Founder Coffee Talk: Britt Howard of Portland Garment Factory
In this edition of Making Oregon, we got out of the studio for a “Founder Coffee Talk” – lively conversation with Oregon founders at a local coffee house. For this chat, Built Oregon co-founder Terry St. Marie ventured to Groundwork Coffee Shop in SE Portland, for a fine almond milk latte and an iced mocha with our guest Britt Howard, co-founder of Portland Garment Factory, serving companies in the fashion design and product creation industries. The business started in 2008, and now has 11 employees at a 5,000 square foot facility on SE 79th and Stark Portland Garment Factory helps creators from the beginning development of a product’s concept to seeing it through to completion. Serving clients both large - such as Nike and Levis – and small, they offer everything from pattern drafting and sample construction, to the branding of the final product. Britt and her partner started the business because they saw a pressing need in Portland for these kind of services – until they came along, fashion makers had to seek help elsewhere, slowing down the creative flow. They’ve forged a niche in the Oregon creative ecosystem and economy, and our conversation reveals the unique and creative path that Britt took to get there, as well as her perspectives on sustainability and “zero waste”, the Portland fashion scene, and “pursuing beauty from odd angles” when designing clothes. And, she reveals her (very simple) secret to success that may surprise you.