The Spring / Summer Highlights Reel 🌱
Latest goings-on at Next Season & some personal / professional updates!
Back in February, I shared my 2025 objectives for Next Season with you all:
As a refresher, my overarching objective in 2025 is to expand Next Season beyond myself - with the following specific goals in mind:
Objective 1: Expand Next Season production to validate (upcycled) product-based business model, including growing the team & speeding up product design & testing cycle.
Objective 2: Partner with like-minded business owners and co-create events for our community, so that they can learn new skills, make new friends / connections, and support local small businesses.
Professional Development [outside of Next Season]: Expand my portfolio of consultative / freelance work @ at the intersection of fashion x tech x climate, and deepen my network of fellow small business owners & circular fashion advocates.
There have been so many exciting developments in the last five months that I wanted to share a proper update here and a preview of what’s still to come. And share a backlog of behind-the-scenes pics with you too!
What’s new?
Hiring & Product Development
Annie McWilliams, an MFA candidate in Textiles at Parsons joined the team in May as a summer intern. It’s been SO helpful working with Annie on pattern testing & product development.
We’ve also been working with technical knitwear design consultant Beth DeWald to develop tech packs / technical specs for a few core designs: a shell top, a crew neck sweater, and a short-sleeved polo.
The three of us came together in early June for a fitting session with a professional fit model, adjusting the designs & improving their fit:
SBIDC ‘Plan for Growth’ Program
In April I joined the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation’s (SBIDC) ‘Plan for Growth’ Spring 2025 cohort, alongside 13 fellow Brooklyn-based small businesses. We spent a few hours together each week for 8 weeks, working on all aspects of our businesses, from mission / vision / values to marketing & sales strategies and finances.
I was particularly keen to learn from the program’s marketing and small biz finance experts - I came away from the program feeling a lot more confident about these domains & ready to apply my learnings to the business.
It was such a delight to meet & work with everyone in the program; the cohort ranged from furniture makers to ceramists to industrial designers. And I have to shout out the SBIDC team (especially Economic Development Program Associate Yujia!) - they were so helpful throughout the program, even connecting me to commercial real-estate resources in the early stages of my studio space search.
New studio space @ Industry City
Speaking of studio space, you may have heard (bc I haven’t shut up about it) - Next Season moved! Out of my spare room and into a cute little ~400 sqft studio in Industry City. I imagine it will become a multi-use space: knitwear production studio, showroom, classroom, and event space.
I was SUPER lucky to meet fellow Brooklyn business Cool Hand Movers as part of the aforementioned SBIDC Plan for Growth program. I got to know owners Ashley & Matt and was impressed by their commitment to quality, including hiring their movers as employees vs contractors. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect to work with them for my recent move to Industry City - they made the whole moving experience seamless and worry-free. I have a couple of vintage knitting machines that were handled with extreme care. And, I was so glad to have the option for reusable boxes, which allowed us to stay true to Next Season’s circular values and minimize waste!
If you’re planning a move, I recommend Cool Hand Movers (http://coolhandmovers.com/estimate) - you can even mention Next Season for a 10% discount. Full disclosure: Cool Hand Movers provided their moving services at no cost in exchange for promotion of the move. BUT, I’m already a repeat paying customer, having booked Cool Hand Movers again to help me pick up & transport a large work table I scored on FB Marketplace.
Outside of Next Season
I recently returned from London and Future Fabrics Expo 2025. I help the team with planning our Seminar Series, and various things tech / registration system. It was my second year helping out with the Expo, and I am continually impressed by the quality and scale of this show put on by such a small (but dedicated!!) team.
And what’s next?
Fall collection
Progress is underway for a Next Season Fall collection - we’ve spent the last month or so sourcing materials, swatching, and prototyping. Stay tuned for the first sneak previews / teasers in August ;)
Outside of Next Season
Last but definitely not least - on a more personal note, I’m so excited to share that I’m taking on a new role as Interim Chief Product Officer at Alternew, joining founder Nancy Rhodes on her mission to connect brands and customers to expert care and repair services through tech-enabled infrastructure. Working on product at Alternew feels like another perfect marriage between my tech / startup experience and my aim to create & elevate circular systems in the fashion industry.
As you can see it’s been a busyyyy few months - and only set to get busier. I so appreciate everyone reading and following this journey. Can’t wait to see you all at our studio opening party this Fall, save-the-date coming soon.
Wow! That is a lot of things you are involved in! Sounds fun!