69: Building and growing a size-inclusive slow fashion brand with Hanna Baror-Padilla of Sotela [Live!]
In today’s episode, I chat with my dear friend Hanna Baror-Padilla, founder of Sotela, an ethical and sustainable, size-inclusive fashion line. Hanna and I connected over ethical fashion five or six years ago, when she was an ethical fashion blogger, and I was just starting my ethical fashion journey. Since then we’ve become very close friends, and supported one another in growing our businesses. We chat about her journey starting Sotela and as an entrepreneur, her decision to pivot to made to order, how and why she doubled her sizing, and much more.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why Hanna decided to launch her own fashion brand after being a blogger
Working full time while launching a business
How has Sotela evolved since she started it
How Hanna decided to pivot to made to order
How getting her own studio contributed to her growth
How Hanna decided on which risks are worth taking in her business
Hanna’s mistakes with Sotela, and what she’s learned from them
How Hanna decided to double her sizing and what it entailed
The demand for her extended sizes
Hanna’s thoughts on the evolution of ethical fashion
How to justify the cost of ethical fashion
How Hanna has approached financial decisions in her business, and her advice for seeking part-time jobs as an entrepreneur
Mentioned in this episode:
Brands that inspire Hanna: Elizabeth Suzann, EILEEN FISHER
How I Built This podcast
All the deets:
Check out Hanna’s clothing like Sotela.
Sotela’s blog has lots of fashion inspiration, as well as behind-the-scenes look into how Hanna approaches many aspects of her business.
Follow along with Hanna at @sotelaco on Instagram
Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Hanna on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!
Sign up for my newsletter, Sara… lately, for curated resources, sustainability and mindful living tips, and to keep up with my podcast and work.
Listen on iTunes / Spotify / Google Play / Stitcher
Psst- I would love it if you would consider rating/reviewing/subscribing to Medium Well! That helps me gain visibility and so others can experience the awkward and vulnerable things I put out on the internet. I would be most grateful! And always feel free to reach out with ideas/comments/questions/feedback on Instagram— I’m @saraweinreb!