What I Look For Before I Say Yes to a Factory

Episode 36 – Janice Tam • TrueToForm | 3D Fit Prediction, Body Scanning, and the Future of Apparel Sizing

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Janice Tam, Co-Founder & CEO of TrueToForm, about how body scanning, 3D fit prediction, and sizing data are reshaping the way apparel brands approach fit online. Fit is often treated as a size chart problem. But for apparel brands, it sits much deeper — inside customer confidence, e-commerce conversion, product development, return rates, and the emotional first experience someone has with a brand. Janice shares how TrueToForm helps brands measure customers remotely, predict fit through 3D avatars, and make size charts more accurate over time. The conversation also explores why static sizing data is no longer enough, especially for emerging brands serving specific body types, niche demographics, or digitally native customers. We explore: • Why sizing and fit remain one of the biggest friction points in online apparel • How 3D body scanning can help customers understand fit before purchasing • Why size charts built on static datasets often fail to reflect real target demographics • How fit technology can support both e-commerce teams and product development teams • Why the next layer of apparel AI still needs human judgment, QC, and fit expertise As apparel commerce becomes more data-informed, the real shift is not only in helping customers choose the right size — it is in turning fit from a reactive return problem into an evolving product development system. ✨ If you’re building an apparel brand and trying to reduce returns without losing sight of customer experience, fit data, product decisions, and sizing systems need to work together from the start — feel free to reach out. Guest: 👤 Janice Tam 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-hy-tam/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-hy-tam/] Brand: 🌐 https://www.truetoform.fit/ 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truetoform_fit/ [https://www.instagram.com/truetoform_fit/] 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truetoform-fit/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/truetoform-fit/] ✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clairelysbastienwald.substack.com [https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 35 – Cayla O'Connell Davis • Subset | Why Sustainable Fashion Starts Long Before the Product

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Cayla O’Connell Davis, CEO & Co-Founder of Subset, about the operational reality behind sustainable fashion — and why material standards, certifications, chemical safety, and supply chain decisions are becoming impossible to separate from brand credibility. This conversation goes far beyond marketing claims. From organic cotton sourcing and customer education to textile recycling systems and the hidden chemicals in everyday garments, Cayla shares what it actually looks like to build a product around long-term responsibility instead of short-term convenience. We explore: • Why sustainability becomes meaningless without supply chain transparency • How material choices, certifications, and chemical safety shape brand trust • The hidden operational cost behind building “better” products • How fast fashion reshaped consumer expectations around price and consumption • Why education is becoming one of the biggest responsibilities for modern brands • How textile recycling systems are evolving beyond landfill models In fashion, the next shift is not only about what brands say — it is about whether their systems can support the claims they make. ✨ If you’re navigating how sustainability translates into real operational decisions inside a fashion business, feel free to reach out. Guest: Cayla O’Connell Davis 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caylaoc/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cayla-o-connell-davis-b919a823/ Brand: 🔗 https://wearsubset.com/ 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearsubset/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearsubset/ ✨ Exclusive offer for The Fashion Translator community: Use code: TFTPOD20 Receive 20% off your order on Subset. ✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clairelysbastienwald.substack.com [https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 34 – Martin Engster • Engsta Rides | Building a Lifestyle Brand from Automotive Culture

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Martin Engster, Founder of Engsta Rides, about building a brand rooted in automotive culture and translating that passion into apparel.What began as a personal connection to cars — shaped by early exposure, environment, and experience — gradually evolved into something broader. Not just clothing, but a way to express identity through what you drive, how you live, and what you connect with.Rather than approaching fashion through trends or traditional inspiration, Martin built his brand by pulling from a completely different world — automotive culture — and translating that into design, messaging, and product.From personal passion to product experimentation, the conversation highlights how brands can emerge from outside the fashion system — and why that perspective brings a different kind of depth.We explore:• How automotive culture shapes a brand beyond product• Why lifestyle positioning creates stronger connection than apparel alone• The process of translating personal interests into design direction• The role of experimentation in finding the right product and quality• How AI can support design while keeping the creator in controlIn lifestyle-driven brands, where identity comes from outside the industry, the real challenge isn’t creating apparel — it’s translating a personal world into something others can recognize and connect with.✨ If you’re building a brand rooted in passion and looking to translate it into something tangible and scalable, feel free to reach outGuest:👤 Martin Engster🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/engsta/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinengster/Brand:🌐 https://engstarides.com/🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/engsta/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/engsta-rides/✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator:https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clairelysbastienwald.substack.com [https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 33 – Jaclyn Brautigam • Fordham Fashion | Why Emerging Designers Struggle with Wholesale, Pricing & Sales Strategy

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Jaclyn Brautigam, Founder of Fordham Fashion, about the operational blind spots that prevent emerging designers from turning strong creative work into viable businesses. Many designers are trained to develop products — but not to sell them. They are often left navigating wholesale, pricing, margins, and distribution without a clear roadmap. From wholesale entry strategy to pricing structures, the conversation highlights how commercial viability in fashion depends less on the product itself and more on the systems built around it. We explore: • Why many designers underestimate the complexity of B2B wholesale • The operational foundations required before approaching retailers • How pricing and margins shift when moving from DTC to wholesale • Why expensive showroom strategies often fail emerging brands • How designers can leverage direct outreach and network-driven growth instead At its core, this conversation reframes fashion not as a product-driven industry, but as a system-driven one — where understanding distribution mechanics, financial structure, and market timing determines whether a collection becomes a business or remains an idea. For those looking to move from collection to commercial strategy and growth: ✨ Exclusive offer for The Fashion Translator community Use code: FTC26 Receive $500 off The Fashion Visionary Experience, Jaclyn’s signature package designed to help fashion brands grow and strategically build their business. Valid through year-end. Guest: 👤 Jaclyn Brautigam 🔗 Instagram: @fordham_fashion [https://www.instagram.com/fordham_fashion/] 🔗 LinkedIn:Jaclyn Brautigam [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-brautigam/] Brand / Platform: 🌐 Fordham Fashion 🔗 Website: https://www.fordhamfashion.com/ 🔗 Substack: If you’re currently trying to turn a collection into actual sales and feel stuck on what to do next, feel free to reach out. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clairelysbastienwald.substack.com [https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

What I Look For Before I Say Yes to a Factory

Most people ask about price and lead time. I look at something else first. Most people ask about price and lead time. I look at something else first. When a brand asks, “Can you recommend a factory?” they usually mean capacity, pricing, and lead times. I look for something else first. I look for how the factory thinks when something goes wrong. Because in production, something always goes wrong: A fabric arrives slightly off. A trim is delayed. A measurement doesn’t behave the way it did in the sample. The difference between a painful season and a scalable one isn’t “perfect execution.” It’s response quality. Strong partners don’t just produce. They communicate risk early, document decisions clearly, and protect the timeline without sacrificing the product. That’s not a personality trait. It’s an operating standard. And when a brand and factory share that standard, the relationship stops feeling like firefighting. It starts feeling like infrastructure. If you’ve built long-term production partnerships: What’s the one sign you’ve learned to trust most? If you’re looking to build production partnerships with that level of structure, feel free to reach out or explore how we work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit clairelysbastienwald.substack.com [https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]