My first mentoring session at ASOS HQ by Samantha Mcewen from Isolated Heroes

On Friday we had our first mentoring meeting with Alison Lewy from Fashion Angel at ASOS Marketplace HQ in Camden. To say I was a little nervous was an understatement!! Being the kind of person who panics over EVERYTHING, I had visions of getting out the lift on the fourth floor of Greater London House to be greeted by scenes of the devil wears Prada. I couldn't have been more wrong! My mind was automatically put at ease as soon as I entered the reception and was introduced to the lovely Alison Lewy and Letitia Allman from ASOS Marketplace.

Alison Lewy and Samantha Mcewen at ASOS head office

I have been following the Fashion Angel Website for some time now and monitoring their progress with other designers. Therefore I jumped at the opportunity when Fashion Angel announced that they would be working with ASOS Marketplace for a second consecutive year mentoring a young designer and developing the strategic and operational direction of their business to secure it's growth and sustainability.

As soon as we arrived at the building we were taken on a short tour and introduced to members of the buying and selling team, a host of stylists, the woman's wear department and most importantly the ASOS Marketplace team.We had a short sit down with James Hart (E Commerce Director of ASOS) who asked for our feedback on ASOS Marketplace and any changes we thought could be made as sellers. It was great to be giving the opportunity to have our ideas and opinions considered by someone in such an influential position. We were then shown inside the press showroom where there were Sooo many pieces that I wanted to take home!!

ASOS reception area

Soon it was time to get down to business and for our first mentoring session to start. Alison and I headed to one of the main meeting rooms where we sat down for a good three hours talking over everything from the Isolated Heroes brand history, to our current client base and where I want to take the brand in the next few years. It was great hearing Alison's advice and having someone who has so much experience in the fashion industry give us guidance.

Running a clothing label which is only in its first 18 months is an extremely daunting task as not only do I design and make all the pieces I also handle the majority of PR, Client liason and maintaining our website. Therefore sometimes the business sides of things become a little overwhelming and it is hard to find the time to map out exactly what the next steps should be. It was great to be able to sit down with Alison and set up some next clear steps for the brand. Alison gave me so much invaluable information on everything from fabric suppliers, manufacturers for our product, how to correctly cost our items and also some great guidance on trademarking and selling our products wholesale.
The first mentoring session has by far been the best business experience Isolated Heroes has had to date and we are now buzzing with information! I already cannot wait to get back down to London for the next one!

By Samantha Mcewen
www.isolated-heroes.com

See how Fashion Angel Business Mentoring can help your fashion business.

Samantha McEwan from Isolated Heroes announced as winner of business mentoring competition, sponsored by ASOS Marketplace

Isolated Heroes

We are delighted to announce that the winner of our second business mentoring competition, sponsored by ASOS Marketplace, is women’s wear brand ISOLATED HEROES founded by designer Samantha McEwan.

Samantha has won a place on the Fashion Angel business start up mentoring programme. During the six months programme the Fashion Angel team will work with her to develop the strategic and operational direction of the business to secure its growth and sustainability.

The competition was open to ASOS Marketplace sellers and continues our  commitment to nurturing and developing young creative talent to turn them into successful businesses.

The entries were judged by Fashion Angel Director, Alison Lewy and Rachel Humphreys, ASOS’s Senior Marketplace Manager.

Isolated Heroes

Alison Lewy, Fashion Angel’s Director welcomes this opportunity to support an aspiring design business in this way: “We were overwhelmed with applications which show the high demand for industry led mentoring support to assist fashion enterprises. It was a difficult task to choose a winner with so many strong entries. We selected Samantha as we loved the brand aesthetic and felt with the right support the business had potential for growth. Samantha will now have the opportunity to work with a team of high-level, industry professionals from Fashion Angel to ensure the on-going development and success of her business, as well as exposure for the Isolated Heroes brand.”

James Hart, E Commerce Director of ASOS, said: “We are excited to announce Isolated Heroes as the winning recipient of the mentoring programme with Fashion Angel.  Their entry stood out because of both their eagerness to learn, but also their clear ideas as to the way they wanted to develop their business and expand their label.  Samantha’s commitment to her collection on ASOS Marketplace has given her  the strong foundations on which the Fashion Angel mentoring program can build. We can’t wait to see her business grow.”

Isolated Heroes 

Samantha McEwan, Isolated Heroes Founder and Creative Director, said: “I am so excited to have won this competition and grateful to ASOS Marketplace for giving me the opportunity to be mentored by the Fashion Angel team and benefit from their industry expertise. I am looking forward to developing my business strategy and with their assistance, taking my business to the next level”

We can't wait to chart Samantha's progress over the coming months. For more information about our mentoring programme and how we can help your fashion business thrive go to the Fashion Angel Mentoring page.

Fashion Angel launches business mentoring competition sponsored by ASOS Marketplace

We are delighted to announce the launch of our latest competition, sponsored by ASOS Marketplace.

One lucky ASOS Marketplace seller has the chance to win six months of Fashion Angel business mentoring.

James Hart, E-commerce Director at ASOS, said: “We are very excited to be working with Fashion Angel again to provide another amazing mentoring opportunity for one deserving ASOS Marketplace seller. We are looking forward to seeing the results of their business development on the site over the next 6 months”

The competition is open to fashion and accessory designers and vintage collectors that currently sell their products on ASOS Marketplace.

Alison Lewy said " the overwhelming response to last year's competition shows there is huge demand for specialist fashion industry business support. We enjoyed working with the 2012 winner, Fazane Malik, who as a result has taken her business in a new direction "

The winner will be announced on Wednesday April 3rd 2013.

The Prize
Six months Fashion Angel business mentoring package.

The winner will win a place on the Fashion Angel six month business start up mentoring programme.It’s a fantastic opportunity for fashion industry entrepreneurs to access six months of one to one mentoring from industry professionals.

By the end of the programme the winner will have an infrastructure in place and have the confidence to build a successful and sustainable business. They will also benefit from the exposure their brand will be receiving as a result of winning the competition. Click here for more information on the Fashion Angel mentoring programme.

Deadline for Entries: Wednesday  17th March 2013
Finalist Notified: Wednesday 3rd April 2013

Entrance Criteria
Open to ASOS Marketplace sellers who are based in the UK.

APPLY NOW

To enter the award, entrants must complete the online application form, or request one from info@fashion-angel.co.uk and submit 3 product images.

Full terms and conditions can be found
on the application form.

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