We recently connected with Charmain Bertram and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Charmain thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Owning a business in fashion has never been particularly easy. Especially when the core of the company philosophy is environmental consciousness and ethical labour. At the end of the day, both elements mean things are more expensive! I started my business at 22, with one year of work experience after college working for 2 different designers. I went to school for fashion design so all of my business education came from trial and error and learning as I went.
Every time I took on another expense, had a bad client experience, created a collection that didn’t sell well or had to sacrifice a personal life to hit a deadline or because of lack of funds, I considered getting a “real” job and how much easier that might be.
Rebuilding since the pandemic, I have definitely thought about shutting down the business and getting a job on a regular basis. I carry 2 rents on my own, have no support staff and growing debts; nothing about what I’m doing makes sense. But every time I run the numbers and get discouraged or compare client order frequency from before the pandemic, I picture myself without my studio, waking up to an alarm at the same time every day, following someone else’s orders, I cringe. The idea of living for the weekend, building someone else’s dream was just too horrible to me.
Though dental coverage sounds lovely, haha, I know I’m on the right path, exactly where I’m supposed to be. 4am in my studio I’m still smiling ear to ear looking at my fabrics and machines; I still LOVE my craft.
I started sewing when I was 9 years old. Not many people can say they followed their passion and stuck it out through the hard times, sacrificing any sort of stability.
I built my 10 year old dream.
There’s no way I’m stopping now!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My mom taught me to sew when I was 9 years old. We didn’t have money to just buy new things whenever. I grew up getting a lot of hand-me-downs from my older sister and my mom’s best friends 2 daughters. I LOVED it!

My parents will joke that I was such a well behaved, happy kid unless they tried to pick out my outfit or stop me from changing 4 times a day. I carried a purse from the time I was 4. I used to watch Fashion Television in my parents water bed every Sunday and sketch clothes and bags; I still have the sketches and they’re hilarious!

I sewed all of my dresses for semi-formal dances in high-school and of course, my prom dress. I created my first collection at 18 for the gay pride fashion show in my home town, London Ont. My first custom client was a 6’1″, Jamaican drag queen! I moved to Toronto and went to school for fashion design when I was 19. I worked at a fabric store during 2nd year and then was designers assistant to 2 designers after graduating. My first job was for a man named Sydney and we made custom denim and tailored suits. Second job was for a bridal designer named Cathy. These jobs gave me a full spectrum of experience from product type to clients.

When Cathy shut down her bridal business she got me information for a local shop that was a collective of designers, Fresh Collective. I put together a portfolio and got into the shop and August 8 2006 Integrity Designs was born! Contract sewing happened organically when designers in the collective asked if I could help produce their products and my line wasn’t selling right away. It was a way to subsidize my own income. But it evolved as I began to realize the need for local manufacturing and my angst about the global manufacturing industry both the detrimental environmental effects and the horrific working conditions imposed on third world countries, many of whom are women and children.

Rebuilding after the pandemic, contract product development and manufacturing is just starting to come back, but the key to staying in business is all about diversifying! I have always offered full service for product development: pattern making, sample making, small run cut and sew production. Offering low minimums to local designers helps new labels grow organically without breaking the bank trying to produce hundreds of pieces with larger manufacturers.

I have expanded my brand, now under the label, Absolute Rubbish, to include original upcycled designs both one of a kind pieces and small run from end of the bolt remnants. Along side as-is vintage and restored vintage, taking part in local markets and sales, pop-up sale events in my own space, rebuilding the online store as well as offering alterations and vintage restoration. Growing a sustainable brand in the current economy, the list goes on!

I hate making waste! That is the core of my brand. We are such a wasteful society and I fear one day being buried alive in our own garbage!! The more I see images on social media of piles of discarded clothing such as the one in Chile, (that’s visible from space!) the more motivated I am!

I hope to grow and create on-site textile recycling facilities on hemp farms where we grow and manufacture multiple hemp textile products such as fabrics, paper products and some day bio-fuels.
Saving the world from waste is my driving force! I mean, someone’s gotta do it!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Building my reputation is definitely something I’m most proud of. The intense changes in the world of marketing and PR in the last decade relying on social media and ecommerce, it’s easy for someone not so tech-savvy as myself to get left behind.

My personal approach to dealing with clients, really listening to what they need and offering flexible services to help them grow is definitely part of my success. I meet with clients one on one and I am as real as it gets! Though I am professional, I like to create a relaxed environment that my clients can come into and vent about life and business. Many of my clients are young, or single parents. Many have full time jobs and they’re trying to build their brand on the side. Coming to my studio for meetings is sometimes their only moment without kids or coworkers/bosses coming at them with demands. It’s nice to give them a space to vent and laugh.

My online presence is getting better as I learn and get advice from industry friends and advisors, but word of mouth referrals is definitely majority of the way my contract business has grown in the 18 years I’ve been doing this.

One other thing I have been complimented on is being honest. I’m only human, things don’t always work out perfectly and sometimes I don’t catch issues before products leave the studio. I’ve always tried to own my mistakes and take the necessary steps to correct the issues when possible. And at the same time, standing my ground when issues arise that are not my fault but provide solutions to correct the problems with my clients. I believe in problem solving together but also not being the scapegoat,
I named the company Integrity Designs for a reason.

Have you ever had to pivot?

2019 I had 7 people on staff and between 5-10 interns at a time. I was scaling my manufacturing business with a few clients and grew too fast from 2017-2019. By July of 2019 I had let go of my staff and decided to take a break from taking on interns. I was burnt out professionally and creatively and dealing with a toxic personal relationship at home.

Working for a few months with just a few contract clients as a one woman factory yet again and taking time for my own designs, I started to get my mojo going! I was preparing for a beautiful collection of upcycled, upholstery coats and bags. Taking the risk to produce for a higher price point ranging from $300-$1200, I was feeling confident and inspired!

And then the pandemic hit. Not only did I have to shut down my business for lockdown, the realization that the high end, unique items I had designed no longer had a market; no one was going out therefore there was no demand or desire for a fancy $1200 coat!

Like everyone with a sewing machine and a fabric stash, I started making masks. Definitely a product I never thought I would make, wear or need. It was wild times!
I felt fortunate I had a useful skill in such an uncertain time. I did donations to healthcare workers and facilities and sold and traded masks to neighbours and friends.

It was an interesting time to say the least. I had some funny moments because I had lived with financial insecurity for so long, I had learned things like waxing my own eyebrows and getting creative with rice when money was tight, that I was feeling more capable than ever. Friends with previously steady jobs, who could afford estheticians and dinners out regularly were having hard times staying home and taking care of themselves. My years of struggle finally paid off!

Being forced to slow down, I was able to step back and look at my business and my personal life and make some big decisions. I ended my 6 year toxic relationship during lockdown and was living on my own again as of September 2020. I re-launched my brand as Absolute Rubbish November 2020.
Though it was a very hard time, I am so grateful for the forced break.

It has been a lot of work and many small pivots since 2020 but it was such a positive thing at the end of the day. I learned just how capable I am and just how unwilling I am to give up on my dreams!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.absoluterubbish.me
• Instagram: @absolute__rubbish
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554399743065
• Other: www.integrityd.com

Image Credits
@theartofdelegation @longpointphoto