Ana Escobar: Don't Call Me Pablo!

LMND may be the hottest female fashion brand in Australia right now.

James H Stewart sits down with Ana Escobar, founder of Australian fashion label LMND, to explore an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey spanning two continents, some of Australia's best-known retail brands, and the challenges of building a self funded premium fashion business.

Born in Australia before moving to Colombia as a young child, Ana shares her remarkable story of growing up in Medellin, during one of Colombia's most turbulent periods before returning to Australia to pursue a career in fashion.

From starting as a sales assistant at Oroton to becoming Brand Director, leading private label innovation at Big W, and ultimately launching LMND in 2018, Ana's career demonstrates the power of resilience, creativity and customer obsession.

In this episode we discuss:

• Growing up between Australia and Colombia and the experiences that shaped her outlook.

• Building a career through Oroton, Apparel Group and Big W.

• Why she left corporate retail to launch LMND.

• Identifying a gap in the market for premium wardrobe essentials.

• Why LMND opened a physical store before launching online.

• Building an international brand stocked by retailers including Myer, Selfridges and Neiman Marcus.

• Growing a business without external investors or private equity.