Selling Custom-Made Womenswear on Etsy with Shanna Mellnick of Shanna Britta

Shanna Britta Mellnick is a small business owner who designs and constructs contemporary women’s wear, specializing in customer-focused fit and style. A graduate of the apparel design programs at both Purdue University and the Fashion Institute of Technology at New York University, Shanna also gained exposure to a variety of designers, working with Michael Faircloth, Versace, and Tommy Hilfiger during her education. After college, she helped manage production, pattern making, and design at Linda Segal in Houston, TX. Shanna then moved to St. Louis, MO – her current home – where she joined the design team at Lori Coulter, LLC (now SummerSalt Swimwear), focusing on custom-made swimwear for women.  Shanna has taken these experiences to her own company with a wide array of products available in her online store, ranging from basic garments for any occasion to elaborate, glamorous pieces for special events. Her clients universally comment on her use of high quality, durable materials and construction, ability to custom-fit a garment to any body type, and fantastic eye for capturing the very best of today’s fashion trends. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Shanna’s interest in custom-fit garments began What inspires her designs and product categories What her process for creating a fully custom garment for a client looks like Shanna’s advice on finding the best factory partnerships for your brand What Shanna’s experience has been selling on Etsy How Shanna got involved in mask making -- even while factories were shut down What she did to develop and test her mask pattern and really make sure it fit About a sustainable “farm to fashion” project in the works for Shanna Britta that Shanna’s excited about People and resources mentioned in this episode: Shanna Britta website Shanna’s LinkedIn Shanna’s email Shanna Britta on Instagram Shanna Britta Etsy shop Do you want fashion business tips and resources like this sent straight to your inbox? Sign up for the How Fitting newsletter to receive new podcast episodes plus daily content on creating fashion that fits your customer, lifestyle, and values.