Building a Fashion Community That Converts (Elizabeth Stiles Fashion Marketing Live Keynote)

Hosting my own live event was hands-down the most terrifying thing I've ever done in business. Six months before Fashion Marketing Live — the UK's first fashion marketing conference — I was kicking and screaming about the whole idea. Then it sold out in 24 hours. This episode is that talk, recorded live in the room. If your marketing feels like shouting into an empty room, this one's for you. I break down the formula I believe builds a fashion brand people are genuinely obsessed with: Leadership + Message + Community. No fluff — just the three things I will not shut up about, and why they matter more in 2026 than ever. In this episode: Why the word "leader" makes you squirm — and why a following is impossible without stepping into it The reason only 12% of women build a six-figure business, and how we start shifting that What Debenhams and Topshop teach us about losing a community (and how to avoid it) Why Nike arguably has more believers than a political party — and what that means for you Getting your message clear enough that other people sell you through word of mouth Meet "Brenda": the inner-critic voice talking you out of being bold Why trust beats perfection every time — the Victoria Beckham lesson I'm also joined by one of my absolute icons — reality-TV star, real-life superyacht captain and author of Be the Calm or Be the Storm, Captain Sandy Yawn — who recorded a message on leadership that genuinely made me well up. Also mentioned: Gemma Collins, Andrew & Pete, Daniel Priestley's Oversubscribed, Patagonia, Lucy & Yak, Gymshark, HunsNet, and the Business of Fashion's "companies are the new communities." Links & next steps: Join The Fashion Feed — free weekly newsletter & community: https://www.elizabethstiles.co.uk Fashion Marketing Live 2027 is on 15 March 2027 (last one sold out in a day) — Fully booked for 2026!  Join the waitlist for 2027 here > https://www.elizabethstiles.co.uk/marketing-waitlist Work with Elizabeth (Starter Course · Magnetic · The Scaling Project): https://www.elizabethstiles.co.uk/services Captain Sandy Yawn: https://www.captainsandyyawn.com · Book: Be the Calm or Be the Storm