Why Colleen Allen Turns Away Retailers That Won't Pay Deposits
The Business of Fashion Podcast

Why Colleen Allen Turns Away Retailers That Won't Pay Deposits

B1IntermediateSeptember 13, 202646 min

Colleen Allen learned to sew sitting on her grandmother's lap, holding the fabric while her grandmother worked the pedal. Growing up in the Midwest, far from the industry, she found her way in through magazines, fashion blogs and old McQueen shows on YouTube. Allen studied menswear at Parsons, moved to London for a semester abroad at Central Saint Martins and asked to stay on to complete her degree. She landed her first job designing menswear at The Row but then something shifted. She decided to venture out on her own and create a womenswear label in 2024...

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0:00

Hi, this is Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Business of Fashion. Welcome to the BOF podcast. Colleen Allen learned to sew sitting on her grandmother's lap holding the fabric while her grandmother worked the petal.

0:18

Growing up in the Midwest, far from the industry, she found her way in through magazines, the first fashion blogs, and old McQueen shows on YouTube. She studied menswear at Parsons, moved to London for a semester abroad at Central St. Martins, and then asked to stay on to complete her degree.

0:37

She landed her first job designing menswear at The Row. But then something shifted. She decided to venture out on her own and create a women's wear label in 2024. Since then, she says the business has grown by triple digits year over year, with no

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