Women who run their own businesses. In our monthly Small Business Spotlight series, we talk to independent fashion entrepreneurs about their journey to becoming bosses. Here are some tips from women who have actually started their own businesses, including fundraising, marketing strategies, and using social media.

Kayla Sade, designer and founder of Almost on Time, has a knack for turning nothing into something. In her hands, a cozy item to spend time on the couch becomes something to wear out on the town. She says, "I make structured sweater knits while playing with contrasting materials and new shapes that excite me." The butterfly cutout sweater pictured below is an upcycled version of an old cable knit. With feminine silhouettes and streetwear influences, this contemporary interpretation of the corset pushes the boundaries of standard fashion. My brand is a call to end fast fashion. My brand is a call to end fast fashion, part of the slow fashion movement, with an emphasis on making clothes with a purpose," says Sade, a San Francisco native who recently moved her studio to Brooklyn, New York. I make each garment alone, using recycled materials and second-hand clothing. I take my time with each piece and believe that the process of making clothes should not be rushed"

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"It all started just a year ago when my curiosity and creativity exploded. I wanted to recreate something I couldn't afford. I fell in love with a Vivienne Westwood corset and wanted to recreate it myself. I wanted to learn how to sew and create something of my own. I went to a small charter school for high school, where "make it yourself" was part of the lifestyle. So I didn't even think about sustainability in terms of fashion."

"I started making things at Depop and [my social media presence] grew really fast. The first corset I made went viral and I got a lot of traffic to my page. It was a sudden demand, but I didn't try to meet that demand. There was also the quarantine, and people started using smartphones. I was lucky in the sense that I was able to get an audience early."

"I work with local seamstresses in San Francisco. I give them the patterns I design and they help me create the pieces. I do all of my designs in my apartment. In terms of materials, I like to use well-known brands like Nike and Champion. In the beginning, I used Nike sweatshirts. I knew that they were consistently made from the same material so I could keep the material consistent. I go to thrift stores myself to source all my materials. I started out with sweatshirts, but now I'm branching out into a collection of sweaters. I've done some large orders with Urban Outfitters, but I like to keep it small"

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"In addition to continuing to experiment with custom upcycled clothing, I plan to produce new garments inspired by my upcycled designs with circulation in mind. I believe that using environmentally friendly materials like organic cotton is a start, but not a solution, to the waste problem in the fashion and garment production industry. As I continue to learn more about how clothing is produced, I realize that innovation and change is urgently needed. Producing large quantities of upcycled clothing was a challenge for me. Reusing old materials to make new ones helps me think on a larger scale for the future."

For more information about the upcoming drop, check out almostontimesf.com (opens in new tab) or follow the brand on Instagram (opens in new tab).

A version of this article appears in the Summer 2021 issue of Marie Claire.