John Lehman: McMarden + Stephanie Alves: ABL Denim

What happens when you are a respected fashion brand with the good fortune to be featured in top retailers like Barney's--but then the market changes? New platforms for making and selling custom apparel mean every blogger and celebrity fancies themselves a designer, and traditional boutiques are becoming irrelevant. So high-end fashion designer John McDavid Lehman has to try everything to keep fresh and relevant.After owning a successful line of leather goods, R.B. of McD, he has recently launched a clothing brand, McMarden, with his girlfriend Anastasia. He's building out a social media presence and their direct to consumer business online, and we hear what it's like to try staying at the cutting edge while the whole marketplace is changing under your feet. I caught him just before opening his first brick-and-mortar store in downtown LA. Will things pan out? He's not totally sure. In the meantime, we get some interesting insights into his creative process and the wacky world of garment manufacturing in LA.

We first kick off the episode with Stephanie Alves of ABL Denim, a fashion line for people with disabilities. We learn about her clever designs that address this underserved segment, and also get some insights into iteration, customer discovery, and turning ideas into real products. For more information about the podcast, visit http://artofmfg.com