🧵 How I Use Systems…Without Losing My Mind

Running a fashion brand sounds creative and exciting—and it is—but behind every perfect launch is a whole lot of logistics and fabric cuttings. Production timelines. Supplier follow-ups. Sampling updates. Fabric minimums. Payment schedules. And if you’re managing all of that from a million spreadsheets and flagged emails it gets messy really fast.

Systems have completely changed the way I manage the back end of fashion brands—both my own and my clients’. It’s the system I turn to when I need to get out of reaction mode and back into clarity. It doesn’t just make things look organized—it helps you actually move. Lately I’ve been diving into Notion more and more, it’s become my one stop shop for all things organization.

Here’s how I use it:

✔ A development checklist I use every single time

There’s nothing worse than realizing too late that you forgot to spec out a detail or didn’t confirm trim lead times. Suppliers and factories are working to keep your requested ship dates, help them by keeping your details straight. I built a reusable checklist for style development in Notion that keeps things tight—even when multiple styles are in motion. (It also helps my brain chill when everything feels “open.” Or when I’m not on my computer, I can still pull up the Notion app)

✔ One location for sampling, quotes, and factory communication

Every sample round, every quote, every follow-up email with a supplier—I drop it into one page per style. That way I’m not digging through Outlook trying to remember who said what, or even what email account the chain is under. I track MOQ updates and which suppliers & factories sent swatches, so I can compare everything side-by-side.

- My bonus here is keeping a digital library of swatches I’ve collected from meeting with suppliers and factories around the world. This digital reference saves me time while traveling.

✔ Production timelines that don’t give me anxiety

I create a simple dashboard to track each step from proto to bulk. It lets me see exactly where we are, what’s delayed, and what’s coming up next—without needing a project manager on payroll.

I can link every style to its PO, factory, and sample notes so nothing gets lost.

✔ Why Notion > Excel when you’re scaling

I love a spreadsheet moment—but once you’re managing multiple seasons or factories, Excel starts to feel flat. Notion lets me connect the dots across people, products, and timelines. It’s visual, editable, and actually fun to open in the morning.

Excel is still my guilty pleasure when creating costing sheets 😇

The biggest mistake I see new brands make?

Not tracking why something worked (or didn’t). Whether it’s a delayed launch or a fabric that came back different in bulk, it’s all learnable. If you’re not documenting it as you go, you’re bound to repeat it. Notion helps me (and the brands I support) build smarter each season.

This list becomes invaluable when you bring someone new into your organization. It will save you time and money in the long run to not repeat mistakes multiple times. Your suppliers will also thank you-they remember mistakes as well as you do.

If you’re trying to run a fashion brand and feel like you’re constantly winging it on the ops side—you’re not alone. This part isn’t always sexy, but it’s what makes the whole thing work.

Want to try the same setup I use? I made a fashion production starter dashboard in Notion that’s easy to customize, even if you’re new to the platform. Email kerrib@oceoluxe.com or head to Oceo Luxe to grab it.

Let’s make fashion more functional—starting with your systems.