“Get It Made” with The Apparel Mentor
Mindy Martell is a President, Mentor, Author, and Entrepreneur with a mission to contribute to a more sustainable textile industry while simultaneously offering a mentorship program to aspiring fashion designers starting their own fashion brand line, helping make their dreams into a reality. During an interview with FWMN, she shares her passion for sustainable fashion and explains why she started her own company. She talks about the importance of sustainability and ethical practices in the fashion industry and how companies can work towards implementing these values. She also gives her thoughts on the future of the fashion industry and the role that mentors and industry leaders will play in shaping this future.
Photo Credit Rachel Stocker
Mindy's passion for sustainable fashion comes from her firsthand experience working in the industry. She visited clothing factories in Asia and Central America and saw the horrendous conditions of people working 7 days a week and 14-hour days for next to nothing. She values raising awareness of these conditions and guiding people on how to make clothing domestically. She also values raising the perceived value of clothing design, development, and production and revealing the mysteries of the apparel industry to make it more accessible to local and niche brands.
Mindy started her own company in 2006 after gaining a large clientele while freelancing. She realized the insatiable hunger for apparel entrepreneurs needing help, guidance, and a factory willing to work with them. She made it her mission to help apparel entrepreneurs understand how the industry works and to help them develop and manufacture their clothing lines.
Regarding sustainability and ethical practices in the fashion industry, Mindy emphasizes that the biggest and most important thing that can happen in this category is for the consumer to start buying less and paying more per item. Consumers need to educate themselves more on where their products are coming from, how they are made, what they are made of, and what happens to the garment when its life cycle is over. Until consumers start putting more pressure on big box retailers and not ignoring the disposable nature of garments, the industry cannot make any meaningful shifts.
Photo Credit The Apparel Mentor
When asked about the fashion industry's future, Mindy sees the industry evolving through consumer awareness and action to change polluting and gender inequality practices. Mentors and industry leaders such as herself need to play a role in elevating the value of the skills in the industry and educating consumers on paying for the actual worth of products and the skills that went into making them.
Mindy's upcoming book, "Get it Made", was inspired by all her values listed above and over the years of helping thousands of apparel entrepreneurs through the process of development and manufacturing. She put all of that experience and knowledge into a helpful step-by-step guide for anyone looking to make anything in the soft goods industry. Readers can expect real-world stories of others going through this process and also a very understandable guide complete with a workbook on getting their apparel ideas out into the world.
Photo Credit Rachel Stocker
For aspiring fashion designers and entrepreneurs who are just starting out in the industry, Mindy advises them to get help and get a mentor. She recommends reading her book, "Get it Made," and finding a community of like-minded people to learn from and support each other. Mindy's company, The Apparel Mentor, offers a membership program that meets weekly and guides people through this process. Members can also meet a community of other members to help support each other and learn from each other.
As sponsors for Fashion Week Minnesota, Mindy Martell and The Apparel Mentor are excited to be a part of this event and see it as an opportunity for local and grassroots movements to emerge. With her passion for sustainable fashion and her mission to help apparel entrepreneurs, Mindy is a valuable asset to the fashion industry. To learn more about The Apparel Mentor and their mission, visit their website and check out "Get it Made”.