Show Notes
LMND may be the hottest female fashion brand in Australia right now.
James H Stewart sits down with Ana Escobar, founder of Australian fashion label LMND, to explore an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey spanning two continents, some of Australia's best-known retail brands, and the challenges of building a self funded premium fashion business.
Born in Australia before moving to Colombia as a young child, Ana shares her remarkable story of growing up in Medellin, during one of Colombia's most turbulent periods before returning to Australia to pursue a career in fashion.
From starting as a sales assistant at Oroton to becoming Brand Director, leading private label innovation at Big W, and ultimately launching LMND in 2018, Ana's career demonstrates the power of resilience, creativity and customer obsession.
In this episode we discuss: • Growing up between Australia and Colombia and the experiences that shaped her outlook. • Building a career through Oroton, Apparel Group and Big W. • Why she left corporate retail to launch LMND. • Identifying a gap in the market for premium wardrobe essentials. • Why LMND opened a physical store before launching online. • Building an international brand stocked by retailers including Myer, Selfridges and Neiman Marcus. • Growing a business without external investors or private equity. • Customer-led product development and the importance of listening over ego. • Social media strategy without relying on paid influencers. • Scaling a founder-led business while protecting brand integrity. • The lessons Ana has learned from building one of Australia's fastest-growing independent fashion brands.
Whether you're an entrepreneur, retailer, designer, business owner or simply fascinated by the journey of building a successful brand, Ana's story offers practical insights into leadership, innovation and disciplined business growth.
Connect with James Stewart LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-h-stewart-gaicd-83b46a9/ Website: https://jameshstewart.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatilearnedinbusiness/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhatILearnedinBusiness If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with your network.
Disclaimer The information, opinions and views expressed by guests on What I Learned in Business (That Didn't Kill Me!) are their own and are provided for general information and discussion purposes only. They do not constitute financial, legal, investment or professional advice and should not be relied upon as such. Listeners should obtain independent professional advice relevant to their own circumstances before making any business, financial or investment decisions. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither the host nor the producers accept responsibility for any loss arising from reliance on information contained in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from What I learned in business (that didn't kill me!)
Jamie Whincup is one of the most successful drivers in Australian motorsport history — a seven-time Supercars champion, four-time Bathurst 1000 winner and winner of 125 Supercars races. But his journey to the top was anything but straightforward.
What can almost 30 years with the elite SAS teach business about leadership, resilience and building teams that perform?
What happens when you spend 15 years building a business, take it public—and then find yourself leading it into voluntary administration as COVID hit?