Prioritizing The People (While Still Being Profitable) with Kat Williford of Pamut
How Fitting: design a slow fashion business that fitsShow Notes
In episode 99, Kat Williford recounts how her brand Pamut has shifted over the years to sustain her and now her team through cross-continental moves, hard times, and new family priorities. Kat puts people first, but doesn’t miss a beat on the creative or the financial aspects of her business either. Hear how her thriving business model works in this episode.
Kat is the owner and designer behind the slow fashion brand Pamut. After completing her BFA in Fashion at the Savannah College of Art and Design and working for years at a mall brand, Kat took a chance and moved to Budapest, Hungary. She rented out a little screenprinting studio and started printing tees, which they then sewed in her apartment. When she moved back to Raleigh, NC in 2016, she expanded upon the concept of custom and made-to-order clothing. Since then, Pamut (which means "cotton" in Hungarian) has grown into a successful small business. Based out of her Raleigh studio, Kat designs beautiful and timeless styles, all made from natural fibers and available in sizes XS-4XL. All Pamut pieces are cut and sewn by the Pamut team in-house.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
What Kat learned from working for both a slow fashion brand and a fast fashion mall brand early on in her career
How her patternmaking skills have helped her offer custom sizing profitably
Why Kat chose the made to order model for Pamut
The things Kat values more than certifications from the fabrics she sources
The benefits and risks of working for yourself
How becoming a mom has allowed Kat to be more productive
The best decision Kat has ever made in her business
The actual amount Pamut spends on new customer acquisition
People and resources mentioned in this episode:
Pamut website
Pamut Instagram
Has listening to How Fitting helped you create a better fit in your fashion business? Episode 100 of this podcast is coming up and I’m planning a special episode featuring the most notable moments from the 104 guests I’ve had on this podcast so far – plus your story! Click here to tell me about your favorite How Fitting episode and how it has impacted you or your business.
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