In this episode of Thread Equity, we explore the challenges of building a clothing brand while balancing authenticity and digital presence in 2024. We get into the reality of translating our brands’ ethos into social media content and why it’s hard to align creative vision with online platforms. James shares his struggle with social media and how he's navigating content creation, while Mark reflects on his journey building Barnfield and the lessons learned from the trenches. If you’re a brand founder or simply curious about the raw process of starting a clothing business, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of building a brand from scratch. Whether it's managing production frustrations, maintaining quality, or overcoming creative blocks, we're taking you through it all. #podcast #clothingbrandstartup #fashionentrepreneur #brandbuilding #startupjourney #entrepreneurlife #smallbusiness #behindthescenes #fashiondesign #businessgrowth #socialmediamarketing

In the first episode of Thread Equity, we dive into what our brands really mean to us and how we're shaping them to stand out against the tyranny of the social media algorithms in 2024. We talk through the thinking behind each brand and why having a clear purpose is everything when you're starting out. If you're looking to launch your own clothing brand, or you aren't but want to be part of a real-time journey building something from scratch, you're in the right place. Each episode, we'll share some of the mistakes we've made and give you practical tips to help you define your brand and get people interested. -- James Shaw runs M&W Design from his base in Porto, Portugal. A consultancy that supports fashion and clothing brands across garment and packaging sourcing, M&W was born from James's experience as co-founder of menswear brand Albam. Albam was founded in 2005 and with more than 20 years of experience under his belt, James is jumping back into the menswear game launching his latest brand, Peace. For 12 years, Mark Warman ran a digital marketing agency. In his words, "The agency was unquestionably successful. I had the house, the cars, the watches and the extravagant holidays. I also had stomach ulcers, heart palpitations and panic attacks." He closed his agency and founded Barnfield Customs in January 2020. Designing menswear that's handmade in England, he launched his first jacket in May 2023 which went on to sell out in under 36 hours. James Website: https://www.mandwdesignltd.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturepeace Mark Website: https://www.barnfieldcustoms.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/barnfieldcustoms

Hello and welcome to Thread Equity.

My name is Mark Warman and each episode I'm joined by James Shaw.

James co-founded album Clothing back in 2006. After expanding out to four high Street locations across London, the business was sold in 2017. After that, he moved over to Portugal, where he set up M&W design. It's a consultancy that supports fashion and clothing brands.

And now with all of that experience on both sides of the trade, he's jumping back into the menswear game, launching his latest brand; Peace.

My background is in design and digital marketing. I founded an agency back in 2007 and ran it for 12 years before closing up shop and launching Barnfield Customs in January 2020.

Through Barnfield I primarily design and launch men's jackets. Each one's limited in number and they're handmade to order here in the UK.

Each time we catch up, James and I chat through everything that's gone on with our brand since the last episode.

The intention's to create a journal, but to also share the ups and downs of running our own businesses in real time.

Both of us want to make sure that by being part of our journey, you get an insight into the day to day and some really actionable info that could be anything from how best to approach a factory as a new brand or how much we spent on a recent marketing campaign.

By sharing as much as possible, you get to learn from our mistakes as much as our successes, and hopefully you're inspired to get started on your own project.