With the increase of talented designers looking for exposure and the opportunity to network and showcase their work becoming more and more limited, especially putting one's work in front of the right people.

Hannah Campbell decided to step up to the task and create a company, you could call it a platform that enables fashion designers to showcase their works in front of the right industry people.

Iheartfashion also teaches emerging fashion industry professionals about the business of fashion through a series of workshops, talks and conferences to different groups of people whilst teaching about and encouraging people to consider social responsibility.

In this interview, I spoke to Hannah about how she started the company, her background, challenges along the way, the future of iheartfashion and more.

Hope you enjoy the interview.

Hi Hannah, how are you doing?

Hi, I’m really well thanks. It’s an absolute pleasure to be on YHP.

It's Great to have you on here on YHP

What’s your background and what did you do before starting up the company?

I have always been very academic; I got good GCSE’s and A-Levels and was studying to be a lawyer. I always thought that I would go into that kind of profession, you know a ‘serious’ profession. I also loved languages and started studying Law and French at the University of Birmingham.

Oh great, So how did you get into fashion?

I got into fashion at about 14. My friends and I would go shopping in Oxford Street and Selfridges every weekend, although we couldn’t buy much, we loved keeping up with the trends and trying everything on. I always followed fashion but did not take it seriously as a career because I did not know about the vast career opportunities in fashion.

Why did you decide to start iheartfashion?

I started iheartfashion because I had always been into business but just didn’t know what to do for a business. As I began to follow fashion more and more, I realised that there were so many talented designers who simply were not getting enough exposure. I wanted to provide them with this exposure in a fun way.

I also liked the business side of fashion and wanted to get involved with the process from the design to the selling stage. Furthermore, whilst studying economics and business at A-Level, I studied a module on the fashion industry and ways in which fashion was and wasn’t exercising corporate social responsibility. I believed that fashion as a whole could do more to be socially responsible and I wanted iheartfashion to be instrumental in making that happen.

Ok so when did you finally decide to start the business?

I started the business at the start of 2010. At the time I was in my second year of studying a degree but I wasn’t happy and couldn’t see a future in what I was doing. I felt that I had much more to offer and I felt that I was wasting my time and talent doing something that I had no future in, so I took the plunge and decided to leave university to work full time on iheartfashion.

Explain to me in a way my grandmother can understand how iheartfashion works?

Iheartfashion helps talented up and coming and emerging designers (and models) gain more exposure by putting on a series of fashion shows and inviting fashion industry professionals such as press and buyers to attend.

Iheartfashion also teaches emerging fashion industry professionals about the business of fashion through a series of workshops, talks and conferences to different groups of people whilst teaching about and encouraging people to consider social responsibility.

What would you say were some of your difficulties you faced whilst setting up the company?

I have found that a lot of people are followers, so at first in order to get anybody to take part in any of the iheartfashion events, they wanted to know who else was taking part, it seemed as if nobody was willing to take the first step to be a part of what iheartfashion was about. However as soon as a few people got involved, all the others began to take an interest.

Another problem I faced was my age. I tried to keep my age or the fact that I was the CEO of iheartfashion secret at first, as I realised that some people prejudged the standard of iheartfashion or what the company could deliver because of my age and so did not want to be involved.

However, as the company has grown my age has become less important as people can see that the company is very professional and always delivers to a high standard despite having such a young team (my team consists of people around the same age as me).

What are some of the issues being faced by upcoming designers that your company is trying to address and how are you addressing the situation?

One big problem for up and coming designers is the competition. There are many talented designers but not enough platforms for them to gain exposure which is why iheartfashion provides a platform for them which is young, fun and professional. Another problem is finances. Many emerging designers have just graduated or need to use their money for their collections and so cannot afford to put on their own shows or pay for PR.

Iheartfashion puts on the whole show and provides the venue, the models, the hair, the make-up and everything else that is needed for a successful fashion show and we invite all of the relevant people so that the designer can concentrate on his or her collection and enjoy the exposure and connections they gain from the show. This all comes at a very low price with great benefits for the designer.

What do you think your company is doing differently from other similar platforms?

Iheartfashion is different because the standard we work to compared to other similar platforms is very high. The shows are always very polished and professional and this comes at a significantly lower price than all other similar platforms.

Additionally iheartfashion understands the intrinsic link between fashion and music and we incorporate this into our shows. We have an excellent live band and different emerging and established music acts performing during the catwalk shows. Also we encourage social responsibility, something that not enough similar platforms do.

Who are your competitors?

Iheartfashion’s competitors are all the other similar platforms whether new, like iheartfashion, or more established. Although we are different from other platforms, in essence we all have the same goal and so they are all competitors.

What is your business model? Is the business profitable?

The business is a private limited company it has a small team of permanent staff. We outsource many of the services in order to keep the business profitable.

Do you do this full-time?

Yes, however I also study a BA in French and German part-time (evenings). Business is my career; however I enjoy studying and did not want to give up studying languages.

How has the journey been so far? What would you say has been the highlight so far running iheartfashion?

The journey has been fun and a massive learning curve. This past year I feel like I have learnt more about people and business than I have in my whole life. The highlight definitely has to be the Launch Fashion Show in August last year. It was great to envisage something and see it happen in reality and it was a great success. The after party in Mahiki was fun too!

Your company does a lot of event with different charities, why do you feel the need to work with charities, i mean its not something you have to do.

Working with charities is one way I feel businesses can exercise corporate social responsibility. Businesses have a lot of power, often more power than they realise. I believe it is important to use this power for good and working with a charity is an organised way of giving to people who need it.

How have you managed to get so much brands, celebrities and press to your events?

It hasn’t been easy. Iheartfashion was, and still is relatively new and unknown. We just had to use all of the people and resources we had around us. I learnt to pull in favours and simply ask. Now I know that you gain a lot from taking the plunge and simply asking. Many said no but a few said yes and that’s all you need. We didn’t take the rejections to heart and it paid off.

Give you three key lessons that you've learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

Firstly, effective people management is key. You cannot do it alone and you need to learn and understand how to manage people regardless of their age and background. I have learnt that motivation is very important and you have to establish ways that work for your company to keep your team motivated. How you run your company will determine how your team works, if you are passionate about it, then your team will be also.

Secondly I’ve learnt that rejection is part and parcel of business. Instead of seeing it as a bad thing, it’s necessary to take it as a lesson, look into why you were rejected and improve on it for next time. Often rejection leaves room for something even greater to happen.

Finally, I’ve learnt that no matter how much you plan, how great your team is, you will often have to face on-the-spot problem solving. Things always pop up that you didn’t or couldn’t plan for and you have to be prepared to sometimes change direction, take a gamble and think on your feet to overcome the problems.

What tips can you give to female entrepreneurs especially those looking to get into the fashion industry?

I would say that it is not necessary to focus on the fact that you are female. What’s more important is how you see yourself as an entrepreneur, as that will determine how you run your business and how people treat you. That goes for any industry, because fashion or not, business is business.

What should we be expecting from you and iheartfashion in the new year?

I want iheartfashion to be well on the road to becoming the first point of call for all serious emerging designers and other potential fashion industry professionals. This year iheartfashion will grow and expand considerably, but I can’t give all the details away just yet, watch this space and follow us on the journey to becoming the best. It’s so exciting; you do not want to miss out.

Thanks for your time Hannah

Thanks for having me!

Don't forget to follow iheartfashion on twitter, facebook, youtube, vimeo and wordpress.
Stay up to the date with their website launching very soon.