We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Before starting Sarah Alexis, I had worked in the apparel industry for years as a Designer. Being in the industry, I felt the constant need to be up to date on trends and consistently wearing new outfits. Fashion is something that I have always loved and new clothes were my guilty pleasure. However, it got the point that I had so many clothes that my closet was filled to the brim and many pieces I had only worn a handful of times.

Over time it occurred to me that I gravitated towards the same styles over and over again. I noticed that these were the pieces in my closet that were beautifully made and typically utilized luxurious fabrications that held up over time. They felt special and in turn, I felt special when I put them on. I loved that feeling and the version of myself that was just a little more confident when I put them on.

Needless to say, I cleaned out my closet and started looking for more of these special pieces. However, many of them had been inherited or bought years ago and now I couldn’t find anything similar. In a time of fast fashion and racing to production, it’s hard to find things that are slowly and intentionally made. I decided then and there that I should start a brand centered around creating these timeless favorites.

I launched Sarah Alexis in May of 2023 and haven’t looked back!

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?

I think that I’ve always had a love for fashion. My grandmother was a seamstress and I often helped her tailor pieces for clients growing up. I saw first hand how a garment can make someone light up with confidence and loved the idea that I could make people feel that way.

I then went to school at NC State University to pursue a career in fashion and upon graduation moved to Georgia for my first job in design. I later moved to Greenville, SC also in pursuit of my career. Working for various companies in the apparel industry I learned how to manufacture beautiful garments.

However, over time the apparel industry has changed and in my opinion, it’s not for the better. More and more, it’s become saturated with mass-produced fashion made from thin, flimsy fabrics. Quality had taken a back seat in favor of a low cost. I grew to be frustrated with this and knew there must be other women out there feeling the same way.

I launched Sarah Alexis with the intention to make the change that I wished to see in the industry. Our mission is to create timeless favorites that can be worn for many occasions and loved for years. Intentional design and beautiful, quality fabrications are always top of mind.

All styles are designed here in Charleston, SC and manufactured by artisans. We utilize exquisite fabrics from all over the world and each piece is crafted with an unwavering commitment to detail.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think every day is a story of resilience. As a business owner, there is NEVER an off switch. You are constantly encountering challenges and finding solutions, juggling multiple deadlines and priorities, balancing work and family obligations, all while figuring out how to make your business the best it can be.

It’s a lot of work, but if you believe in the dream and the vision, then it’s worth it.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

My career up to founding Sarah Alexis was working in design and product development at apparel companies, so I was well equipped with knowledge on how to bring my designs to market. However, my experience was with working with overseas vendors, none with working with domestic factories, like the one we decided to use in New York.

For anyone looking to go into apparel, let me save you some trouble and tell you that they operate very differently. I was give a great analogy that was along the lines of “overseas production is like ordering take-out and domestic production is like cooking at home”. I found that to be very true. I was used to creating tech packs with exact specifications of every detail needed and that simply wasn’t needed with domestic production. To be honest, it initially made me very nervous, but as I worked with my factory more, I grew to trust them and their quality of work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sarahalexis.com
• Instagram: @sarahalexis_official
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Sarah-Alexis-100093140831162
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/83098760
• Other: TikTok: @sarahalexis_official

Image Credits
Chad Savage