We recently connected with Julia George and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

The corporate fashion industry loves to slap a “sustainably made” or “upcycled” label on a product that doesn’t necessarily meet those standards. Many corporate companies produce their clothing overseas in sweatshops, a practice that is impossible to consider “sustainable”. As a small business, I have the means to authentically produce my clothing in a sustainable manner with a fair wage and secondhand garments. Whenever a company is willing to work with me, or any other upcycler for an eco-conscious campaign, it’s a good sign that they truly care about the label they wave around.

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 story starts in the peak of the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic. Bored in lockdown, I began expressing interest in new crafts I’ve had yet to dabble with. Amongst my to-do list of crafts was the task of upcycling. I vividly remember my first project that year consisted of bandanas an entire tube of fabric glue. I was immediately hooked with the creative freedom I felt from using clothing as an artistic medium. At the end of 2020, my partner had gifted me my first ever sewing machine, to which I immediately set it up the next day and spent the next few months teaching myself everything there was to know about sewing. My journey truly spiraled out of control after that. In January of 2021, I created a social media page to show off my extremely mediocre creations while I taught myself new tricks and discovered what I enjoyed. As time went on, my skills of upcycling garments improved, and more and more eyes noticed me online. In September of 2023, I finally made the jump to quit my job and pursuit my garment-making full time, following my first ever New York Fashion Week Show. Since then, my garments have sold to every state in the U.S., along with countries I’ve only ever dreamed of traveling to. I used to feel so lost with no idea of what direction I wanted to take in life, stumbling upon garment making has changed my entire course and lit a passion inside of me that I could have never predicted.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I started my business as a hobby while I was still in college. At that point, I was also juggling a part-time job, in which I accrued some savings. After graduating college, I made the difficult decision to take on another job position instead of pursuing my business full time, which ultimately benefited me in the long run. Having a job while owning a business was stressful, but it allowed me to fund my business while funneling some money into my savings to further advance my business. Even if it’s just part-time work, I highly recommend taking on a side job if you’re concerned about funding your business.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media is a tricky tool for a small business, but the #1 mistake I see is people being too afraid to share their work online. You lose nothing by sharing your business online and what you have to offer, nobody will find you if you’re a private account or do not post. Online, you have to convey to your audience what sets you apart from the rest. Social media has little “communities” of people that reside under a common interest, such as the fashion community or the art community. I believe it’s important to market yourself to your targeted “community”, so that your business can be truly appreciated and receive the attention it rightfully deserves.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.somethingmadecustom.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somethingmadecustom?igsh=MTRjY2Y1anZ2YzByZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/xnhaYPKNfVDu8b7g/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@somethingmadecustom?_t=8lpuhxsffCR&_r=1

Image Credits
Levi Cyr-Redcross and Brandon Cabral.