An Intro to Alice James, Founder AJG

We asked Alice James to break down what working, developing, and managing her business looks like. Alice James is the founder of Alice James Global, and has more than 17 years of experience in the fashion industry. Her business has grown rapidly since 2017, and with the expansion of her team, will be able to service more brands and product categories than ever before.

What does Alice James Global do? 

We help fashion brands of all sizes scale their business strategically by providing them sourcing solutions for production in the US and abroad. I have an extensive background in managing fashion assortments for large scale retailers in roles such as sourcing, production management, buying, merchandising and inventory planning. Having had a variety of roles throughout the lifecycle of fashion production helps me to offer a broad perspective and insight on the entire supply chain.

Our business grew swiftly because we created a solution for launching and growing fashion brands that were desperately seeking guidance and support in building strategic sourcing strategies and connecting with vetted, quality partners. Today we’re currently servicing over 35 fashion brands from start-ups with 50 unit production to brands that produce thousands of units per month.  We give these brands access to suppliers that are looking for long-term partnerships and provide cost structures that enable profitability for a wide range of volume.

For larger brands we offer a full-service team that manages their design, technical design, product development, sourcing and production management for the cost of only one salary employee. For smaller brands, we support them with their early production lifecycles establishing their supply chain and getting them set up for sustained growth.

What made you want to start your own business? 

I was at a point in my career where I couldn’t find a job after losing my corporate position at a retailer that went out of business. For Austin being such a creative city with a lot of startups, oddly enough, there just wasn’t a ton of opportunity within the fashion industry. After a year of sifting through corporate job postings and trying to fit myself into a rigidly defined role, I decided to take the leap to create my own business freelance consulting with my years of industry experience. I still look back in awe of myself, sometimes wondering how I mustered the courage to do this! Since starting this business back in 2017, we have and continue to grow faster than I ever could have imagined.

I also built this business to provide an opportunity for women to feel supported professionally in a working environment that fits into their daily lives in a way that male-dominated corporate positions just don’t. I wanted to think outside of the box on the type of working environment that I would want for myself. This led me to create a supportive space for professional growth, where women feel empowered, and to give them the opportunity to be a part of something that is going to grow, providing senior leadership opportunities where women are underrepresented. The team here at Alice James Global is second to none, and they are the reason for our continued success and growth. 

How did you find your factories and know which ones to work with?

Most of the resources in our network include factories that we have worked with throughout our careers. Vetting factories takes a long time and requires a commitment to cultivating the relationship. We’ve spent years compiling and validating our resources abilities and expertise. All of our factories are socially compliant with responsible labor practices which give us and our brands the assurance that we are offering opportunity to global communities in respectable ways.

I truly value each and every one of our production partners, they are a huge reason for our success. As our business grows we are constantly searching and developing relationships with new resources to expand out product category services and volume. 

How do you know which factories to work with? 

Different countries have different manufacturing specialties and capabilities. For instance, India is known for their wide abilities and resources in cotton products as well as their handwork, beadwork, and dying, etc. China is extremely mechanized, and has the perfect production capability and technology for highly complex items.

It’s really interesting to watch how these capabilities are changing as the global production landscape shifts. The American manufacturing workforce is changing, and we’re hopeful that we’ll get to a point where we can source more manufacturing domestically. Political climates are forcing shifts faster than I have ever seen within the industry and it is something that we are keeping a pulse on.

What is the ideal timeline of a product?

I think that it’s good for clients to come into a project with the focus of getting the product right versus trying to achieve a particular timeline. Focusing on a quality product is definitely where you need to start.

There is a lot of variance in timelines depending on the design, complexity, number of materials, and custom development. Four to six months is a good approximate timeline for a smaller project where we utilize available materials in the market to avoid lengthy and costly custom development. For larger assortments and volume, I would say six to twelve months.