who are listening, who really want to support brands that have that give back component or that have that social good component. How would you recommend brands and boutiques maybe could partner better together or what are things retailers could be looking for in terms to partner with a brand like yours that does social good? What are some other give backs or ideas that both those brands and boutiques could maybe do independently or together?

Find ways to educate your customer on the story and the brand's why, whether that's standalone components within the hang tags or within the merchandising in the store that tells the story. You know, I think pretty passionately that we have to, we have to shift away from all the fast fashion that's happening in the industry and the more the customer understands the why of why that's important through education. It just creates community, it creates conversation, it creates a bonding that allows us to not only educate the customer but also positively impact the environment by shifting more of our purchasing dollars towards more sustainable products.

It's such a huge movement. So important right now. So important. Sometimes I feel like retailers are so busy filling their stores right with the next thing, always looking for the next thing and seeing what's in the marketplace to buy and all of that, that sometimes it's hard to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of fashion and inspiration behind fashion or trend beyond just what your wholesaler is showing you today. I to hear because you're a designer and because you're creative, how you find inspiration for your next pieces for the next season and what continually motivates you as you're creating new pieces. I think there's so many boutique owners who would be encouraged and inspired by where you fill your cup from and how you find that next great design.

Yes, I'm, I continue to be inspired by the cultural elements that I see in the world around me, whether that's through travel. You know, I've been to Africa many times, so going there is also always an inspirational moment, but also is traveling to New York and seeing how much the women there embody and own, you know, the city streets as their catwalk. So I'm always, I always have my finger on the cultural pulse of what the trends are and what people are gravitating towards. And it's always so interesting to see, see how the market trends change and evolve over time and how those trends are interpreted through the different generations of women from baby boomer and Gen X down to, you know, the Gen Z. Outside of that, I think my biggest inspiration point is usually fabric and the story that the fabric tells, whether it's the texture, whether it's the weave of the fabric, oftentimes the print of the fabric. And then thinking about our girl and where in her life our product is going to fit once she takes it off of that boutique rack or, you know, that store rack or, you know, purchase it from us. Purchases it from us, and where it's going to live in her life.

I love that. I'm also curious as I think about, you know, you as a designer and also you as a stylist during that period of your life. Everyone's experience with fashion is so different, right. Growing up in the Midwest, obviously I didn't have a lot of exposure to that type of fashion. It always felt so New York or la, or maybe unattainable for women like me. So I'm curious, what would you share as tips from a stylist, tips from a designer? What are a few things that you've learned along the way that you wish more women knew when it came to just dressing themselves and feeling beautiful? Is it certain tips or tricks? Is it certain staples you feel like every woman should have? Or what advice would you pull from your experience?

Rule number one is stop caring what other people think. Yes, it will keep you in a prison of lack of self expression, anxiety. When you can break out of what other people think of you. The freedom not just in your fashion, but in your life. You can take take on anything. With that being said, it opens the door for you to start to experiment and start to explore in terms of what you really like. You don't tell yourself no before someone else tells you now, or you think someone's looking at you because your shirt is too bright or like, whatever. Yeah, you know, like, don't tell yourself no. Have fun, experiment. And then there comes a fashion education where, as you're experimenting. You learn about silhouette, you learn about balance. You learn about how the color story works on you. But how do you ever arrive to that place if you tell yourself no before you ever try? Stop caring what people think. Embody confidence, have fun, experiment, and then the end of that. Because, trust me, there's times that I put myself together and I've been like, what am I wearing? I mean, it even happened this week. But the best part is I didn't care. And I think that confidence came through regardless in terms of what other people think. So that would be my advice. You can definitely find women whose style that you absolutely love and admire, and that can. Could be women from 100 years ago to women today. And the beautiful thing about fashion is that it repeats itself. So you can find those silhouettes that you love and you can embody and start to dress yourself like the women that you. That you like and that you emulate and kind of build your wardrobe around that.

Yes, I love that. I bet that comes back to even you designing your own line, right? When you think about, okay, your girl like you were talking about and who you're styling for, I'm curious. Do you have, like, the ideals or celebrity or a woman that you would ultimately just be so honored to dress one day? Do you have a. A list?

I've been so lucky. I used to keep. I have a Pinterest board of my muses. And, you know, when I was building this company, the women that I would love to dress, and many of them have worn the brand, which is. It's unreal for me to look back at those Pinterest boards and be like, oh, my gosh, she's worn it. She's worn it like, this is. This is crazy. And a long time in the making, I'll keep saying, but let me really think about that. I think Amal Clooney is so elegant and chic. I love Meghan Markle. Big fan of her. She actually does own one of my pieces, Beyonce. Of course, she hasn't worn us yet. Her sister has. I have to really, really think about it. I just watched the Shania Twain documentary on Netflix, which is so good. Please, like all women out there and men, just check it out. Such an incredible story. I don't. I didn't know that. She's like, the top selling female artist of all time, which is, you know, such an incredible accomplishment. So women like her, women who are trailblazers, you know, disruptors, aren't afraid to break rules, don't care what people say, and change things are the women that I, I really look up to and admire so good?

So good. Well, Autumn, as you think about the women who are listening to this podcast today that are small business owners, they're entrepreneurs, they're hustling, they're following their dream. If you look back at your story and just your journey to get where you are right now, would you say is there one or two just like lasting pieces of advice or tips that you would like to share with them today?

Yes. Besides work hard and be kind. Find what your what is the thing that only you can do. That will give you the passion to keep going when things get hard. And there'll be a bit of, like, kismet ness in terms of how things develop when you're really on your path and you're really doing what like you're meant to do. Be patient. Things take much longer than people think that they do. And I would say get gain education because me having my economics degree means that I can stay up late at night looking at projections and I can look at my talk to my accountant when things don't make sense. And I think that a lot of creatives leave that component of the business in someone else's hands, which is really dangerous. Education also breeds confidence, which I think is also really important. Besides that, I think it's about the final thing I think I'll say is that it's all about relationships and being kind to other people and thinking about other people and not always needing to be the main character, be the supporting character. People appreciate that. So I hope that that not so much of a tactical answer, but those are some components that I've learned along the way that have really helped me.

I think those are all spot on. They're very spot on. Autumn, at the end of the day, I always, you know, I always feel like on this podcast, I'm so blessed to be able to speak to both men and women who know that our lives are about far more than just this business or about far more than just creating this product. Right. So I'm curious at the end of the day, 30 years from now, and you're looking back at this beautiful ride that you've been on, this beautiful journey that's unfolded, and the business you created, the brand you had, the products you launched, and you're reminiscing with your family on how you made people feel at the end of the day and what you were known for at the end of the day, Are there things in that moment 30 years from now that you really hope people remember about you and about what you created the most?

Yes. I hope that I can be known for creating a safe space without judgment. I believe in discernment. I don't believe in judgment. I don't believe that anything just goes. You have to have discernment. And I, I hope I create a community of free thought where, you know, all opinions are valid and all opinions are respected, because that's what diversity is and that's what culture is, and that's how we meet each other face to face. And yes, we identify our differences, but we also understand that more than anything, we're the most alike. So I'm like, I'm a very nurturing person. I like when the people around me feel good. And that's in my team, that's in my home, that's in my business, my brand, and in my family. So I hope that that's the thing that I'm the most known for.

That's beautiful. I love that. I think you are doing a wonderful job. Autumn, thank you so much for your time today and for sharing your story. It's inspiring. I know we all are going to be fangirling and checking out all of your work and your beautiful pieces. Thank you again for sharing this with us today on the podcast.

Thank you for having me, Ashley. I had a wonderful time today.

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