From raw idea to first collection: how Sabrina built Solly Little from scratch.
CHILDRENS SLEEPWEAR BRAND
Solly Little is a British children's nightwear brand based in Cambridgeshire, using 100 percent organic cottons and natural materials, manufactured in small batches
Where Sabrina Started...
When Sabrina first reached out to me, she had a really clear sense of the brand she wanted to create - timeless, romantic, nostalgic children's nightwear that she simply couldn't find anywhere on the high street. What she didn't have was any idea of how to get from that vision to an actual product.
Sabrina is a professional makeup artist by trade, not a fashion designer, so she had no industry contacts, no knowledge of how manufacturing worked, and no experience of building a product-based business.
What she did have was a strong aesthetic, a genuine gap in the market she'd identified through her own frustration as a mum, and the drive to actually do something about it.
That combination of a clear vision and a willingness to learn is everything you need to start. The rest is what I'm here to help with.
SABRINA CAMPBELL
FOUNDER OF SOLLY LITTLE
The process
Sabrina and I worked together across almost every stage of bringing Solly Little to life. Here's what that looked like in practice.
THE BRAND
Solly Little - Childrens Sleepwear
THE FOUNDER
Sabrina Campbell
OUTCOME
Confidently launching a collection of childrenswear, being stocked in a UK boutique and working on her second collection
TIMEFRAME
12-18 months + now an ongoing client
SERVICES
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Collection & tech pack design
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Bespoke print design
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121 mentoring
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Online mentoring programme
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Production consultancy
Mentoring & Brand Strategy
We started with a series of one-to-one mentoring sessions to get the foundations right - working through Sabrina's brand positioning, her target customer, pricing strategy, competitor landscape, and brand values.
She wanted Solly Little to stand for something beyond aesthetics: small-batch production, organic materials,and considered design, so getting clear on all of that early shaped every decision that came after.
Collection Design & Creative Direction
Once the brand direction was set, we moved into collection design. I helped Sabrina plan and design her initial collection, including fabric selection, colour palette, trims, labels and swing tags.
We also developed a bespoke print and a bespoke embroidery design - both created specifically for Solly Little and not available to any other brand.
That kind of detail is what sets an independent brand apart from anything mass-produced.
"There's just no better feeling than seeing your design actually structured out on a professional document. That suppressed the feeling of 'who do you think you are?' because I have a real thing here."
SOLLY LITTLE FOUNDER, SABRINA CAMPBELL.
Tech Packs & Specifications
Every design was translated into a full tech pack - the technical document a factory needs to make your product correctly.
This included all construction details, fabric specifications, measurements, sizing specifications, and finish details.
Sabrina's tech packs were factory-ready from day one, which meant she could approach multiple manufacturers for quotations and samples with confidence rather than guesswork.
Online Mentoring Programme
Alongside our one-to-one sessions, Sabrina enrolled in my online mentoring programme, which gave her access to in-depth video resources covering everything from range planning and competitor analysis to pricing, working with factories, understanding different manufacturing models, and the business side of launching a brand.
Manufacturing Support
Finding the right manufacturer is one of the hardest parts of the startup journey - and one of the areas where founders waste the most time going it alone.
I introduced Sabrina to prospective manufacturers suited to her collection and supported her through the sampling and development process, helping her understand what to expect, how to communicate effectively with factories, and how to navigate the inevitable delays and problem-solving that come with overseas production.
"That is like the Bible for this particular subject. It goes through it in every single detail. I still refer back to it now when I'm speaking to my factory."
SOLLY LITTLE FOUNDER, SABRINA CAMPBELL.
Production Consultancy
Production consultancy and second season
As Sabrina moved into production, we continued working together - troubleshooting issues as they came up and consulting on decisions as they arose.
We're now already into a second season, with a new bespoke print and embroidery design in development.
The relationship with clients doesn't end at launch.
