On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the impact of China’s contracting luxury market on companies like Kering, the slowing revenue growth of Shein’s and how that will impact its upcoming IPO, and the ongoing drama at Vivienne Westwood.

Brandon Brubaker, co-founder of the 10-year-old SoCal sneaker brand Clearweather, is somewhat of a sneaker legend. In the sneaker game for 30 years, he first designed iconic sneaker styles for Vans after being recruited by the company at age 20. He then went on to launch the multimillion-dollar skate sneaker division at Nike-owned Converse.  Today, Brubaker is hitting the gas on growing his own company, with a fresh round of funding, a new business partner, a relaunched website and big plans for international expansion. He’s intentionally taking a unique approach to the market, which, so far, has served his brand well.  “[We decided] to stop trying to fight for dollars with Nike, which completely dominates everything, when it really comes down to it,” he said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Instead, we want to just be a really premium California culture brand, and that's where we're at today." Also on the podcast, Brubaker discusses how the sneaker market is faring and what it takes to maintain relevance in the crowded, competitive industry. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and how it's changed in the six years it was on hiatus. Later, we discuss what’s causing so many luxury brands to report falling sales, and Jill gives us a dispatch from Shoptalk in Chicago.

As chief creative officer of the 20-year-old jewelry brand Catbird, Leigh Batnick Plessner is always thinking of ways to bring the brand's story to life through innovative products and collaborations. In 2015, for example, Catbird introduced the concept of "getting zapped," the brand's term for custom-fitting and welding one of its solid gold Forever Bracelets on a customer's wrist. Since joining Catbird a year after its 2004 launch, Plessner has worked alongside Rony Vardi, co-owner and founder of Catbird, to grow the Williamsburg-birthed brand beyond its first 225-square-foot retail store on Metropolitan Avenue. In 2006, they opened a second location on Bedford Avenue that quickly became Catbird's flagship. Under Plessner's creative direction, Catbird also evolved into a popular retailer of demi-fine jewelry. After David Yurman alum Mo Sakurai joined the company as CEO in September 2022, Catbird has accelerated its growth mode, including by opening stores across the country. The company plans to open at least 10 more by 2026. On the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, Plessner discusses Catbird's strategies for becoming a national brand and staying true to its mission: to create the ultimate luxury jewelry that can be repaired.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s luxury-focused episode, we talk about Stefano Cantino being appointed the new CEO of Gucci and Kering's attempt to bring back sales growth at its biggest brand. Later, we talk about the ongoing saga around Mulberry, including the takeover bid from part-owner Frasers Group. And, finally, we discuss the new joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Saks Global.

As the chief design officer of global innerwear at Hanesbrands, Jane Newman oversees innerwear products for all the brands in the company’s portfolio, including Hanes, Bali and Maidenform — each of which is at least 97 years old. On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Newman discusses how she’s keeping each brand relevant as the intimates category evolves – among other factors, the DTC boom and the unofficial rebranding of shapewear as “sexy” have changed the space.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss Paris Fashion Week's homogeneity and safeness, Hedi Slimane’s 6-year tenure at Celine and his replacement, and LVMH’s $110 million-per-year deal with Formula 1.

Assouline, the publishing house turned luxury lifestyle brand, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year — but, it seems, it’s just getting started.  Largely driven by Alexandre Assouline — the company’s chief of operations, brand and strategy and the son of its founders — Assouline is in growth mode: In addition to rolling out new product categories and services, it’s expanding its physical footprint and introducing new digital products, including a digital magazine and podcast.  “The library is at the forefront of everything we do; we aim to own the library space as a luxury brand,” Assouline said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Your library is around you and your life every day, and it says a lot about you. When someone sees your library, they can identify your areas of interest, how you put books together, and the thematics of the books that you purchase and are being gifted to you. It's a place of creativity and inspiration. And we've been in the business of developing things around the library for 30 years.” Also in the episode, Assouline discusses the company’s plans to “redefine publishing as a luxury experience.” And he shares the brand’s physical expansion plans. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Paris Fashion Week, particularly the contrasting shows from Dior and Saint Laurent. We also discuss Telfar’s decision to go upmarket with a higher price point, real leather and a wholesale collaboration. Finally, we explore Stitch Fix’s ailing finances and the future of styling service-based businesses.

On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, we talk with Quaid Walker, the co-founder and CEO of the online watch marketplace Bezel. Bezel, like the watch market in general, has seen significant growth over the last three years. It now boasts over $500 million worth of watches coming through its marketplace annually. Millions of new watch enthusiasts are getting into the market for the first time, and secondhand marketplaces like Bezel are among the best entry points for those new customers. Walker described the early pandemic years as “a massive bull run for all collectibles.” During that period, a ceramic Rolex Daytona in the “panda” colorway, which retailed for around $13,500, was selling on the secondhand market for over $55,000. It’s since evened out somewhat to around $32,000, reflecting the broader market which has also slowed from the mania of the early 2020s. “What happened was you got a lot of new buyers entering the market who got really interested in watches,” Walker said. “And now that we have a correction in the market, you have the buyers who got into it because they love watches excited because prices are coming down and they can finally buy some of the watches they’ve lusted after. But then the buyers who were in it for the investment side are leaving the market.” The way Walker sees it, people come to Bezel — and similar pre-owned marketplaces for luxury goods — for two reasons. Either they want a luxury product that they can’t afford new, in which case they buy something for below retail price, or they are looking for something that can’t be found new because it’s vintage or limited edition, in which case they buy something over retail price. “Our job is to cater the experience for both of those customers,” Walker said. “Our promise to buyers is that we authenticate everything, we make sure everything is working the way it should, and we take a customer experience that was otherwise frustrating and make it feel accessible, quick, thoughtful and attentive.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, Zofia recaps London Fashion Week, including Burberry’s comeback attempt, and we preview some of our most anticipated shows and moments from Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks.

On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, we catch up with Clare Waight Keller, named Uniqlo’s creative director early this month. Waight Keller discusses her transition from designing at luxury fashion houses to leading the creative direction at a global retail giant, and her plans for Uniqlo's future. After studying at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design and earning her master’s degree from the Royal College of Art, Waight Keller held design roles at Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. She later worked under Tom Ford at Gucci before taking the helm at Pringle of Scotland in 2005. In 2011, she became the creative director at Chloé, where her feminine, free-spirited designs took off. In 2017, she made history as the first female creative director at Givenchy, where she famously designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress.  Waight Keller is now taking on a new challenge at Uniqlo, merging her luxury design sensibilities with the brand’s technological innovations and global reach. “Good design is good design, whether it’s on a luxury runway or in a global retail store,” she said. For Waight Keller, the appeal of Uniqlo lies in its integrity and focus on quality. “What was most surprising to me was how similar the design process at Uniqlo is to that of a luxury house," she said. "We approach it with the same level of care and craftsmanship. The difference is in scale." But she doesn’t see the size of Uniqlo’s operations as a hindrance. Instead, she embraces it as a unique opportunity to reach a broader audience while maintaining a high standard of design. But one challenge she is realizing is merging fashion with innovation. “The innovation at Uniqlo is unparalleled," she said. "The access to cutting-edge fabrics and the [company's] commitment to performance-based design is something I’m really excited about.” In addition to innovation, Waight Keller is focused on sustainability. As she steps into her new role, she’s pushing Uniqlo even further toward environmentally conscious fashion. “We’re already doing a lot, but I believe we can do even more," she said. "Sustainability is crucial, but so is longevity. We want to create pieces that last, both in terms of style and durability." Uniqlo’s focus on essential, timeless pieces has been refreshing, Waight Keller said. “At Givenchy, I was designing up to 10 collections a year. At Uniqlo, it’s two. But the pressure is still there — it’s about making sure every piece is perfect. We’re creating wardrobe staples that can stand the test of time, and that’s where I find the challenge." She added, “Fashion doesn’t have to be fleeting. With Uniqlo, I’m designing for everyone, from teenagers experimenting with style to professionals looking for the perfect tailored suit." Her vision is to make high-quality, stylish clothing accessible and inclusive, across all demographics and generations. Men’s fashion at Uniqlo is a category she plans to expand. “From the first collection, we had so many men asking when we’d launch menswear. Now, it’s here, and the response has been incredible,” she said. As Waight Keller looks ahead, she's excited to build upon Uniqlo's strong foundation, she said. “I’ve got so much access to the tools I need to push the boundaries," she said. "My goal is to take Uniqlo to the next level, without losing what makes the brand special: quality, accessibility and timeless style."

This London Fashion Week brings to mind politics, with the country getting caught up in a buzzy election earlier this year, leading to a victory for the Labour party. Canadian-British designer Edeline Lee, who founded her label in 2014, has become a favorite of political figures including Victoria Starmer, wife of U.K. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who has been spotted wearing Lee’s creations at major public events. Known for her bold use of color, modernist approach and clean, structured silhouettes, Lee’s designs have gained widespread attention from influential women in the art world and politics alike. This year, Lee is expanding her brand in exciting ways. Alongside her vibrant new runway collection, she is introducing her first-ever footwear line and a childrenswear range, the latter of which will launch exclusively at Harrods.  Known for her specialist retail approach, Lee places a strong emphasis on exclusivity and craftsmanship, using trunk shows and bespoke retail experiences to connect with her loyal customer base. Her designs have become increasingly popular in the United States, where she has cultivated a strong following through curated events and personal shopping experiences. In this London Fashion Week episode of the Glossy Podcast, Lee delves into her journey from dressing the art world to showing on the runway, her expansion into new product categories and her secrets to captivating a global audience, particularly in the U.S.

NYC-based luxury womenswear brand Lafayette 148 has earned a loyal, influential customer base in its 28-year history — many members of which turned out for the brand’s spring 2025 collection presentation in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood on Monday. Among recognizable attendees viewing the elegant, art-inspired designs were actresses Beanie Feldstein, Rachel Brosnahan and Karen Pittman, among others. A designer at the company for 22 years, starting as a design assistant, Emily Smith is now Lafayette 148’s creative director. As such, her work is largely fueling the brand’s fandom. “It’s women dressing women,” Smith said on the latest Glsosy Podcast. “We know the fuss of getting dressed in the morning and what you do and don’t want to deal with. … And we want to dress our customer seven days a week.”  Also on the podcast, Smith discussed the importance of fashion week in today’s fashion ecosystem, the secrets to navigating the “up and down” luxury market, and the perks of working for a “completely vertical” company. 

After training under the biggest designers in fashion, Christian Juul Nielsen has been building his own brand, Aknvas, since 2019. Now, he’s ready to take it to the next level.    Juul Nielsen’s resume includes years of design roles under Christian Lacroix, John Galliano and Raf Simmons, and at brands including Dior, Oscar de la Renta and J.Mendel. In 2023, he left his post as creative director of Herve Léger to start Aknvas. The brand has since been picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue and FWRD, among other luxury retailers, and worn by “it” girls including J. Lo and Sabrina Carpenter.  On Monday, Aknvas will host a runway show featuring its spring 2025 collection. It will serve as a launchpad for its first accessories: a handbag line made up of mini, boxy styles in different pastel shades.  “We’ve built a platform and knowledge about the brand — it’s the right time to add accessories,” Juul Nielsen said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, acknowledging the growth opportunity. He also discussed the difference between running a fashion brand in the U.S. versus Europe, the challenges of heading up both the business and the creative side of his company, and the scenario in which he’d take on an investor. 

Kate Davidson Hudson is among the utmost Fashion Month experts, having experienced the shows from a variety of perspectives — as a fashion editor, a street style star and, now, a retail company founder and CEO.  In March, Davidson soft-launched Vêtir, which she describes as a “smart shopping app.” It allows users to shop via an AI-powered personalized selection of styles based on their app interactions, a selection of styles populated by a personal stylist or a feed featuring the newest products from Vêtir’s luxury brand partners, among other capabilities. Vêtir recently opened a storefront in NYC’s Hudson Yards where its partner stylists and their clients can meet for IRL styling appointments.  Before Vêtir, Davidson Hudson co-founded Editorialist, providing personal shopping services to luxury shoppers. And earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade as an accessories editor at publications including Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. A fashion show regular throughout her career, she has also earned a reputation as a street-style photographer darling. On the latest Glossy Podcast, Davidson Hudson discusses her Fashion Month experience and the importance of her attendance at fashion shows today. She also discusses how Vêtir is enabling shoppable Fashion Month runways and what inspired the company’s latest event, held on the first night of New York Fashion Week. Throughout New York Fashion Week, from September 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from editors to designers.

A Central Saint Martins alum and one-time CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, designer Christian Cowan founded his namesake brand in 2017 after Lady Gaga’s support thrust him into the spotlight. Today, the London native who now resides in NYC is well-known for his fun, attention-grabbing designs. They’ve been selling at retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue since Cowan became serious about growing the business. “You’ve got to grow the business so you can do bigger and bolder creative ideas — it’s about being able to facilitate a bigger creative vision,” Cowan says on the Glossy Podcast. “I love the hustle and strategy behind growing a brand that survives.”  Also on the podcast, Cowan discusses his New York Fashion Week Spring 2025 collection and stress-free approach to the corresponding show. He also shares his take on why “meteoric rises” of designers no longer happen in fashion.  Throughout New York Fashion Week, from September 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from editors to designers.

Started in Brazil 22 years ago by creative director Patricia Bonaldi, Patbo expanded to the U.S. in 2017 and has since hit its stride in the states. For example, to answer demand, it opened a store in Miami earlier this year.  Ahead of the brand’s September 10 runway show at New York Fashion Week, Bonadi joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss Patbo’s growth, as well as the strategies that are working to its advantage. For example, it’s leaned into its customers’ demand for runway pieces, marketing them as such and selling select styles in its stores. And it’s maintained its product focus on handwork and craftsmanship, whether or not the look fits the vibe of the moment.  “By looking at how others work, you lose yourself,” Bonaldi said. “I care about consistency and evolution, not [industry] trends.” Bonadi also discussed how Patbo’s business is faring as traveling and going out — two events for which Patbo styles seem made — have held steady as choice pastimes.  Throughout New York Fashion Week, from September 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from editors to designers.

At a time when DEI initiatives are regressing and investment in BIPOC brands is dropping, Raise Fashion continues to make an impact. As described by Felita Harris, a founding board member and now the CEO of the nonprofit organization, Raise has remained dedicated to advancing the equity of BIPOC talent in the fashion industry since its launch in 2020.  "Represented individuals have an ecosystem where they can network, receive financial opportunities and distribute their products with a certain level of ease. Underrepresented talent does not have the same opportunities. So we are building a pro bono and operational ecosystem that services the voices of underrepresented, often BIPOC talent,” Harris said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.  For example, through a Masterclass series, Raise awards and supports 10 BIPOC designers each year. On Wednesday, this year’s Masterclass designers, including Fe Noel, Charles Harbison and K.NGSLEY, will present their spring 2025 collections at a New York Fashion Week event hosted by Raise Fashion and sponsored by Abercrombie & Fitch.  “For us, it's about creating this environment where [BIPOC] designers can receive the information they need — the networking and resources that are required to scale,” Harris said. “And they're doing it in a community that wants to embrace the change and inclusion that is necessary to evolve the fashion industry.” Harris also discussed the state of diversity in fashion, the importance of NYFW participation and Raise Fashion’s long-term mission. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Nordstrom's earnings results and what they mean for the struggling luxury retail sector, thirsty Jeremy Allen White's second campaign for Calvin Klein, and Walmart’s move to start selling pre-owned luxury goods.

After 16 years in business, advanced contemporary fashion brand L’Agence is hitting the gas on growth. On top of introducing a Jean Bar retail concept, starting with a new store in L.A., the brand is expanding internationally to Europe and Asia — since early July, it’s opened stores in Paris and Seoul. Category expansion is also a key part of the strategy: In the last three years, L’Agence has launched shoes and swimwear, and it will soon introduce sleepwear, intimate apparel and belts. In addition, building on the success of a recent candle release, the brand will be going deeper into the home category. And a future beauty category, complete with cosmetics and fragrances made in Paris, is in the works. According to L’Agence founder and chairman Jeff Rudes, customer behavior will determine the timing of the home and beauty category launches. “She has to be so brand loyal that she’ll pick up the bottle [of perfume] at Saks and say, ‘I’ve got to try this.’ We’re not there yet,” he said. ”We’re very realistic about how to grow the brand. … She has to trust us and vote for what we’re doing. It’s all about timing. We have to get her to love more of what we’re doing, and then we’ll capture her [as a customer in other categories], for sure.”  Also on the podcast, Rudes and L’Agence fashion director Tara Rudes-Dann spoke about their New York Fashion Week plans, the new standards in customer service, and the road to “lifestyle brand.” 

On the latest Glossy Week in Review podcast, managing editor Tatiana Pile joins international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska to break down some of the most talked-about fashion moments from this week’s Democratic National Convention. The discussion highlights Vice President Kamala Harris's hair and outfit choices, which have sparked conversations about style and representation in politics. It also touches on Michelle Obama's style picks for the DNC and her influence on current trends. Additionally, the hosts call out the buzzy fashion items spotted at the convention, including Tuckernuck's Jackie dress and the union-made Harris-Walz camo hat.

In the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska sits down with Lucy Aylen, founder of the U.K.-based fashion brand Never Fully Dressed.  Known for its bold prints, size-inclusive designs and vibrant community, the 15-year-old brand has seen 42% year-on-year sales growth this year and has expanded its store footprint. Its styles, which include the popular Jaspre skirt, "boob shirt" and reversible wrap dress, have been worn by Lena Dunham and Beyoncé, among other stars. On the podcast, Aylen discusses the brand’s U.S. expansion, including with stores in NYC's Nolita neighborhood and L.A.'s Melrose Place, both of which opened in June. In addition, she offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. For her part, Aylen started her brand with a stall in London's Spitalfields market.  Tune in to learn how Aylen is building her brand while prioritizing inclusive fashion and community-building.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, they discuss how new signs of an upcoming recession are affecting U.S. spending, whether fashion will get more political as the election approaches, and how the FTC's ban on fake reviews will impact consumer behavior. 

Between creating and running the 11-year-old luxury footwear brand Brother Vellies and the 4-year-old non-profit organization Fifteen Percent Pledge, Aurora James has become a trusted voice in fashion. Her work hasn't stopped there. James has served as the vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since January 2023. The same year, she published her memoir, "Wildflower," which was released via paperback last month. And she also co-manages the Parity Collective, a private equity fund created to invest in founders of color. While James admits that balancing all of her ventures can prove challenging, her goal of changing the narrative around entrepreneurship in fashion is one of her biggest driving forces. "I want to manage expectations for people about what life is supposed to be like when you take on that much work or even what it means to be an entrepreneur," James said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "It's a lot, and burning out in that situation is normal, and failing sometimes is normal, too." Another of James's goals is to further her advocacy for more diversity in fashion. Also on the podcast, the multi-hyphenate discusses her role in the push for expanding DE&I initiatives in fashion. Plus, she digs into the less glamorous, yet vital, sides of entrepreneurship. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, they recap the Copenhagen Fashion Week highlights, discuss why Ralph Lauren is proving an exception to luxury's slump and break down the brand strategies that won the back-to-school shopping season. 

Fifteen years after starting his fashion brand, Jonathan Simkhai is still growing it — without financial help.  “The business is privately held, and we have not taken on any outside investment,” Simkhai said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “I am open to the idea, but we're also very happy just moving along and growing the business organically.” Coinciding with that growth has been the opening of four Simkhai stores — in Southampton, Beverly Hills, NYC’s SoHo neighborhood and Dallas. There have also been marketing investments via global runway shows. This September, Simkhai will return to the New York Fashion Week runway, largely driven by customer demand.  "In our stores, I've heard so many clients say, 'Are you doing a show?' and 'We want to come to your show,'” he said. “In being so focused on the clients and meeting their needs and being there for them, I really want to do a show so I can have them there and give them that experience.” Also on the podcast, Simkhai discussed why he values time in his brand’s stores, why specialty stores have an advantage over department stores and why experimentation is important to a modern fashion business. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at the recent earnings reports from brands including Prada, Adidas, Armani and Hugo Boss to break down what’s happening in fashion financially. Some standouts include Miu Miu's amazing growth, inflation's pressure on luxury shoppers and Adidas’s recovery from the Yeezy debacle.

As CMO of San Francisco-based Rothy's, Jamie Gersch is fueling sustainability-focused innovation in fashion. With a rich background in retail, including roles at Old Navy and Gap, Gersch brought a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to Rothy's when she joined in 2022. Following its inception in 2012, Rothy's made its mark by turning plastic waste into stylish, comfortable shoes. And, in recent years, the brand has expanded its product assortment to include bags and other accessories, while maintaining its commitment to sustainability. Rothy's has 3 million customers through 20 retail stores and e-commerce in 19 countries, plus the vertically integrated company operates its own factory in China. In fiscal year 2022, the last year before it went private, Rothy's net revenue was $183 million, with annual revenues consistently over $150 million. Gersch has been instrumental in the brand's growth by focusing on innovative marketing strategies, enhancing the brand's digital presence and expanding its physical retail footprint. Under Gersch's leadership, Rothy's has relaunched its website to better tell its sustainability story. Plus, her approach to tapping into authentic communities and leveraging experiential marketing has driven significant engagement and brand loyalty.  Rothy's commitment to sustainability is evident in its production processes. The brand uses a unique 3D knitting technology to create its shoes, minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency. This method allows Rothy's to produce shoes that are not only environmentally friendly but also durable and comfortable. The company has recycled millions of plastic bottles to create its signature thread, transforming waste into high-quality, stylish products. The brand's retail strategy includes opening new stores in key markets — it recently opened a location on New York City's Flatiron neighborhood. By providing consumers with the opportunity to experience Rothy's products in person, the brand strengthens its connection with its audience and showcases the tangible benefits of its sustainable practices. It has plans for further expansion.  On the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, Gersch discusses Rothy's current initiatives and future direction, including the launch of its new summer footwear lines, its international expansion, its experiential marketing and its relaunch of rothys.com.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at the Paris Olympics, which begin Friday night, including some of our favorite (and least favorite) opening ceremony outfits and the many ways brands are getting in on the excitement. Later, we talk about the week's big creative director departures, including Peter Hawkings from Tom Ford, and why creative director tenures are trending shorter.

Since launching the sustainability-focused fashion brand Christy Dawn in 2014, co-founders and partners Aras and Christy Dawn Baskauskas have prioritized intentionality and ethical practices. For example, the brand uses deadstock fabrics to create apparel. Plus the Baskauskases have built and maintained relationships with farmers and local manufacturers in Los Angeles, allowing them to build on their sustainability. efforts. In 2021, they launched the Land Stewardship Program, empowering consumers to support the brand's regenerative farming initiative by investing in plots of land used to grow cotton for items like the bestselling Dawn Dress. A decade into its existence, Christy Dawn's sustainable practices, signature pieces and A-list fans have continued to fuel its popularity. Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Emma Watson and Dakota Johnson have been spotted wearing the brand. Now, Christy Dawn is in expansion mode. In 2021, it opened a flagship store on L.A.'s highly frequented Abbott Kenney Road after closing its first store on Lincoln Boulevard due to the pandemic. According to Aras, in 2022, the brand reportedly made over $15 million in revenue. This year, Christy Dawn is expanding into the men's and intimates product categories. On the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, the founders discuss how they are establishing a system of "farm-to-closet" fashion and thinking about growth.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the surprise sale of streetwear brand Supreme to luxury eyewear group EssilorLuxottica, which has no other apparel or fashion brands in its portfolio. Later, we talk about why Coperni is hosting its Paris Fashion Week show at Disneyland and how luxury brands including Balenciaga are making use of the poorly-selling Apple Vision Pro.

Last week, for the first time in its 40-plus-year history, the bag brand Vera Bradley revealed a 360-degree rebrand. Updates include a new logo, new products, new in-store and online experiences, and a new ambassador: actress and singer Zooey Deschanel.  Days prior, Glossy sat down with the company’s president and CEO, Jaqueline Ardrey, and CMO, Alison Hiatt, to discuss how the brand’s fresh look and feel play into the Project Restoration growth plan set by Ardrey last year. They also shared the challenges of reaching new audiences while retaining existing customers, and making big changes under the watchful eye of investors as a publicly traded company. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at the layoffs at Burberry and what it says about the state of British luxury, the landmark acquisition plans for Saks Fifth Avenue parent company HBC to buy Neiman Marcus, and the surprising collaboration between Shein and Monse.

On Tuesday, Etsy rolled out a variety of updates and launches and a reorganization of policies, in the name of preserving human creativity, according to the company. They were met with mixed reviews. Launched in 2005, the Etsy marketplace is best known for selling handmade products. On the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, the company's chief operating and marketing officer, Raina Moskowitz, broke down the changes, including what motivated them and how they're expected to benefit the company in the increasingly crowded retail landscape.

With an Instagram bio that reads “Welcome to the party,” 6-year-old Retrofête is best known for its sexy, statement, going-out looks that have been worn by celebrities from Taylor Swift to Paris Hilton. And that focus is working to fuel its growth: Retrofête has been hosting NYFW shows since September, it opened physical retail in late 2022, and it’s expanded to categories including footwear.  On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Ohad Seroya, co-founder and creative director of the NYC-based brand, discusses its growth trajectory and current strategies, including why its participation in New York Fashion Week is important, how it’s controlling its wholesale presence and how it’s improving upon the common in-store experience.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the confidential IPO filing by Shein in London, the effect of Shein’s low-price model on industry players like Amazon and the ever-growing portfolio of LVMH.

This week, 13-year-old direct-to-consumer brand American Giant announced a partnership with Walmart centered on bringing high-quality, American-made apparel to 1,700 Walmart stores nationwide. Starting on July 4, Walmart shoppers will be able to purchase 100% cotton tees completely sourced and made in the U.S. for $12.98.  According to Bayard Winthrop, founder and CEO of American Giant, which has always relied on American production, the capabilities proven by the brand’s Walmart partnership have big implications for the fashion industry. At the same time, they beg questions about why brands, retailers and policymakers have not yet rallied to rebuild domestic supply chains.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk all things luxury, including Golden Goose’s postponed IPO due to Europe's rough economic climate, Galeries Lafayette’s bounceback and plans for the Olympics, and Celine’s new Pilates-themed collection.

Founded in 1953, the bridal brand Morilee has become known for gowns catering to a wide range of bridal styles. Over the years, the brand has expanded its global presence, now selling through more than 2,500 retail partners.  In 2018, Terri Eagle took over as CEO, bringing experience from leading roles at fashion brands including David Yurman and Tom Hardy. Under her leadership, Morilee has experienced innovation and growth and expanded to luxury bridal wear. As Eagle explains on this week's Glossy Podcast, the brand is continuously evolving to meet the needs of modern brides while honoring the brand's rich heritage. Most recently, that's included launching new product categories and updating the in-store try-on experience.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we recap the big discussions at Glossy's E-Commerce Summit, which took place in Miami from June 10-12. While breaking down the challenges they're facing, attending fashion and beauty executives revealed high acquisition costs, unachievable content demands and undesirable wholesale contracts as top industry issues. 

Fashion designer Laura Kim, the creative director behind fashion labels Oscar de la Renta and Monse, is on a roll. Kim has been with Oscar de la Renta for over 20 years and started Monse in 2015 with her creative partner, Fernando Garcia, who also happens to be the co-creative director of Oscar de la Renta. Aside from designing and leading two fashion brands, most recently, Kim made her debut in the home category. Announced on June 6, Kim collaborated with home goods company Crate and Barrel on a collection that includes over 110 pieces across kitchen, decor and entertaining essentials. "Designing clothes, cooking and what I did for Crate and Barrel designing home goods, it's all very similar. You have an idea and you have to think about the atmosphere at the end and how it's gonna come together," Kim said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "You buy raw materials, you collect images and you have a team that helps you execute it. [For Crate and Barrel], we did a photoshoot when everything was finished, and for fashion, it's a runway or a photo shoot. The content creating at the end is very similar." On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Kim discusses how she navigates designing for two major fashion brands and what's next for her in the creative space.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by Glossy West Coast correspondent Lexy Lebsack to discuss some of the biggest news in the fashion industry. This week, we talk about Olay sponsoring the Olympics, the sports marketing opportunity for brands, and the rise of waterless beauty products. Later, we talk about Virginie Viard’s departure from Chanel, and Lexy offers a preview of what’s coming up on the Glossy Beauty Podcast.

Without outside investment, 16-year-old accessories brand Jenny Bird has become a go-to brand for celebrities including Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez, as well as influencers and a growing community of everyday consumers. With its high-quality products, affordable price points and strategic retail partners, Jenny Bird has become an eight-figure global brand. In July 2022, the brand expanded into eyewear and, most recently, it forayed into hair accessories. According to the brand's namesake founder, Jeny Bird, growing slowly and intentionally has been key to the brand's success. She added that consumers can expect to see the brand expand into more jewelry categories soon. "Simplicity in a brand is key, and diversifying too quickly can be hurtful. I wanted to [first] become an expert in my category … and make those collections better," Bird told Glossy. "I love the idea of committing to excellence in one thing and being good at one thing -- that's what we've done for the past 16 years." On this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Jenny Bird discusses her company's category expansion strategy and her people-first, growth-second motto.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the challenges recently forcing fashion brands to close up shop for good. We also discuss the disappointing earnings report from Capri Holdings and run down some of the summer trends we see on the horizon.

With "it" girls including Sabrina Carpenter recently sporting Depop finds to major events, the peer-to-peer resale e-tailer is decidedly having a moment — but its growth hasn't been sudden. According to the 13-year-old company, which was acquired by Etsy in 2021, its registered user base grew 17% to $35 million in 2023. The year prior, Kruti Patel Goyal joined the company as CEO, moving over from its parent company. "I spent over 11 years of my career at Etsy. I started in 2011 when the company was much smaller and private. And over the years, I worked my way around and through the business. … I got to learn the marketplace inside and out," Patel Goyal said on the Glossy Podcast. "About a year and a half after the acquisition, I was asked to come over and run Depop after the former CEO decided to step down. Looking back, it makes sense why my background was such a good fit for Depop." Along with Patel Goyal’s expertise, Depop has recently benefited from Gen Z’s conscientious shopping habits.  “This current young generation cares more than any generation before them about the impact of their choices on the world around them,” Patel Goyal said. “That's a big factor in what's driving resale.”  Also on the podcast, Patel Goyal discussed Depop’s valuable Gen-Z shopper base and strong community, and its plan to continue to stand out as resale booms. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the closing of sustainable fashion brand Mara Hoffman, the continued struggles of British high-street brand Ted Baker and the efficacy of events like the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen.

As the co-founder and CEO of 20-year-old luxury fashion resale company Fashionphile, Ben Hemminger has seen the business from its early-stage scrappiness to clearing the $400 million in revenue mark in 2021. Hemminger told Glossy that the company has been profitable since its inception, and resale's growing popularity has undoubtedly helped. According to Statista, the global secondhand market will be worth at least $100 billion by 2026. With new-to-market competitors cashing in on consumers' increased demand for resale accessories and apparel, Fashionphile is now shifting its focus to acquire new customers and maintain relevancy in the marketplace. Last year, the company announced the acquisition of Canadian-based resale company LXRandCo, Inc., and in March, it purchased the assets of wholesale distributor Two Authenticators Inc. Both moves signal Fashionphile's new focus on B2B wholesale. On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Ben Hemminger discusses how Fashionphile is evolving its business model to compete with new competitors and what the recent acquisitions mean for the company's future.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the possibility that De Beers’s parent company may spin it out into an independent company, the return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and the continued allegations of abuse at Shein.

On the week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Shannon Savage and Laura Low Ah Kee discuss how their long careers at Lululemon led to the launch of their now 6-year-old premium active swimwear brand, Left On Friday. Savage and Low Ah Kee originally bootstrapped the business, which has remained on a growth trajectory and is profitable. And they’re hopeful that their marketing plans for 2024 will fuel even greater brand growth. For starters, Left On Friday will have a strong presence at the Summer Olympics as the outfitter of the Team Canada Beach Volleyball team. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week is all about the Met Gala. The event on Monday proved a big marketing moment for luxury brands like Loewe, as well as a surprising number of mass-market brands including H&M and Gap. We discuss the most interesting looks, the trends that the Met Gala foreshadows and the narrowly averted Condé Nast strike that would have disrupted the night.

On this week’s Glossy Podcast, Scott Lux, global evp of e-commerce, technology and innovation at Esprit, discussed his role in the brand’s current attempt at a comeback in the U.S. market — Esprit had its heyday in the states in the 1980s.  According to Lux, Esprit’s local strategies include getting in front of target customers, getting consumers to engage with the brand, and allowing consumers to shop wherever and whenever they’d like. But, he acknowledged, “retail is hard,” and “e-commerce is expensive.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the perils of unregulated AI, the rumors of LVMH offloading Marc Jacobs and the immense growth (and pitfalls) of TikTok Shop.

Before taking the reins as creative director of Carolina Herrera in 2018, Wes Gordon had been immersed in the world of high fashion by running his own label and going to school at Central Saint Martins. After graduating, he launched his eponymous label in 2009 and quickly garnered attention for his sophisticated and vibrant aesthetic, which blends modern sensibilities with timeless elegance.  Since stepping into his role at Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon has been credited with infusing the brand with a fresh, exuberant spirit while also honoring the opulent and refined legacy of the founder, Mrs. Herrera. His collections are celebrated for their dynamic use of color, meticulous craftsmanship and playful yet sophisticated aesthetic. Under his creative guidance, the brand has continued to captivate a global audience, expand to new markets and grow its e-commerce reach. Carolina Herrera is opening multiple stores in the next couple of months, with its most recent opening being in Palm Beach. The brand is owned by Spanish conglomerate Puig, which also owns Paco Rabanne, Dries Van Noten and Jean Paul Gaultier. This week's Glossy Podcast explores Carolina Herrera's Puig ownership, Gordon's challenges while taking over Herrera's role and the the brand's Met Gala plans this year. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss the ongoing collapse of luxury e-commerce companies like Matches Fashion, the slowdown in luxury spending in China, and the progress of the TikTok ban and its potential impacts on fashion.

Before becoming Lilly Pulitzer’s CEO eight years ago, Michelle Kelly had been with the company for 12 years. That experience helped set her up for success as the company’s leader, she said on this week’s Glossy Podcast. "I was able to develop a strong sense of how we operate,” she said. “For everything we've built over the past 20 years, I have some knowledge of how it was done and how we got there. And, of course, the functional knowledge of how different departments work has been really helpful. For one, it’s provided confidence in knowing that we can change — because we have changed, and have been successful at it.” Also on the podcast, Kelly discussed how the recent widespread move to coastal towns has affected 65-year-old Lilly Pulitzer, which specializes in resortwear. And she shared how the brand is adjusting its marketing and distribution mixes in keeping with its customer’s changing behavior. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

Digiday Media's WorkLife is proud to present season three of The Return, a podcast about the modern workforce, with this season focused on middle management. Last season, we heard what it’s like for Gen Z to enter the workforce for the first time in a post-pandemic world. We highlighted themes like why values are so important to Gen Zers, whether or not they are loyal to their employers, how they use TikTok for career advice, what it means to be a young professional who is a boss to older workers, and so much more. This time, we’re hearing from the population of workers that some argue is the backbone of a successfully-run organization: middle management. They are the ones who are navigating those RTO mandates, welcoming a new generation of workers that have a different approach than those who came before them, the rise of artificial intelligence – the list goes on. In season three of The Return, we speak to middle managers themselves to hear beyond their everyday stresses of the job, but what they need to guarantee everyone they manage has what they need to be the best at what they do. C-suite, listen up because they need your help too. We dive into how middle management stress is a decades-long issue (there are New York Times headlines dating back to 1971), how the wrong people are being chosen to be managers which is leading to the rise of “accidental managers,” what it’s like to have hard conversations and having to be a therapist at times, where people are finding support as a middle manager, and how AI is impacting the job of a middle manager. With a Q+A format, you will hear in-depth conversations with folks including Colette Stallbaumer, Microsoft’s general manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work Marketing, Rob Pierre, former CEO of advertising services platform Jellyfish, and Emily Field, partner at McKinsey & Company who co-authored “Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work,” to name a few. Season three of The Return is hosted by Cloey Callahan, senior reporter at Digiday Media’s WorkLife, and produced by Digiday Media’s audio producer Sara Patterson. Subscribe to the WorkLife podcast now on Apple Podcasts – or wherever you get your podcasts – to hear the first episode on Tuesday, April 23.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by Glossy managing editor Tatiana Pile and Digiday Media audio producer Sara Patterson to break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. Viewership of women’s basketball skyrocketed last year, with the women’s NCAA championship game eclipsing the men’s counterpart. So, on this special episode, Sara and Tatiana give a report from the Orange Carpet at the WNBA Draft. We also talk about the growing popularity of women’s sports and the potential impact on fashion as these players secure major brand deals. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

In 2015, Jimmy, Lan and Conrad Sansone launched The Normal Brand, a fashion company focused on easy, comfortable clothing suitable for both workdays and weekends. In the nine years since, without outside funding, the brothers have opened 11 stores — in cities including Nashville and Indianapolis — and entered partnerships with retailers including Nordstrom and Von Maur. The Normal Brand, which is based in St. Louis, now sells in 500 stores nationwide. Among the brand’s differentiators are its proprietary ultra-soft fabric, Puremeso, and its on-call influencer network — Sansone family members, including Lan, have large social followings and are regularly featured in brand marketing. The Normal Brand has seen 40% annual revenue growth since its launch, Jimmy Sansone said on the Glossy Podcast.  Also on the podcast, Jimmy and Lan Sansone discuss The Normal Brand’s strategies for fueling growth, navigating challenges and maintaining a “humble, hungry and smart” team.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Allbirds' precarious financial situation, including how it got there; Hermès’s efforts to expand its watch business and the impact of “Cowboy Carter” on fashion's cowboy and Western aesthetics. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

In December 2020, mid-pandemic, husband-and-wife duo Ricardo and Marina Larroué combined their career experiences — his centered in the financial sector and hers including fashion director roles at Style.com and Barneys — and started the shoe brand Larroudé. Based on its unique approach to the footwear industry — namely, selling accessibly priced, luxury-quality, “it” girl-perfect shoes — it wasn’t long before consumers and retailers took notice. And it’s safe to say it’s since hit its stride. “On our own website, we've been growing 4-5X, depending on the month,” CEO Ricardo Larroudé said on this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast. “And the percentage of [repeat customers] buying from our website alone is north of 20%.” Also on the podcast, Ricardo Larroudé discussed Larroudé’s other differentiators including its vertical production and marketing processes, its rapidly growing online marketplace, and its global workforce, which has grown from five people to 120.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, Express is reportedly on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. Meanwhile, PVH Corp and its subsidiary brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger had a tough earnings report, and Amazon laid off dozens from its physical retail technology division.

L.A.-based Elwood Clothing has had three lives.  Currently a street- and loungewear brand owned by creative director Justin Saul and business director Jackson Wirht, it first launched in 1996 with different ownership and a focus on skate culture. Twelve years later, it resurfaced with styles including denim. When Saul and Wirht acquired the company in 2020, it was fueling sales with heavy discounts and had “horrible” community engagement, Saul said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. According to Saul, getting the brand on track meant overhauling everything about it except for its name. On the podcast, he breaks down why he and Wirht bought into Elwood Clothing versus starting a brand from scratch. He also explains what’s driving the company’s recent growth, with sales increasing 165% In the last 12 months. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the swift appointment of Alessandro Michele as the new creative director of Valentino. We also talk about H&M’s strategy, following its stellar earnings announcement, and U.K.'s new guidance about greenwashing by fast fashion brands. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

Seth Weisser and Gerard Maione co-founded the luxury resale company What Goes Around Comes Around 31 years ago, starting with a single storefront in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood. In the decades since, they’ve built up a strong B2B business, with distribution partners from Dillard’s to Disney. Plus, they’ve teamed up with Amazon on e-commerce and opened two more stores, including a Beverly Hills shop and a second NYC location.  In the last few years, resale has been on a hot streak, which some would consider a threat to the brands selling luxury goods on the primary market. Indeed, tensions are often high — What Goes Around Comes Around was caught up in a legal battle with Chanel just last month.  On this week’s Glossy Podcast, Weisser and Maione discuss how luxury brands’ extreme exclusivity is impacting their business. They also talk about the success they’ve seen with livestream shopping since opening a dedicated studio last year and the ways they’re ensuring WGACA stands out as new competitors flood the resale category.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Jill’s experience at Shoptalk, with a focus on the big conversations among attending brands and retailers. We also break down the news that Nordstrom may be going private soon and discuss the new Gap x Palace collab following the appointment of Zac Posen as the company's creative director. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

In 2016, Neil Morgan discovered outdoor apparel brand Filson through a pop-up store in New York City and the fashion blog A Continuous Lean. Morgan was instantly drawn to the brand's heritage and quality, and that same year, he joined the Filson team as a part-time sales associate in Seattle. He then worked his way up into a full-time role, working in project management, operational and marketing roles. Morgan became president of the brand in 2022 before transitioning to COO and now head of strategy. Under Morgan's leadership, Filson has recently earned buzz through appearances in series like the Western drama "Yellowstone." Now, Filson is moving into womenswear and considering expanding the brand experience to hotels and cafés. Its partnership with distribution company WP Lavori has also allowed Filson to make inroads in Europe. It has 11 stores in North America, with an 80-20 DTC-to-wholesale split. It's stocked at retailers including Huckberry. On the latest Glossy Podcast, Morgan delves into Filson's growth, new fundraising and international expansion. He also shares how he intends to evolve the Filson brand while retaining its core audience.   Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On this week's Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and special guest co-host Sarah Ball, editor-in-chief of Wall Street Journal Magazine, break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. They discuss the consolidation in fashion, including the potential acquisitions by Tapestry of Capri Holdings and by LVMH of Paris Match. Later, they talk about the TikTok ban and what it means for the social media landscape, and discuss a few moments in celebrity culture like the Oscars and Kate Middleton. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

Among luxury e-commerce players, which have experienced shakeups and declining sales over the last year, Germany-based Mytheresa has proven an exception — and its U.S. business is driving much of that success.  On the latest Glossy Podcast, Heather Kaminetsky, president of Mytheresa North America, discusses what's driving U.S. sales, which increased 17% year-over-year in the company's most recently reported quarter. She also discusses how Mytheresa is attracting top-spending U.S. consumers — the number of those fitting the bill increased by 48% between September and December.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Zofia’s time at Paris Fashion Week, look at the proposed legislation in France and the U.S. targeting ultra-fast-fashion brands like Shein, and discuss Foot Locker’s poor performance last quarter and the implications for sneaker retail. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

Cos, the H&M Group fashion label founded in 2007, is now hitting its growth stride. The London-based brand has been expanding its international storefront, with new stores in Mexico City and Stockholm plus a new outpost in New Jersey in 2023. Today, the brand has a 248-store portfolio, spanning 48 physical markets, 38 online markets and selected wholesale partners. Wholesale is a recent venture for Cos, starting in 2022 with retail partners Nordstrom in the U.S., e-commerce business Yoox, and German-based Breuninger online. Katie Reeves, managing director of Cos North America, leads the North American growth initiatives. After starting her merchandising career at H&M Group in 2003, Reeves left in 2011 before rejoining in 2021 at Cos. “The Cos brand itself has an amazing DNA, and I was excited to harness that and introduce the brand to many more consumers within the North American landscape,” she said on the latest episode of the Glossy podcast, recorded during the recent eTail West retail conference in Palm Springs, Calif. A growing roster of storefronts is just the tip of the iceberg for Cos, as the brand has sought to build on its NYFW momentum via new marketing opportunities timed to the bi-annual event, plus new store technology that can facilitate stronger customer connections and service. Speaking with Glossy, Reeves detailed where Cos is focusing its efforts, who the Cos customer is and why she thinks there is a brick-and-mortar renaissance.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we have a special mailbag episode where we answer questions from our listeners. Topics include the future of bankruptcy and M&As among retail brands, the effects of TikTok on fashion, and the components of an effective marketing campaign. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

When Maggie Winter co-founded apparel brand AYR 10 years ago, her goal was simple: provide consumers with luxe alternatives to fast-fashion everyday staples. Initially, those luxe alternatives only included high-quality denim and other apparel in the womenswear category, but in 2022, AYR expanded into menswear after many requests. Menswear became AYR's fastest-growing category, seeing three times 2022's growth in 2023, according to Winter. Because of the new category, in part, AYR has become a $50 million company, growing 5x since 2020. "[AYR's] growth has been fast, and looking back, there's so much [information] we've learned along the way tha,t now, we get to use," Winter said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "Now that we have an audience, a business, a brand and an audience, I get to be a merchant again and live with great product. [I get to] dream about how to storytell that product … and how to connect with people over it." Winter is also thinking about the next phase of the brand's growth journey. Currently, AYR is 99% DTC and 1% wholesale, with Shopbop being its sole wholesale partner. Along with growing AYR's digital footprint and community, Winter said she's working on new ways to provide an experience to consumers. On the podcast, Winter discusses what's driving growth at AYR and what's in store for the brand moving forward. "We don't want to choose between growth and profitability. We want to generate self-funded growth at a rate that doesn't exceed our capacity to learn, itirate and guarantee a great experience for customers," Winter said.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the meteoric rise of Crocs; the struggles in luxury, namely Lanvin and Swiss watch exports; and the Jacquemus x Nike Swoosh Bag. Plus, we’re planning a mailbag episode soon where we’ll answer listener questions. If you’d like to submit a question, you can call in and leave a voicemail in our mailbox at (929) 688-2750‬. Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

Amy Williams’s denim career spans 25 years, with many of those years spent working in Los Angeles. After holding executive roles at Gap and Lucky Brand Jeans, she joined Citizens of Humanity Group 14 years ago. She is now the Group’s CEO and leads its three denim-focused companies: Citizens of Humanity, Agolde and Goldsign.  “The L.A. denim industry has grown up in a lot of ways,” Williams said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “While, of course, there are all of the well-known L.A. denim brands, there are also [brands] from Europe that are doing denim in Los Angeles, and YSL is a good example of that. … The L.A. denim industry was started because the attention to detail in both manufacturing and laundering was superior to any location around the world.“ Still, Citizens of Humanity Group is working to integrate more innovation into its production processes. Case in point: Its spring collections mark its first use of cotton stemming from its regenerative agriculture program.  On the podcast, Williams discusses Citizens of Humanity Group’s sustainability progress, as well as its wholesale-focused distribution and differentiated approach to marketing. "We don't buy customers through social media marketing purchases," she said.  Get more from Glossy with the daily newsletter, sent out each weekday morning. Visit glossy.co/newsletters to sign up.

Ahead of their runway show on Saturday night, which will be held in collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music in London, designer Patrick McDowell sat down with Glossy for a London Fashion Week edition of the Glosst Podcast. On the podcast, McDowell discusses their new business model focused on limited, made-to-order pieces, their brand’s work-life balance approach and their take on “quiet luxury.” They also shared the challenges for London Fashion Week brands, when it comes to inclusive design, as well as the impact of dressing celebrities. 

In 2020, mid-pandemic, Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell launched their fantasy-fueled genderless fashion brand, Tanner Fletcher. In the three years following, the brand gained much industry respect, becoming a CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalist and nominee for the CFDA’s Emerging Designer of the Year award in 2023.  In this New York Fashion Week edition of the Glossy Podcast, Kasell talks about the highs and lows of being a young brand founder, the state of the genderless fashion category, and Tanner Fletcher’s off-runway plans for debuting its fall 2024 collection.

Twenty-seven years ago, Amy Smilovic and her husband launched Tibi in Hong Kong. Though it was a struggle to get there, the currently NYC-based brand looks much different today. For starters, it’s largely void of prints. And the brand’s direct sales now make up a majority of the business.  On this New York Fashion Week edition of the Glossy Podcast, founder and creative director Amy Smilovic discusses her brand’s evolution, including its new, pandemic-driven approach to independence. She also discusses her signature “creative pragmatist” style, her thought process when choosing retail partners and her reason for ditching the runway show for fall 2024. 

The runway show of Pamella Roland, who launched her namesake fashion brand 22 years ago, is a New York Fashion Week staple. As Roland tells it, she’s shown a seasonal collection at the event every season, except for during the pandemic and a hectic headquarters move. It’s an opportunity for her to show her latest work to her retail partners, including Saks, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman — hangers don’t do the styles justice, she said. It’s also a chance to earn new brand fans. They already include Taylor Swift, Angelina Jolie and Madonna, based on their support for the brand on the red carpet.  On this New York Fashion Week episode of the Glossy Podcast, Roland discusses her secrets to longevity in fashion, including how her business has evolved. She also shares what she’s come to believe about the importance of retail partners, community and fashion week. 

Since the start of the pandemic, Tommy Hilfiger has only hosted a fashion show in September 2022 — when it gathered the fashion community at Brooklyn’s Skyline Drive-In for an Andy Warhol Factory-themed experience. This season, the brand is making its return to the event, but it’s taking an all-new approach. For starters, it’s no longer leveraging the see-now, buy-now model it helped pioneer in 2017; like most other fashion brands, it’s showing a fall 2024 collection.  On the first of six dedicated New York Fashion Week episodes of the Glossy Podcast, which will roll out daily throughout the event, Tommy Hilfiger, the founder and principal designer of his 39-year-old namesake fashion company, discusses the opportunity that Fashion Week presents his company today, the power of the brand ambassador and the innovations he’s currently embracing, true to form.

In 2018, Chris Echevarria launched Blackstock & Weber, the Brooklyn-based footwear brand that has become well-known for its updated takes on classic loafers.  “I own the business 100%, and it’s grown 300% every year since we started,” Echevarria said on the Glossy Podcast. Still, he’s finding time to launch other businesses and tackle new projects: In November, he introduced the brand Academy, which brings his signature preppy-with-a-twist style to menswear. And, after being announced as creative director at Sperry in September, his debut Sperry by Chris Echevarria collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week Men’s last month.  On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Echevarria discusses the throughline of his projects, as well as his long-term goals for his businesses and a recent advertising pivot that’s working to his brands’ advantage.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we talk about TikTok’s music shakeup and recent investment in e-commerce, H&M's new CEO and 2023 earnings report, and Lyst's latest quarterly Index revealing the buzziest fashion brands and styles. We want to hear from you! We’re doing our first mailbag episode of the Week in Review podcast where we'll answer listener-submitted questions. If you’d like to submit a question, leave a voicemail at 929.688.2750, and we will play your recorded question on the air. You can also DM us on Glossy’s Instagram or email [email protected].

Based on the way she runs her third fashion label since the 1980s, it's clear that Tracy Reese has learned from the fashion industry's mistakes.  Called Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese, the 5-year-old brand prioritizes responsible design and production, as well as positive social impact in its home city of Detroit. Reese, who formerly led brands Tracy Reese Meridian and Tracy Reese, has, for the first time, chosen to self-fund her brand. Plus, she's producing fewer collections than the 10 per year she once deemed necessary.  But she's kept at least one business practice alive: selling through retail partners. "Wholesale is the bigger part of the business," Reese said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Currently, Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese sells through Saks Fifth Avenue, Anthropologie and around 30 specialty stores across the U.S. On the podcast, Reese also discusses the NYC fashion landscape before e-commerce and the reason designers should avoid chasing trends. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international correspondent Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the backlash brands are facing for the use of generative AI, the shuttering of Neighborhood Goods and what it means for DTC brands, and the ongoing trouble facing Saks Fifth Avenue and its parent company HBC as it struggles with liquidity.

Lauren Nouchi and Amélie Brick technically founded their fashion brand, Apparis, in 2016. But it wasn’t until 2018 that it took off, driven by the popularity of a single style: a colorful faux fur coat.  “At the time, it was a third of the price of any competitors,” Nouchi said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.  Along with affordability, quality and style, the coat’s ethical materials made it a draw for both consumers and retailers. Bloomingdale’s was the first to buy into the brand, followed by Saks Fifth Avenue.   “We had no marketing budget, so having our product in those doors helped us grow our visibility and credibility as a brand,” Nouchi said. “It would have taken us years to do that with just our DTC business.” Today, Apparis continues to sell through retailers including Nordstrom and Elyse Walker, but the founders have upped their focus on direct-to-consumer sales; in 2023, they updated the brand’s website, among other elements, to better tell the brand story and support the direct side of the business.   They’ve also expanded the brand far beyond a coat. According to Nouchi, outerwear currently makes up 50% of the business, followed by winter accessories and home goods at 25% each.  On the podcast, Nouchi discussed Apparis’s evolution and strategies, including its fundraising approach, its prioritization of conscious production and its marketing plans for 2024. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the recent boost in U.S. retail sales, the big conversations at the NRF conference, the legal battle between Uniqlo and Shein, and the Western-influenced Louis Vuitton show that kicked off Paris Fashion Week Men's.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, footwear brand Loeffler Randall has experienced its fair share of industry highs and lows. Of course, a recent low was the height of the pandemic in early 2020. But since that time, when it faced “scarring” challenges, the brand has been in growth mode, co-founder Brian Murphy said on the Glossy Podcast. For example, it has opened its first two stores, entered new product categories and expanded its headquarters to accommodate a growing team. It’s also tripled the size of the business.  On the podcast episode, Murphy breaks down Loeffler Randall’s approach to physical retail, which has resulted in its 750-square-foot NYC store doing $1.3 million in annual sales. He also talks through the company’s international ambitions and its strategy for becoming an $80-million, 100-employee company within the next 18 months.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the highlights and surprises of the CFDA’s preliminary official New York Fashion Week schedule for fall 2024. We also talk about Rent the Runway’s latest round of layoffs, which impacted 10% of its corporate employees, and the fashion brands that ruled the Golden Globes red carpet.

In 2015, Rob Ronen and Michael Herman co-founded Material Good, a retailer specializing in fine jewelry and rare timepieces that first opened in New York City's Soho neighborhood. They had no backers — and still own 100% of the business — but they had years of experience working for Audemars Piguet and in the private jewelry sector, respectively. And they'd defined a white space that was particularly glaring in lower Manhattan.   "The retail experience that was being offered was subpar," Ronen said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "I would go to different retailers … that were carrying high-end timepieces, and I noticed that it was all about product and price. A client would walk into a store, they would ask for a specific product or ask to be shown different price point products, and then they would haggle and negotiate over price — because that was still a time when discounts were prevalent in the watch world. … It was not experiential. I felt like there would be something we could do better."  The first store served as a proof of concept, even attracting Hailey Bieber and John Mayer, among other celebrity shoppers. So, eight years after its opening, in early December 2023, the founders opened a second store in Miami. Along with discussing the company's unique approach to physical retail, Ronen spoke on the podcast about how it's meeting the standards of discerning luxury shoppers while also appealing to aspirational consumers. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the abrupt departure of Jacquemus CEO Bastien Daguzan and what it means for the brand, the rebirth of Abercrombie & Fitch last year, and a scandal involving Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni.

2023 was a big year for Harlem’s Fashion Row, the agency that launched in 2007 to connect brands and designers of color. To start, the company partnered with H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, and Abercrombie & Fitch; launched the combined e-commerce site and Black and Latinx designer directory, HFR & Co.; and published a coffee-table book, “Fashion In Color.” Similarly, the company’s list of 2020 accomplishments was long.  “2020 was a pivotal year for us,” said Brandice Daniel, founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, on the Glossy Podcast. “We started our nonprofit, Icon360; we got a million-dollar donation from the CFDA and Vogue; and Anna Wintour had me in her editor's letter in August. It opened up so many doors for HFR.”  During the episode, along with discussing fashion’s fluctuating prioritization of inclusivity over the last four years, Daniel shares her secrets to driving deals between emerging designers and mega fashion companies and her hopes for fashion’s future.

Every week on the Glossy Week in Review Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by co-hosts editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska to break down the biggest fashion news stories of the week. But on this special Year in Review episode, we talk about some of the biggest news stories of the year, including the rise of generative AI and what it can (and cannot) do for the industry, the reason why luxury brands have struggled so much this year, the effects of the great creative director reshuffling, the rise of TikTok Shop and the flurry of new fashion companies going public. We also go into some of our predictions from last year’s Year in Review episode, which included some that were spot on, like more greenwashing legislation coming into effect, and others that were a little bit off, like Farfetch buying a major fashion brand. And we finish it off with some predictions for the next year, including the legal issues that may arise from the use of generative AI in fashion design and the fact that brands could start investing in selling more experiences over more stuff. Thanks for listening to the Week in Review all year. Please join us next year for more discussions about the biggest news in fashion.

In 2018, after working as an advertising director for companies including Hearst and The Economist, among others, Dan Manioci joined luxury leather goods company MCM as vp of marketing and global performance. According to him, the five years since have served as a master class in luxury marketing. “You have this preconceived notion of what it's like [to work in-house at a luxury brand], but it's so much more work than I could have ever thought,” Manioci said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “On the publishing side, you have to understand how to manage a budget, so I had that [expertise] coming in. But you also need to understand what makes the consumer engaged, what makes them move and what the trends are. … And you need to understand consumer profiles; how the retail industry works, in fine detail; and who the key players are at the wholesalers. For example: Who are the merchandisers you need to be listening to? It's a true education. And I think that's what has also made me stay [at the brand] for as long as I have. I've been learning from all these amazing people.” At the same time, he’s led key moves that have worked to fuel the brand’s revenue and engagement. Over the last couple of years, those have included building marketing plans around buzzy brand faces including Billie Eilish and Cindy Crawford. And, more recently, he’s elevated MCM’s digital presence as part of a new strategic direction.  In 2023, MCM launched a company-wide plan that included updating the creative team and upping the focus on digital channels and young shoppers.  Manioci discussed the brand’s new focus, including how it’s resonating in the rapidly evolving luxury climate. He also shared the strategy behind MCM’s recent presence at men’s fashion week and the factors behind its increasing success in the ready-to-wear category.

At 46 years old, classic American sportswear brand J.McLaughlin isn't afraid of change. That's thanks, in large part, to Mary Ellen Coyne, who's been the company's CEO since 2016.  "I'm firmly a leader who believes in testing and learning," she said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.  In the last seven years, she's had "a field day" leading improvements to the brand's products, processes and overall presentation, she said. "We've re-platformed every segment of the business, and it's had a tremendous impact on the growth of the brand." This year alone, the company underwent its first-ever brand refresh, which included overhauling its logo and digital presence.  Also in 2023, a large focus was on opening stores, with reaching new consumers as the goal.  “Customer acquisition is our No. 1 opportunity for growth,” Coyne said.  Currently, J.McLaughlin has 173 store locations. It plans to open 10-12 more in each of the next three years, bringing its total store count to more than 200. In early December, it opened its first store dedicated to menswear, in Palm Beach, Florida. Stores now account for three-fourths of its sales, while 1% of sales are driven through its one retail partner, Dillard’s, and the remainder are made online. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international correspondent Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this final Week in Review episode of the year, we speak about the news coming out of COP28 in Dubai, including an explicit commitment to move away from fossil fuels by 2050. We also talk about the rise of generative AI in fashion, including which use cases are viable and which are just hype.

Clare Hornby's 14-year-old fashion brand, Me+Em, has hit its stride. From 2021 to 2022, it grew its revenue from £46 million to £80 million. What's more, it's been profitable for seven years. That's despite selling exclusively direct-to-consumer, when, it seems, every digital native brand is falling back on wholesale partners.  "It was when I started building out the team that you started to see the [business's] acceleration," Hornby said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. It's worth noting that MatchesFashion investor Highland Europe bought a minority stake in the company in early 2022. Me+Em, which specializes in "flattering, functional, forever" women's clothing, has opened seven stores in the U.K., where it is headquartered. But now, its focus is on U.S. expansion. Starting in March, it will open two stores in NYC, followed by one in the Hamptons, in rapid succession. The plan is to follow those up with fourth and fifth locations soon after. “We like you to bring in your dog, bring in your kid and bring in your partner, and we like you to dwell,” Hornby said. “As a result, our stores [form] communities, all by themselves.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi breaks down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, he's joined by special guest co-host Quaid Walker, co-founder and CEO of the online watch marketplace Bezel to talk about the tumultuous watch industry. Parisi and Walker discuss why luxury watch prices keep falling, even amid apparent high demand. They also talk about the watch brands embracing brick-and-mortar retail and the future of the primary and secondary watch markets.

Ten years ago, Grace Na launched her L.A.-based denim brand Pistola after seeing a white space in the market. “At the time, a lot of the premium labels were owned and run by men, and the premium price point was really expensive,” Na said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “There was a miss for an opening-premium-price-point denim line that was still super high quality, and that had amazing fits and of-the-moment style.” In getting the brand off the ground, it helped that she had great experience in the fashion industry as a buyer and a planner. She also had support from her husband’s family, which had spent 30 years running a denim business. Pistola started as a wholesale-only business, eventually selling through 1,000 retail doors. It also ran a private-label business on the side. But today, it’s focused on ramping up its direct sales, among other growth opportunities. For example, soon, it will launch a mommy-and-me capsule collection. And within the next few years, it will embark on international expansion. Pisola is privately owned and has been profitable since year one, Na said.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about rumors that Farfetch may be going private soon and what that means for the wider luxury retail world. Additionally, we talk about a strike at Gucci against the company’s decision to move its design headquarters.

A lot has changed for Summersalt since 2017, when it launched as an online-only, perfect-fit swimsuit brand and quickly gained popularity on Instagram. For starters, it has since expanded to product categories including sleepwear, activewear and intimates, Plus, it now operates stores, on top of its e-commerce site, allowing customers to shop IRL in West Palm Beach, Myrtle Beach and Nashville. And Instagram is just one piece of a larger marketing pie. The growing business is the brainchild of Lori Coulter and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin, serial entrepreneurs with complementary skill sets who managed to find each other and make a go of an ambitious business plan from their shared home of St. Louis. "I was creating strategy and branding for amazing brands while running my own agency. Then, after doing that for about seven years, I realized I wanted to eat, sleep and breathe a brand," Chattaram Chamberlin said, regarding her road to Summersalt, on the latest Glossy Podcast. As for Coulter, she was running a made-to-measure swimwear business, which had perfected the fits of its styles, mastered quick-turnaround manufacturing and maintained accessible price points. At the same time, she was tracking the evolving e-commerce environment and realizing the opportunities it presented. "I decided to create a business plan and develop a collection," she said. She initially approached Chattaram Chamberlin about hiring her agency, and the partnership took off from there. Now, six years later, Coulter and Chattaram Chamberlin are preparing for yet another year of growth. Their plans for 2024 include opening more stores and doubling down on collaborations, following their successful collections with brands including Diane von Furstenberg and Rifle Paper Co. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss the state of luxury retail by looking at Saks Fifth Avenue’s reported inability to pay its brands and Gucci's lawsuit against three retailers alleging that they sold counterfeit products.

Surviving as a completely self-funded fashion brand for 10 years is no easy feat. However, designer Tanya Taylor beat the odds. This year, her namesake brand is celebrating a decade in business. Also this year, Tanya Taylor opened its first store, in September — the new flagship is located on NYC's iconic Madison Avenue. To commemorate 10 years, the company threw a star-studded launch party at the historic Carlyle Hotel, located directly across the street from the store. As for the future, Taylor said she's excited about the company's next phase of growth. For this week's episode of the Glossy Fashion Podcast, Taylor sat down with Jill Manoff, Glossy's editor-in-chief, to talk about her brand's evolution and current direction, especially considering its retail expansion.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international correspondent Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss what’s causing luxury watch prices to plummet, what strategies brands are tackling for Black Friday and to what extent the ongoing garment worker strikes in Bangladesh are impacting the fashion industry.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the diverging fortunes of Pandora and De Beers and how they exemplify what’s happening in jewelry; the CFDA Awards, including the big winners; and The RealReal’s continued efforts to reach profitability.

In 2016, Molly Howard, Valerie Macaulay and Meredith Melling launched the fashion brand La Ligne determined to do fashion and business differently.  For their part, Macaulay and Melling had been Vogue editors for years and had grown tired of brands "that felt like they had to reinvent themselves season after season," according to Howard. Meanwhile, Howard had spent a couple of years working long hours in investment banking for Credit Suisse. At the time, she'd decided that, when her time came to run a company, she'd give everyone a voice by doing away with traditional hierarchies. What's more, she'd start the workday at 10 a.m.  Now CEO of La Ligne, Howard’s made good on those promises, she said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. And Macaulay and Melling have successfully disrupted the fashion system by fulfilling their desire for a "timeless, democratic" brand. La Ligne’s pieces center on the classic stripe pattern, yet the brand offers plenty of versatility — it even sells denim.   Howard, Macaulay and Melling were first introduced after a common acquaintance noticed that they were all consulting brands but in very different ways: Howard was offering business assistance, while Macaulay and Melling were supporting creative teams. Since coming together to launch La Ligne, their complementing strengths have served the business well. For one, the brand just launched its fifth retail location, in Marin County, California, plus it’s currently expanding internationally. And, it’s worth noting, its styles were “Anna Wintour’s preferred Covid attire,” said Howard, referencing images of the Vogue editor during lockdown. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss some of the challenges facing Canadian outerwear brand Canada Goose, the reason Watchbox underwent a rebrand and the reports that Alo Yoga is seeking a $10 billion valuation.

For Hervé Léger, the early aughts — and its big celeb-driven PR moments — are back.   “I wanted to be back in Us Magazine,” said Melissa LeFere-Cobb, division head of Hervé Léger, while discussing her plans to reignite the brand on the Glossy Podcast. She was referencing Hervé Léger’s original heyday, when the brand’s signature bandage dresses were a style staple for every “it” girl from Paris Hilton to Britney Spears. In 2021, three years after stepping into her role and getting the brand’s new products into the hands of stylist Law Roach and others with fashion influence, LeFere-Cobb’s wish came true. Celebs including Jennifer Lopez began re-embracing the brand, and Us, among other publications, took notice. “The bandage dress will always be a pillar” of Hervé Léger, said Michelle Ochs, who was enlisted by LeFere-Cobb to join the brand as creative director in June. Prior, she was one-half of the creative duo behind the fashion brand Cushnie et Ochs, before going solo via the Et Ochs brand in 2021. However, today, thanks in large part to the fresh eye that Ochs is bringing to its collections, Hervé Léger is much more than body-con minidresses — and it’s in growth mode. Together, LeFere-Cobb and Ochs are setting plans for product category and international expansion as they build toward the brand’s next great era.  This episode was recorded during a Glossy+ member event at the Hervé Léger showroom in the Empire State Building. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff are joined by Glossy’s new West Coast Correspondent, Lexy Lebsack, and break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss how luxury brands are dealing with the many factors slowing their growth, why Steve Madden acquired the apparel brand Almost Famous and how beauty brands are dealing with Prop 65 lawsuits.

After working 20-plus years in investment banking sales and trading with a focus on retail companies, Louisa Schneider was inspired by her daughter to create the brand Rowan in 2018. Schneider realized that the ear-piercing category was focused primarily on fashion and convenience rather than the piercing procedure and healing process.  Since then, the company has focused on a procedure-first approach, with nurses performing its piercings. It leveraged insights from its nurses and medical board to create single-use hand-pressurized devices for piercing that are more sanitary and precise than traditional piercing techniques. Rowan is the only piercing company that has its own medical board, which includes a plastic surgeon and a pediatrician. Now, Schneider is growing the business while keeping practicality in mind. In January, Rowan launched earrings that can be worn while playing sports. And It launched its first standalone store in 2019 in New York. Creating an inclusive working culture for nurses and making stores a place where customers can celebrate special moments have remained priorities. Rowan has raised more than $30 million to date from Kevin Durant's Thirty Five Ventures and Beechwood Capital, and it's now focused on a country-wide mall expansion. It currently has 30 freestanding locations, with six more underway. Rowan expects to double the number of its locations within the next year. Schneider also plans to tackle global expansion over the next three years with hundreds of stores. The company briefly experimented with a “store-within-a-store” model at 300 Target locations in 2021, but it now focuses on its own locations, where it has greater control over the customer experience and culture.  Schneider joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about the brand and its recent openings. In October, Rowan opened its doors in Preston Royal Village Mall in Dallas. It is the fourth ear-piercing brand to move into the Dallas market in the past three years, joining Wildlike, Maria Tash and, most recently, Studs. The Preston Royal store is the brand’s fifth Texas location, following stores in Southlake and Fort Worth.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss how Adidas has fared since its decision to cut ties with Kanye West, why TikTok launched a new authentication service for vintage handbags and to what extent the collapse of one of the largest lab-grown diamond manufacturers will impact the industry.

Century 21 was once known as the go-to New York City destination for bargain hunters looking to find a treasure amid racks of off-price clothes. But the pandemic had a negative impact on the company, which was overstretched with 13 stores, and it was forced to close down in 2020. But according to Larry Mentzer, COO of the newly relaunched Century 21, plans for the store’s big comeback were already being laid out before it even closed. “Once the decision was made, that we needed to permanently close the business, it was probably that same day or the next day that the conversation started about reopening the business and relaunching the brand,” Mentzer said on this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We are fortunate that we have passionate owners that just have a love for New York City, a love for retail and a love for the Century 21 brand, which was not only a New York City institution, but a family institution.” Mentzer and Judy Duzich, vp and general merchandising director of Century 21, joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about the store’s grand reopening in May of this year. Lots of changes were made, according to Duzich, including paring the retail fleet down from 13 stores to just one.

Digiday Media and WorkLife is proud to present season two of The Return, a podcast about what it’s like for Gen Z to enter the workforce for the first time in a post-pandemic world. In season one, The Return followed an Atlanta-based advertising agency as the company returned to the office after a two-year pandemic hiatus. There were clear challenges among this population of workers who knew what a “normal” office used to look like. But what about a generation that is entering the workforce post-pandemic and has nothing to compare it to? That’s what we uncover across eight episodes in season two of The Return. We see headlines repeatedly accusing this generation of being lazy, unmotivated, quiet quitters. But what's the real story behind this generation's attitude about work? In season two of The Return, we speak with Gen Zers across the country to lift the lid on what motivates and inspires this young generation of workers, and how they’re not as work-shy as they’re often depicted. We also speak with seasoned workplace experts who can put the changing expectations of these young professionals into context. We dive into why values are so important to Gen Zers, whether or not they are loyal to their employers, how they use TikTok for career advice, what it means to be a young professional who is a boss to older workers, and so much more. Season two of The Return is hosted by Cloey Callahan, a Gen Zer and senior reporter at Digiday Media’s WorkLife, and produced by Digiday Media's audio producer Sara Patterson. Subscribe to the WorkLife podcast now on Apple Podcasts – or wherever you get your podcasts – to hear the first episode on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss what's behind the slowdown in luxury demand across the industry, whether China can pick up the slack for luxury brands and why companies often suffer on their first day after an IPO.

Charles Harbison relaunched Harbison Studio in 2022, six years after putting the luxury fashion brand on pause. And it’s already clear that, this time around, he’s doing things differently.   “I’m building a brand with more authenticity,” Harbison said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “I've tried to do it before in the way that everyone said I should do it. And it just was not for me.” Harbison was thrust into helming a fashion brand in 2013, when he launched Harbison Studio after an unexpected chain of events while between jobs: To avoid holes in his portfolio, after working 7-8 years for brands including Michael Kors and Billy Reid, he created and photographed a small fashion collection. He showed those to two advisors, who showed them to Vogue editors, which led to placement in Vogue’s September issue and an order from Ikram, Chicago’s influential boutique.  “In some ways, the cart was before the horse,” Harbison said. “I hate to say that because, in my perfect world, talent, craft and a love of fashion is the horse. But in our world now, with fashion, money's always the horse. And that is what I quickly learned over those two years of making clothes that I love, but not really building a business.” Eventually, Harbison decided to step away from the brand, which had already gained fans including Michelle Obama and Beyoncé. But he’d always planned to return: “I moved to L.A. to regroup and center my wellness, but the thing that never left me was the fact that women love what I do. And there are so many people in the world who relate to it. [I knew that] one day, I’d come back and resume my conversation with them through clothes.”  Shortly after New York Fashion Week, in early October, Harbison met with Glossy to share how his return to fashion is playing out. Along with hinting at a new Bergdorf Goodman partnership, he promoted an active friends and family funding round. He plans to use the funds to expand his team and the brand’s product categories — it’s recently inched into jewelry and handbags, and shoes are next. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. In this week’s episode, we discuss Sephora’s decision to cancel the first day of its annual Sephoria event due to inclement weather and the reaction from its fans. We also talk about the wave of brands going public in the next year, including Birkenstock and Vuori, and the debut of Coach on Amazon.

Macy’s chief merchandising officer, Nata Dvir, is leading the company's private-brand evolution. The department store is rethinking its portfolio of private label brands across all product categories, including men’s, women’s, kids and home. That includes adding, refreshing and editing brands through a new customer-centric strategy. In August, Macy’s launched the private-label womenswear brand On 34th, which was informed by extensive research on its customer. The brand, which targets customers ages 30-50, centers on ready-to-wear items and accessories that were made to create thousands of outfit combinations.  “It was informed by over 100,000 online surveys that we did,” said Dvir. “We collected a lot of intelligence around what our customers were looking for. We also did 35 days of digital community engagement, where we viewed customer videos about what they're looking for, what's missing from their wardrobe and what role we could play. And we did hundreds of hours of in-store fittings and shop-alongs, which provided the kind of insight that you can only get when you're talking to somebody one-on-one.” The company has been rethinking its retailer-brand strategies as well. “The mix of private and market brands was something we spent a lot of time strategizing around, with a focus on the future portfolio of brands that is going to be relevant for our customers today and in the future,” said Dvir. “Private brands are an important part of our overall strategy because they allow us to have a tremendous amount of oversight over the brand, from a distribution and design perspective, as well as a quality and fit [perspective]. They also drive a lot of loyalty and repeat visits.” Macy's plans to release four additional private-label brands through 2025, each focused on a unique purpose and rooted in customer research, Dvir said.

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In a dedicated podcast series running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event, as driven by technology. In this episode, we sit down with Maria Buccellati, co-owner and CEO of Faith Connexion, the 20-year-old fashion brand that hosted a Paris Fashion Week show on Wednesday. Prior to the runway show, the brand wiped its Instagram clean before posting a series of images promoting the event and the brand’s plan to make spring 2024 a “redefining season.” Buccellati explained that, moving forward, the brand is taking a collaborative, “Faith Tribe” approach to design and prioritizing “phyygital” products. She also provided details on Faith Connexion’s planned expansion within the U.S. market. 

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In a dedicated podcast series running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event, as driven by technology. In this episode, we sit down with Maria Buccellati, co-owner and CEO of Faith Connexion, the 20-year-old fashion brand that hosted a Paris Fashion Week show on Wednesday. Prior to the runway show, the brand wiped its Instagram clean before posting a series of images promoting the event and the brand’s plan to make spring 2024 a “redefining season.” Buccellati explained that, moving forward, the brand is taking a collaborative, “Faith Tribe” approach to design and prioritizing “phyygital” products. She also provided details on Faith Connexion’s planned expansion within the U.S. market. 

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In a dedicated podcast series running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event, as driven by technology. In this episode, we sit down with Francesca Monaco, the co-founder of the Milanese handbag and accessories brand Themoiré. Fresh off the brand’s show in Milan on Wednesday, Monaco spoke about how Themoirè uses its seasonal fashion shows to highlight the pillars of the brand, including its use of sustainable materials and its work with artisans from around the world. Monaco said the industry has made strides in the availability of better sustainable materials that can stand up to traditional animal leather, in terms of quality and price. But, as she explains in this episode, “We’re still at just the beginning.”

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In a dedicated podcast series running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event, as driven by technology. In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Amos, the founder of Atlanta-based retailers Wish and Antidote, which focus on streetwear and luxury fashion, respectively. Amos is also a Fashion Month regular and a bona fide street-style star — her avant-garde OOTDs have been chronicled by industry publications from Vogue to The Coveteur. Amos was joined on the podcast by Karlo Steel, Antidote's creative director and buyer, who hits the Fashion Month circuit with Amos every season. But, as he explained, it's more work than it is play. Seventy-five percent of the company's merchandise buys are made within days of their show debuts, he said. Amos and Steel also discuss the relevance of fashion shows, the state of luxury consumer behavior and the shows they're shopping this season.

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with Susan Fang, founder of her namesake fashion brand, which will be debuting its spring collection during this season's London Fashion Week. With headquarters in China and the U.K., the brand — best known for pastel ruffled gowns — moved its focus to the Chinese market when China's lockdowns last year left the designer stranded. Now, the brand is back to its international outlook with a renewed focus on sustainability and technology. Ahead of her show, Fang discusses why she prioritized AI, and why balancing technology and creativity is a challenge for designers. She also talks about her collaboration strategy, having teamed with brands including Nike, Zara and Crocs.

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this final episode of our NYFW coverage, Glossy senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest brand strategies of the week, discuss insights from backstage designer interviews and give a preview of Glossy's ongoing Fashion Month podcast coverage.

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with Hanako Maeda, the founder, CEO and creative director of the luxury fashion brand Adeam. Made in Maeda's home country of Japan, Adeam's clothes have been a favorite of Asian and Asian-American celebrities like Harry Shum Jr. and Naomi Osaka. Maeda talks about how ballet shaped her latest collection, how brands can make the most of a slot at NYFW, and how a fashion show can benefit a brand in ways that lookbooks and Instagram posts can't. This episode was recorded in the midst of NYFW at Showfields' store in NoHo. Related reads: NYFW designer Hanako Maeda on testing ‘the limits of digital’ during the pandemic Are fashion week parties really worth the expense?

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with Willa Bennett, who joined fashion and media company Highsnobiety as its editor-in-chief in 2022. Highsnobiety had a presence at New York Fashion Week with a three-day “Neu York” pop-up shop and various on-site events. Bennett talks about how the company catered its content, commerce and experiential strategies to this season's fashion week. She also discusses how Highsnobiety covered the event and how that plays into her focused approach to running the publication. This episode was recorded amid bustling NYFW, in Showfields’ NoHo location. Related reads: With Highsnobiety scooped up, are other streetwear blogs next? ‘The new definition of luxury’: Highsnobiety unpacks how the landscape of high-end fashion has tilted toward accessibility

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah, founders of Studio 189, the 10-year-old fashion brand and social enterprise that hosted a runway show on Sunday. CFDA award-winning Studio 189 sustainably produces its clothing in Africa, plus it supports education, skills training and community-led projects. Dawson and Erwiah discuss how they’ve built and grown a company with purpose, and how a consistent presence at New York Fashion Week has served the brand well. This episode was recorded amid bustling NYFW, in Showfields’ NoHo location. Related reads: NYFW Briefing: Fashion brands tackle social change The Folklore’s Amira Rasool on building a shopping platform with African and Black-owned brands at the forefront

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with emerging designer Jackson Wiederhoeft, whose training includes Parsons School of Design and three years under Thom Browne. Like Thom Browne’s, Wiederhoeft's collections are decidedly theatrical, whimsical and, therefore, perfectly suited to a runway. He discusses the importance of taking part in New York Fashion Week, as well as the business perks of his recent honor of being named an interim CFDA member. Related reads: Dora Maar CEO Lauren Wilson on leveraging NYFW’s marketing opportunities Luxury Briefing: The new designer brand playbook champions lifestyle and accessibility

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event, as driven by technology. First up is Lauren Wilson, founder and CEO of Dora Maar, the luxury e-tailer that allows shoppers to buy from the closets of fashion icons. Along with sharing New York Fashion Week's importance to her evolving business, she discusses her plans for taking advantage of marketing and networking opps throughout the week. This episode was recorded amid bustling NYFW, in Showfields' NoHo location. Related reads: NYFW designer Jackson Wiederhoeft on learning from Thom Browne and gaining the CFDA’s support Fashion Briefing: Inside the rise of influencer-driven resale sites

Marcia Kilgore was born to be an entrepreneur.  "I found it very difficult to take direction from other people, … and I always found it difficult to work in places where the standards of the person who was running the place were, from my perspective, mediocre; it would frustrate me to no end," she said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.   Plus, her personality traits are befitting a successful entrepreneur, she said. Among them: "being super curious, being solution-oriented, loving to experiment, having solutions for any kind of hurdles or roadblocks that come along, and being tough enough to never give in." Based on her track record, she's used that to her advantage. Kilgore sold her first business, Bliss Spa, to LVMH in 1999. That was before starting the "masstige" beauty brand Soap & Glory, which she sold to Walgreens Boots Alliance in 2011. In the years since, she's launched Soaper Duper, Beauty Pie and FitFlop, the latter of which she described as a groundbreaker among footwear brands.  "I had this idea for a shoe that would align your body when you walked in it and give you energy [by] rebounding the energy from the ground up," she said. "Shoes had always just been drawn [by designers]. No one was thinking about how the shoe affects the person walking in it. … [FitFlop] is really an engineering company." Kilgore said her entry into the footwear category, after building her career in beauty, made sense given that she’d been "very into reflexology" while running her spa business. As a one-time personal trainer, she was also into wellness. The shoe "connected the dots," in terms of her experience, she said.  Since first launching through the retailer Sweaty Betty — through which one customer email sold 8,000 pairs of its shoes — FitFlop has taken off internationally. Now, having opened the brand's first U.S. store, in SoHo in April, Kilgore is charting its stateside growth.  Related reads: Sarah Flint and CEO Mary Beech: ‘2020 was the year we built the foundation to really scale’ Are heels over? What the footwear market will look like post-coronavirus

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the rumor that Kylie Jenner is allegedly planning to launch a “quiet luxury” brand with Jens and Emma Grede, the executives behind other brands in the Kardashian universe including Skims and Good American. Later, we talk Rolex buying Bucherer and the troubles facing Lanvin. Read more: Emma Grede, Good American | Glossy 50 2022 Can Rolex’s new resale program and booming secondhand market coexist? Fashion Briefing: Lanvin Group stokes growth with fresh talent, celebrity faces and bags

LoveShackFancy's tenth year in business has been a busy one. This month alone, the fashion brand has launched a product collaboration with Gap and announced an expansion to the beauty category. Its first fragrance will hit Sephora stores on September 6, six days before its New York Fashion Week presentation-slash-party.  It's safe to say that LoveShackFancy's feminine, flirty, vintage-inspired look has caught on. And steering its popularity is founder and creative director Rebecca Hessel Cohen. As she describes on this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, her growth strategy for the brand includes "taking its iconic prints, colors and sensibility, and bringing it to life in different categories, price points and markets."  Before Gap, LoveShackFancy's brand collaborators included Target, American Girl, Bogner and Ford Bronco, among others. And, following fragrance, there's no telling what categories the brand will tackle next. "Our customers want [LoveShackFancy] wine, champagne, and even hotels and restaurants," Hessel Cohen said, referencing a recent social media poll by the brand. "So, you never know. It's just all exciting and fun — and sometimes, the more unexpected, the better."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Danny Parisi and Glossy Pop reporter Sara Spruch-Feiner break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss Abercrombie & Fitch's comeback over the last few years, including its ability to shed the exclusive, elitist image it held in the 2000s. Later, we talk about community building in fashion and how brands are using live events to build loyalty.

Emily Oberg, founder and owner of the 5-year-old wellness-based brand Sporty & Rich, wants to change the definition of success.  "Never not working isn't cool. … You don't need to have a crazy work schedule, where you feel like you can't keep up, [in order] to be successful," Oberg said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "At one point, that was the definition of success, but it's changing. And I want to be part of that change."  After starting her career in streetwear, working as a video personality at Complex before heading up womenswear at Kith, Oberg saw the opportunity to build an owned brand based on the success of her mood-board-style Instagram account, Sporty & Rich. She co-founded the brand as it stands in 2018. It has since earned fans including Hailey Bieber, collaborated with brands like Adidas, opened an experiential store in NYC's SoHo neighborhood and reached $30 million in annual revenue. Along with building Sporty & Rich to a $200 million brand, Oberg has big plans for its future.  "It's my vision to make a Sporty & Rich country club, where you have everything: colonics, your naturopath, you can do your blood work, you can do your tennis lessons, you can go to the pool, you can see your trainer, you can do a Pilates class," she said. "It would take a lot of resources and a lot of investment, but I hope to have these in every major city. That's [a place] where I'd want to spend my time."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we talk about the Gen-Z DTC underwear brand Parade selling itself off to a more established underwear licensing company, the reason so many people have abandoned Meta’s Twitter competitor Threads in the last month and the $13 sneaker line released by grocery store chain Aldi. Further reading: How Parade is building an underwear brand based on Gen-Z values Fashion Briefing: Are text-based social platforms still valuable for brands?

After 20 years at the helm of 60-year-old British footwear brand Kurt Geiger, Neil Clifford is more than halfway to leading the company to a record sales year.  Kurt Geiger has already made big, impactful changes. For example, five years ago, Clifford hired Michael Kors alum Steven Sousa to lead Kurt Geiger's North American expansion; the market now drives bigger sales for the brand than the U.K. The company has also expanded to other international markets, with its Dubai-based store quickly becoming its most successful, in terms of its sales per square foot. Kurt Geiger has 70 stores in the U.K. In addition to stores, the company has upped its investment in marketing, doubling its dedicated budget in each of the past two years. The focus of the strategy is creating compelling imagery. "It's very British [to be] much better at creativity and fun and joy than making money and [developing] business strategies," Clifford said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "But look at how many brands around the world have British creative directors. That's not a coincidence." Moving forward, thanks in part to a new round of funding, more stores are on the way. Kurt Geiger will open a new London flagship in mid-September. The brand then plans to launch 20-30 stores in North America over five years, starting in October. After three locations in Mexico, it will set up shop in Florida, Southern California and New York early next year.  And in November, it will expand focus to its men's business with plans for a big, product-focused campaign.  "We focus on design. We spend hours every day talking about product and … great value," Clifford said. "And we hope that formula transpires into something super desirable and super differentiating and disrupting — because we as Brits like to disrupt; anarchy is in our blood."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Allbirds struggling to stay on top of its declining sales, Victoria’s Secret going back to its old self with iconic models from its past and British celebrity stylists unionizing.

Starting with a website and a tiny budget, friends Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey launched women's fashion brand Rixo in 2015 while studying fashion in London. Eight years later, the brand is growing, with a 70% revenue increase in 2022, plus it's launching new categories and expanding within the U.S. market. Rixo is best known for its vintage-inspired printed dresses and counts Taylor Swift and the Duchess of Cambridge as fans. Rixo sells through its own stores, wholesale channels including independent stores and department stores, and its own e-commerce site. During the 2022 fiscal year, it earned $21 million in revenue, compared to $12 million the year prior. In April, the brand launched a flagship store on London's King’s Road, enlisting McCloskey’s twin sister, Culpa Studio's Gemma McCloskey, to design it The 5,000-square-foot space includes a standalone bridal suite that's available for private appointments, as well as alterations services, a coffee kiosk, cocktails and a private events “apartment” space on the second floor.  In January, Rixo introduced product categories including homeware, nightwear and bridal. Rixo is the only brand on the London Fashion Week schedule producing clothes in U.K. sizes through 24. It will launch its first styles available up to size 26 with influencer Abisola Omole in July.  On the Glossy Podcast, co-founder Henrietta Rix discusses the brand’s plans for the U.S., its new category strategy, the need for more inclusive sizing in the contemporary fashion market, the brand effects of Brexit and Rixo's mission to redefine accessible bridal shopping experiences. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss Birkenstock's road to IPO, Prada's beauty expansion via makeup and skin care, and Phoebe Philo's return to fashion, set to kick off in September. 

Thirteen years ago, Brett Heyman launched Edie Parker. Focused on acrylic clutch handbags, which soon became customizable, the brand married Heyman’s lifelong love of collecting vintage with her experience in luxury accessories PR, working for brands including Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci. She got the company off the ground by securing retail partners including Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman and leveraging her stylist contacts to get the bags in the hands of celebrities. “My background was so helpful [in starting the company],” she said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “I always tell [budding] founders that it's really great to work in the industry that you want to break into, [in order] to meet people and to [make] some contacts and have a leg up. … I knew a lot of people. Plus, I knew what was missing. And I knew how to promote it and who to get to promote it.” In 2016, Heyman expanded Edie Parker’s product assortment to the home decor category. And three years later, she launched the cannabis-adjacent spinoff brand Flower by Edie Parker. Its products include lighters, grinders and rolling papers, all in Edie Parker’s signature colorful, retro aesthetic. Oh, and there’s also a handbag with a retractable lighter that’s taken TikTok by storm and changed the business. With its growth fueled by the Burn Bag's sales, just four years in, Flower by Edie Parker now makes up 50% of the company’s total sales.  On the podcast, Heyman discusses how she’s catering to Flower’s “much more engaged,” “much more excited” shoppers, plus how she’s holding true to her brand’s DNA while building a business in a federally illegal industry.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we talk about LVMH’s earnings and how all of its advertising expenditures are impacting the bottom line. Plus, Mattel president Richard Dickson joins Gap as its new CEO, and Shein is juggling various lawsuits.

Aaron Luo launched the DTC bag brand Caraa in 2015 alongside CFDA Award-winning designer Carmen Chen Wu. Now, eight years into the brand’s life, Luo has another brand under his belt — Mercado — and a new perspective on how DTC brands can grow and be successful in the modern retail landscape. “Back in the day, there were these people who came from a business background and came into DTC thinking, ‘Hey, there’s a waste of space here. We think we can do things better and cheaper and acquire customers quickly,’” Luo said. “I don’t want to say they never paid attention to the product, because many did. But marketing was much more important to them.” But that era of DTC brands being able to grow by forcing customer acquisition and dumping money into Meta is over, he said.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about what's next for Gucci following its executive shakeup, whether or not Ralph Lauren’s price increase is a good thing, and which brands came out on top on the latest Lyst Index.

Luxury resale company The RealReal, which went public in June 2019, is nearing profitability. “Next year, we will be profitable on a full-year basis,” Rati Sahi Levesque, the company’s president and chief operating officer, said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.  And big changes were made to ensure the goal is met: “Last year was really a reset year. [After] looking at our product mix, our operating expenses and our real estate, we rejiggered the business in a lot of ways.” That included making some layoffs, closing some stores and restricting the sourcing of inventory to individual consignors — no more buying products from brands. The RealReal’s total revenue for 2022 landed at $603 million, an increase of 29% year-over-year. Now, Sahi Levesque said the company is focused on “discipline and execution,” when it comes to its 2024 plans. She also discussed the company's strategy for winning sellers, its celeb-fueled launch 12 years ago and its plans to open up to 50 stores within the next 10 years. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk through the highlights of Copenhagen's Global Fashion Summit, the factors driving Omega's second price increase within the year and the interesting new experiment by Japan Airlines allowing travelers to rent clothes versus pack them.

In 2021, Kendra Scott passed on the CEO title she’d held for her 20-year-old namesake jewelry company to Tom Nolan, a Ralph Lauren and Condé Nast veteran who’d joined Kendra Scott in 2015 as a member of the board of directors.  Between 2015-2021, Kendra Scott became “a very big business valued at more than $1 billion,” Nolan said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.  And the brand is still in growth mode.  Kendra Scott recently entered the luxury jewelry market, plus it’s actively rolling out new stores. By the end of July, it will have 134 Kendra Scott stores across 35 U.S. states. “We've been aggressively pursuing retail and we've been really bullish on retail, even through Covid,” Nolan said. The stores, which drive 50% of sales, double as event spaces; last year, 128 Kendra Scott stores hosted 20,000 total events. The Northeast is the brand’s fastest-growing U.S. market, and it’s currently expanding internationally through wholesale partners.  On the podcast, Nolan discusses Kendra Scott’s philanthropy-fueled success and his own career path which unexpectedly yet perfectly landed him in his current role. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Louis Vuitton’s newly updated watch strategy that pushes its watch price points into the five-figure range, plus a mushroom-based leather alternative's discontinuation and Gabriela Hearst’s exit from Chloé.

When Carla Dunham joined the luggage brand Away as its CMO in November 2022, the focus became expanding the DTC brand's marketing efforts through an on-the-pulse strategy.  Leveraging Dunham’s marketing experience spanning Foxtrot, Equinox, Kate Spade and Amazon, Away is now tapping into new audiences. The focus for the brand's marketing has shifted to using TV strategies, testing AI-integrated marketing and expanding the U.S. retail footprint. An AI-powered pop-up in Venice, California on the weekend of June 24 promoted its new “Extraordinary Is Out There” campaign. Participants filled out questionnaires to create their ideal AI world and later received a curated postcard showing their ideal destination.  On the podcast, Dunham discussed why it's important for brands to engage in mobile TV audiences, why choosing strong store associates is especially important for travel goods brands and why functional design is key. According to Dunham, Away is currently focused on expanding its customer insights group and its presence in the U.S.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen and new anti-greenwashing guidance from the U.N., Skims opening its first retail stores and the Shein influencer trip.

When designer Amahlia Stevens launched Vitamin A Swimwear in 2000, she was ahead of the curve. Along with championing body positivity by introducing the concept of bikini separates that can be mixed and matched, she prioritized sustainable, local production after getting a crash course on Patagonia's processes through her work with the brand. Today, California-based Vitamin A sells 50% direct to consumer and 50% through its 200 wholesale channels, which include Holt Renfrew and Revolve.  Announced on Wednesday, Vitamin A was just acquired by Swim USA, a family-owned company that also counts Miraclesuit and Amoressa in its portfolio — its licensed brands include Polo Ralph Lauren and Reebok.  On the podcast, Stevens shares why the deal made sense for Vitamin A and how it will work to grow the "under-resourced" brand. She hinted that branded stores, international expansion and product collaborations are around the corner under the new ownership.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a deep dive into Pharrell Williams’ first collection for Louis Vuitton and its accompanying, extravagant Paris show. Later, we talk about the potential shutdown of Christopher Kane and the new premium line by Vans.

Elisabeth de Gramont has been chief brand officer at the Canadian sustainable apparel brand Frank and Oak for more than two years. In that time, under her leadership, the brand's become more transparent and more communicative about its sustainable efforts than ever. Just this year, Frank and Oak launched its first sustainability progress report, a 17-page document granting an inside look at the material impact of the brand’s production and the concrete steps it's taking to reduce that impact. The report was spearheaded by de Gramont herself, but it required the participation of almost every team at the company. “We felt confident about how our factories and how we were doing things,” de Gramont said. “But it’s important for us to then say, 'OK, can we actually quantify what we’re doing and what we’re working toward?' We talk a lot about material science, so this was our chance to actually show what percentage of our clothing is using those sustainable fibers and what we’d like it to be.” De Gramont joined the Glossy Podcast to talk more about how Frank and Oak communicates its sustainability goals to its audience and what related investments it's making now. For example, all of the brand's deliveries in Canada are currently being completed by electric vehicles.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi breaks down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, he's joined by special guest co-host Frank Everett, vice chairman of jewels in the Americas for Sotheby's. The two discuss Chanel's new tweed-inspired jewelry collection, the widening gap between aspirational shoppers and true luxury shoppers, and recent record-breaking sales of colored diamonds and rubies at Sotheby's.

When Cass DiMicco founded her jewelry brand, Aureum Collective, in 2019, she became the face of the brand. An influencer in her own right with nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram, DiMicco models all the products and is featured heavily in the brand’s advertising, in addition to founding and designing for the brand. According to DiMicco, she initially worried that her existing audience wouldn’t be enough to launch the brand. At the time, she only had 150,000 followers. “I thought that you needed to have a million followers to be able to launch a successful brand, but I realized that’s not exactly the case,” DiMicco said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “I had 150,000 followers, but those people were all following me specifically for fashion and style. Whatever brand I ended up creating, their tastes would align with it.” DiMicco spoke to Glossy about how she founded her brand, how her own influencer status plays into the brand’s marketing, and how she’s navigating pricing and luxury in the changing climate.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the end of Telfar's popular Bag Security Program, the impact of the return to the office for companies like Rent the Runway and the future of Stitch Fix in the U.K.

Roxanne Assoulin has been in the jewelry business for over 40 years. But, thanks to its reliance on bold colors and youthful designs, her 7-year-old namesake brand feels as fresh as ever. Prior to launching her own brand, Assoulin designed for major brands like Michael Kors and had her jewelry sold in major department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Her current brand took off thanks to boosts from influencers like Leandra Medine, who happens to be a friend of the family. “We never paid influencers,” Assoulin said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Leandra had dated my son when she, like, 17. She’s best friends with my daughter-in-law. I asked her to come to the office and tell me what she thought of what I was working on, and she took some pictures. I said, ‘Don’t post those pictures anywhere,’ and she said, ‘No worries, no worries.” That night, she posted them.” The early buzz helped propel the brand, which grew 300% between 2017 and 2018. Now, Roxanne Assoulin is carried by both online retailers like MatchesFashion and brick-and-mortar stores like Nordstrom. But in many ways, Assoulin said she’s still figuring out where to take the brand next. She characterized herself as a “gut person,” who focuses on her own creative sense to help guide the business through challenges like the pandemic and the current decreased spending caused by inflation. For this week's Glossy Podcast, she spoke with Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff about this philosophy, as well as her work with influencers, her history in the business and the inspiration behind her colorful jewelry.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. In this week’s episode, we discuss the recent earnings forecast from Capri Holdings and its implications for the U.S. and Chinese luxury markets. We also talk about eBay’s new streetwear authentication program and StockX's restructuring of seller fees.

In 2019, just ahead of the pandemic, Raph Peck joined Southern California-based Brixton as the hat brand’s CEO. Prior, Peck had spent five years as president of sports apparel brand Fanatics, and he’d also held leadership roles at Oakley, Under Armour and Adidas. According to Peck, the draw to Brixton was the unique challenge of making something large out of a smaller-scale company. At the time, the brand was 15 years old.   “Brixton is, in some ways, smaller than most of the challenges I’ve taken on in my career, but it’s much more complex,” Peck said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “It has a much narrower consumer focus, an underdeveloped direct-to-consumer channel — both in physical retail and in e-commerce — and a diverse product set, with headwear being nearly half of our revenue.”  Along with further developing Brixton’s existing sales channels and product categories, Peck saw the opportunity to expand the brand to new markets. “Such a large percentage of our overall sales come from California,” he said. “So we [want to] take a company that's built a tremendous following regionally, and see if we can grow it in the United States and then, ultimately, globally.” Of course, Covid and its lingering business effects have proven a disruption to most businesses’ plans. Peck shared how the pandemic has impacted his growth targets for Brixton, plus why profitability and lengthened dwell times are among his current goals. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we talk about Chanel and Brunello Cucinelli teaming up to take part ownership of a mill in Italy, and the overall implications of vertical integration in the luxury market. We also discuss the recent slowdown in luxury spending in the U.S. and the rise of the celebrity-co-designed capsule collection, pegged to Dua Lipa and Versace's new collaboration.

Fashion designer Michael Costello came onto the scene by way of "Project Runway" in 2010. Now, his namesake brand, best known for glamorous, sexy dresses and inclusive sizes, is sold at Saks Fifth Avenue. Plus, he's behind Revolve's best-selling brand.  "I have the best of both worlds," he said, regarding designing for both his namesake brand and Revolve. "I get to create fantasy and high-end glamour, and really live out the things that come into my mind and that I dream about, which is the couture and over-the-top, gorgeous gowns. But I also get to make things that everyone can wear, [for Revolve]," he said. Costello has sold at Revolve for the past six years, creating 120-180 exclusive pieces for the retailer per month.  And in 2022, his brand was picked up by Saks, which he calls his “I made it” moment. In September, Costello will be participating in New York Fashion Week, after stepping away for three seasons before taking part in Revolve Gallery in September 2022. He plans to leverage a more intimate show format than in seasons past, to cater to long-term customers and buyers. "We want to see the impact this time. Before it was all for fun," he said. 

Fourteen years ago, sisters-in-law Veronica Swanson Beard and Victoria Miele Beard set the foundation of a successful fashion business by launching a layered-look blazer dubbed the Dickey Jacket.  “We ultimately wanted to create a [women’s] uniform,” Swanson Beard said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “We started with the jacket by making a run of them that we sampled using remnant fabric from Mood Fabrics. We didn't know what we didn't know, and it was great.”  Influenced by the stock market crash the year before the brand’s launch, Swanson Beard and Miele Beard opted to focus on a contemporary price point, yet maintain designer-level fabrics and quality, Miele said.  Today, the company has 300 employees, is profitable and is projected to do $250 million in sales this year. And it’s decidedly in growth mode.  After recently launching footwear, Swanson Beard and Miele Beard said they’re now eying categories including accessories, menswear and kidswear. Plus, they want to further expand globally. Veronica Beard recently opened a store in Canada, and it opened a location in London last year.  “We like success, but we want to do it right,” Swanson Beard said. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss Chanel’s resort show and the Barbiecore trend; Victoria’s Secret's newly announced and revamped fashion show; and Allbirds' and Warby Parker's earnings, which illustrate the trajectories of major DTC brands.

Long before the pandemic accelerated all things digital, House of Blueberry was selling digital fashion.  Founder and CEO Mishi Mcduff started House of Blueberry as an outfitter of Second Life avatars in 2012. In the 11 years since, the company has sold more than 20 million units of digital clothing across 10,000 SKUs. It’s also collaborated with fashion brands including Jonathan Simkhai and hosted the first metaverse fashion show. It currently has a customer base of nearly 500,000 and growing.  House of Blueberry’s chief operating officer, Katherine Manuel, joined the company just over a year ago after spending more than a decade at the data firm Thomson Reuters. In her last four years with Thomson Reuters, she was its vp of innovation. Manuel said she realized the potential for gaming platforms while watching her daughters use Roblox to socialize at the height of the pandemic. And, as these platforms increasingly connect technology and art, their impact over the next 10 years is set to be “mind-blowing,” she said.  House of Blueberry, therefore, is well positioned. “We’re a digital-first company,” Manuel said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We're really forward-thinking about fashion, but [fashion] entirely for avatars.”  Manuel also discussed current investor interest in digital fashion, and the ways digital and physical fashion can work to each other’s advantage. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi breaks down three of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. On this episode, he's joined by special guest co-host Deena Bahri, chief marketing officer of StockX.  Bahri brings her industry expertise to a discussion about Crocs' use of smart collaborations to grow beyond being the quintessential ugly footwear brand. She and Parisi also dive deep on Met Gala fashion and the factors that are driving the rise of dupe culture.

In the mid-2000s, you couldn't go anywhere without seeing someone carrying a Feed tote bag. The reusable tote bag, made of burlap and stamped with “FEED THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD,” swept the fashion world which was just becoming familiar with charitable-focused brands. Flash forward 15 years, and Feed is now a registered B-Corp brand that has provided over 126 million school meals to children in need. Alongside Toms shoes, Feed was an early brand to make a name for itself through a charitable initiative. While Toms gives away one pair of shoes to someone in need for every purchase made, Feed instead donates a fixed amount of money from each product sold, which is built into the cost of the product. For example, a purchase of the Feed 10 Bag helps provide 10 school meals for children in need. Feed works with two giving partners: the U.N. World Food Programme for global giving and No Kid Hungry for U.S. domestic giving. The dollar amount is donated by Feed to one or both of its giving partners, which then allocate and distribute meals through their network of governments, schools and relief workers around the globe. “Our brand, products and business model have evolved with the times and consumer demand, but the mission hasn't changed,” said Lauren Bush Lauren, co-founder and CEO of Feed. Over the years, Feed has expanded its assortment beyond its iconic tote bags to include home goods items like aprons and mugs, as well as wallets and crossbody bags. It has had partnerships in the past with beauty brand Clarins and also Ralph Lauren, via a capsule collection. In addition, it sold through Whole Foods and Target in its early years. Glossy Podcast host Jill Manoff spoke with Bush Lauren about the ins and outs of Feed, including what role wholesale plays, how the company has focused on sustainability and whether the so-called rise of the conscious consumer has worked to the company's advantage.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at the recent performance of Kering brands Gucci to Balenciaga, as they seek to bounce back from a creative transition and a PR nightmare, respectively. Later, we talk about how Levi’s is attempting to get its water usage under control and to what extent garment repair services offer potential for sustainability in fashion.

Ten years ago, despite a lack of fashion experience, Janessa Leoné launched her L.A.-based namesake fashion brand best known for “cool girl” hats. In the years since, after admittedly leaning heavily on Google to learn the ins and outs of running a fashion business, she’s grown the brand sustainably and without outside investment. It’s earned celeb fans including Meghan Markle and Taylor Swift and, as of 2021, it has a store in Los Angeles.  “I started this [brand] quite blindly; I didn’t have a business plan or go out with this extraordinary intentionality,” Leoné said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “If I did, I might not have done it, because I didn't realize what was actually required.”  Leoné owed the brand’s success to its authenticity and slow, organic growth. Its birth at the start of the Instagram era, as well as its early fans in the fashion industry, worked to get it off the ground. More recently, Leoné has worked out some kinks in-house to ensure the brand’s growth trajectory.  “I used Covid to pause and assess and analyze what was working and what wasn’t working,” she said. “There were a lot of broken systems within the business, plus unsustainable ways that I was trying to show up in this business and that I was expecting other people to show up. And so we went through a metamorphosis… I hired a contract COO to help me problem-solve and look at the org chart, and say, 'What roles are we missing?' We now have extraordinary subject matter experts, and it feels like this massive machine that is growing.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss Uniqlo’s $20 shoulder bag topping The Lyst Index, David’s Bridal going bankrupt and Express purchasing Bonobos.

Matt Kaness has an extensive retail background with a heavy focus on e-commerce, having worked as Walmart’s head of U.S. e-commerce, the CEO of Modcloth and, for eight years, URBN’s chief strategy officer. Since late last year, he’s zeroed in on retail’s booming resale sector, as CEO of the new online marketplace GoodwillFinds.  “We’re a technology venture,” Kansas said on the latest Glossy Podcast, explaining GoodwillFinds’ business model. The company’s tech focus includes building out proprietary tools “for sellers to be able to list [products] quickly, for customer acquisition and retention, and for [partner] Goodwill [store owners], in support of their packing, shipping and outbound logistics.”  What drove Kaness’s interest in running GoodwillFinds was, in part, timing. “Coming out of Covid, the Gen-Z consumer has said that there's no stigma on secondhand,” he said. “That, coupled with a lot of advancements in technology, has allowed resale to scale profitably.”  GoodwillFinds, itself, has also impressively scaled. According to Kaness, the marketplace is currently attracting value-driven and trend-driven shoppers, with sustainability-driven shoppers being a target demographic. Since its launch, it's built up an email database of 250,000 subscribers, plus it's en route to offering 1 million products on its e-commerce site by the end of the year. It has 20 full-time employees, with 20-30 more set to come on board by the end of 2023. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at LVMH’s earnings, including the sharp return of luxury spending in China. We also talk about the possibility of a slowdown in spending on luxury watches and the details of the Lacoste x Netflix partnership.

When Liz Eswein and Quincy Moore launched New York or Nowhere (NYON) in 2020, they were intentional about focusing on community first, then a product after. NYON, birthed from Eswein's @newyorkcity Instagram account (currently at 1.5 million followers), first hit the scene with digital downloads such as phone backgrounds and a coloring book. Now, the 3-year-old company has become best known for its apparel and art prints featuring its brand name.  Since its inception, NYON has entered physical retail, opening its first flagship store in NYC's Nolita neighborhood in October 2022. The brand has also forayed into product collaborations, including with the New York Knicks, Rimowa and American Express.  "We're thoughtful and careful with who we collaborate with. Our biggest and most ongoing partnership is with the Knicks, and it's hard to get bigger than that, especially for a New York brand," Moore said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "Slowly but surely, we will continue to do smaller collaborations as a customer acquisition tactic. We don't have massive budgets for marketing, but it does work to align yourself with like-minded entities and feed off of each other's audience."  As the brand expands, exploring new categories is at the top of the priority list. NYON launched its first knit crewneck over the holiday, which performed extremely well, according to Eswein. At the end of last year, the brand also expanded into more home goods products and released a candle and a blanket. Above all, Moore and Eswein said they are now focused on ensuring that all future products and assortment are a "level up" from previous items by producing them with high-quality materials.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week's episode, we talk about the mood at Shoptalk with attending brands and investors preparing for a rough economic future. Later in the show, we talk about ThredUp’s resale report and the state of circular fashion, as well as why luxury brands like Dolce & Gabbana are opening branded hotels and luxury condos.

If CEO Andrea O’Donnell’s track record is any indication, Everlane is on the brink of a glow-up. Most recently, O’Donnell was president of fashion lifestyle at Deckers Brands, where she drove record levels of consumer demand and brand consideration for Ugg, among other accomplishments. “When I landed at Ugg, it wasn't the hottest brand in the universe by any stretch of the imagination. It was very much defined as a cold-weather boot, and it was my responsibility to think about the brand and the product opportunity in a different way,” she said. “And it became a thing.”  In late 2021, O’Donnell left Deckers to take on the role of Everlane CEO, a position formerly held by founder Michael Preysman. Preysman, who stepped down, now serves as the brand’s executive chairman and climate lead.   Regarding what drew her to Everlane, O’Donnell credited Preysman, who she called a “bold and provocative thinker.” She also pointed to the company’s strong team, growth potential and sustainability focus.  “If you want to be a progressive brand, and you want to be modern and relevant, you have to take climate change really seriously,” she said.  Now, 18 months in, her initial ideas for taking the company to the next level are coming to fruition — though the path hasn't been without obstacles. In January, Everlane laid off 17% of its corporate staff, largely within its customer service and creative teams. In a company email, it owed the cuts to “the inflationary environment and recessionary risk."  In this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, O’Donnell breaks down how she’s been balancing Everlane’s popular sustainability focus with her style vision for the brand. She also discusses her plans to reach profitability and tackle expansion. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwiegkinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss Decentraland’s second annual Metaverse Fashion Week, including how Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and Adidas showed up. Plus, a look at what’s behind Lululemon’s annual earnings, which beat analysts’ expectations. And, The Hollywood Reporter honors the year's 25 Most Powerful Stylists, including the brains behind Anne Hathaway’s recent glow-up.

Since Revolve Group’s Raissa Gerona was last a guest on the Glossy Podcast four years ago, a lot has changed about the company and Gerona’s priorities as chief brand officer. For starters, Revolve has entered the beauty category and begun growing a menswear business. It’s also appointed Kendall Jenner as creative director of its luxury-focused e-tailer, FWRD. And — oh, yeah — it’s gone public.  As for Gerona, she’s expanded her marketing focuses far beyond influencer trips and Instagram — after all, Revolve has a reputation for innovating to uphold. However, she did confirm that the annual Revolve Fest will again take place this year at Coachella.  “In the last couple of years, I’ve [focused on] figuring out how to evolve the brand,” Gerona said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “A lot of brands have adopted a lot of the things we were doing, and the influencer landscape changed significantly because every single type of company is now using influencers. That's incredible for the influencer economy, but it’s tough on brands.” She added, “I'm excited to put forward something that feels new and refreshing, and that will also sustain growth for the next couple of years.” In addition to changing up Revolve’s influencer strategy, Gerona discussed the factors driving 20-year-old Revolve Group’s recent mega-growth, doubling its annual revenue from $500 million to $1 billion in three years. She also talked about how the company is leveraging more social media platforms, from YouTube Shorts to Instagram Reels, in part, to safeguard against potential bans and policy changes.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss new AI tools like ChatGPT and StableDiffusion and how they may (or may not) have an effect on the fashion business. Later, we talk Jeremy Scott's departure from Moschino and Telfar’s innovative new pricing model.

In March 2022, Jeffery Fowler was appointed CEO of 15-year-old watch hub Hodinkee. First started as a watch blog by Benjamin Clymer, who formerly worked in finance, Hodinkee has since evolved to encompass an e-commerce platform, a print publication and even watch insurance services.  Fowler was previously president of Farfetch Americas. But he has an extensive background in the watch industry, having held leadership positions at Cartier and Tag Heuer. “What drew me back to this category, after having been at broader fashion businesses in the past, were the human stories and the community aspect,” Fowler said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Of all the things I wear when I go out the front door every day, the only thing I could probably tell you a real story about is [the watch I wear]. And something about that is special and magical.” He added, ”I've often said that, in the world of smartwatches, for me, what's smart is something I can give to my kids and that they can give to their kids. And we'll have that thing that connects us over time.” The global passion for watches seems to be at a high. There’s less supply than demand for new watches, which is skyrocketing prices of resale styles. Hodinkee, which sells both new and used styles, is reaping the rewards. It eclipsed $100 million in revenue in 2021. “Rolex themselves launched a [resale] business this past year, and other watch brands have gotten into the space, as well. So it's exciting to see it,” Fowler said. “It's a dynamic time for an industry that is literally hundreds of years old; it's continuing to grow and set records, and we're just excited to be a part of it.” Since joining the company, Fowler has been busy making moves to further fuel Hodinkee’s growth. In February, Hodinkee launched an accessible line of branded merch. And by the end of this year, it plans to enter physical retail. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, the main topics of discussion are the latest earnings results from fast-fashion giants H&M and Inditex, all the looks and trends from the Oscars, and the ripple effect of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse on the fashion industry.

In 2016, CEO Andreas Palm and creative director Christian Larson joined forces to launch Stockholm-based CDLP to make men’s underwear matter. “We had never cared about underwear ourselves, because there wasn’t much to care about,” Palm said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “So we designed for ourselves, in the beginning; we made a product we wanted to wear.” Doing so quickly caught the attention of fashion authorities including GQ and Esquire in the UK, which wrote about the “new masculinity” and sustainability the brand was bringing to the category, Palm said. In addition, retailers including Mr. Porter and Barneys showed early interest by placing orders. In the seven years since, CDLP has expanded to product categories including sleepwear and swimwear. It’s also grown substantial businesses in international markets; the U.S. drives a majority of its sales, and it’s recently launched in the Middle East.  This year, as the brand approaches profitability, the founders have their sights set on growing the women’s category, which launched in September.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week’s episode is all about Paris Fashion Week. Topics include Balenciaga’s contrite show devoid of any edge or provocation, Coperni’s Boston Dynamics robot guest appearance and Paris's strong Ukrainian fashion presence.

Co-founded by Eleanor Haycock in 2016, L.A.-based Year of Ours is managing to differentiate itself in the crowded activewear category. That’s thanks, in part, to its fashion influence, which has earned the brand celebrity fans including Tinx and Hailey Bieber. The brand’s head designer, Alejandra Hernandez, is also a fashion stylist, for celebs including Britney Spears and Sza. Despite no outside investment, Year of Ours has managed to own and operate a factory, double its revenue every year and expand to new product categories, including skiwear and comfort-focused Body apparel. Swimwear is next.  Haycock and Hernandez said they also want to ramp up the brand’s direct-to-consumer sales, which currently make up just 20% of the business. And that’s just the start of their in-the-works plan for the next era Year of Ours. "There is a heavy weight on us [to figure out] where we want to go, because we know there's so much potential, and we've learned so much. And we've been a bit relaxed on progressive growth,” Haycock said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “So we're at that point where we're like, 'OK, let's do this now. We have both feet on the ground, we're profitable, and we have a great team. Let's go.' But, we're asking, 'What does that look like?' And we're saying, 'Let's make sure we do it right.'" 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This episode is all about Milan Fashion Week. Following our previous episodes on New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, we talk about all the news from Milan, including the launch of Matthieu Blazy’s latest collection for Bottega Veneta, the lack of diversity in the Italian fashion industry and the ongoing influence of classic British style in Italy.

While you may know Maria Sharapova from her time as a decorated, professional tennis player, her accomplishments expand far beyond that. Since retiring from tennis in 2020, Sharapova has been busy building her investment and business portfolios.  Currently, Sharapova is a board member of Moncler, among other brands, and she founded premium candy brand Sugarpova in 2012. Aside from her business endeavors, Sharapova is also an investor in wellness and beauty brands, including Bala Bangles, Therabody and Supergoop! And on top of that, she became a new mother in July 2022. Though Sharapova is juggling many hats, she said her main focuses are motherhood and continuing to build upon her authority in the investor space.  "[I'm looking forward to] continuing to align with brands that have incredibly strong foundations. It's a tough time for many people that are entrepreneurs," Sharapova shared on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "Investing your time and finances into the stage in a company when no one is really taking chances on people is ultimately where I'd like to step in and see opportunity." 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about the issues surrounding Louis Vuitton’s use of artwork in an ad campaign. Plus, we’ve got a special report breaking down the London Fashion Week runways.

Co-founders Peyton Jenkins and Colin Hunter created menswear brand Alton Lane in 2009, after pinpointing a gap in the men's suiting market that was just waiting to be filled. They kicked off the company with a store intended to bridge the gap between experiential and retail. It was located on the 12th floor of a 20-story building on Broadway in New York City.  "[Hunter and I] noticed this emerging trend of self-presentation awareness. We were within that crowd, and while we had no fashion or apparel background, we loved the idea of a challenge," Jenkins said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "At the time, no one was focused on experiential retail ... not like they are today. We thought, 'If we could combine these two things -- better access to fit and a better supply chain -- and through a much better experience, then there was something there.' And we just ran with it."  Since its inception, the brand has become the official menswear partner of BHLDN, Anthropologie's wedding brand. And within the last two months, it launched on TikTok. With both of these moves giving the company a boost, its plans include strong growth in 2023. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, we discuss New York Fashion Week, including the possibility of spectacle overshadowing the clothes, and the impactful moments and looks from the week. Also in the show: a discussion of Pharrell Williams taking over as men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton.

When Natasha Oakley and her best friend, Devin Brugman, created their blog, A Bikini a Day, in 2012, they had no idea their passion project would eventually turn into a multimillion-dollar global brand. The site, which expanded to feature fitness, travel and lifestyle content, was, at its core, a platform to celebrate curves and the diversity of women's bodies. Oakley and Burgman's ability to cater to that gap in the swimwear market, however, was the catalyst for the duo to launch Monday Swimwear in 2014.  "When we started A Bikini a Day [there weren't a lot of swimwear options] that were beautiful, that fit women's curves and that made women feel confident. Everything just didn't fit quite right. We were featuring the best that we could, but it still wasn't up to the standards that we would have liked," Oakley said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "So we thought, 'We just need to create our own brand. We're so passionate about swim, so let's go for it.'" The brand's expansive range of sizes, along with its quality products and the built-in community that came from it being founded by influencers, has helped it grow. According to Oakley, in 2022 alone, Monday Swimwear organically grew 30%.  For Oakley, Monday Swimwear was just the beginning of her journey as a founder and investor. In 2020, the serial entrepreneur launched an online exercise platform called The Pilates Class alongside Jacqui Kingswell, which grew 22% in the 2022, she said. And most recently, she invested in jewelry brand Emma Pills.  Though Oakley has many projects on her plate, she said her main priority is continuing to grow and expand Monday Swimwear. The brand plans to expand into international markets, as well as launch retail locations. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss news from Capri Holdings’ earnings report about the future of luxury, the first glimpse of Daniel Lee’s vision for Burberry, including a new logo, and the verdict in the Hermés MetaBirkins lawsuit and its implications for fashion NFTs.

When Elyce Arons met Kate Spade, then Kate Brosnahan, at 18 years old, the two quickly became friends over a shared interest in journalism. But they moved to New York after college and realized a greater passion for the fashion industry. That led the duo, plus Andy Spade and Pamela Bell, to become the founding partners of Kate Spade, in January 1993.  After eventually selling Kate Spade to Neiman Marcus Group in 2006, Arons and Kate Spade realized they hadn't lost the desire to create and design. Thus, in 2016, they launched Frances Valentine, starting with shoes and handbags. Since then, Frances Valentine has built a growing business by focusing on often overlooked demographics: boomers and Gen X.  "When [Kate and I] started Kate Spade, we were 29 and 30 years old. We were at a time in our lives where we were young professionals, and the products we made were targeted to women like us. But when we started Frances Valentine, we were missing things in the market that we wanted." Arons said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "I thought, 'We've done this before. I know we can do this again.' So we started by making beautiful [shoe] designs at great prices, with good quality." Though Frances Valentine initially began selling apparel as an homage to Kate Spade, it realized the great demand and soon released a full apparel line to complement its accessories. Apparel has grown to become the brand's No. 1 product category. Now, Frances Valentine has its sights on expansion, most recently entering the home decor and beauty categories. As it slowly works toward becoming a premier lifestyle brand, it also plans to open more physical store locations.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about Tiffany’s collaborations with Nike and the departure of its executive creative director Ruba Abu-Nimah. We also discuss Nike’s ongoing lawsuits with Lululemon and Bape, and the rising and falling of some major fashion brands based on the new Lyst Index.

When Zara Terez Tisch launched her namesake brand Terez in 2008, right before the recession, her main goal was to find her light in a sea of darkness. The New York City-based brand, which initially sold leather handbags, quickly grew from operating out of her parents' basement to selling through wholesale partners.  In 2012, Terez expanded into apparel and updated its mission to center on spreading happiness and positivity through clothes. While a kids' line marked the move into the new category, the overwhelming demand for the hero product led to Terez launching colorful leggings for women. That's now the brand's most popular category, according to Terez Tisch. But it's seeing competition. "I am a big kid at heart, and … kids are a huge part of our brand's DNA," Terez Tisch said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "Since launched our first store this past fall, our kids' business has been rising once again."  The flagship location, which opened in NYC's Upper East Side in September 2022, is a physical manifestation of all the best parts of the brand, she said, citing its bright decor and welcoming energy.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we talk about eBay investing in luxury resale company Cudoni, the viral looks from the Schiaparelli show and the expectations for the denim market, based on Levi’s earnings.

For a company to grow, big changes must often be made. Such has been the case for Lively, a digitally native lingerie brand founded in 2015 by Michelle Cordeiro Grant. Since its inception, Lively has had much success navigating the crowded undergarment space, thanks in part to its prioritization of inclusion, community and connection, according to Cordeiro Grant.  A few years into the brand's existence, Lively was acquired by Japanese lingerie company Wacoal in 2019 for $105 million. In August 2022, Cordeiro Grant announced she was stepping down. Kristin DiCunzolo, previously vp of marketing and direct sales at Wacoal America, was appointed Lively's president and CEO.  In her new role, DiCunzolo has ambitious plans to catapult Lively's steady growth. That includes expanding the brand into new categories, diversifying its retail channels and launching it in international markets. Lively is launching e-commerce in Canada later this year.   "Our community has grown with [Lively]. They've aged with us also. But what [the customer] liked when she was 25 might be different almost 10 years later. So we want to be sure [our products] continue to [excite her] while also igniting a new fresh audience," DiCunzolo said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, they take a look at the hoax around Adidas’s fake co-CEO, the future strength of the luxury industry in China and the reason so many brands are getting into resale.

When Olivia Landau started her educational diamond blog in 2016, she had no idea it would transform into the multimillion-dollar brand it is today. The Clear Cut brand, in its current state, officially launched in 2018 and specializes in creating custom rings for clients.  "It was through working with [my co-founder and husband Kyle Simon's] friends when creating their custom rings that I realized most people don't know the first thing about buying a diamond," Landau said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "[Kyle and I] quickly realized there must be a whitespace in the market, if strangers [in the market for a ring] were trusting me with their life savings. ... That's when we decided to commit full time to making this happen." Though Landua, a fourth-generation jeweler, initially did not anticipate working in the industry, her vast knowledge of diamonds and gemstones has fueled her company's growth. According to Landua, since The Clear Cut's launch, it's doubled its revenue every year. Building off that momentum, the company built a cutting-edge proprietary software system in 2020, allowing it to elevate the customer experience by matching clients with gemologists, while simultaneously scaling backend manufacturing and distribution.  As The Clear Cut continues to capitalize on the wedding boom, Landau and her team are focused on simplifying and further customizing the diamond shopping experience, while continuing to educate customers. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week’s episode, executive reshuffling at LVMH shows how the company continues to dominate global luxury, Stella McCartney reveals losses in 2021, and Uniqlo is raising the wages of its Japan-based workers by as much as 40%.

There's no denying Dao-Yi Chow's influence in the fashion industry, especially menswear. Chow's worked with Sean John and Donna Karen, and he co-founded the CFDA award-winning brand Public School. Now, along with NFL quarterback Tom Brady and Jens Grede, founder of Frame and Skims, Chow is behind Brady's namesake apparel brand, which launched in January 2022. Shaped by Chow, the brand's creative director, Brady's key attributes include intentionality and functionality. "This is the first time [I've designed pure performance wear], and it's been a really enjoyable journey. The way we approach design at Brady is a lot more intentional than in my past work. It's thinking about the end user in intentional ways and approaching development -- whether that's [a product's] silhouette or fabric textile -- in a very clear way," Chow said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "I'm not saying I haven't designed in a clear way before, but it was a lot more subjective. The design process [at Brady] is less about trying to make something cool, [and more about] making something that's functional and does what we're saying it will do." As creative director, Chow has designed multiple collections that represent the brand's core goal of blending performance and lifestyle. That includes its swim collection, which launched over the summer. As the brand prepares to celebrate its first anniversary on January 12, building upon its popular core apparel items and expanding its distribution are top of mind. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at Victoria’s Secret losing its CEO, Amy Hauk, after only eight months; Rolex raising its prices and the impact on the larger watch world; and Adidas suing Thom Browne for trademark infringement over the brand's use of stripes as it moves into sportswear.

Prior to launching online marketplace Verishop in 2019, co-founders Imran and Cate Khan defined a white space with strong potential: an e-commerce site catering to influencers-turned-brand founders.  “If you were an independent brand creator, and you were building a brand with a point of view and a story to tell, there was no platform [for you],” Imran Khan said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Brands in the ‘makers' economy’ don't want to be on every platform; they want to be on a platform where they can distinctively tell their stories. They were distributing through social media. Our thesis was that social media would become more crowded, making it difficult for these brands to acquire customers.” Of course, that’s proven true. In step, Verishop has evolved its business model to provide creator brands with marketing solutions, on top of serving as an aggregator. It’s been successful: Today, Verishop sells 5,000 brands from 3,000 merchants. Its monthly merchant retention rate is over 99%, and its merchant count grew 120% year-over-year in the third quarter. Its marketing solutions business grew 6X in the same period.  “We're seeing incredible product-market fit,” he said. 

On the Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi, international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. But in this special year-end episode, the three hosts break down fashion's biggest news, themes, trends and controversies for all of 2022. Highlights include controversies at Balenciaga and Yeezy, the impact of inflation, the return of physical retail, the future of fashion week, and the rise of greenwashing. Stick around until the end to hear predictions for 2023. And thank you all for listening to the Glossy Podcast this year.

Pete Nordstrom, a fourth-generation member of the Nordstrom family, currently serves as the retailer's president and chief brand officer.  Nordstrom got in his start at the company working in the shoe department and worked his way up from there. According to hIm, the experience he gained from directly working with customers still helps him succeed in his role today. "[Working in the shoe department] is a very high-touch proposition that requires a level of commitment and service," he said on the latest Glossy Podcast. "The humility you learn from that is also helpful."  Aside from his executive responsibilities, Nordstrom also hosts The Nordy Pod, a podcast launched in February that gives Nordstrom fans an insider's perspective on all things Nordstrom, retail and fashion.  This week, Nordstrom sat down with Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff to discuss how Nordstrom prepared for the holiday season, and how the company takes a unique approach to customer service, innovation and operations. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, fast fashion companies Zara and Shein posted big earnings, even though the downsides of fast fashion are known. Elsewhere, young adults are fueling luxury’s growth in the U.S. and the U.K. And Gucci will debut its first show without Alessandro Michele — or any creative director at all — in February.

If you're an avid fashion shopper, chances are you've heard of Lyst. The 12-year-old shopping app has the largest assortment of premium and luxury fashion online in one place, according to Emma McFerran, the company's newly-appointed CEO. McFerran joined the company in 2014 and has risen through the ranks to her most recent position, which was officially announced in July.  In her new role, McFerran is dedicated to fine-tuning Lyst's app to strengthen the user experience. "Our members are our most powerful cohorts. ... We use data and technology [from the app] to drive recommendations, which are personal to [consumers]. The more we learn about you, the better the offerings become," McFerran said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast.  In May 2021, the company announced a "pre-IPO" funding round of $85 million. As Lyst focuses on scaling its business under McFerran's leadership, eventually going public and broadening its offerings and brand partnerships will remain top priorities. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, Stitch Fix reported below-expected revenues, possibly indicating a flaw in its recommendation-based business model. Elsewhere, Jordan Brand is getting its first flagship as Nike tests letting the sub-brand stand on its own, and new funding in the brand-owned resale world signals a changing secondhand landscape.

According to Fabio Barreto, global CEO of Brazil-based Farm Rio, its tropical, eye-catching designs, along with its prioritization of digital and its unique brand story, have fueled the fashion brand's popularity since its launch in the ’90s.  To Barreto's point, Farm Rio's ability to connect with a younger audience through digital channels singlehandedly helped the brand stay afloat during the height of the pandemic, when customers couldn't access its physical retail locations.  "[Ours is] a unique brand. It's a new story, it's a different story, and it's a very strong story. We know a lot of what we are and what we're not and the lifestyle we care about," Barreto said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "[Our ability to tell] that story in such a strong way, with sophisticated messaging, assets, imagery and visual merchandising, is something that [resonates] with the customer."  Since Farm Rio's inception, it has opened over 90 stores in Brazil alone. And it recently forayed into international markets. In 2019, it opened three stores in the U.S., including in New York and Miami. And in June, it opened its first permanent location in L.A., following a slew of pop-ups. Farm Rio also has a store in Paris.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, layoffs hit H&M as the company sees rising costs, and Savage x Fenty settled a consumer protection lawsuit centered on misleading its members about payments. Also, a deep dive into the Balenciaga controversy and what it means for the future of the brand.

When Melinda Roberston moved to the U.S. to work on Wall Street in 2012, she didn't expect to receive high praise for her wardrobe. Unlike her American counterparts, Robertson almost exclusively wore Australian fashion brand Scanlan Theodore, which specializes in workwear for women. To her surprise, however, Scanlan Theodore's chic aesthetic was a hit, and it led Robertson and her business partner, Sarah Blank, to approach Gary Theodore, the brand's founder, with a pitch: to launch the company in the U.S.  "[Scanlan Theodore Americas] was very much born out of [my and Sarah's] personal need and the feedback we were receiving [from female bankers]," Robertson said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "One of the trickiest things [when launching in a new country] is knowing whether the product will translate. First: Is it going to translate internationally? We felt confident on that front, because all these women [on Wall Street] were so excited about our suits. Then, once you're [in the U.S.], the question is: How is it going to translate in other states? We felt confident on one front, so we did it." Two years after pitching the idea to Theodore, the trio became business partners on the U.S. business in 2017. Now, as co-CEO of Scanlan Theodore Americas, Robertson is responsible for growing the brand's presence in the American market. Currently, the company has two boutiques in New York City, plus stores in Long Island, N.Y., Miami and Dallas. A location in Washington, D.C. is set to open June 2023. "We've had to be patient," Robertson said. "We've secured the locations we wanted, and now we're focused on building the brand."

For Mary Alice Malone's luxury footwear brand, Malone Souliers, making shoes the "hard way" is what has set the company apart since its inception in 2014.  Launched in London, Malone Souliers has become a sought-after brand due to its extremely high level of craftsmanship. Malone got her experience as a shoemaker at the famous Cordwainers shoemaking school in East London. After graduating, she began her journey of building a footwear company that has since evolved into a premium brand.  Though Malone Souliers does sell an assortment of footwear, including sneakers and flats, its signature style is a high heel named Maureen. When Malone created the now-bestselling shoe in 2015, she knew the intentional design and engineering would win over consumers. After some hesitation from buyers due to the unique silhouette, Maureen debuted as part of Malone Souliers' spring-summer 2015 collection and became a hero product.  "Creating the Maureen was a feat of engineering. It is a really supportive shoe, and it's beautiful," Malone said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "Trying to get people to buy Maureen took a bit of convincing, at first. But then she had her arrival moment, and it's never been the same." Now that Malone Souliers has established itself in the industry, its founder is looking at the bigger picture. Aside from building up the brand's e-commerce site, she recently expanded it to new product categories and new international markets. "I think of [Malone Soulier] as a lightweight boxer. ... It's important to be able to move, adjust and take an opportunity where you see it," Malone said. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and U.K. reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, COP27 revealed the dire need for more urgent action from the fashion industry to reduce emissions. Amid brands' lofty promises, greenwashing is still common and many big brands are raising, rather than reducing, their emissions. Also, Nike launched its big web3 project, called .Swoosh, and retailers in the U.S. and U.K. are preparing for lowered holiday spending.

In 2005, Jennifer Meyer decided to take a leap and bet on herself. Though Meyer had no previous experience in design, her dream was to become a jewelry designer. With support from her family, she learned how to create jewelry and eventually launched a company. "I wanted to design pieces that I wanted to wear and that I knew my friends wanted to wear," Meyers said on the latest episode of The Glossy Podcast. "I wanted classic, beautiful, everyday pieces that would be in your jewelry box forever and that you could layer or keep on, and that you could live in."  Fast forward, and Meyer is now the founder of her 17-year-old namesake jewelry line, which has since expanded into new categories, including fragrance. And she collaborated with Canadian luxury outerwear brand Moose Knuckles to create an 18-piece collection, in 2021. In Oct. 2018, Meyer opened her brand's first physical retail location in L.A.'s Palisades Village shopping center.  In terms of next steps, the core of Meyer's company will always be fine jewelry design, but she is looking forward to further expanding into fragrance and exploring the home category. "We'll see where that all takes me," she added.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff to talk through some of the biggest fashion new stories of the week. This week, Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance in Rihanna's Savage x Fenty show, prompting criticism after he was accused of domestic assault. Elsewhere, The RealReal announced some of its plans to reach profitability sooner, including offering a warranty program for bigger purchases and data monetization. Finally, Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue magazine, is suing Drake and 21 Savage over a fake Vogue cover.

Though Chris Riccobono didn't have any fashion experience when he launched menswear brand Untuckit, he managed to solve a problem in the business casual space. The company's dress shirts designed to be worn untucked have been copied by a plethora of competitors and fueled its profitable business. Since entering the market 2011, the NYC-based DTC brand has seen its fair share of highs and lows: Prior to the start of the pandemic, Untuckit had expanded to 90 retail locations around the world, including six in Canada and a new store in England. But subsequent lockdowns forced Riccobono to temporarily close all locations. "There wasn't one time during the pandemic that we gave in and said, 'I wish we didn't open these stores.' We stood behind them," Riccobono said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "You can't operate a massive growing men's retail business without having stores." The slight setback didn't stop Untuckit's growth. Once the quarantine and guidelines lifted, and consumers began feeling comfortable in public spaces again, Untuckit sales ramped up. In 2021, Untuckit opened three new locations, including in Long Beach, California, Sarasota, Florida and Manchester, U.K. Now, Riccobono is expanding his portfolio. In June, along with Derek Jeter, Misty Copeland and Wayne Gretzky, he introduced an all-new brand, Greatness Wins. It's centered on performance athletic apparel.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, a look at Louis Vuitton's new Paris-based exhibition space and the other brands that have recently opened experiential spaces. Also, new data shows New York Fashion Week Spring 2023 made a big impact, and price forecasts were reduced at Under Armour and Canada Goose.

Jennifer Fisher may have fallen into launching her fine and brass namesake jewelry brand in 2006, but she's proving she's got a knack for scaling the company. Since its inception, Fisher has grown her company into a lifestyle brand. She opened its first West Coast store in 2021, which she followed with a location in NYC's Soho neighborhood in June. The brand is also available in eight Saks stores across the U.S.  "When I started this brand, I didn't want to rely on wholesale. I started this company out of my bedroom selling direct-to-consumer, customizable fine jewelry. My intention for the brand was to stay true to that. … [Jennifer Fisher] never had a large-scale wholesale business intentionally. But that is now changing," Fisher said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "We still love our DTC model. But for the growth of [the brand], it's important for us to be in other cities so people can touch and feel the jewelry. We've noticed with opening up [our] two stores how important is for people to actually see [the jewelry]."  As Fisher plans for 2023, she says nothing is off the table. From food and home decor to fragrance and beauty, the founder is ready to explore and expand into every category that makes sense for the brand. "I never say never," she said

On the latest Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and West Coast correspondent Liz Flora break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, a discussion of how Kanye West's fashion empire came rapidly crumbling down. Plus, Liz takes us into the new world of spa treatments that are more focused on endurance than relaxation and provides a dispatch from Glossy's Influencer Brand Leaders Dinner, with partner Izea, on October 25.

Coming off the heels of its 30th anniversary,  Anthropologie has no plans to slow down. Anthropologie celebrated its 30th anniversary in late September and, in step, produced an interactive installation at the New York Academy of Art called “By Hand, By Heart.” The installation, which ran from Oct. 1-2, showcased the brand's rich history and decades' worth of eye-catching storefront art. The company also published its first coffee table book with Rizzoli, titled "Art of Anthropologie," which celebrates Anthropologie's roots and creative accomplishments. At the helm of the heritage brand is Tricia Smith, who took on the role of global CEO in April 2021. From a very young age, Smith knew she was passionate about retail and serving customers. Though Anthropologie's reputation for keeping the customer front and center was one of the biggest draws for Smith, it was an unforgettable experience while visiting Anthropologie's Soho, NY location over 20 years ago that piqued her interest in the brand. "I remember the way the store made me feel. I distinctly remember that it was the first time that I, as a young woman, felt inspired by a retail experience," Smith shared on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "It was the thoughtfulness of the curation of products, from apparel to candles and home accessories, all celebrated with these amazing and incredible visual installations. It inspired this sense of discovery in me that Anthropologie was the first to create." Since assuming the role as global CEO, Smith's biggest goal has been to invoke that same feeling of inspiration and creativity in customers. "When the opportunity was presented to me to join as the CEO, yes, it was exciting. But it was a bit of a pinch-me moment," Smith added.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week's episode: looks at the fashion evolution of the NBA and Skechers' surprising lawsuit against luxury brand Hermès. Plus, a deep dive into the different ways brands and retailers are tackling earlier-than-ever holiday marketing.

Nate Checketts, CEO and co-founder of men's apparel and activewear brand Rhone, has mastered the art of building a premium brand at a comfortable pace. Rhone, Checketts' 8-year-old brand based in Connecticut, has gone through its fair share of growing pains. Checketts owes its ability to power through the tough times to quality products and smart strategies.  "Part of the ethos and emphasis of Rhone has always been marrying aesthetic and function," Checketts said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Activewear, or as the brand categorizes it "performance lifestyle," has been a key driver of Rhone's business. The category performed incredibly well in 2019, but like every other brand, Rhone was not prepared for the year that followed. "[The year] 2020 was an enormous challenge for us because the interest swung into active and lounge[wear], and we could not keep those products in stock. We were chasing inventory," Checketts said. "Not only [were we] not able to get enough inventory to keep up with demand in a typical calendar year, but now, you have supply chain challenges and countries shutting down, too." Checketts said the sudden increase in demand and new challenges the team faced helped shape Rhone's business strategy from there. "As we thought about 2021, we had to start making calculated decisions as to when we thought lifestyle [apparel] was going to come back," Checketts said.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, a look at LVMH's earnings and the resilience of the luxury fashion sector to changes in the economy, and Thom Browne taking over as chairman of the CFDA. Plus, a breakdown of Farfetch's concierge service and ways retailers are catering to the lucrative — and secretive — ultra-wealthy customer base.

Arianna Casadei, head of marketing at her family's namesake brand, Casadei, has her eyes set on the future of retail and technology. The 60-year-old, Milan-based luxury footwear business, which was started by her grandfather, has made a name for itself through its design and craftsmanship. And its "Blade" heel style has become well-known among footwear fans. "From a craftsmanship perspective, [the Blade heel] is so interesting, because heels are usually made of plastic, while here you have a stainless steel heel sole within it," Casadei said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "With all of the trials they did throughout six months — the whole team was restlessly trying and trying, day in day out [to create the perfect heel] — when it came alive, it was like winning a championship or something." This year, Casadei is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the "Blade," which has been a bestseller since its inception. As part of the celebration, Casadei released a limited-edition wearable NFT, a first for the company. To develop it, the company partnered with web3 firm Another1, and it launched the NFT on Decentraland in September. Another area of growth for the brand has been through physical retail. Currently, Casadei has two brick-and-mortar stores in Italy and one in the U.K. And with the U.S. being a large online market for the brand, there are plans to expand its physical footprint to the states very soon. "We want to grow, from an omnichannel [perspective]. And we're looking at possible solutions [for providing] localized stock [in the 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down all the biggest fashion news from the week. On this week's episode, we take a look at all the dramatic news that came out of a very packed Paris Fashion Week, including the Bella Hadid spray-on dress at the Coperni show and Kanye West's controversial "White Lives Matter" shirts.

As a partner at XRC Labs, a New York-based venture fund and startup accelerator, Diana Melencio is actively working to help underrepresented founders get the funding they need to run successful companies. The fund primarily focuses on retail technology and consumer goods. To date, the company has invested in some of the buzziest names in these industries, including The Lobby, Billie, Caraa and Wear.   "It's a business imperative to invest in underrepresented founders only because ... so much of the untapped opportunity isin those areas," Melencio said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "It's not a marketing ploy or something that we're actively trying to skew our demographics for, but rather one that is grounded in the fact that there is a huge opportunity in investing in these types of founders." Melencio has only been with XRC Labs for one year, but her past experience on Wall Street prepared her for this role, she said. For 10 years, Melencio focused on investing in consumer retail and healthcare. She then founded two companies, one of which received an XRC Labs investment. Right before joining XRC Labs, Melencio ran WISE Ventures, an investment fund.   With over a decade's worth of experience in funding and retail technology, Melencio is excited about the future of retail and the new brands and founders that will arise as a result. "Consumers [want to] purchase a product anywhere and everywhere," Melencio said. "To me, the future store [is] everywhere, like a truly omnichannel experience."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, the main topic of conversation was Milan Fashion Week, the trends on display and the distinction between MFW and its London and New York counterparts. The second half of the episode is devoted to Daniel Lee’s surprise appointment at Burberry and the potential directions he might take the company.

From getting discovered by Chanel's former creative director Karl Lagerfeld to becoming his muse and eventually a supermodel, Irina Lazareanu has decades worth of experience in fashion. "It was very much being at the right place at the right time," said Lazareanu on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "I could never be [the perfect model]. I had to find something that was completely mine. And I had to stick to that conviction that I'm still going to show up like [myself]. I'm not going to change because everybody else looks a certain way. [Being different] was terrifying at 18." Staying true to herself came with a lot of rejection, she said, but it was worth it when Lagerfeld noticed her at a casting call. From there, Lazareanu's career took off, and unbeknownst to her at the time, she ruled the early aughts runway. Two decades into her career, Lazareanu has had a lot of time to reflect on her upbringing and ascension to superstardom. She published her first book "Runway Bird" in April, an insight into her whirlwind career along with the people who helped her along the way. Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity. The social media effect "It's good that people are using their platforms to talk about [issues in the fashion industry]. At the same time, I also think it's very important for somebody to pay their dues and do the work. If you have worked in fashion for years, you want to be paid for your work. But if you had a viral video on TikTok because you did a funny dance and all of a sudden, you want to be paid millions of dollars when people [like] journalists, models, stylists, designers, et cetera have worked for 20 or 30 years to get somewhere [then] I don't agree with that. Your work needs to also reflect your value and what you bring to the industry." Pioneering the "indie sleaze" trend "Indie Sleaze as the Gen Zers call it was just called indie [when I was growing up]. It was an amazing time in music and fashion in the early 2000s where you had groups like The Libertines coming and creating this movement that wasn't grunge. It was post-grunge. It had a little bit of the '90s baggy jeans, dirty hair and ripped jeansthing going on, but it was also mixed with glamorous aspects. It wasn't about following trends and wearing brands, it was about getting through your day and surviving it. That's how I look at it. It was authentic. It's not a trend and it’s not a movement. It was a feeling of expression."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the fashion industry's biggest news of the week. This week, Zofia reports back from her time at London Fashion Week, including how the death of Queen Elizabeth II impacted shows and what differences she saw between the approaches of designers showing at LFW, compared to NYFW.

 According to Loretta Choy, chief merchandising officer at Stitch Fix, data is one of the most important factors in fulfilling the Stitch Fix customer's personalized demands. Choy joined the Stitch Fix team in 2019, only a few months before the pandemic upended the workforce. She said her team's ability to adapt and analyze data was key to keeping the business afloat. Choy's team uses billions of data points to inform which products and new categories Stitch Fix introduces to its assortment. Under her leadership, Stitch Fix added athleisure and activewear to its offerings after noticing consumer shopping trends had shifted. "We were thinking, 'How do we ensure during Covid that we have apparel that is right for [the consumer]?" Choy said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "Some of the [demand we saw] from our clients was item [specific], but often, it was about the end use. It was about, 'How [do] I shift my look or my wardrobe?' Those were important data inputs we received." Choy admitted that working in traditional retail environments for close to 20 years presented a slight learning curve when joining Stitch Fix, but she said the transition enabled personal growth. Now that Choy feels more settled in her role, she is focused on expanding Stitch Fix's men's, children's and womenswear into more apparel categories. The executive's expansion efforts are in line with Stitch Fix's growth strategies. Stitch Fix announced during its Q4 earnings report conference call on Tuesday that its net revenue and active clients in the quarter were lower than expected, due to a turbulent retail market. However, leveraging Choy's intentional use of data, the company hopes to tap into under-serviced demographics and increase consumer acquisition.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the biggest news in the fashion industry of the week. This week, on a special New York Fashion Week episode, the hosts discuss the vibe at NYFW this season, compared to the lackluster previous seasons. They also talk about see-now-buy-now, the return of big names like Fendi and Tommy Hilfiger, and the future of the fashion calendar.  Also, this episode marks the 1-year anniversary of Week in Review, which started as a special episode recapping last September's NYFW. Thanks to all for listening!

The retail industry is increasingly integrating AI efforts into business strategies, and Katia Walsh, chief global strategy and AI officer at Levi Strauss and Co., is at the forefront of those changes. Walsh has been with Levi's for nearly four years and has led the charge of melding Levi's values with innovative technological capabilities to both drive change and increase revenue. Walsh has a strong track record. Prior to Levi's, Walsh's work contributed to transforming companies across many industries in 30-plus countries. She holds a Ph.D. in strategic communication with a specialization in quantitative methodology. "I joined Levi's because of what the brand symbolizes for me. Especially growing up in a communist country, it meant so much more than clothes — and I love the clothes. ... It's also a symbol of freedom, of democracy, of the unattainable. To this day, if you ask people in Eastern Europe what some of the strongest brands are, Levi's tops that list. I also joined Levi's because of its DNA of innovation. ... It has always stood up for making an impact on the world," Walsh said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. The executive credits developing three particular passions as the key to her professional success. Those include data and information, technology's ability to amplify information, and the power of machine learning to analyze it all and drive desired outcomes.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion industry news of the week. On this week's episode, Kanye West's ongoing feud with both Adidas and Gap reveal contentious details about their partnerships, brands across the industry prepare for the onslaught of promotions to deal with excess inventory, and the EU faces an energy crisis and the impact it's having on fashion.

As luxury fashion brand Adeam celebrates its 10th anniversary, CEO and creative director Hanako Maeda reflected on the brand's growth. The Tokyo-born, NYC-raised designer, who is also vp of Tokyo-based fashion brand Foxey, said one of the most vital factors to Adeam's success has been being OK with growing slowly but steadily. 'The key is to really know your customer and not to expand the brand in a way that feels too fast or too quick," Maeda said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. For example, though Adeam has been around for a decade, it only recently branched out into releasing collaborations with ambassadors. Its first was in February 2020, with tennis star Naomi Osaka — marking her first fashion collaboration, as well. Adeam launched its latest collaboration with model Carolyn Murphy, in June, using the best practices gained from the partnership with Osaka. "[Our] collaboration [with Carolyn Murphy] was unique because the collection was 100% sustainable. We used fabrics made from organic cotton or fabrics that are biodegradable and go back into the soil after the clothing has met its cycle and lifetime," Maeda said. "I'd love to continue to have these collaborations [because] they inspire me to create different things for our main collection, as well." In terms of the next steps for Adeam, Maeda has set her eyes on global expansion. The designer plans to build a flagship store from scratch in New York City and grow the brand in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and Glossy Pop's Sara Spruch-Feiner break down some of the biggest fashion industry news of the week. On this week's episode: Ciara is the latest celebrity to launch a brand, contributing to the saturation of celebrity beauty and fashion brands that have sprung up in the last year and raising questions about the sustainability of this market. Additionally, Savage x Fenty is getting into loungewear. And Allure announced the end of its print edition to focus on digital media and its brick-and-mortar store in SoHo.

According to co-founders and co-CEOs Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher, Harper Wilde, the intimates brand they launched in 2017, would not be nearly as successful as it is if it weren’t for the community they built early on. Kerner and Fisher launched the DTC bra brand after previously working together on a completely different brand following business school. Though the two had very little experience in the retail space, they knew there was an opportunity for a millennial intimates brand to launch and disrupt the industry. Fast forward to 2022, and Harper Wilde has not only managed to foster a thriving community, but it has also differentiated itself in a crowded market — a feat not many brands are able to tout. To date, it’s leveraged through crowdsourcing and has created a high-quality product made of well-researched raw materials — and Harper Wilde has bigger milestones ahead. For example, the company is hoping to expand into new categories later this year. Currently, Harper Wilde’s online site is its primary shopping channel, but it also sells at Nordstrom in a few stores and online. “Our North Star has always been to be the next market leader in intimates. There’s so much opportunity for us to continue to provide more silhouettes, more products and more sizes,” Kerner said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “[Our customer] is asking us for more than just bras and underwear. … Now that we have her size for the most difficult garments to make, there are a lot of opportunities for us to understand how we can make other garments that fit her incredibly well and are super soft.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week's episode, Farfetch bought out a controlling stake in Yoox Net-a-Porter from Richemont, Nike topped the list of brands with the most NFT sales at nearly $200 million, and Urban Outfitters made more money than ever but lost profits due to increased costs.

When Andrew Fallshaw created Australian accessories brand Bellroy in 2010, alongside his three co-founders, he hoped that, beyond designing incredible products, the brand would connect like-minded consumers through community. Now 12-year-old Bellroy has grown to become a $300 million brand — an impressive growth trajectory from a company that was valued at $83 million just three years ago. Currently, Bellroy sells 82 products across several categories, including wallets, bags and accessories, on its website. One of the biggest credits to Bellroy’s success has been the team’s ability to create clear boundaries for the brand. You won’t see Bellroy coming out with a fragrance or foraying into areas that Fallshaw considers outside of the “carry scope.” “In 2010, we launched our first product, which was five slim wallets. … We re-engineered the wallet from the ground up … They took off [and] they found incredible resonance. That notion of slim wallets, which hadn’t really been a focus before then for brands, grabbed hold,” Fallshaw shared on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We had a few years of rocketship growth, but our intention was always to fill into the carry space and help people with how they organize their things and move through the world.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff, break down some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, the hosts discuss the executives that have recently left brands, including leaders at Asos, Eileen Fisher and Lively. They also break down the state of resale and the unique challenges resale platforms face in light of inflation, and the possibility that Outdoor Voices may be acquired or seek a round of investment.

Despite a booming e-commerce market, U.K.-based e-tailer Atterley is managing to differentiate. That's thanks to a powerhouse team that includes co-CEO Kelly Byrne, formerly of Nasty Gal, and chief trends officer Alexandra Shulman, previously editor-in-chief of British Vogue. Under Byrne and Shulman's leadership, Atterley has grown its reach among shoppers who value its business model of "a marketplace supporting boutiques globally [and] a champion in the ethos of independent shopping," as described by Byrne on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. This year, the company is hyperfocused on growing its U.S. consumer base. Currently, the U.S. is Atterley's second-largest and fastest-growing market, according to Byrne and Shulman. They're now focused on building brand awareness while spotlighting the company's ability to provide consumers with a unique online shopping experience. "Where Atterley is really strong are in these lower price points but above the high street, and [with] brands that other countries have never heard of. I'm sure that, in the states, a lot of our offerings are exciting new brands that you aren't going to find anywhere," Shulman said.

On the Glossy Week in Review Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest news in the fashion industry of the week. This week, BeReal may be an opportunity for brands to show an authentic side, and inflation doesn't seem to be impacting big luxury companies like Ralph Lauren and Capri Holdings. Plus, will the Inflation Reduction Act have a positive impact on the fashion industry?

Meg Strachan launched jewelry brand Dorsey in November 2019 as a side project. Though she knew she eventually wanted to launch her own company, financially, it didn't seem possible. "My path to founder was not a leap, it was gradual. I call it a parallel path," Strachan said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Strachan had over 15 years of experience as a growth marketer at brands like Anine Bing, Carbon38 and Bandier. But when it came time to fundraise for Dorsey, she faced roadblocks. "I wasn't able to raise money prior to the brand having traction, which was fascinating for me, because I met with a lot of incredible VCs," Strachan said. "I was told, 'You have the exact resume of a founder we would invest into,' but all of them really told me, 'We don't really know the jewelry market.'" In September of 2019, Strachan joined sustainable activewear company Girlfriend Collective as the vp of growth across all channels. "I took on the role on a full-time consulting basis. I was [working] 9-to-5 with Girlfriend ... and I started to moonlight Dorsey at night and on weekends, essentially running the company when I wasn't doing my full-time job," Strachan said. Strachan's growth marketing and e-commerce experience helped Dorsey scale to become a seven-figure business in less than three years. Simultaneously, Girlfriend Collective saw 350% year-over-year growth during her tenure at the company. As Strachan transitioned into running her company full-time, growth and expansion through creative marketing and wholesale have been some of the most exciting areas of focus for her. "How I'm growing the business is certainly very different than most of the companies that I've worked for before," Strachan said.  

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska discuss and break down the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, several designers announced fashion month plans, shedding more light on what's in store for September — which may or may not include an elongated Milan Fashion Week. Also, Estée Lauder confirmed the rumor that it’s exploring a Tom Ford acquisition. And an innovative physical retail experience proved that the metaverse is impacting brands’ approach to stores.

Though Lele Sadoughi the brand has been around for a decade, founder and creative director Lele Sadoughi brings a wealth of knowledge to her namesake business. Previously. she worked at Tory Burch, Club Monaco and Banana Republic. She launched J.Crew’s jewelry category in 2005 before creating her own line. “Working for these bigger companies, you had interaction with merchandising, with copywriting, with planning, with production, with visuals — with everything. In retrospect, it was the greatest primer to me starting my collection,” Sadoughi said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. After making a splash in 2018 with its pearl and jewel headband, Lele Sadoughi has since expanded into nearly 15 different categories including handbags, eyewear and home decor. Sadoughi attributes the brand’s success to its organic marketing, dedication to its DNA and authentic collaborations, like the one it did with LoveShackFancy in 2020. According to Sadoughi, the company has seen record revenue since the start of the pandemic and shows no signs of slowing down. Currently, Sadoughi is focused on opening more physical retail spaces. The plan is to open the brand’s first NYC location, on Bleecker Street, at the end of summer. It has two existing store locations, in Dallas and Newport Beach. “Our best, newest advertising is all of our stores opening up. It’s a way where people can see the brand and see all the categories in one space,” said Sadoughi.

On this week's episode of the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska and Glossy intern Gabriela Garcia-Astolfi to break down some of the biggest news in the fashion industry. This week, The RealReal's retail stores and refusal to cut costs are making it difficult for the decade-old company to reach profitability, the impacts of inflation on the fashion industry in the U.S. and U.K. are starting to become more apparent, and Jennifer Lopez wore looks from Frame and Reformation on her highly publicized honeymoon, harkening back to the heyday of Bennifer. 

In her 10 years of e-commerce experience, Tracy Sun, co-founder of Poshmark, has seen how quickly the online resale landscape has evolved. Sun helped build the social commerce marketplace in 2011 and now holds the title of svp of seller experience at Poshmark, a newly-created role she's had for about a year. According to Sun, since Poshmark’s inception, the company has prioritized putting the customer first. And for her team, that's meant being able to adapt and quickly respond to changes in the industry. "We have to continue innovating to help our customer," Sun said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Poshmark went public in Jan. 2021, and according to Poshmark’s Q1 earnings report released in May, the company made $90.9 million in the first quarter of 2022, which was a 13% year-over-year increase. Part of its recent success has been based on a push to bring the "human connection back to the transaction" on the platform. In keeping with those efforts, the company is hosting its annual two-day seller conference called PoshFest IRL in September. It is the company's first in-person event since the start of the pandemic. As Poshmark settles into its status as a publicly traded company, rethinking marketing opportunities and rebuilding its community are a few of its biggest initiatives. "Going through this pandemic and not being able to have our events was very, very difficult for us. We rely so much on them. We missed them, from a business and strategic perspective," said Sun. "When these events were paused, our sellers lost a lot [of their community]. ... We're very excited to return to our in-person events and get back on track in creating those connections."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska to break down some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, the U.K. suffered some of the hottest temperatures the country has ever seen with impacts on the fashion industry, and big e-commerce players like Zalando, Yoox Net-a-Porter and About You joined forces on a cross-company sustainability initiative. Meanwhile, new AR technology is coming out of Google and Snap.

After being let go as executive chairman of Men’s Warehouse, the company he founded, in 2013, George Zimmer founded Generation Tux a year later. Generation Tux offers convenient and low-stress suit rental services exclusively online. “In lieu of going [to the] store, there are many advantages through Generation Tux, particularly for the bride who has so much going on around her wedding. Gen Tux is a load off her mind,” said Zimmer on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.  With 50 years of experience in the suit industry, Zimmer understands the desire to order your own wedding tuxedo from the comfort of your living room. Generation Tux's concise shipping timeline — it delivers customers’ suits three weeks before an event — is also advantageous since it allows for last-minute changes.  But even with the online spending spree of the pandemic, the company has faced challenges. When the pandemic first hit, Generation Tux temporarily shut down until it received government aid. Two years later, it is reaping the benefits of the pandemic’s demand for accessible online fashion, with yearly revenue of $5 million. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, Glossy’s senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss and break down the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, Gap CEO Sonia Syngal abruptly stepped down on Monday, signaling further troubles within the American apparel giant. Elsewhere, Dior demanded compensation from Valentino for lost foot traffic, only to retract the demand later in the week. Finally, brands are starting to charge customers for returns.

With economic and consumer trends constantly in flux, Imaginary Ventures co-founder and managing partner Nick Brown wants to ensure his VC firm stays ahead of the curve. Brown created the venture capital firm alongside Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet in 2018. It is now one of the largest VC funds sitting at the intersection of technology and retail. The company's portfolio includes well-known brands, platforms and founders, including Glossier, Skims, Everlane and Farfetch. The firm has grown funds under its management to $1 billion. In April, it announced its third fund, of $500 million, across late- and early-stage businesses. According to Brown, part of Imaginary's success has been its ability to find the diamond startup with the potential for global reach. "Our approach to investing in brands was always brand lead and product lead," Brown shared on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Brown added that the company prioritizes brands at the forefront of innovation in technology and those that can adjust to an ever-changing ecosystem. While Imaginary has found success in investing in later-stage businesses, it also values early-stage brands and founders shaping the future of the consumer experience. "If you're an early-stage founder, it's less about the detail of [a 5-year plan] and more about the vision of how you're going to hit scale, because that's the hardest thing for everybody. I would say that, for every 20, 30, 40 companies we see, [only] one of them has the ability to hit that [$100 million] kind of scale. So you want to be really thoughtful and really confident in your articulation of how you achieve that," said Brown.

Digiday Media is proud to present The Return, a podcast about what the return to the office can look like as corporate America adapts to the new, not quite post-pandemic normal. The Return follows the staff at one Atlanta-based advertising agency through Covid outbreaks, as well as the highs and lows of transitioning to hybrid work after two years of pandemic lockdown and working remotely. While the future of work is still under construction, employees across the country are forging their own paths to determine what that future looks like amidst parenthood, corporate mandates, long commutes and an ever-looming pandemic. The Return is hosted by Kimeko McCoy, senior marketing reporter at Digiday, and produced by Digiday audio producer Sara Patterson. Listen to The Return on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week's episode, brands are pulling out of China after facing increased competition from local brands and retailers, Klarna's valuation is reportedly dropping from $45 billion to as low as $6 billion, and fashion brands are launching Hamptons activations as the summer kicks off.

Historically, fast-fashion retailers have dominated clothing designed for tween and teen girls. Yet, Gen Z, more than any other generation, is known for its environmental consciousness, leaving young shoppers torn between buying affordable, trendy clothes or staying true to their eco-conscious values. With a mission to provide socially and environmentally conscious clothing at a more affordable price point than designer teen labels, Woodley + Lowe was founded in 2020 by two moms, Rachel Thebault and Neda Talebian Funk. “We try to be mindful of who our customer is and that her hard-earned babysitting money needs to go a long way,” said Thebault on the latest Glossy podcast. After experience shopping for their own daughters, the co-founders were frustrated with the archaic sizing recommendations for teen girls’ apparel. “The problem we especially saw with tweens was that these girls are growing at very different times from each other and they're growing in different ways,” said Thebault. The pair developed a proprietary sizing scale, which bridges the gap between teen and women’s clothing and allows consumers to grow into the brand at their own pace. To resonate with its Gen-Z target demographic, Woodley + Lowe created a robust ambassador program, consisting of brand representatives in high school and college. The ambassadors work to foster a community of fans who are educated on buying quality, long-lasting products and are encouraged to think about how and where their apparel is made. The brand has notably found success in the athleisure space, with the pandemic boosting sales for the entire industry. However, Thebault and Talebian Funk see category expansion in Woodley + Lowe's future, while continuing to take a thoughtful approach to teen fashion. Talebian Funk said the brand is planning to build content libraries based on how Gen Z consumes information, including providing interactive and video-based options. And, a potential brick-and-mortar store and brand collaborations are on the docket to continue to drive brand awareness. “From the early days, we’ve thought, ‘How do we become a Goop for this generation?,’” said Talebian Funk. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest news of the week in the fashion industry. This week, Marc Jacobs held a show at the New York Public Library, showcasing the ways the brand has stuck to tradition while growing and flourishing. Elsewhere, controversy around how the Sustainable Apparel Coalition communicates sustainability led to the group pausing its labeling efforts, and StockX laid off 8% of its staff.

After returning from a trip to South Africa, The Folklore’s Amira Rasool was often stopped on the streets of New York and asked where she purchased her clothing, which she scored while abroad. “I knew that African and Black-owned brands were the future because people were getting bored of the same old [stuff],” said Rasool, founder and CEO of The Folklore, on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “These brands have a cultural and heritage point-of-view that shines through in their products.” With research, Rasool discovered that most African brands did not have direct-to-consumer e-commerce platforms of their own and were not stocked in retail stores outside of their home country. Rasool launched The Folklore in 2016 as the first B2B wholesale e-commerce platform exclusively focused on Black-owned and African brands.  “Combining my interest and knowledge of Black history and uplifting Black people in our socio-economic condition with my love for styling and telling stories, I created The Folklore,” said Rasool. “We built this product with African and Black-owned brands at the forefront and not as an afterthought." The company’s designers are based in South Africa and Nigeria, but The Folklore is also developing relationships with brands in Ghana and Morocco. In addition, by September, the company is working to launch Folklore Connect, a B2B wholesale e-commerce platform that empowers global retailers to discover and shop for African and Black-owned fashion and lifestyle brands. The company’s current focus is on apparel, accessories, home and beauty, but will soon expand to new product categories and price points. “With our curation, we still have the potential [to on-board] thousands of brands to the platform,” said Rasool. “We haven't even scratched the surface.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest news in fashion from the week. This week, Gucci announced a collection co-designed by Harry Styles and Alessandro Michele called Gucci HA HA HA. Harrods managing director Michael Ward revealed that the British department store was delaying its annual summer sale due to slow shipments of inventory. Finally, NFT.NYC went down in New York, and fashion brands continued their embrace of NFTs even as prices for NFTs are dropping.

After launching and selling her namesake maternity wear brand, Liz Lange began to long for her entrepreneurial days. To that end, she bought New York-based women's luxury label Figue, acquiring the 10-year-old brand in 2021 from founder Stephanie Von Watzdorf. Lange is currently CEO. "I wanted to be the entrepreneur. I didn't want to be the advisor or the investor," said Lange on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Lange learned Figue was available for sale after spending years wearing and admiring the brand's clothes. "I knew [Figue] had 10 years of reputation-building [under its belt], which is very hard to accomplish. So I thought, 'Aha, maybe this is my next meant-to-be moment'," she said.  Along with its direct-to-consumer e-commerce site, the brand now sells in over 50 retail locations, including at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Lange classifies the brand as accessible and affordable luxury — its prices range from $73-$1,572. "I knew the brand was much more than a summer and vacation brand, and that we could get there by doing more than dresses," said Lange. She said that Figue plans to grow sales by expanding to product categories including swim, shoes and accessories.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, LVMH Ventures invests in lab-grown diamond company Lusix, as its portfolio brands Bulgari and Tiffany & Co. continue to swear off lab-grown stones; Christie's makes its play for sneakers and streetwear sales official with the launch of a dedicated vertical; and the prices of many crypto coins plummet, as more fashion companies including Farfetch announce they're newly accepting crypto payments.

When Alyssa Wasko was in college, she never thought she'd start a fashion brand. Fast-forward 13-years later, and Donni has become well-known for its elevated basics. In 2009, Wasko began making scarves to cope with the death of her father, Donald, for whom her company is named. Her college friends started placing orders and, eventually, she was selling scarves as a side gig while working at Chanel as a visual merchandiser. On the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, Wasko said her years at Chanel prepared her well for her current role and that her Chanel co-workers were supportive of her side hustle. She also recalled hat, while getting her company off the ground, she sold scarves on Etsy and hosted trunk shows throughout the year. Now, Donni is sold in over 115 stores worldwide including Saks, Revolve, Holt Renfrew and Free People. Donni also sells direct-to-consumer through its brand website.  Drawing on its core characteristics of comfort and ease, Donni has since expanded from selling neck warmers and sarongs to offering a full fashion line. Along with women's clothing, it includes hair accessories and jewelry. To date, Donni has been entirely self-funded, and organic growth is what has sustained the brand throughout its 13 years, Wasko said. Recently, the brand began to focus more on the personal stories surrounding its products.  "Our team is speaking more on Instagram Lives and in videos for our retailers and e-commerce customers. [We're aiming to] speak to more of the product and [provide] insight into our brand and our processes," said Wasko.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, CEO Julie Wainwright abruptly leaves The RealReal after founding the company a decade ago; Fendi and Marc Jacobs plan to launch a collaboration, according to rumors; and the hosts delve into some of the insights from this week's Glossy Fashion & Luxury Summit, providing details from conversations with execs from Levi's, MyTheresa and Faith Connexion.

After being unable to find an ethically sourced diamond engagement ring, Beth Gerstein took matters into her own hands and co-founded Brilliant Earth in 2005. In the years to follow, Brilliant Earth disrupted industry practices by selling diamonds from ethically and environmentally responsible sources. “About two-thirds of the diamond industry is [made up of] neighborhood jewelers, so it's an industry that hasn't really evolved,” says Gerstein on the latest Glossy podcast.  Brilliant Earth prides itself on the highly personal experience it provides its customers in-store. The brand has 20 showrooms throughout the U.S. Its latest opened in Edina, Minnesota on June 2. It plans to open up to 15 more locations 2022.  During the pandemic in 2021, Brilliant Earth saw a 51% increase in annual net sales, reaching $380 million. And its first-quarter 2022 earnings report showed $100 million in net sales. Gerstein credits the brand’s success to its nimble supply chain. Beyond selling ethical jewelry, Brilliant Earth partners with social programs like Feeding America and the Rainforest Alliance to further its global advocacy mission. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week's episode, British fast-fashion company Missguided entered bankruptcy and was bought out by Frasers Group for $22 million, Kenzo's creative director Nigo announced plan to release sequential campaigns every month, and more fashion brands entered the pandemic-hot home goods category. 

With an impressive background in e-commerce roles at Macy's, eBay and Walmart, Jill Ramsey became the CEO of AKA Brands in 2020. Founded in 2018, AKA Brands is a global platform that aids in supporting and scaling brands while enhancing their profitability through an asset-light operating model. AKA Brands currently has five distinct portfolio brands: Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal and Pup, Mnml and Rebdolls. "We invest in digitally native direct-to-consumer fashion brands and accelerate their growth through the synergies harnessed as a group," Ramsey said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. The company IPO'd in September 2021, raising $110 million, which "was a big opportunity to share our story with the world," she said. "There's a generation of young brands born on social media and are good at [producing] front-end content. They know how to create inspirational content that resonates with their end customer and spot the right fashion to connect with their audience. On their own, these young brands can struggle to scale, which is where AKA comes in. We support them in scaling and networking with the other brands," said Ramsey. Glossy spoke to Ramsey about AKA Brands' unique business model, including its strategic acquisitions and digital-focused strategies, and the challenges and changes the company has experienced throughout the pandemic.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi breaks down the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, he's joined by Glossy Pop's Sara Spruch-Feiner for a special episode, diving into some of the pop-culture stories you can read on Glossy Pop. On this week's episode: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Dolce & Gabbana-branded wedding showed the natural next step for the endlessly monetized life of an influencer; Emily Weiss's departure from Glossier spotlighted the evolution of a DTC brand pioneer; and finally, Demna's vision for Balenciaga recently resulted in a run of fascinating collaborations and shows.

After five years in business, Jane Winchester Paradis’s jewelry brand, Jane Win, has earned fans including Jill Biden and Debra Messing. The brand's focus is bold coin charms, inspired by antique coins of the 1900s, that are worn on gold necklaces. Topped with meaningful symbols and words like "hope," the coins are often purchased to mark important moments in one’s life, Winchester Paradis said on the latest Glossy Podcast.  Jane Win's sales increased 113% during the pandemic, from December 2020 to December 2021. It relies on DTC and wholesale sales channels, and regularly hosts trunk shows to give customers an in-person shopping experience.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down the biggest fashion news of the week. On this week's episode, Tom Ford stepped down from his role as chairman of the CFDA after three years, leaving the organization at a crossroads; Gucci's Cosmogonie show in Puglia was an example of extravagant, idiosyncratic fashion not dictated by data and algorithms; and Nike's collaboration with Jacquemus was yet another example of high and low fashion coming together.

When founder and CEO Stacey Boyd set out to create her company, Olivela, she wanted to establish a luxury shopping platform with a philanthropic mission baked into the core business model. The 5-year-old company donates 20% of net proceeds from every purchase to the consumer's charity of choice from Olivela's list of partners, at no cost to the consumer or brand partners.  “There are three pillars we work in,” Boyd said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Olivela focuses on women’s empowerment, climate action and health and wellness. “The name is ‘Olive’ for olive trees, a symbol of growth and wisdom, and ‘vela,’ which is Latin for the sails of the ship, with the idea that we help set people forward on the best path in life.” “Purpose matters to [our customers],” said Boyd. “As we think about developing and creating the Olivela website, no one is going to buy something simply because it does good. Our customer is going to buy a bag because she loves the bag. She’s going to choose to buy it from Olivela versus somewhere else because of the good that it does and because she has a choice as a consumer."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff run through some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, Marco Gobbetti, the new CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo, announced plans to double the company's sales in the next three years, with the help of new creative director of Maximilian Davis; earnings reports from resale companies The RealReal and ThredUp revealed divergent paths for the sector as inflation affects their sales; and a few major brands spoke up about defending reproductive rights in the wake of the leaked Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, but most have been hesitant to speak up.

Since the birth of Frame, Erik Torstensson, co-founder and creative director, has always envisioned the clothing line becoming a lifestyle destination. In the decade since its debut, it has expanded beyond a denim-focused assortment to include a wide variety of clothing and accessories.  “I don't think there is an enormous urgency to Frame, and I like that,” Torstensson said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “I don't want Frame to be a hype brand, necessarily." Frame projected $200 million in annual revenue for 2021. Frame’s designs are inspired by the men and women who surround Torstensson. Recently, he has drawn inspiration from his two step-daughters, Bella and Ava, and girlfriend, Natalie Massenet, co-founder and managing partner at Imaginary Ventures. Torstensson expressed his self-awareness in understanding that, as a straight, 40-year-old white man, there are many aspects of women’s fashion he does not know. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, the discussion turns to the Met Gala and all the looks on dsplay that were both on-theme and off; Revolve's earnings, specifically how the company is handling its inventory load; and the future of Off-White after New Guards Group named Ibrahim Kamara as its new art and image director.

As CEO and designer of her nearly 20-year-old namesake fashion label, Nili Lotan has found success in the luxury fashion industry by going against the grain of fashion industry norms. The brand is reportedly on pace to bring in $100 million in revenue this year. “The motto of my business is that I make everything in the U.S. — that, in itself, means that luxury is built into the seams,” Lotan said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “I’ve been growing the business, and as my business has evolved, I’ve [gone from exclusively focusing on] timeless luxury essentials to being a full lifestyle and multi-category [brand].” The brand launched handbags in 2020. Next, it will roll out menswear, this summer, and additional accessories, in September. Lotan targets “an ageless woman,” calling her brand’s clothing an expression of a nonchalant attitude, which she believes is hard to find in a luxury fashion brand. “But the majority [of my customers] are 40- to 45-years old. And those are all working women who run a busy life the way I do. … I try to give her everything that she needs, and I try to give myself everything I need.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest news stories of the week. On this week's episode, Thom Browne's spring show at the Javits Center is representative of brands going outside the traditional fashion calendar, formats and venues; Simon Property Group reportedly makes a bid to buy Kohl's two years after it bought its rival JCPenney; and Victoria Beckham is launching a shapewear line at a time when the category is hot, but without the overtly body-positive messaging of other shapewear lines.

Batsheva Hay has found success in the fashion industry by simply making what she likes. In 2016, she launched the dress brand Batsheva, which has seen accelerated growth since the start of the pandemic. “I didn't set out to get into fashion at all,” Hay said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “I was actually a lawyer … and quit my job. And then I got excited to get dressed again in the way that I wanted, which included wearing lots of vintage clothing. I kept on going back to this thrifted Laura Ashley dress that I was just wearing to shreds… I found a pattern maker to remake it, but by that point, I’d changed [the concept] so much that it became a whole other Frankenstein creation. And that was the start, in my head, of wanting to make more.” And thus, Batsheva was born. Luckily for Hay, her original concept proved to be popular during the pandemic. “At first, [everyone] was all about wearing sweatpants, sweatpants, sweatpants,” she said. “But then I started this idea of the house dress, or a printed dress that’s really cozy for home. And that's become a huge chunk of my business.” Batsheva hit a lot of radars when Ella Emhoff, Kamala Harris's stepdaughter, wore the brand to the 2021 inauguration. According to Hay, the resulting brand awareness worked wonders to drive sales: “I didn't know that it would be so huge. I got a big sales boost from it that I was not really prepared for.” Since, Batsheva has collaborated with brands including Anna Sui and expanded to new categories including furniture. Next, though she’s never taken in outside investment, Hay is considering fundraising as she works toward becoming this generation’s Laura Ashley. “That's what I’m hoping for,” she said of the goal. “That’s on my vision board.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. On this week's episode, the hosts discuss Victoria's Secret's latest inclusivity plays of hiring its first male model and launching a gender-free tween brand. They also weigh in on the implications of Instagram opening up its product tagging capabilities, and they break down Lululemon's plan to double its annual sales to $12.5 billion by 2025.

Last month, Paris-based Vestiaire Collective acquired American competitor Tradesy, greatly expanding its shopper base in the states and putting it head-to-head with The RealReal. Now, the U.S. is Vestiaire Collective’s largest market. Even prior to the deal, its U.S. gross merchandise volume (GMV) was on the rise: It increased 75% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2022, according to Fanny Moizant, co-founder and president of Vestiaire Collective. “Our ambition is to build the leading global resale marketplace,” Moizant said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “[We want] to transform the fashion industry and the way people consume fashion. That's what motivates us and makes us wake up happy every morning.” The company is well on its way. With Tradesy, Vestiaire Collective now offers 5 million products by 3,000 brands, and it’s set to sell $1 billion in GMV on an annual basis.  “We are this massive platform, where everybody – at their own budget, taste and style – can find something really appealing,” Moizant said.  There are five types of shoppers who frequent the retailer, she said. And puppets in the company’s latest campaign are meant to depict each of them: “There’s Miss Classic, who's the very chic lady who thrives on buying luxury and really wants the trust component. We also have Hunter, who's the bargain hunter; she's after the good deals. We have Rich, who's the seller. He knows that, on Vestiaire, he'll find the right community who appreciates fashion and will understand the value of his products. We also have Lady Green, who's our fashion activist. And we have Drops, who's the edgy girl who’s after the sold-out products or the very rare-to-find items.” The company, which became a certified B Corp in September, also has specific goals around sustainability. For example, it wants to be carbon positive by 2025. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska discuss some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. On this week's episode, the hosts discuss LVMH's first-quarter 2022 earnings, showing a revenue increase of 29% year-over-year, as well as Lululemon's new resale program, offering more accessible leggings. They also recap the top takeaways from NFT Day and the biggest challenges in the beauty space, as reported by executives at Glossy's Beauty Leaders Dinner on Tuesday.

Ring Concierge’s success since the start of the pandemic can, in part, be attributed to luck.  “[Going into the pandemic] we were already digitally native, and we already had an incredible e-commerce site,” said Nicole Wegman, founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, on the latest Glossy Podcast. “And more so than before the pandemic, people are comfortable shopping online for fine jewelry, because they had no choice over the past two years.”  And fine jewelry is selling: “We saw a big uptick during the peak of the pandemic for engagement rings, because couples were stuck at home together having those conversations,” Wegman said. “And now, it's the year of the wedding, so we’re seeing a ton of wedding band sales. She added, “We’ve been in a pretty good place to weather the storm.” Of course, it helped that 9-year-old Ring Concierge had a firm foundation heading into the pandemic. Wegman has self-funded the company, and it’s been profitable since year one. “We are very fiscally conservative, and we are very thoughtful in how we invest in areas we expand in, to make sure we can remain self-funded,” she said. “It's important to me to have that autonomy and to be able to make decisions that are best for the business and, most importantly, best for our customers and followers.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska discuss some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. On this week's episode, the hosts discuss Farfetch's big partnership with Neiman Marcus, reports that Shein is now a $100 billion company, and both Gucci and Valentino appointing new executives to lead their businesses in China. Also up for discussion: how new blockchain-based metaverses recycle ideas from the world of video games, often in poorer form than they'd been executed decades before.

Since Reformation launched in 2009, it’s become well-known for its sustainability focus and wedding-perfect dresses. But, according to CEO Hali Borenstein, the company’s currently in growth mode and rapidly expanding its focus. “The business has been doing well and evolving quickly,” Borenstein said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “We’ve accelerated growth, and we’re hiring like crazy. We need to make sure we have the right resources and great team members [in place] to support all of that growth.” Reformation’s growth plan includes building upon its 25-store fleet. (“Retail has been a huge driver of our growth,” Borenstein said.) It’s also targeting new international markets. It recently established a team in the U.K., plus it has a team member in Canada. Europe is a key focus. In addition, the company has been busy expanding to new categories. It launched activewear in March 2021 and shoes in May 2021. “We are projecting very robust growth [for 2022], definitely far above 2019 levels,” she said. “We've been very focused on good, sustainable growth, while also maintaining profitability and a healthy business, so that we can invest in ourselves and propel our own growth.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, the discussion focuses on red carpet fashion and whether the Oscars are still worth the investment for brands, Lululemon's category growth and price increases, and Lizzo's new shapewear brand, Yitty. Also on the podcast, fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska joins to talk about her story recapping Metaverse Fashion Week. And we point to Gabi Barkho's story on Lululemon from Glossy sister site Modern Retail.

Eight years ago, Nadia Boujarwah launched fashion styling and e-commerce company Dia & Co to cater to women wearing sizes 10-32. This customer segment has long been neglected, but according to Boujarwah, brand interest in serving the demo is at its height. “The social calls for inclusivity have never been more pronounced,” she said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Inclusivity has really moved into the limelight in the last two years." She added, "We're hopeful we're at the beginning of the next renaissance of plus-size fashion, where both the social imperative and the inventory availability finally meet”. Old Navy recently laid the foundation for such a renaissance by launching inclusive sizing, pricing and merchandising across its women’s product portfolio. Of course, not every brand can afford to make such an investment in the category -- but doing so isn’t needed to forward progress, Boujarwah said. “Our advice to brands is to just start [offering plus-size options],” Boujarwah said. “As long as the customer knows they’re on a journey with you – where things are going to get better, and that is communicated clearly – the endpoint doesn't have to be today.” In addition, Boujarwah discussed Dia & Co.’s strategic use of data, approach to fundraising and evolving business model.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest stories of the week in fashion. This week, the discussion turns to Versace poaching its second executive from Alexander McQueen and the insular world of luxury fashion executives. Also on this episode: Lanvin goes public and Nike pulls away from its wholesale business, increasingly leaving its retail partners like Foot Locker out to dry. The hosts also discuss this article about Kanye "Ye" West's avalanche of bad press and how it affects his brand partners like Gap.

Nine years ago, when CEO Melissa Mash and COO Deepa Gandhi set out to launch their accessories brand, Dagne Dover, they made sure to do things their way. That included being thoughtful about the makeup of their founding team, which also includes chief creative officer Jessy Dover, and getting the brand off the ground before bringing in outside investors. “We didn't see ourselves reflected in management. [Retail] was and continues to be a very male-dominated industry, despite who they're selling to and who the products are made for and who actually works at these companies,” Mash said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “So we wanted to create a place that felt like it was made for us and was run with a different type of energy than we've seen in our previous experiences working in retail.” She added, “It was also really important that we had [financial, operational and design] skills represented on the founding team, so that we could move quickly and move longer without having to raise money immediately. We [could instead spend time] testing it out and making sure we did have product-market fit.” That independence from industry norms has stayed with Dagne Dover since its launch. For example, though the brand is digitally native, the founders haven’t hesitated to strategically expand its sales channels to select retailers, including Nordstrom. They opened the first permanent Dagne Dover store, in NYC, in 2020. “In many ways, we often run more like a traditional retail brand, but with the efficiencies of tech and of the modern times,” Mash said.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down three of the biggest news stories in fashion of the week. On this week's episode, Alexander McQueen's mushroom-themed show didn't contain any actual mushroom leather, Saks Off 5th rebranded for a younger audience and Abercrombie & Fitch became the latest mall brand to chase after the booming activewear market.

Joining Google mid-pandemic to be its global consumer marketing director for commerce wasn’t an obvious next step for Stephanie Horton. Prior, she held roles that were comparatively more fashion-centric, including CMO at Farfetch, chief strategy officer at Alexander Wang and global head of communications for Shopbop. But she was up for a new challenge. “I’m not really a career architect. Things kind of come my way, and [the draw, for me] is really about the scope and what I can learn, and whether there is something new or innovative there,” Horton said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “[Google] seemed like a great chance for me to be a part of something that was in the building stages -- it was building blocks and really looking for an identity. And there were so many cool things on the table on the product side that I found really interesting and innovative.” Now a year-and-a-half in, she’s making great progress on bringing the Google Shopping product vision to life and educating consumers on the tools the platform offers. Among them: Google Lens and a new interface that makes it easier for people to “window shop” on Google. “We want to make Google the place where you start your shopping journey, no matter where you finish,” she said. “We're not a retailer and we're not a marketplace. We're the place that you can go and really compare, find, narrow down, be inspired, and then make your choice.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and co-host fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. In this week's episode, the hosts discuss the evolution of historically traditional Paris Fashion Week, the accumulating fashion brands retracting their business operations in Russia and the way fashion companies opted to recognize this year's International Women's Day, on March 8.

Launched in 2019, Marfa Stance aims to offer an innovative, more sustainable solution to the consumer desire for variety and constant newness: adaptable, enhanceable clothing.  “To me, ‘modular’ is a way of unlocking your creativity,” said Georgia Dant, founder and CEO of Marfa Stance, on the latest Glossy Podcast. “You [get to] design your own piece for your lifestyle or for whatever functionality or occasion you're going to.” That way of dressing is catching on, including among fashion “it” girls, many of whom have shown support for Marfa Stance without a paycheck.  In the year ahead, Dant aims to host more in-person events and to open branded stores, granting online customers more access to the brand and its concepts. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and co-host fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. In this week's episode, the hosts discuss the ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Ukrainian fashion and the efforts across the industry to send aid to Ukraine. Also this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, including what fashion brands are doing to reduce emissions, and a lawsuit between Cartier and Tiffany over non-competes and trade secrets.

Both Josephine Skriver and Jasmine Tookes have been modeling for more than a decade for brands from Victoria’s Secret to Tom Ford. Now, they’re focused on building a brand of their own. Named Joja – derived using the first two letters of their first names – Skriver and Tookes’s activewear brand launched in February. It bears the same name as the Instagram account the pair launched in 2016, which unexpectedly gained a large following.  “It really just developed over our passion and love for fitness and staying healthy, and holding each other accountable in the gym,” said Tookes. “We started posting our workouts on Instagram, and it was really just for us to share our journey in the gym with each other. And out of nowhere, girls from all over the world started sharing their workouts with each other and holding each other accountable.” Today, the Instagram account has more than 700,000 followers. And that community’s demand for Joja “merch” is what drove the launch of the brand – which the founders plan to expand far beyond activewear. “Hopefully, we can build an entire Joja universe,” Tookes said. “We have so many ideas we want to do. Joja is really a fun opportunity for us to build an entire umbrella around health and wellness, whether that includes protein drinks or beauty waters or workout equipment. The opportunities are endless.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest news stories of the week. This week, Authentic Brands Group announced a strategic partnership with New Guards Group, with the goal of making Reebok into a luxury-streetwear crossover brand to compete with Nike. Elsewhere, Ye and Demna finally dropped their collaboration through the Yeezy Gap line, and Macy's announced that it won't separate its online and in-store businesses.

Luxury fashion resale site Dora Maar launched in 2019. It was good timing, considering how resale has taken off since the start of the pandemic. “In 2020, we found our footing. And in 2021, we really blew it out,” said Lauren Wilson, founder and CEO of Dora Maar, on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Year over year, we grew 570%.”  Dora Maar’s differentiator among resale companies is that it spotlights its sellers on its site and marketing channels, labeling them as “Muses” and treating them as influencers. It also attributes each product it sells to one of their closets.   Wilson pointed to her previous job experience as the inspiration for the business model. “While working at Moda [Operandi] and, prior to that, at Christie's, we were always digging behind the story of the designer or the women who wore it or the people who owned it,” she said. “And I thought, ‘Why doesn't this exist in secondhand?’” “This is a new way of retail,” she added. Moving forward, along with bringing more Muses and also brand partners into the fold, Wilson plans to elevate Dora Maar’s automation and personalization capabilities. She’ll also continue to expand its product offerings to new categories – Dora Maar's already introduced home and beauty categories since its launch.  “2022 is really about scaling up, Wilson said.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, an NYFW recap, a look at LVMH's price increases and a discussion on Rebecca Minkoff's decision to sell to Sunrise Brands.

According to its president and CEO, Drew Green, 7-year-old suit specialist Indochino is "the largest custom apparel company in the world," and growing. Indochino's set to eclipse 100 stores this year, opening eight in February alone, Green said on the latest Glossy Podcast. Its other plans for 2022 include expanding to women's suiting and increasing its wedding apparel business.  For several years already, the company's done nine figures in annual revenue. Secrets to its success include taking a diversified approach to marketing that includes "everything from podcasts to team sponsorships with the Yankees, the L.A. Rams and the Boston Red Sox," Green said.  The company's "showroom" store model, which necessitates minimal investment, and prioritization of the customer experience have also served it well.  "I like the Four Seasons model [of earning customer loyalty]," Green said. "I understand the benefits of actually having points or cashback and all the different mechanisms within a loyalty program. But where we've invested for loyalty is in the actual experience: making it fun, making it interesting and making it memorable. That's what the Four Seasons does. They don't have points, they don't have cashback, they just provide a world-class experience."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, Adidas advertised its new sports bra campaign with a series of nude photos, Prada partnered with French video game publisher Ubisoft on an in-game event, and the fashion publication InStyle had its print magazine shut down.

In late 2019, when Anna Harman and Lisa Bubbers launched ear piercing and pierced earring company Studs, providing IRL services was at the center of their business model. But then the pandemic hit. Today, e-commerce is every bit as important. "In 2022, we're focused on both [channels]," said Harman, on the latest Glossy Podcast. "We want to really continue to invest in and grow the retail footprint, as well as grow the e-commerce business. We'd like them to be highly complementary to one another. The business will be more successful over time if both are key channels for us." The company has raised more than $30 million to fuel that cross-channel growth.  As for expanding its store footprint, Studs has a good start: Harman and Bubbers opened six new stores in 2021, and they plan to own more than 20 stores by the end of 2022. "You have so many small college towns across the U.S. that have a really captive, large audience of a portion of our core demographic," said Harman. "And so we can have a really large store footprint through time. The opportunity for Studs is unbounded." Outside of sales channels, Harman and Bubbers are focusing their efforts on expanding their in-house team and overall brand awareness. And, at every step, they plan to write their own playbook. "Innovation and outside-the-box thinking and creation are what get us out of bed in the morning," Harman said. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest fashion news from the week. In this week's episode, they take a look at fashion brands' attempts to get in on Lunar New Year and capitalize on big sporting events, including the Olympics and the Super Bowl. They also provide an update on Capri Holdings and Zegna, based on the companies' latest earnings reports.

Amanda Parkes never thought she'd wind up in fashion. Then again, 2-year-old Pangaia, where she serves as chief innovation officer, isn't your typical fashion company.  "We are a materials science company," Parkes said on the latest Glossy Podcast. "We're all about the future of materials, and we really think that's an approach that can change the fashion industry from the inside out." However, many fashion fans best know Pangaia as the brand behind the rainbow-bright sweatsuits with lines of text that have been worn by Harry Styles and Kourtney Kardashian. Parkes started her career as a mechanical engineer and product designer, before eventually going back to school, at the M.I.T. Media Lab. There, she earned a hybrid computer science-materials science Ph.D. and the rare job title of fashion scientist. "I came into fashion through the back door," she said. "When I was in college, 20 years ago, there was no such thing as a fashion scientist." But, she said -- despite the lack of interplay between the two worlds -- fashion and science go hand-in-hand. "Fashion is an amazing platform to be able to show off science," she said, adding, "I was really shocked when I got more into the fashion industry to realize that big fashion companies don't have internal research. I was coming from tech, working with companies like Intel and Google. They are doing their internal R&D 5-10 years out to change and transform and make their industries what they want them to be. Fashion didn't have that as much inside of the big companies or at all. So I saw that as first of all massive opportunity for [Pangaia] to fill in the space." Parkes also discussed the power of the Gen-Z shopper, the state of greenwashing and the future of sustainability in fashion. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, a number of brands canceled or postponed their traditional NYFW shows. Nigo, the streetwear designer recently named artistic director of Kenzo, showed his first collection with the brand in Paris. And Fashion Nova was fined by the FTC for blocking bad reviews from appearing on its site, making it the first company to be formally punished for review-blocking.

Over the last two years, the fashion industry has experienced plenty of ups and downs – but 19-year-old contemporary brand Ba&sh has managed to remain on the upswing for the last 10 months. “[2021] was a record year,” Desiree Thomas, CEO of Ba&sh North America, said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Since the middle of March last year, we’ve seen this excitement around getting dressed again; a lot of women are just wanting to take a moment for themselves and celebrate the joys of life.” As a result, Ba&sh has seen “explosive growth” in each of its sales channels. “We saw retail explode in all of our freestanding stores in North America,” she said. “And digital was also on fire.” Thomas joined Ba&sh in May 2021, after serving as brand president for 3.1 Phillip Lim and holding top sales roles at BCBGMaxAzria and Nicole Miller. She said she was lured by the brand’s focus on “joy, female femininity and empowerment.” Ba&sh was founded in France in 2003 by entrepreneurs and best friends Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief, whose first names were combined to create the brand name.  Moving forward, Thomas plans to maintain the brand’s trajectory by opening more stores, including in first-time markets like Greenwich and Aventura, hosting pop-ups and collaborating with influencers, among other strategies,  “We have a very ambitious growth strategy in place,” she said. “We are going to see double-digit growth this year, for sure.” 

On this week's Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss three of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. This week, the pair discuss the legacy of the late André Leon Talley, an outsized personality in the fashion world for decades, as well as LVMH's new minority stake in Aimé Leon Dore and Bally's hire of Rhude's Rhuigi Villaseñor as its new creative director.

Ariane Goldman is a serial entrepreneur with a specialty: “I'm always gonna try to create things people need,” she said on the latest Glossy Podcast.  In 2007, that meant launching Twobirds Bridesmaid, focused on bridesmaid dresses that women can wear more than once. And in 2011, she introduced Hatch. “I was pregnant with my first daughter, excited about this new endeavor that I was about to embark on. And I was absolutely surprised that there was nobody speaking to me. I didn't know how to speak the language, and I didn't know what to look for,” she said. “That was the lightbulb that went off. I knew that if I was feeling this way, there must have been other women looking for the same companionship and guidance through this next chapter.”  She started Hatch as a direct-to-consumer brand centered on clothing women can wear before, during and after pregnancy. Today, 20% of the company’s customers are women who aren’t pregnant, Goldman said.  The company has since expanded to product categories including beauty and “fourth-trimester” products, like nursing bras. And in 2020, it launched a content platform called Babe. At the center of the brand’s success is an engaged community that has worked wonders to fuel its growth. Hatch’s annual sales grew 80% in 2021, and Goldman is projecting 40-50% growth this year.   Among other topics, Goldman discussed how Hatch has grown its community using education-focused events, even during pandemic-forced store closures. 

On the latest Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, there was a flurry of news around Yeezy and Gap, including a new TV spot, a new product and the announcement of yet another collaborator -- "Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga" is set to roll out later this year. Also, data from The RealReal's annual consignment report shows a resurgence of ’90s fashion, and Savage x Fenty is opening its first five stores in the first half of the year.

More than seven years after working at J.Jill as CMO, Claire Spofford returned in February of 2021 to take on the role of CEO. “I already knew a lot about the customer and how connected and engaged she is with the J.Jill brand – that’s a strong foundation for any business,” Spofford said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Plus, its premium casual positioning in the market is really relevant now. And there were all the fundamentals of it being a great brand with heritage.”  Indeed, J.Jill is more than 60 years old. But Spofford has moved fast to ensure evolution across the business and adoption of emerging tools and technologies that can contribute to its current growth. Personalization, an optimized store fleet and next-level customer experience – the latter, with the help of a new hire – are among her priorities. In mid-December, J.Jill reported a nearly 30% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue.   “We’ve made great progress against our [pandemic] recovery this year and have gained some real traction,” she said. “And that gives us a much stronger foundation from which to really drive profitable growth as we go forward.”

For this week's Glossy Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska joined editor-in-chief Jill Manoff for a discussion on the three biggest stories of the week. This week, a look at the significance of the latest Prada x Adidas collection. Plus, what fashion's presence at CES says about the industry's focus on innovation, and how the Omicron variant is impacting physical retail, IRL fashion shows and beyond.

If you count its unintentional year in beta, The Yes is just eight months old. Retail veteran Julie Bornstein planned to launch the fashion e-commerce platform, which she describes as "a new way to shop," in March 2020 -- but then Covid-19 hit. So, she waited two months and introduced the company in May, just before George Floyd was killed and "the world got even more complicated." As with companies across categories, the plan- and priority-shifting news The Yes faced in the year, and the following year, didn't stop there. "We operated in what felt like a beta timeframe," Bornstein said on the latest Glossy Podcast. "We ended up using that year to just improve the experience, onboard more brands, learn [what] our users liked and improve so many things. We decided we needed to launch web, [in addition to an app], which we did." The Yes's big differentiator among fashion marketplaces is the personalized experience it provides shoppers, largely based on individual products they like or dislike via a voluntary click of "Yes" or "No." Bornstein realized the potential for such a platform while holding C-suite positions at Stitch Fix (COO) and Sephora (CMO and chief digital officer).  It's worth noting that The Yes rolled out a rewards program dubbed "Yes Funds" on Tuesday, which Bornstein teased during the mid-December podcast recording: "I helped launch Beauty Insider at Sephora, so I'm a big fan of interesting programs that reward your best customer," she said.

In a special edition of the Glossy Podcast, Danny Parisi, senior fashion reporter, and Jill Manoff, editor-in-chief, review the year in fashion news. 2021 was eventful for fashion, to say the least. There were high-profile acquisitions, groundbreaking runway shows, notable deaths and abrupt executive departures. In this episode, the pair discuss three big stories from the year, toughing on all the interesting bits of news that fit those larger themes. They include: the growing dominance of resale in fashion; the rise of digital fashion, crypto and NFTs; and the new willingness for traditional rivals in luxury fashion to work together.

After becoming sold on accepting the CEO job at Aerosoles, Alison Bergen is hellbent on selling fashion fans on shopping the brand.  “I don’t think I ever thought I would end up at a comfort footwear brand. And I think [Aerosoles] offered me the job twice before I accepted it, because I had to get over my own snobbery,” Bergen said on the latest Glossy Podcast. Prior to Aerosoles, she held lead merchandising roles at Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg.  “What finally attracted me to [Aerosoles] was the original story about the founder, Jules Schneider,” she said. “How and why he started the brand … felt like it was equally relevant today as it was revolutionary back in the late ’80s when he founded it… He thought, ‘Women shouldn't have to sacrifice comfort for style, or vice versa.’” Bergen joined the brand in 2018 with the goal of modernizing its approach to design and business — which has proven to be quite the feat.  “Taking a Titanic and trying to change the course doesn't happen by just hitting one button,” she said. “You’re really repositioning and realigning so many facets of the business. Whether it was distribution, product, branding, team structure -- all of those things were going to change, in order to push this brand into relevancy and a healthy future, from a profitability perspective.” Bergen also discussed the internal changes she’s made and the customer response to the brand's recent updates, including product pricing.

For this week's Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi was joined by fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska to talk about the three biggest stories of the week. This week, Nike acquired digital fashion company RTFKT and Chanel hired a new CEO, fashion outsider Leena Nair. Also, Shein hired a new head of sustainability, in an effort to turn its image around, and Inditex shared how it's preparing for new leadership.

Cleobella founder and designer Angela O’Brien built her strong, 15-year-old business from an idea she had while galavanting around the globe. “My husband and I left our jobs in Southern California, and we did a trip around the world for a year -- we lived in a camper van in Europe, and we traveled all through Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. And we felt this freedom that we wanted more of,” O’Brien said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “So the idea became, ‘How do we create a business and keep this journey going?’” Now, she splits her time between living in Bali and doing business in Los Angeles, the headquarters of her globally-inspired, ethically-made fashion brand produced by artisans around the world.  The brand has a story worth telling, too, O’Brien said. “The customer cares how her product is made. And having that openness, and telling the story of the people and the hands and the hearts that make our product, that's what's most important to me. And that's what builds a legacy brand.” Currently, the self-owned brand is in growth mode -- for example, it’s grown its DTC business 100% year-over-year, O’Brien said. She also discussed what’s fueling the growth, why she still believes in wholesale and why she won’t be fundraising any time soon.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the biggest fashion stories of the week. This week, they discuss Ralph Lauren's metaverse ambitions, timed with a new Roblox activation, Pete Davidson's partnership with Calvin Klein and Chanel's Advent calendar controversy.

Norma Kamali may have launched her namesake fashion brand more than 50 years ago, but the last two years have presented challenges like she’s never seen before. Luckily, working through them has had positive effects on her business.  “Covid and everything that went with it was -- for me, in the workplace -- like nothing [that’s come before it]. We’ve all experienced this for the first time,” she said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “It really got me to fast-forward the company to where we should be. Plus, it made us more efficient and it made us better strategically.” It's paying off: The business has grown by almost 3X since 2019, she said.  Kamali can be credited with pioneering such timely industry trends as athleisure and an e-commerce focus. And, she said, though her business has evolved, she’s held true to her core focuses. In terms of her designs, that means sticking to “clothing you feel good in, that isn’t crazy expensive and that you wear a lot,” she said.  She talked more about her “classic, timeless style,” plus she explained why she’s dedicated to e-commerce channels, and how she's incorporating wellness into her fashion business.  Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.

On this week's episode of the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska to talk about some of the biggest news in the fashion world. As the biggest story of the week was the tragic passing of Virgil Abloh, we discussed his life and his influence on fashion. Also this week: a lackluster Black Friday and a report from Glossy's first U.K. event.

Luxury fashion has quickly morphed away from Old Hollywood glamour to sneakers and nylon belts. But for online retailer Mytheresa, that air of sophistication and charm is still the heart of its business. "We love the true luxury part of the [fashion] business," said Michael Kliger, CEO of Mytheresa, on this week's Glossy Podcast. "It is by definition a limited set of brands that you could count as luxury." With roots as a boutique in Munich starting in 1987, Mytheresa has evolved alongside changes in luxury, including with its launch of a menswear category in 2020 and the company's IPO in January. Although the retailer maintains a focus on "traditional" luxury brands, like Valentino, Prada and Gucci, as well as occasions, like a "garden party," Mytheresa also carries "cooler, new [brands] like Jacquemus," in response to evolving customer tastes, which accelerated during the pandemic, said Kliger.  In contrast to other luxury retailers, Mytheresa carries fewer than 250 brands, living up to its tagline of, 'The finest edit in luxury fashion." "We always say the journey of our customers starts with an occasion in mind, not with a product in mind," said Kliger. Mytheresa's focus on occasion did not falter during the pandemic, when sales of cashmere, knitwear, sneakers and slide shoes boomed as shoppers traded in galas for the living room couch. And on the other side of luxury, categories like vacation wear, formal dresses and party clothes have rebounded more recently, he said.

Although "The World's Most Comfortable Thong" may seem like an oxymoron, intimates and sleepwear brand Hanky Panky continues to hold the title unironically 35 years after the release of its cult-favorite 4811 thong. While the brand celebrates its heritage with the anniversary of the iconic one-size-fits-all thong, which makes up over 60% of Hanky Panky's sales, it's simultaneously going through a brand refresh, said Brenda Berger, co-CEO of Hanky Panky, on this week's Glossy Podcast. Berger, who served as the head of sales and marketing from 2004 to 2013, rejoined Hanky Panky as co-CEO in 2019 when the "rebrand conversation" started, she said.  After 44 years in business, Berger and the Hanky Panky team are focused on refreshing the brand while maintaining its sense of heritage, she said. Berger has overseen the launch of Hanky Panky's new website, logo and digital marketing strategies, as well as its new influencer partnerships and TikTok and Instagram strategies.  "[These tactics] better tell the stories of our core products," said Berger. "What was happening prior was word of mouth ... [We shifted our] marketing content to storytelling, and we're now taking more ownership of it and placing it on our platforms."

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts Danny Parisi and Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news stories of the week. In this week's episode: Nike paused its Travis Scott collaborations, wholesale marketplace Faire raised $400 million and Bottega Veneta got a new creative director (while rumors swirled about why Daniel Lee left so abruptly). Plus, a closer look at Shein's massive -- and unethical -- growth.

Out with the old and in with the ... old? In June 2021, MCM unveiled a novel, but old-school logo for the first time in its 45 year history. Although the new take on the iconic Visetos print signifies the brand’s evolution, the vintage-inspired Italian jacquard fabric is meant to convey MCM’s past in step with the ever-changing fashion industry.  “Heritage creates so much emotion for [the] consumer,” said Dirk Schönberger, global creative director of MCM, on this week’s Glossy Podcast.  Still, MCM knows adapting is a constant in fashion. Its computer-generated take on the logo and its choice of non-leather fabrics demonstrate the brand’s ongoing need for change. “If you look closer, you see the cubes that we have are consisting of the diamonds from our original logo,” he said, referring to MCM’s new Cubic Monogram, part of the second phase of the brand’s refresh that launched on October 4. In addition to the updated logos, Schönberger has facilitated MCM’s collaborations with Gen-Z heavyweights like Billie Eilish, for example, who starred in the brand’s fall/winter 2019 campaign.  Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity. Luxury fashion’s "ivory towers" “Luxury fashion has changed because of the influence of street and sportswear. That had a major influence. That's why I'm saying Adidas was also fashion, but it was a different kind of fashion. And you could say that luxury fashion’s ivory towers [are] crumbling because of the influence of street and sportswear. But if you see, then, how luxurious the sportswear has become, maybe the ivory tower just got a little bit higher. Because now even the democratic pieces are exclusive and expensive. I wouldn't say that the ivory tower is crumbling, [but] it created little, extra towers that are also growing … With the influence of street and sportswear, it brought luxury fashion into a completely different space. It was not this rich, mature consumer all of a sudden, but it was again, the youth culture that influenced fashion.” A pandemic reset   “How we reacted [in the last two years] was, we focused, we were super concentrated, it was not panic mode. It was, ‘Okay, let's have a good look at ourselves, what could we improve from [the] product, from [the] size of [the] collection?’ The whole sustainability topic became even more important than it was already before. There were a lot of serious conversations, but they were always directed to the future. It was not, ‘How are we going to save the company?’ But it was, ‘What do we need to do to be a better brand once this is over?’ And this is what we've done and I'm proud of all the teams that have been working as if nothing has happened from home. And we still managed to do business as usual. And at the end, we came out as a more sustainable company, a more focused company. It forced us to cut off things that were not as necessary as we thought they would be.

On this week's Glossy Week in Review podcast, hosts fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff review the fashion news that didn't get covered in Glossy's weekly reporting. This week, the biggest news was Daniel Lee's abrupt departure from Bottega Veneta, three years after taking over as creative director and earning the brand wide acclaim. Also on the show: Dior's first menswear show in London since 2016, the future of London as a fashion hub, the big collaborations that dropped or were announced this week, and the keys to a good collaboration.

Fashion has always existed on a spectrum, and right now, that runs the gamut from workleisure to platform Crocs and nightclub-lingerie. For all-American apparel brand Alpha Industries, its military-esque style neatly fits into those intersecting extremes. But, Alpha Industries' evolution from military outfitter to consumer-facing lifestyle brand does not mean sacrificing its roots. "We're never going to stop selling the [military] surplus," said Mike Cirker, president and CEO of Alpha Industries. Alpha Industries, founded by Cirker's grandfather in 1959, expanded the reach of its bomber coats, aviation flight jackets and parkas in the '70s as individuals became enamored by the style of the "American cool guys" in the military worldwide. While the brand continues to associate with service stars, such as with its Heritage Collection that pays homage to its original Mil-Spec Flight Jacket, Alpha Industries has also dipped into the world of entertainment. In 2016, the brand collaborated with Kanye West on the rapper's Yeezy tour merchandise bomber jacket. It also teamed with celebrity stylist Maeve Reilly, who dresses Hailey Bieber and Megan Fox, on Alpha's fall 2021 collection. "We're pushing the boundaries on reinventing old military or utilitarian wear for today's [consumer]," said Cirker. "It's about the story for us."

In this week's Glossy Week in Review podcast, which breaks down the biggest news stories in fashion, fashion reporter Danny Parisi is joined by fellow Glossy reporter Zofia Zwieglinska for a discussion on COP26 and fashion's responsibility to the environment. Also on this week's episode: Nike's trademarks signal that it may be entering the metaverse soon, and American Eagle acquired yet another shipping logistics company.

Adolescence -- the transitional stage between the ages of 13 and 19 -- typically signifies the development of a person’s social, romantic and career consciousness. For Patrick Henry, an L.A.-based tailor and luxury fashion brand founder, it encompassed just that. While his self-taught sewing endeavor at age 13 was motivated by his desire to pick up “pretty girls,” it led to his passion for fashion, which is now exemplified through his custom suits worn by stars including The Weeknd and Justin Bieber. “The term luxury in itself is evolving,” said Henry on the latest Glossy Podcast. "[For clothing,] it's all in the details: It's the stitching, it's the precision, it’s where the garment is produced, what material it’s produced with and the little trims.” Richfresh, known best for its custom suits, many of which are characterized by Henry's signature track stripes, has since become synonymous with the term “luxe-leisure,” a term coined by Henry himself to describe the “the luxury version of athleisure.” And its pieces have been sported by A-Listers including Kodak Black, Barack Obama and Reese Witherspoon. While the Richfresh business remains 95% custom, Henry’s business was not spared from the tribulations of Covid-19. But the challenges paved the path for the Binghampton collection, Henry’s first ready-to-wear line that was limited to 25 pieces. Looking ahead, Henry’s signature stripe, which he considers the closest thing to a Richfresh logo, will be available on a host of men’s and women’s silhouettes in 2022, he said. “It's important, as we move into ready-to-wear [and] potentially open up stores, that I do this right and I get the right funding,” he said.

On Glossy's Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, the Fendi and Skims collaboration that was leaked last month was finally, officially, announced; Bottega Veneta, guided by creative director Daniel Lee's affection for Detroit, had its third show off of the seasonal calendar in the Motor City; and Poshmark began letting brands sell directly on its platform.

In terms of the luxury industry, a silk mask was much more representative of the last, pandemic-riddled 19 months than a silk dress. Despite this, love and the respective multi-million-dollar wedding industry built around it were not canceled. ”Love was postponed, but not canceled,” said Monique Lhuillier, co-founder and creative director of her namesake luxury brand, on the latest Glossy Podcast.  Before she founded her brand in 1996, an engaged Lhuillier was faced with the two “extremes” of either “traditional” or “minimal” dresses, she said. “I wanted something that had the elements of tradition -- the lace, the long sleeve -- but with an open back, giving [brides] something unexpected. And that's what I set out to do.” As Monique Lhuillier, the brand, celebrates its 25-year anniversary, Lhuillier and Tom Bugbee, her co-founder and husband, are continuing to bridge the design gap with the brand’s extensive custom and ready-to-wear bridal and bridesmaid dresses, accessories and shoes.  When events came to a halt last year, Monique Lhuillier and its clientele held onto glimmers of tulle and lace, and the hope that traditional weddings would soon return. Using social media posts, the brand’s nationwide retail locations and customer service representatives, the company never lost contact with brides, Lhuillier said. In the future, Lhuillier said she hopes to continue growing the brand’s DTC business, as well as its presence internationally, on the red carpet and in the beauty space. “We are exploring everything,” she said. “Because you have to stay ahead.”

On this week's episode of the Glossy Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff start by discussing some of the honorees at this year's CFDA awards, including Zendaya, Anya Taylor-Joy and the Model Alliance. Also on the slate this week: the rumors that Richemont may divest from its stake in Net-a-Porter, the distinction between Net-a-Porter's and Farfetch's strategies, and Farfetch's new private label brand, There Was One.

While the pandemic caused many proverbial doors of opportunity to close, other doors were pushed open. That was the case for Talia Handler, CMO of men's basics brand Mack Weldon. Handler, who most recently worked as an e-commerce strategy consultant at TikTok, jumped from the agency side of marketing to her new position at 10-year-old Mack Weldon in May 2021.  "We benefited from working from home -- from people who want to be comfortable, but still look great," said Handler of the digital-first brand's latest campaign, on the Glossy Podcast. "It has been amazing to see that growth over the past few months with our new integrated campaign and our more integrated go-to-market approach." The TV-centric campaign Handler was referring to was centered on "the expression 'buy some time' [and also] what we now call our Daily Wear System, which is the sum of all the parts of everything that we make that works together," she said. Since its launch in 2011, the brand has expanded it product line from underwear to T-shirts, socks and sweatpants that together "produce radically efficient wardrobing," Handler said. For Handler, taking on a new role at the company during the pandemic carried more benefits than not, including engaging with its "amazing brand fans," she said. "We bring in our customers not to help us design a product, but to help us perfect it for the uses that they want to apply it towards," said Handler.  

In this week's Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the biggest fashion news of the week. Topping the list is the viral backlash surrounding Coach's policy of slashing bags that get thrown out. After that, the pair talk LVMH's earnings, including what impact supply chain obstructions will have on the conglomerate and how Tiffany & Co. is performing. And finally, they address activewear brand Vuori's staggering $400 million funding round.

From the Revolutionary War that facilitated the founding of the United States to the Black Lives Matter movement, America has shown that nothing is set in stone if people are willing to fight for change. Also intertwined within the country’s foundation is denim, which, despite its seemingly benign presence as a fabric, denotes social change, as well. As fashion brands across the industry respond to calls for eco-consciousness, AG Jeans, a denim brand founded in 2001, has been a trailblazer in promoting sustainable denim. “In the last 12-24 months, we're finding that customers are caring more than ever,” said Sam Ku, president and creative director of AG Jeans, on this week’s Glossy Podcast. “They've decided that, yes, I am willing to pay a little bit more for something that is better for the planet. I am [also] willing to buy a little bit less and buy better quality and make it last longer.” For AG, this shift in the industry manifested in the Jean of Tomorrow, a 100% biodegradable jean made of “eco-friendly” cotton and hemp fibers, complete with a “Coronado nut” button. “Building a brand based on great product is the most important thing,” said Ku. Unlike a majority of jean retailers, AG operates and manufactures its jeans at its L.A. and Mexico facilities that are “100% owned and operated by us,” said Ku. But despite this, the brand has not been exempt from the Covid-related supply chain challenges within the fashion industry. “We're able to stock a lot of our raw materials that we consistently use, [but] those that we don’t carry are hard to keep up with,” he said. As for the future, Ku is focused on getting the company back to 2019 sales levels and “continuing to deliver the right product on time,” he said. “The brands that can do that right now will win.”

In Glossy’s Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the most important fashion news of the week. This week, they discuss Rent the Runway’s IPO filing -- including its rebound from pandemic losses. Of course, they cover the highlight of Paris Fashion Week: Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga x Simpson’s episode and the brand’s growing presence in streetwear.  And from Glossy’s annual Fashion Summit in Miami, the duo share fashion brands’ takeaways, including supply chain difficulties like unreliable carriers, tariffs, rising costs and international factory delays that needed to be countered with advanced planning. This is especially important with the holiday season around the corner.

When Vashtie Kola became the first woman to design a Jordan sneaker in 2010 -- 25 years after the dawn of the shoe's revolutionary debut -- it was a feat for a woman to break into the boys club that is streetwear. Fortunately, Aleali May, a style consultant, designer and model, continued to break down the gendered walls of the sneaker industry in 2017. But for May, because "it's taken this long" to bring another female voice into the forefront of the design process, pledging to "get this whole women's market rolling," has been crucial in her journey with the Jordan brand, she said on this week's Glossy Podcast. After working at RSVP Gallery, an upscale and streetwear retailer in Chicago owned by Virgil Abloh and Don C, May was offered the opportunity to make her own mark in Jordan history. And with that opportunity came the guiding question of storytelling. With Air Jordan, “Every silhouette has its own story,” said May. As a force integral to both the ins and outs of the fashion industry, May’s unique perspective on the industry has continued to evolve, specifically concerning the peaks and troughs of the pandemic and its impact on inclusivity within the industry as a whole.  In terms of design, May continues to make her mark in the traditionally male-dominated sneaker industry. “The more seasoned I get in this, the more willing I am to try out new silhouettes,” she said.  And looking towards the future of streetwear and the fashion industry, “My whole focus is [to try] to include more women's brands, more women's ideas, more women's products, and, of course, unisex as well,” said May.  This week, on October 6-7, she's co-hosting Transfer, a two-day virtual festival on the livestream shopping platform NTWRK. It will feature exclusive drops from brands including Nike and Hood by Air, as well as experiential creator content, among other components.

In Glossy's Week in Review podcast, fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff discuss the most important fashion news from the week. This week, they focus on the fashion crossover of the year, Fendace. They also spotlight Tom Brady's new menswear brand, developed with Frame's Jens Grede and Public School's Dao-yi Chow, and the passing of California's Garment Workers Protection Act, which guarantees a livable wage for California's 45,000 garment workers.

As calls for sustainability within the fashion industry swell, some brands have been quick to vocalize their sustainability strategies, while others have taken a different approach by working to meet sustainability goals in silence. In the case of Faherty, a sustainable clothing brand launched in 2013, “It's less about making political pronouncements, and [more about] putting our energy and words and actions behind the things that we care about,” said Kerry Docherty, co-founder and chief impact officer at Faherty, on the latest Glossy Podcast.  As CIO, Docherty’s focus on the brand’s sustainability and cultural initiatives was magnified in the past year-and-a-half. The brand opened 13 of its 30 stores at a time colored by the pandemic and the social justice movements that simultaneously took precedence.  “It was a real opportunity for us as a brand to put a stake in the ground and say, ‘What are we standing up for? What do we need to do internally to get to where we want to be?” she said.  The Native-American community is one community, in particular, that Faherty has invested in. “[The focus is] how we, as a brand, can differentiate ourselves as someone who's [allying] with the Native community, instead of exploiting it,” said Docherty. Rather than “appropriating” Native designs, Docherty is learning about Native culture and art and “focusing on long-term impact” and relationships with Native designers, she said.  In terms of sustainability, maintaining a sustainable brand means “holding ourselves accountable” for the materials and lifecycle of the clothing items, said Docherty. Faherty has done so with its concrete benchmarks of having 85% of fabrics be sustainable and 90% of packaging be “plastic-free,” she said.  “[For] our generation and the generation coming up, intentionality and sustainability are important, as are giving back,” she said. “The more brands that feel accountable for that, the better it is for all of us.”  

For many consumers, a well-curated Amazon homepage -- complete with a fall shoe edit and ‘customers’ most loved’ products, from toaster ovens to tote bags -- has replaced the need for the local department store. But the benefits of a brick-and-mortar store for brands and customers alike were not lost on Matt Alexander, co-founder and CEO of Neighborhood Goods, a department store for the new age. Unlike the traditional -- and dying -- breed of department stores, Neighborhood Goods, which launched in 2017, caters to the modern consumer with a selection of rotating brands and innovative restaurants.  For some brands, having a presence at Neighborhood Goods resembles “a pop-up,” while for others, it resembles “wholesale,” “testing real estate” or “a marketing channel,” said Alexander on the latest Glossy Podcast. “It creates this opportunity in this landscape and ecosystem where they can show up in a physical and digital way, [and] leverage the restaurants and different bits and pieces. [And they can] inexpensively get in front of a great consumer and accomplish all sorts of different goals.” Since the first Neighborhood Goods location opened in Plano, Texas, the company has continued to expand its physical footprint, with stores in Austin and Chelsea, as well as its digital presence. “With the [onset] of the pandemic, [all products] went online,” leading to a 1,000% year-over-year sales growth on digital last year, said Alexander.  “The more we can [translate] the ‘why’ and the storytelling that we do well in the stores to the digital realm, the better,” he said. “[Our website] can augment and create something special to exist alongside a lot of existing channels for the brands [and] consumers.”

In 2020, office spaces around the country began to resemble the ghost towns of the Wild West. Still, Suzy Biszantz, group president of men's and women's at Centric Brands, was determined to find an in-person space for her teams that would balance safety and productivity. To do so, she traversed to the Arts District of Los Angeles and secured a workspace that could also facilitate the growth of the company, where she oversees its Favorite Daughter, Herve Leger, Hudson, Buffalo Jeans and Izod brands. “It’s important that your creative people who touch product are able to actually touch and feel and be around the product,” said Biszantz on the Glossy podcast. “We rented a new building that’s 20,000 square feet, has 10 separate entrances and is all one story.” The building's other Covid-safe features include ample outdoor space for collaborative meetings, a lack of elevators, and separate exits and entrances. Each brand needs its own space because each is focused on different objectives, she said. “[For] each brand, you have to look at the total potential,” when determining its DTC, wholesale and retail strategies," she said. In the same way, not every brand is focusing its marketing strategy on collaborations with influencers, which is a unique challenge. “You have to strike the right balance of operational support, logistics support, strategic support,” she said, regarding a brand's role in influencer partnerships. “But you can’t lose and water down the authenticity of who you’re collaborating with.”

Glossy’s editorial team, like much of the fashion community, reunited with New York Fashion this past week, as the event returned by hosting a full schedule of IRL shows for the first time since February 2020. Going in, we had some expectations about how the event would play out, as we’ve covered NYFW every season for the past several years. But as the world has turned upside down since we last hit a runway show at Spring Studios, for example, we also had some questions. For example, how would event organizers make showgoers feel safe, as the Delta variant is still a big cause for concern? And would the usual editors, buyers and influencers show up, with most every brand also showing their collection virtually? On this bonus episode of the Glossy Podcast, editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and fashion reporter Danny Parisi break down what they experienced while show- and event-hopping this season. As they tell it, the event had highs and lows, plus a few surprises that hinted at the future of fashion week.

In his 13 years working on the events production side of IMG, Dominic Kaffka -- now svp of IMG Fashion Events -- has not only had an insider’s view of New York Fashion Week’s ongoing transformation, but he’s also had a hand in steering its course.  For example, he spent the past two show seasons fueling the event’s digital acceleration by ensuring the show went on, so to speak, without physical shows. In September 2020 and February 2021, the bi-annual event was largely carried out virtually, due to the pandemic. “We had 20-25 guests [per show] -- but for us, it was really important to not miss a full New York Fashion Week,” Kaffka said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Most of our clients who chose not to do a live fashion show with guests came up with much more creative ways to present their collections. A lot of designers did lookbook shoots, a lot of designers produced very elevated fashion films on a cinematic level -- their budgets shifted from putting on a big show to putting on a big digital content production.”  But now, he said, “People are shifting their budgets, their intentions and their planning back to live events.”  Ahead of New York Fashion Week, which kicked off on Wednesday, Kaffka discussed how designers will strike a physical-digital balance this season and to what extent the event will be democratized moving forward.

“We have to be OK with riding the wave." That is the mantra Michael Preysman, founder and CEO of Everlane, has come to rely on throughout Covid-19. In other words, Preysman has learned that, while the Everlane team can't control what challenges are thrown at the fashion brand -- which was founded with a focus on transparency and ethical sourcing in 2010 -- they can control the way that they respond. From the initial waves of the pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement to now the Delta variant, getting through the past year can be described as “running a sprint, and it turns out it’s a marathon,” said Preysman, on the most recent episode of the Glossy Podcast. While the vaccine rollout evoked hope in many for the return of normalcy, Everlane has been honest about the fact that the resulting supply chain issues and labor shortages will take “another 3-5 years” to come back from, said Preysman. Until then, Preysman remains determined to maintain transparency regarding Everlane’s prices and direct-to-consumer business model, overall.  “[Our] $100 cashmere is coming to an end in 2022, because the cost of cashmere is increasing, said Preysman. However, the typical Everlane customer, who ranges in age from their late 20s to early 30s, is “willing to pay more” for the brand’s environmentally conscious and quality pieces, said Preysman.  Everlane has also adapted the customer experience to be “seamless” online and offline, ensuring that “fitting rooms are the star of the [physical] space,” and that returns and shipping are made easy for customers.  Looking at the bigger picture of sustainable fashion, Preysman remains outspoken that sustainability has “completely been greenwashed,” he said.  "We try to avoid that word [sustainable] and use more factual statements, [like] organic, or clean water, etc.,” and to actively focus on reducing the brand’s carbon footprint. Everlane has done so by committing to the use of recycled materials and more efficient means of transport. “What we're trying to show is that you can both … live a great life and have a low environmental impact,” said Preysman.

The word “suit” may elicit visions of measuring tape, tailors and brick-and-mortar stores filled with crisp jackets and slacks. However, as consumption evolves from being within the mall to on the computer, and from cashmere to casual, Sene, an apparel brand that started with a focus on being the Lululemon of suits, has adapted accordingly. Since the brand launched in 2015, Ray Li, co-founder and CEO, has spearheaded Sene’s transition into an online purveyor of custom suits under the brand values of sustainability and inclusivity. In 2019, Li decided to close down Sene’s Los Angeles location and relaunch the brand on Kickstarter with a SmartFit Quiz to hone in on the custom sizing aspect of Sene. This changed the trajectory of the business, Li said. “Our mission was always to make custom clothing possible for everyone,” he said on the Glossy Podcast. “But it was a very long journey to get here.” After moving the brand fully online, Sene introduced its FlexTech Suit, a “custom suit [made of] athleisure fabric,” and soon after, its custom denim. Li, who sees a “$17 billion opportunity for custom denim,” plans to expand Sene’s denim selection with shorts and jackets. He also plans to introduce more athleisure styles like joggers.  “Each time we enter a category, we want to feel like we’re making the best possible version of the product we have,” said Li. “We also want to price it at an off-the-rack price.”

With 25 years of experience at luxury brands like Burberry and Céline, Ulrik Garde Due’s reputation for revitalizing companies led him to his current position as president and CEO of Mark Cross, America’s oldest luxury accessories brand.  “I saw a real opportunity in creating a lifestyle positioning," he said on this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast. “[Not only with] women's accessories, but also [by] relaunching men's, which we [did] last year ... [and] creating more of a gifting destination for top-class quality and American luxury." When the pandemic hit, however, “We went from this survival to contingency planning to then, as I like to call it, ‘thrival’ mode,” said Garde Due. “It was our job to start thinking of the opportunities that this pandemic created for the industry and for the luxury consumer, and look at the post-pandemic era and what was needed to get executed during the pandemic to be ready for that.” That meant focusing on developing Mark Cross’ wholesale and directly operated channels and catering to consumers in the U.S. and in mainland China, which Due sees as ”an ever-growing market share” opportunity.  Mark Cross first began to cater to the preferences of the millennials and Gen-Z consumer demographics in the fall of 2019 by launching an “in-house vintage website.” Even more recently, the brand has reacted to the changes accelerated by Covid-19 by “investing heavily into the digital sphere.” That's included partnering with companies like Hero and a personalized delivery service.  “Getting back to the [20]19 [sales] volumes, as well as enlarging our community, are the two main goals this year," said Garde Due.

To be able to say that you’ve been an influencer for almost half of your life is a feat -- even for digitally native Gen Zers.  Multihypenate Amanda Steele, 22, has spent 12 years creating content for social channels including YouTube and also boasts the titles of fashion brand founder of Steele and working actress.  “Most of my success came from me doing it so early,” said Steele, of her influencer career. “When it gets overly saturated, whatever platform you're using, it's just hard to get your content seen.”  Steele, who launched her YouTube channel in 2011 with dreams to become a fashion designer, branched into makeup as the beauty industry took over social media. Now, as the founder of her own clothing line, Steele -- which she describes as “model-off-duty style" -- her aspirations in fashion have come full circle. The line includes “leather pants, so it’s edgy and sophisticated,” along with blazers and baggy jeans. “It’s not super trendy,” said Steele. “But you can walk into a business meeting or you can go out with your friends or get brunch, all in the same outfit.” Most recently, the creator has branched off into the acting world, starring in "Paradise City" on Amazon Prime. But this doesn’t undermine the power of social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, where she has about 6 million cumulative followers.  “YouTube will always be there,” said Steele. “TikTok is where our brains are at right now, the short-form content. But now we have Reels, and we can do that on Instagram, too.”

As the power of social media has grown, public opinion has become paramount in determining the next ‘"it" girl. Style and reliability are key components, but what the public often fails to consider is the impact of the motor behind the superstar machine, specifically as it pertains to a stylist. Law Roach, the fashion stylist to Zendaya and Celine Dion among his extensive résumé of A-listers, has proven the impact that refining one’s style can have on catapulting them to style icon status. Roach’s success in styling celebrities from TikTok to the silver screen -- see Addison Rae for the MTV Movie Awards and Anya Taylor Joy for both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards -- is less formulaic and more “organic,” he said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “I don't necessarily have a wish list,” said Roach, of who he’d like to dress. “I work with people when it feels good or [when] I feel there's something that I can help them achieve, or vice versa.” Logistically, the process behind styling his star clients also varies based on each individual. While some clients are “heavily collaborative,” others “just want to be dressed,” said Roach. The “pop” and “finesse” that Roach brings to the table stem from his often unorthodox approach to fashion. For example, rather than pulling looks straight off of the runway, Roach deliberately utilizes vintage pieces from eBay, which he partnered with in June to “tell a story” through the looks that he curates. “I live in this world that’s very fantastical and whimsical and dreamy,” said Roach. “I'm always trying to use those clothes to help say something or make people feel something.”

Platforms like Depop may be synonymous with virtual thrifting and sustainability today, but Nasty Gal, the online fashion retailer under the Boohoo group, is trying to tap back into its early associations with sustainability. “Sustainable products have been what the business is built on” since it launched 15 years ago, said Kelly Byrne, Nasty Gal’s commercial director, on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Our vintage collections are still some of our fastest selling collections.” Byrne, whose main task is to “ensure the business reaches its commercial goals,” has been at the forefront of Nasty Gal’s responses to changing trends over the past year. That's included adapting to the pushes for comfort and eco-consciousness within the fashion industry. “We can react [to trends] in around 3-4 weeks,” said Byrne. For example, Nasty Gal quickly added casual items like sweatsuits to its online store in 2020. However, consumer preferences have begun to get “back to normal” since March 2021. “We’ve started to see a real uptick in those traditional summer categories,” like swimwear, footwear and dresses," she said. That brings "a lot of positivity” to the festival- and vacation-centric brand, she added. Still, the brand plans to remain focused on circularity. “By the end of this financial year, 20% of our product offering will be more sustainably produced,” said Byrne. She hopes to increase that to 40% by the following year.

As she has experience as a founder -- of fashion brand Bow & Drape, launched in 2012 -- Aubrie Pagano, a general partner at venture capital firm Alpaca VC, is adept at identifying whether or not a founder is worth investing in.  “It's understanding what your customer needs from the brand and how you can augment the brand with that founder voice,” said Pagano, on the latest Glossy Podcast. Pagano founded Bow & Drape at a time when customization, whether of a Chipotle bowl or a T-shirt, was growing in popularity. “We were super excited about creating more personal, expressive fashion,” said Pagano. She set out to focus on the millennial demographic at the time. “[We] launched our sweatshirt that became an eponymous product,” she said, referring to Bow & Drape’s best-selling style that reads "Goal Digger" in gold lettering. It was sported by Serena Williams in 2015. Although Pagano sold Bow & Drape in 2019, the seven years she spent growing it allowed her to experience the evolution of brands. When Bow & Brand entered the retail space with companies like Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom in 2015, “It was a symbiotic opportunity at the time,” she said. The brand gained a platform, while the retailers were able to engage customers in a new way. Now, “The future of brands is omnichannel,” said Pagano. “It's going wherever your customers are, whether that's live commerce or retail, or online through a traditional PDP.” As Pagano has shifted from founder to investor with Alpaca VC, she’s also found that tenacity and magnetism are key traits when gauging a founder’s potential. “Alpaca is an early-stage fund focused on the intersection of the digital and physical worlds, where people are using technology to transform daily life,” she said. Pagano was drawn to the firm because of the team’s understanding of “the entrepreneur journey” and its “research-driven approach to how we invest in companies.” One of the areas that Pagano has invested in at Alpaca is the “re-commerce space,” or the reuse of goods. It has to do with the fact that “consumers, especially Gen Z, are saying, ‘There’s too much stuff,'” Pagano said. Live commerce, returns and cross-border commerce are also areas that Pagano deems worthy of investment. “The internet has allowed culture to atomize in such a way that you can speak very specifically to a very vertical audience,” said Pagano. “Speaking to a specific audience and having an affinity and community who you speak to is paramount.”

The move to working-from-home may have correlated with a rise in comfortable fashion, but as the work pants came off and sweatpants on, the desire for luxury brands did not falter. “Jewelry and accessories were favored because so many people were on Zoom all day long, [and] the only thing that you could [use to] accessorize were earrings," said Ippolita Rostagno, co-founder and CEO of Ippolita, on the Glossy Podcast. In addition, for Ippolita, the timelessness of the brand aligned with consumer desire for jewelry that can last beyond the pandemic. Rostagno, who founded the brand 20 years ago, said she focuses on “designing things that are relevant at this moment, but that, at the same time, have a classic enough feel that you know at the time of purchase you’ll love it 10 years from now.” Whether it can be attributed to Zoom or Ippolita’s philosophy or both, the brand’s recent success cannot be denied. Ippolita saw a “very steep increase” in online sales to 10% of total sales, up from 2% before Covid-19. “People have become much more comfortable with learning and making up their own minds, and therefore purchasing online,” said Rostagno. However, she said, "when you're in a store, you have that opportunity to think you're looking for something and find something else. And that is part of the retail experience that needs to be nurtured and come back.” As for Ippolita’s retail presence, while the brand will continue to team up with retailers, like Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s, "owning our own retail is the direction that we'd like to take the business,” said Rostagno. Ippolita has seen success with trunk shows, which Rostagno attributes to the tangible experience that customers can have with the jewelry. “[That] was the motivating factor for completely redesigning the customer experience in my store that I opened in the middle of the pandemic, in Chicago,” said Rostagno. Rostagno was inspired by the concept of a physical jewelry box when designing Ippolita's Chicago Store. “You’re walking into a felt box, and then all the walls are magnetic and the jewelry is out; there are no cases,” she said, of the store’s layout. “The idea is that a customer can walk up to the jewelry, try it on, look at it, feel it … ahead of having a conversation with a salesperson.” In regard to Ippolita’s virtual presence, while many brands have chosen to use social media platforms like TikTok to spread brand awareness, Ippolita hasn't followed suit. “This is what women buy for themselves. This is not occasional jewelry, this is not what husbands buy for a woman’s birthday,” said Rostagno. “This state of mind, this sense of self-possession, is not something that is targeted to a young audience, so TikTok is not the right place to be telling this story.” Instead, Rostagno sees places like Milan as the right setting in which to grow Ippolita. Montenapoleone, where Ippolita's next store will open, is “the street for luxury in Milan, and also in Europe,” according to Rostagno. She added that she feels “very confident” about the future success of the store.

The bridal industry, one of the many markets that rely on in-person customer experiences, was not spared by Covid-19. However, “snowmageddons, hurricanes, Covid, murder hornets -- nothing can cancel love,” said Kelly Cook, chief marketing and IT officer at David’s Bridal, on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “It’s a fun time to be in our business,” said Cook, who spent a year facilitating virtual wedding gown and bridal face mask shopping. She expects a 25-40% increase in weddings in 2021, “now that vaccines are out and the country’s opening up.” The height of the pandemic last year did not equate to a full stop in the bridal industry, however. While “about 10% of the brides just canceled their weddings,” according to Cook, “out of the remaining 90%, about half of them already moved their weddings into this year. The remaining half moved their weddings into fall of [2020].” For the brides that did get married during the pandemic, David’s Bridal was quick to adapt to their needs with solutions, like the production of “70,000 [face] masks in all colors," as well as improvements to its technology, according to Cook. “We've modernized and digitized our company,” said Cook. “Within a two-week period, we implemented curbside pickup and we implemented virtual stylists.” The latter was possible through partnerships with augmented reality-focused company Vertebrae, as well as Zoey, an automated concierge system, she said. “We sold $1 million in gowns just through text,” said Cook. “We wouldn't have been able to do any of that if we had not had a culture here of serving her and being relentless about solving problems.” Additionally, David’s Bridal hosted its first virtual fashion show in May 2020. It also found success with a YouTube Live channel “of nothing but wedding videos,” as well as with new TikTok and Instagram Reels accounts. Customers have benefitted from the changes, as well -- particularly those who have signed up for the company's new Diamond Loyalty Program. “It’s not a loyalty program for the number of times you get married. It’s a loyalty program around everybody at your wedding,” said Cook. “We launched it on December 8 of last year and have had 55 people earn enough for a honeymoon.” As for the future of David’s Bridal, “the power of our store [is] in making everyone feel absolutely stunning and beautiful in whatever they're wearing,” said Cook. “The trend is that people are going to want more human interaction and want to see more humanity in brands because we are becoming so digital.” The human touch of the bridal shopping experience is not fully replicable via digital. Until life returns to normal, Cook emphasized the importance of David's Bridal “partnering with people that make the [wedding] process easier,” such as WeightWatchers, Black Tux, popular venue Rustic Wedding Chic and micro-influencers. “We partner with the right micro-influencer, and we give her the product, and all of the content is in her own voice and style,” said Cook. She called out that David's Bridal has featured “employees, friends, and family” in shoots, in place of models, since last year. “It’s authentic and real, and it’s representative of who we are as a brand,” said Cook.

Sam Edelman co-founder Libby Edelman is a step ahead when it comes to knowing what shoe trends are going to take off. “It’s our job to come up with what's happening in fashion,” Edelman said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “So every time we design a product, it’s got to [reflect] a trend that’s going to hit the following year.” Trendspotting is a skill she’s perfected over the last 40 years at Esprit Shoes, and co-founder of Sam & Libby and Sam Edelman footwear brands, along with her husband, Sam Edelman. The latter brand launched in 2004 and is now sold at retailers including Shopbop and Nordstrom, as well as through its own e-commerce site and 13 stores. But that’s not to say that it’s easy to get a leg up on the industry’s direction. The reason: "It's hard to move fast in the footwear industry,” Edelman said. “There are a lot of components. You have to own the right leather, you have to buy it, it all takes time.… It’s 180-plus days to take [a style] from an idea to a store.” Luckily for Sam Edelman, it was able to expedite its processes to get in on the pandemic-hot slipper trend. “There was this big resurgence of slippers, with nobody going out of the house,” Edelman said. “It was [a style] we’d never done before, so we had to jump on it.” Edelman discussed the brand’s other mid-pandemic moves, including its marketing expansion to catalogs and its new bid for higher-end shoppers.

Erin Carpenter, Nude Barre founder and CEO, quite literally walked a mile in “pink ballet shoes” and “beige tights,” and felt the pain of finding hosiery in the right shade. It's a struggle that has been experienced before by current customers of Nude Barre, which offers hosiery and underwear in 12 complexion-matching shades. “I’m sure you see this in the market where you go to stores: You ask for something in nude, and usually they bring you options that are beige. I’m not beige,” said Carpenter, who is a former professional dancer and actress, on the most recent episode of the Glossy Podcast. “What I would have to do, and many other artists would have to do, is dye their tights and undergarments to match their skin on a weekly basis to be in uniform.” People of color and white dancers alike have long complained about the lack of hosiery options and the fact that most are “[a] strange shade of beige,” said Carpenter. That led her to start Nude Barre.  The demand for diversity in the industry has not yet died down. “There was a petition out about a year ago for the bigger brands like Danskin to make more pointe shoes and ballet shoes in different skin tones,” said Carpenter. “Thousands of people signed this, including dancers, so there’s been a big push for this from consumers,” she said. Carpenter specifically honed in on the intimates category, with a focus on items like bras and stockings.  Nude Barre was not exempt from the shift in consumer desires, as a result of the pandemic. “Our customer is at home, and she wants comfortable underwear,” said Carpenter. “So we wanted to give her options other than just our seamless thong.” In turn, the brand launched a bikini panty, a girl short (a female-empowering twist on the classic “boy short”) and face masks.  While Nude Barre is carried in retail and dance stores, most of its sales are direct-to-consumer. “We really love [that], because we get to control the narrative of how we want to talk to our customers,” said Carpenter. “We get to have those intimate and deeper conversations around standing up against colorism and fighting against it in this category and in this industry.” Carpenter’s passion to bring diversity to the dance apparel industry is exemplified by her own financial investment into the company. “One of our challenges was that, when we would sell out of inventory, we’d have to scrape up enough money to fulfill that,” said Carpenter, who initially launched Nude Barre with $3,000 of her savings.  Over a decade later, Nude Barre has accumulated stable investors. However, acquiring financial support didn’t come without roadblocks, as she approached “a lot of people that didn’t understand the problem that I was solving,” said Carpenter. “They didn’t quite understand the impact and the importance of changing this narrative of beige being the standard of beauty and why that matters.”  Eventually, this problem was solved when Serena Williams, who started off as a customer in 2018, became an investor of Nude Barre in 2019. "It helped get other investors to believe in what we were doing and to validate the business,” said Carpenter.  With the rise of intimates brands like Kim Kardashian-owned Skims, and the push for inclusivity and diversity in the intimates and lingerie space, Carpenter asserts it is a multi-billion-dollar industry. “Growth for the company definitely means more categories,” such as bodysuits, she said. But when looking for more partners, Carpenter ensures that Nude Barre will remain committed to pushing back against investors who may be “excluding certain pieces of the equation” in their focus, in terms of both sizing and skin-tone inclusivity. 

In the age of Covid-19, Ministry of Supply is a work-from-homer's go-to brand for comfortable yet professional clothing. While the concept of wearing sweatpants to a work meeting may be new, the lovechild of workwear and athleisure came into fruition in 2012, at a time when “performance materials,” such as moisture-wicking fabrics, first started to explode among the athletic wear industry.  “We designed an entire line of machine-washable, four-way-stretch suiting and clothing for the office and commute,” said Gihan Amarasiriwardena, Ministry of Supply president, on the latest Glossy Podcast. Amarasiriwardena co-founded the tech-focused apparel company with fellow MIT graduate Aman Advani in 2012. “What's been interesting is that, in the past year -- while people are not wearing dress shirts nearly as much as they used to, nor are they wearing suits -- this idea of the importance of comfort has been elevated. Our days are so integrated, both in terms of where we are and what we have to do. Our clothes should be designed to do that.” As the pandemic shifted the American workplace from the office to the couch, the demand for even more comfort called for a corresponding adaptation to the current “work-leisure” apparel sold by Ministry of Supply. According to Amarasiriwardena, when sitting down, one’s waist expands by 5-7% -- a fact that was made undeniably apparent by the couch-to-bed pipeline facilitated by working from home. In response, Ministry of Supply found that, rather than starting from scratch, “It was about tweaking our products,” said Amarasiriwardena. “We've always been using performance, functional fabrics that are soft and stretchy, and machine washable. So it was about adjusting the silhouette.” Just as many offices closed down as a result of the pandemic, Ministry of Supply closed its six stores across the country, with plans to reopen only the Boston store. This doesn’t mark the end of customer interaction, however, as the company has begun offering live chats and video chats with customers.  As for the return to a normal state, Amarasiriwardena expects rebounds to happen in “waves” within the next few months as customers start returning to the office. And in addition to focusing on recovery, Ministry of Supply is focused on “being a leader in this new category of work-leisure.”

Marketplaces were among the big retail winners of the past year, and Farfetch was no exception. “We performed really well, as an overall company,” said Kelly Kowal, chief platform officer at Farfetch, on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. In its first-quarter earnings, released on May 13, Farfetch reported a 46% year-over-year revenue increase, to $485 million. “Nobody ever wants to capitalize off of a pandemic, but one thing that we were really excited about, and something that we really championed on the marketplace side, was keeping our boutique [partners]online and able to trade. And then on the platform side, we saw an increase in new clients and in new technology being adopted. We were really fortunate to be able to have both sides of our business firing on all cylinders.” And that’s despite the fact that new competitors, including The Yes and Amazon’s Luxury Stores, entered the market. What’s more, some luxury brands remained hellbent on keeping to their own sales channels. “What we find sometimes is that customer demands are way ahead of what retailers can do,” Kowal said. “But we spend a lot of our time thinking about what we call ‘the now, the next and the future.’ Keeping our eye on that has allowed us to scale at pace. Innovation is at the heart of our platform.” Focused on what’s next is Sandrine Deveaux, Farfetch’s evp of Future Retail, and her team. “We know only one out of 10 [new technologies] will work, and sometimes one out of 100,” she said. “But because we are a tech company and we can take those risks, and we have this investment in the backend to support our vision, we are the best place within the industry to [explore] them.” 

Often worn by influential women including Michelle Obama on the red carpet, 12-year-old fashion brand Sachin & Babi is best known for its eveningwear. But luckily, prior to the pandemic and the mass cancelation of formal events, founders and married couple Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia had started to expand their product focus. “For the last three years, we've been looking at the business to see how we can make it a little bit more 'all things occasion,' [for] day or evening,” Babi Ahluwalia said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We made a deliberate attempt at [around] the start of 2019 to showcase how you could wear certain pieces of clothing during the day. [So] that gradual shift had started. And the pandemic helped us to push it a little further, faster.” Now, Sachin & Babi customers can shop styles from linen shorts to peasant blouses. What also changed during the pandemic was the brand’s sales-channel split, moving from 60% wholesale to 60% DTC e-commerce sales. “It's [all] such a shift at the moment, and every month is a different game,” said Babi Ahluwalia. “So here we are, weathering the storm of fashion.”  In addition, she spoke about the dwindling importance of fashion week, as it stands; the future of formalwear; and the way she and Sachin Ahluwalia were able to get a second fashion company, The Good Kloth Company, off the ground mid-pandemic. 

Vanterra Capital was better positioned than many businesses going into 2020. “The pandemic just pushed us to double down on our thesis,” said Steven Himmel, partner at Vanterra Capital, on the latest Glossy Podcast. “Everything that we were focused on before is even more relevant today.” With its venture-specific fund, launched about two-and-a-half years ago, Vanterra invests in mission-driven consumer companies, which on the fashion side include Naadam.  “A big focus for us is what we call the ESY [Investing]: [companies that are] better for the environment, better for society and better for you,” he said. And those businesses are set to especially resonate in the post-pandemic world: “As the media cycle scales down the Covid conversation, we believe it's going to scale up the conversations around better-for-the-environment initiatives... It will [create] more of a 360[-degree] awareness around: How are you living? That’s in terms of: What are you eating? How are you treating your body? How are you treating your mind?” Himmel broke down how that shift will impact Vanterra's future investments in fashion and beauty brands.

Heading up a startup, as opposed to a large corporation, has its pros and cons, said Mickey Drexler, the former CEO and chairman of J.Crew Group and CEO of Gap Inc. Today, Drexler is the executive chairman of Alex Mill. The fashion brand was founded in 2012 by his son, Alex Drexler, and Somsack Sikhounmuong, who formerly led design at Madewell. "When I started Old Navy, I had the bank of Gap to fund it… Then I started Madewell, which I owned the name of and sold to J.Crew, and [it was] the same thing: I had the bank of J.Crew,” Drexler said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “But with this business, there are no big banks. There's my bank and my son's bank; we don't have any investors other than us. And it's much more difficult.” Still, he said, “I love it. Because you're involved in every decision. You're looking at everything in detail. And you're micromanaging like crazy, which I like to do.” Rather than investors, Alex Mill has an "unofficial" board of directors, largely made up of people who work in the industry. “Understanding the fashion business is a rarity if you're not in it,” he said. While Alex Mill is not yet profitable, Drexler said business is “seven times what it was two and a half years ago.” And, he said, the company is getting ready to “step on the gas,” in terms of accelerating its growth. That includes linking with a marketing agency; adding to the company’s one store, in NYC’s SoHo; getting inventory right and continuing to sell at full price. “If we weren't direct-to-consumer, the goods we sell would all be marked down somewhere,” he said. “The most successful department store today is TJ Maxx.”

When Paige Mycoskie launched 15-year-old fashion brand Aviator Nation, she was looking to solve her own pain point. “I was most excited to wear vintage clothing -- stuff that was made in the ’70s and early ’80s. And so I found myself looking for clothes at flea markets and thrift stores. But it’s not easy to find good T-shirts from the ’70s,” she said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “I’d spend a whole day looking for one T-shirt. Then it dawned on me: ‘Why don’t I learn how to make this?’ So I started sewing clothes for myself and I taught myself how to screenprint within a couple of weeks.”  That led to a buyer from Fred Segal placing a hefty order, solely based on the shirt that was on Mycoskie’s back. And the brand took off from there. In the last year, with staying home being the norm, the level of comfort that comes with wearing a vintage-inspired T-shirt has been in demand. Brands have been adjusting their product offerings accordingly, which has meant new competition for Aviator Nation. But Mycoskie isn’t concerned: “Now that athleisure is such a big deal, people are [OK with wearing] a tracksuit or a sweatsuit pretty much anywhere they go,” she said. “It obviously works to my benefit -- but it’s definitely what we’ve been doing since day one. The L.A.-based company now has 13 brand stores, and 90% of its sales are direct-to-consumer. Mycoskie said more stores are on the way.  “When my friends ask me about business, one of the things I always say is to just go for it,” she said. “Don’t waste too much time on the details; just put it out there.” 

When Karla Welch and Clea O’Hana launched fashion styling app Wishi in 2019, the idea was to democratize the fashion styling experience, which is usually reserved for celebs. “Karla’s dream was to bring styling to everyone,” O’Hana said, on the latest Glossy Podcast. “It’s a great partnership -- because I had the technology and the business idea, but I didn’t have the styling or the fashion part of it…[Together] we’re replicating the relationship that she has with her clients, online.”  Welch has 20 years of experience as a stylist; her clients to date have included Justin Bieber, Tracee Ellis Ross and Karlie Kloss, among others. Meanwhile, O’Hana’s background is in business and finance, though she’s worked in merchandising for fashion companies including Net-a-Porter and Belstaff.  In February, Wishi secured a partnership with Farfetch, granting the retailer's high-spend loyalty members access to Wishi’s styling services. (Typically, clients pay Wishi $40 to be styled in two looks and $90 for five looks -- stylists are not paid on commission.) Thus far, the partnership has revealed some interesting data points. For one, customers who take advantage of the service are returning fewer items.  “When you're shopping for yourself, and you don't have the eye or the confidence, or you're not sure [about] the fit, you overbuy, and then you send things back,” said Welch. “It’s a huge waste environmentally, and it's really damaging to a lot of businesses.” Wishi is getting the word out about its services via its Style Council of stylists, who promote their bookings. It also invests in digital marketing and Google search. “[However] people are looking for this service now; there's really a lot of demand,” said O’Hana. “We don't have any problem marketing it.”

When Carolyn Murphy started modeling, she didn’t have a long-term plan. But thirty years later, her career is still going strong.  “I didn't develop a business sense … until much, much later [in my career] -- probably until after I gave birth to my daughter,” she said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “And it was like, ‘Oh! I'm a mom, and I've got to get it together.’ This year, Murphy is celebrating 20 years as the face of Estee Lauder, making her the longest-reigning spokesmodel in the industry. Among her latest jobs was walking in the Michael Kors 40th anniversary runway show, for fall 2021, which played out online last week.  “There's a lot of dialogue around what's going to happen to fashion week [after] Covid, and there are adaptations that have taken place -- it's been more about filming,” she said. “But I hope that actual fashion week does come back. Because, no matter what, connection is so important; we're all stronger and happier together.” Murphy’s career took off in the mid-’90s, when she landed a French Vogue cover, followed by a Prada campaign shot by David Sims. Soon after, she booked an American Vogue cover with models Shalom Harlow and Amber Valletta. “Then I started working with [photographer] Steven Meisel, and it just all took off,” she said. She’s since found smart ways to build on her modeling career: She’s collaborated on products with Shinola and has a new collab with Mother Denim that’s getting set to roll out. Also coming soon is “an online journalistic magazine of sorts,” which she’s calling “Mama Murphy’s,” for the time being. Plus she’s working on two books, including a fiction novel.   “I never really want it to be about me,” she said. “I always want to pay it forward; I want to do things that have purpose and meaning.”

The team behind 120-year-old Saucony is no stranger to the competition in the running shoe market. But within the last year, as former gym rats took up running and more brands entered the space, they’ve been stepping up their game. "The running boom is real,” Anne Cavassa, president of Saucony, said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “So we're making sure that we're connecting and engaging with consumers where they're at -- whether that's around what shoes they need, what their training should look like, what their diet should look like. When it comes to [anything] around the running lifestyle, we've been working on it from a communication perspective and from an inspirational perspective.” At the same time, the brand has continued to roll out innovative launches, including its “most eco-friendly shoe ever,” the Jazz Court RFG sneaker, in March.  According to Cavassa, being one of 12 brands under the Wolverine Worldwide umbrella enabled Saucony to be “nimble and agile,” which was required throughout last year. Access to its “back-of-house systems and resources” proved invaluable, as did learnings from fellow WW brands, including Keds and Sperry. “We were able to [compare] what was working and what wasn’t, and … to communicate on how to [best] respond during the crisis,” she said.

More than 100-years-old, Moscot's Lower East Side store is decidedly a New York institution. And worldwide, the eyewear company has 15 retail locations. But that's not to suggest that physical retail is the company's sole focus. "We started our transition [to go] fully into digital several years ago," Zack Moscot, a fifth-generation Moscot and the company's chief design officer, said on the latest Glossy Podcast. "So when the pandemic hit, we were able to pivot and really step on the gas when we needed to." Along with the company's direct-to-consumer sales channels, it has wholesale distribution in Europe, retail partners in Asia and "selective distribution" through retailers in the U.S. "We partner with those that help tell our story, and understand who and what we are, and don't view us as just another eyewear brand," said Dr. Harvey Moscot, a fourth-generation Moscot (Zack's father) and the company's CEO. The company's history is a key differentiator, said Zack Moscot. "Very few businesses, especially in America, make it to the fifth generation and keep it in the family," he said. And the company is just as selective about where it sets up its own shops. "We get offered opportunities in malls. We just never felt like we could really portray ourselves in a mall environment," said Dr. Harvey Moscot. "Where we have the opportunity to select a location that feels right for the brand, that reminds us of the Lower East Side in New York City -- which happened in London, which happened in Amsterdam -- those are the areas that we seek. It's those kind of creative epicenters."

Arezzo & Co. CEO Alexandre Birman is prepared to handle a rough 2021. “The first half of the year will be very challenging,” he said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “It's not going to be easy. And who is going to survive is not the strongest, but the most adaptable. So we have to be very prepared to adapt.” The company managed just fine in 2020, emerging relatively unscathed though big changes were necessary. Those adjustments, including putting its 6,000 store employees to work as digital sales associates, set it up for a strong start to 2021. Though 80% of its stores are now closed due to pandemic-related restrictions -- they’re largely located in the company’s home base of Brazil, where the vaccine has been much less widely distributed -- it finished March with 70% of the revenue it earned in March of 2019. “That's decent," said Birman. "It’s going to be a gradual rebound." Brazil-based Arezzo & Co. owns six shoe brands and the distribution license for Vans in Brazil. In the fourth quarter of 2019, it expanded its focus to clothing by acquiring apparel group Reserva Group and 75% of online luxury resale platform Troc. Birman discussed the company’s investment strategy, as well as its future plans for physical retail and expansion in the states.

Athleta chief product officer Jana Henning described 2020 as both “a blockbuster year” and “a rollercoaster.” The company managed to do $1 billion in sales, even with amid pandemic-driven obstacles. “I credit our success last year to listening to our teams and listening to our customer,” Henning said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We really put them at the center of everything we do, and that's been good for business.” Responding to that feedback meant quickly entering new product categories, including sleepwear and masks, and offering more sizes. As of January 2021, Athleta offers sizes 1X-3X in 70% of its styles. The company also leaned into styles that were selling, resulting in a record year for leggings. Henning, who’s been with Gap Inc. since 2010, said Athleta was well positioned going into the pandemic due, in part, to its brand values. “They really resonate with our customers and what's happening in the zeitgeist right now,” she said. “Athleta is a B Corp, we are committed to empowering women and girls to really reach their limitless potential, and we are committed to inclusivity by design -- really thinking about how we can invite as many different women and girls into the brand as possible.” This year, the company plans to open 20-30 stores, and it’s projecting $2 billion in annual sales by 2023.

When sisters Kendall and Libby Glazer launched Stoney Clover Lane in 2009, Kendall was 17 and Libby was 15. “The brand you know today is not the brand that started Stoney Clover Lane,” said Kendall Glazer on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “It started as beaded bracelets. It was a hobby. But we always kind of had this business mindset. We took something that so many other girls were doing and went through the motions of turning it into a business.” Today, Stoney Clover Lane is known for customizable lifestyle accessories, from makeup pouches to duffel bags. It has around 100 employees and is getting set to launch its fifth and sixth stores. Despite travel being put on hold, negating hot sales moments for the brand like spring break, Stoney Clover Lane had a successful 2020, with 200% sales growth. Glazer owed the strong sales, in part, to the brand’s strong community. “They've always been engaged,” said Glazer. “And in the last year, we did more to engage them, with crowdsourcing and just making ourselves more accessible.” Glazer also discussed Stoney Clover Lane’s 2021 plans, including collaborations and its retail expansion.

Re/Done co-founder Sean Barron never set out to launch a sustainable denim brand. “We thought it was a project,” versus a company, he said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. His business partner, Jamie Mazur, “had this idea of taking Levi's apart and making jeans that fit girls,” Barron said. “It took nine months for us to make that work. Then we built a website.” On the brand’s launch date in 2014, after Bella Hadid hyped the brand in an Instagram post, the first pairs of Re/Done denim sold out in 12 minutes at midnight and attracted a 1,200-person waitlist. “Vogue and every kind of media covered it,” said Barron. “It was like, ‘Oh, maybe we have something here.’” Now, Re/Done is the biggest purchaser of vintage Levi's worldwide. To date, it’s upcycled 120,000 pairs of Levi's. The company’s ongoing partnership with Levi’s is key to its success among millennial shoppers, said Barron. “What resonates and [works] to build a community in the millennial space are [styles] with scarcity, exclusivity and storytelling. And those three [characteristics] actually live inside of one pair of Levi's,” said Barrron. “If you have a vintage pair, they're very exclusive. They're one of one. And they're scarce because there's not an infinite amount. And each jean really tells a story. Maybe a trucker bought it and then he gave it to his girlfriend, and she gave it to Goodwill. There are all these storytelling moments that, even if you don't know them, you know they exist.” Barron also discussed Re/Done's growing direct-to-consumer business, its "big" physical retail plans and its three-part collaboration strategy.

Despite having 400,000-plus followers on Instagram, Patrick Janelle (@aguynamedpatrick) doesn’t call himself an influencer. “I've never fully identified with the term, because it means a lot of things, and influence itself could mean a lot of things. And the way by which people influence others can come about in many different ways,” Janelle said on the Glossy Podcast. “So using the term strictly to define somebody who has a large social media following never felt totally apt to me.” Instead, he’ll use “content creator” or “lifestyle Instagrammer.” The latter is fitting, considering Janelle’s wide range of partners, which include fashion brands, liquor brands and airline companies, to name a few. Recent posts marked "#ad" feature Club Monaco and Ferragamo. In late 2014, Janelle started growing his Instagram following, which is now equally split between men and women, usually in the “upper millennial” age bracket. In January of 2020, he launched his own influencer agency, Untitled Secret, to provide other creatives with the type of “creative business opportunities” that his manager had given him, he said. Among talent he’s signed to date are fashion influencer Rocky Barnes (2.1 million Instagram followers) and "skinfluencer" Sean Garrette (79,000). In October, he was named chairman of the American Influencer Council, which is focused on sustaining the integrity and viability of the influencer marketing industry. According to Janelle, 2020 spawned new opportunities for him and all influencers. “There's no better place to be than in this space, when it comes to being able to activate the marketing dollars and opportunities that actually do exist,” he said. “While it's been very challenging and really difficult, the growth that we've seen as an industry has actually been quite significant.”

J.J. Martin, founder and creative director of Milan-based fashion and home goods brand La DoubleJ, didn’t take the traditional path to launching her company. And now, six years in, she’s determined to run it her own way. “I started this company selling vintage clothing and vintage jewelry online,” she said on the Glossy Podcast. Prior, she had spent 15 years as a journalist, writing for publications including Harper's Bazaar, the Wall Street Journal and Wallpaper Magazine. “At the time, Italy was really starting to feel the crunch from Asia and the competition there. A lot of [Italian] factories were closing, mills were closing, and it kind of became my pursuit to sort of cheerlead for Milan, cheerlead for Italians. So we started doing a lot of co-branding [with suppliers] -- for example, working with a 120-year-old silk factory [to make styles] and then calling [the factory] out on little hang tags.” Since, the results have proven popular -- even during the pandemic. According to Martin, La DoubleJ saw record sales on its site in January, and in the last year, its e-commerce sales have grown “by leaps and bounds.” La DoubleJ has yet to invest in its own physical stores, but it has linked with select wholesale partners. They don’t include “generic, bigger stores” with outdated approaches to marketing brands, Martin said. “[Those retailers] are just like, ‘We’re going to have a cocktail party in our store to drive people to the sales floor. But, who wants to go into a store for a cocktail party? Nobody wants to do that; that is very 1999. It is time to rethink the entire retail experience.” Martin discussed her own approach to marketing, which is more personal and, uniquely for a fashion brand, promotes mental health.

According to NPD, sales of high heels were down more than 70% in 2020. But Sarah Flint was an exception to the rule. “Heels are pumps were still our top-selling category,” said Sarah Flint, founder and creative director of her namesake brand, on the latest Glossy Podcast. “There is not a real explanation for that, other than maybe women buy with their hearts more than their heads sometimes.” Even so, the brand rounded out its products in 2020 with more pandemic-friendly categories, including silk scarves, stationary and house shoes. In March, it also grew its executive team, with the appointment of Mary Beech, formerly CMO of Kate Spade. “As we scaled, while I was great with the big ideas and being scrappy, there were really a lot of processes that needed to be put into place -- not my strong suit,” Flint said, of the hire. As for Beech, “I was looking for a brand that was responding to all the changes in consumer behavior that I was seeing," she said. "Honestly, I thought that meant leaving fashion. And then I met Sarah, who looks at where the hockey puck is going. She definitely is always questioning the status quo… I've been at some of the best lifestyle brands out there, and I saw that Sarah has what it takes to be the next great American lifestyle brand. So I thought, 'I have to be there, small or not.'"

Because Drest is centered on bringing together notoriously slow-to-evolve luxury fashion brands and innovative gaming technology, it would seem that founder and co-CEO Lucy Yeomans has her work cut out for her. But with more than 20 years of experience working with luxury fashion brands, she knows how to speak their language. “I thought it was going to be much, much tougher than it was [to get brands to sign on to the platform],” Yeomans said on the Glossy Podcast. Among clinchers was the high level of engagement among Drest users -- spending 17 minutes to create a look on the app is normal, she said. Drest’s elevated look and feel were also factors. “[Brands] understood that the environment we created was completely luxurious and respected, that [it followed] all the codes of luxury, and that it was an amazing place to talk about their DNA in a very, very different way,” she said. Formerly editor-in-chief of Porter magazine and British Harper's Bazaar, Yeomans has also had to get acclimated to the fast-paced gaming world since launching Drest in October 2019: “I'm used to being somewhere where you develop an app and you move on, and you come back to it maybe three years later,” she said. “In gaming, we are changing the product every two weeks.” She also discussed Drest’s expansion to beauty and fine jewelry, and shopping’s omnichannel future.

Workwear was different when CEO Sarah LaFleur launched M.M.LaFleur, her fashion brand targeting working women. “Dresses were the majority of our business [in 2013],” she said on the Glossy Podcast. “We didn’t even have pants until 2016.” But now that working from home has become the norm, the brand has fully embraced casual wear. “The Power Casual category [that includes joggers, hoodies and tees] was probably 15-20% of our business going into 2020. But Covid hit, and -- boom. It's now over 50%,” she said. Tackling change is a growing trend for the brand. In late February, it will introduce M.M. Second Act, a peer-to-peer resale program that’s been on the backburner for years. “I always saw M.M.'s purpose in the clothing world as being not just about selling, but also about showing women how to wear it. And actually teaching women how to take care of their clothing. The final piece in clothing's journey is retiring that piece, if you're not wearing it,” said LaFleur. “It wasn't until recently, when the technology really caught up with this brand value, that we've been able to lean into [resale].” LaFleur also discussed how Slack is fueling the brand's community and why now is the time to redefine the workwear dress code.

When Jeff Abrams launched L.A.-based fashion brand Rails in 2008, he couldn’t have predicted the demand for comfortable clothes in 2020. The cashmere-like shirts that the line started with is now driving exceptional sales for the company. “We actually grew over the course of this year,” Abrams said on the Glossy Podcast. To date, Rails has generated over $500 million in retail sales and increased topline revenue and profitability every year since launch. “When Covid came around, we were top-of-mind for people; we [provided] a natural transition into the changing fashion environment.” Though sales of women’s button-downs drove nearly 100% of the business in its first 5-6 years, Rails has since slowly expanded to other categories that can serve as the “top-half” of denim, like T-shirts and “cozy” sweaters, said Abrams. More recently, it’s also introduced bottoms and dresses. It launched a men’s line in 2017. “It’s now very much a full lifestyle collection,” he said, noting that a denim line is set to launch in the fall. Abrams also discussed the brand’s expansion via international markets and physical retail.

Managing corporate responsibility for a global company with 160,000 employees can’t be easy, especially in 2021. But Karin Raguin, vp of talent management and corporate responsibility at LVMH North America, is rising to the challenge. “All of the past year has been about people and safety, and well-being … and values … and how we enable people to shape their professional paths in a very meaningful way,” said Raguin, on the Glossy Podcast. “My job has not changed over the past year, but it has been accelerated.”  Raguin, who worked as a social worker before joining LVMH in 2007, said that 2020 marked a tipping point for LVMH, in terms of transparency. That was largely driven by the widespread social unrest following the killing of George Floyd. “There was an expectation [among] our employees and our customers for [us to provide] more direct communication about what we were doing. So, we were louder [about] our diversity and inclusion actions.”  Other accelerations included ramping up efforts to ensure employees’ mental health. 

Erin and Sara Foster are used to being described as writers, producers, actors, entrepreneurs, maybe influencers -- but “fashion brand founders” is a new one. “I think it’s a combination of imposter syndrome and of, like, ‘Wait, pinch me, we have a fashion brand,’” said Sara Foster, upon being caught off-guard by her Glossy Podcast introduction. After a successful collaboration with Joe’s Jeans in 2020, the sisters launched their apparel brand, Favorite Daughter, through Joe’s founder Centric Brands on December 1. They’re now focused on taking it to the next level, starting with reaching shoppers beyond their Instagram follower base (which, combined, tops 1 million). “Right now, people are buying Favorite Daughter because of us. But we don't want that to continue for the long term,” said Erin Foster. “We want people to find Favorite Daughter and like it because they just like it -- and maybe they know that we're behind it, and maybe they don't.” After launching with a focus on women’s ready-to-wear and DTC online sales, the founders have been busy with expansion plans. They’re currently considering brand collaborations in the footwear and jewelry categories, as well as eying the kids’ clothing space and scouting locations for potential stores. “We know that we have to find ways to separate ourselves in this totally oversaturated market,” said Sara Foster. Along with strategies for differentiating, the founders also discussed their “privileged” path in fashion and the lessons they’ve learned from fellow female leaders.

In 2007, Michelle Wenke and Megan George set out to create the anti-Juicy Couture. “We wanted to be able to wear sweatsuits that catered to people like us, where they weren't so loud and bubble-gummy,’” Wenke said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “We wanted them to look a little more like streamlined and low-key, and not just [be about] hot colors and graphics and bedazzled everywhere. We were a lot younger, so we didn't really have this grandiose plan. We just were like, ‘Let's try it out.” In the 13 years since, their L.A.-based loungewear brand Monrow has been sold by more than 500 boutiques and department stores, including Neiman Marcus and Shopbop, and worn by celebrities from Oprah to Gwyneth Paltrow.  Wenke and George discussed how they’ve self-funded Monrow, how they’ve differentiated in the newly crowded sweats market and how they’ve accommodated their new e-commerce shoppers, which grew from 30% of their customer base to 50% during the pandemic.

Corianna and Brianna Dotson, better known as Coco and Breezy, have been playing by their own rules since launching the Coco & Breezy eyewear brand in 2009.  “It was challenging for us when we first started [in the fashion industry] -- with nothing, like less than $1,000. We didn't go to college, and we had never been in a professional business setting. We say that we have our master's degree in trial and error,” Breezy said on the Glossy Podcast.  Since, the sisters have grown the brand -- which counts celebrity fans including Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj -- as well as careers as influencers, DJs and producers. In 2020, they collaborated with eyewear brand Zenni on a kids’ line and, in October, they were one of seven companies to be accepted into VC firm Andreessen Horowitz’Talent x Opportunity brand accelerator. The program grants them investment dollars, training and access to top mentors.  “It's definitely a confidence builder,” said Coco, of participating in the program. “And we're learning so much.” In addition to career challenges and recent opportunities, Coco and Breezy discussed their DTC-wholesale balance, their TikTok plans and their rule to “be intentional” in the projects they undertake across the board.

Many of the fashion retailers who had plans to open brick-and-mortar stores in 2020 wish they could take it all back. Not so, for Duer co-founder Gary Lenett. "We just feel very, very fortunate to be in the position we are, given where most of the world is that," Lenett said on the Glossy Podcast. The activewear brand is cash flow positive, and plans to launch new product categories and 4-8 new stores in 2021. Beyond that, Lenett said, the company wants a foothold in the Asian market. The Canadian company was founded in 2013 and launched its first product on Kickstarter, a model that Lenett argues is inherently more sustainable. "You're not creating a bunch of inventory and then trying to create demand; you're gauging demand and then building the inventory to the demand." Duer was "basically doubling" its sales "every year for the last five years," according to Lenett, and it's ending 2020 with a 30% bump compared to last. It's now selling in 52 countries. The company made inroads with men's products that are both suitable for exercise and fit the part in an office setting. While first pitching his products, Lenett said, "my barriers were these retail buyers who kept saying to me, 'No, we don't want to do light and stretchy. That's not masculine.' And I'm going, 'No, I'm wearing it! It's actually a superior product.'"

Axel Arigato co-founders Albin Johansson and Max Svärdh have worked from the bottom-up, in the literal sense. "The footwear market -- that's where we saw the gap," Svärdh said on the Glossy Podcast. "How can a shoe cost this much? We couldn't understand that," Johansson added. But like many companies that start out with just one kind of product, shoes were just the entry point into a broader slate of products, which now include head-to-toe clothing items and a range of accessories. "This is where we'll create, hopefully, some brand awareness, and then we'll explore with other categories," Svärdh said about the founders' reasoning when launching the brand in 2014. Despite an ongoing pandemic, the Swedish company has opened two new stores in Germany in recent weeks, and has one in Dubai planned for the first quarter of 2021. Last month, private equity firm Eurazeo took a majority stake in the company, to the tune of a $66.1 million (56 million euro) investment. The United States is one massive market it could turn to next. Online sales from the U.S. make up close to 10% of the brand's digital total, Svärdh estimated.

Luxury shoe brand Tamara Mellon opened a store in Soho a month before lockdown. "Great timing," company CEO Jill Layfield joked on the Glossy Podcast. But one effort that's stood the test of time better than a brick-and-mortar shop is the company's truck: a shoe closet on wheels that greets customers at the Covid-conscious rate of one at a time. The 24-foot "TM Closet" has made stops in more than a dozen cities across the country. Tamara Mellon launched in 2016 as what Layfield describes as the only "true luxury designer footwear brand that's direct to-consumer," Since then, after a Series C last year, it has raised $87 million. DTC now accounts for an outsized portion of its revenue. Co-founder and namesake Tamara Mellon said the fashion industry, as a whole, has been overdue for a shakeup. "As Marc Andreessen said, 'Every business will eventually be eaten by digital,'" Mellon said. "I felt like the business model needed to change, and the way people talked and spoke to their customers needed to change. So that's how we came up with doing direct-to-consumer."

Running a fashion company is work enough, but Alice + Olivia CEO Stacey Bendet has also made 2020 a year of initiatives that serve -- and push -- the entire industry. In May, the Glossy 50 honoree rolled out Creatively, a job platform and networking app for creatives. "This is our gift to the Covid world," Bendet said on the Glossy Podcast. "It will always be free to creatives, because it's built for creatives," she said. But it will eventually be monetized by charging those posting jobs on the platform. In June, Bendet also co-created #ShareTheMicNow, starting by handing over her Instagram account (which has, at last check, 1 million followers) to a less represented voice for a day. "Like, 'I trust you, here's my password, here's my account, you speak your voice. Let us listen,'" Bendet said. Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow and Diane von Furstenberg participated, as did dozens of prominent women who replicated the initiative in the U.K. in October, tthe country's Black History month.

CR Fashion Book president Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld doesn't usually go the easy route. In the spring, as the pandemic threatened to make this a bye year for the company's fashion show, he pitched another event organizer threatened by the pandemic (amfAR, a non-profit supporting HIV/AIDS research and prevention) on collaborating on a fully digital show. "We worked on it for about a month and a half. It was non-stop," Restoin Roitfeld said on the Glossy Podcast. "Everybody agreed to do a little runway very safely from their own house[s] or apartments, and to wear whatever they wanted to wear from their closet." Another feat in the face of serious inconvenience: launching a magazine in China. "It's not an easy place to launch a publication, with the political difficulties or censorship that you have to also face," Restoin Roitfeld said.

Kendra Scott insists she isn't kidding when she says she's thankful for 2008's Great Recession. "I honestly believe we would not be talking today if that recession hadn't happened, because it forced me to have to run my business differently," Scott said on the Glossy Podcast. Scott quickly pivoted the jewelry business to sell directly to consumers, as opposed to via wholesale only. Today, the brand has more than 100 stores nationwide. When the pandemic hit, she said, she felt like she'd been here before. "It was like my muscle memory came back." Scott joined the podcast to talk about the importance of charitable giving ("Since 2010, we've given over $30 million to women's and children's charities," she said), the human need for physical places like stores and the company's Texas origins, which give it an edge.

Fashion is a notoriously damaging industry for the environment. "It was clear to me that the industry was a solid 7-10 years behind a number of other major consumer industries like food and CPG -- in owning up to the problems, putting in place solutions and educating the consumer," Another Tomorrow CEO Vanessa Barboni Hallik said on the Glossy Podcast. Another Tomorrow is a certified B corp, making it for-profit, but with a clear set of social responsibilities. Its industry peers in that regard include Patagonia and Allbirds. Each of the company's garments include a QR code that can be scanned for "the customer to see the entire provenance journey," Barboni Hallik said, adding that most customers use the function.

7 For All Mankind is nearly synonymous with the top-shelf denim trend of the early 2000s. "Premium denim didn't exist [prior]; we really launched this category," company president Suzanne Silverstein said on the Glossy Podcast. Twenty years after its founding, the company is now doing a bit more reacting to established trends. The pandemic has put a premium on comfort above all, so the jeans maker is fast-tracking a few articles that focus on just that -- via an "elastic waist, forgiving fit," Silverstein said. One focus of 7 For All Mankind that has remained intact is sustainability. The denim industry has a notoriously wasteful reputation, which it's "probably earned," Silverstein conceded. Two-thousand gallons of water are typically required to create one pair of jeans. But by 2023, 7 For All Mankind expects that 80% of its products will clear certain scores by the Higg FEM standard. "The only thing that's really slowing us down, quite frankly, is our existing raw materials," Silverstein said. "All new materials we work with fit our criteria."

It took a pandemic for Daniella Kallmeyer to put more of her own voice in the self-named fashion brand she started in 2012. "I'm being more vocal about my personal experience and my political views," Kallmeyer said on the Glossy Podcast. "I've given some really raw interviews over the past couple of months, and I certainly have had people reach out to me and tell me how much they appreciate that." Taking a stand on social issues is a big part of what companies are expected to do now, she said. And for those that don't? "You could become irrelevant." Kallmeyer had projected "major growth" for the calendar year -- "January was our best month in business, to date," she said -- but then the pandemic hit. Since March, she has temporarily closed and reopened the company's newly opened physical store, and has launched a range of digital services for Kallmeyer customers.

As the CEO of digitally native menswear brand Bonobos, Micky Onvural has experienced both extreme challenges and lucky breaks in getting the brand through 2020.  “We've always been predominantly e-commerce, so we didn't have the same catch-up game to play as other retailers did,” she said on the Glossy Podcast. “The biggest catch-up game we had to play was on the product side -- because we were ‘wear-to-work,’ but now we want to be ‘wear-everywhere.’” To swiftly transition the product, among other untimely elements of the business, the Bonobos team kicked its operations into high gear. As Onvural sees it, that expedited pace is set to define the company’s new normal.  “We’ve all gotten used to the fact that change is normal -- and that we have to be very fleet-of-foot, and we need to be half a step ahead, if possible, of what's going on with the customer, the competition and the industry,” she said. “[Five month ago] we were innovating fast, and we've just gotten used to that new pace of working.” In addition to sharing how Bonobos plans to build on new learnings, products and initiatives, she discussed how the company is tackling the holiday season and why she believes, “There is always going to be a place for physical stores.” 

Todd Snyder is a master of collaborations.  “I've always looked at brands I want to work with, and they're almost all originators in their space,” Snyder said on the Glossy Podcast. “They’re authentic and real, and American -- and the first of their version.” Snyder launched his namesake brand in 2011, after stints as a lead designer at Ralph Lauren, Gap and J.Crew. The brand now averages 2-5 collaborations per year, which account for 50% of the business and vary in length: Its first, with Champion, is eight years running. Most recently, the brand linked with LL Bean on a fashion collection and a lodge in Kennebunkport, Maine on a room’s decor.  “Part of our business plan is we look at: How do we expand our audience and also do things that are original, different?” he said. “I lean heavily into the design piece, just because I'm a designer by trade. It's not just, ‘Let's do some cool stuff, I want to slap my name on it.’ I really get into the weeds with the design team; that's the part I love.” The 30-year fashion industry veteran also discussed how his brand transitioned from wholesale to DTC, where it’s filling white space and why print is still alive.

Joe's Jeans is heavily invested in working with influencers. It's a relationship that has to make sense to work, said Jennifer Hawkins, the brand's svp of marketing and innovation. "It's not just plucking someone off a list and saying, 'Let's do a collaboration,'" Hawkins said on the Glossy Podcast. "It's finding people that you organically fit with from a product standpoint and working with them." Hawkins talked about why she's bullish on Instagram Checkout, why Joe's needs a TikTok strategy and what separates a Nordstrom shopper from an Amazon one.

In Clearbanc president Michele Romanow's view, regular banks are pretty clueless. "Banks don't understand digital business," she said on the Glossy Podcast. "They understand if you're a restaurant with a pizza oven, and that if your business goes out of business, they can sell the pizza oven, as it has residual value." But they're less likely to accurately value inventory or to understand that a strong customer acquisition strategy -- if a DTC company has gotten there -- is a valuable asset in itself. Founded in 2015, Clearbanc provides funding for widespread companies -- each of which are typically bringing in at least $10,000 in monthly revenue -- for a flat fee. To date, it's invested $1 billion in more than 3,000 brands, including Public Goods, Nectar and Haus. By the numbers, these companies are more diverse than the ones venture capital typically underwrites. A year and half into the company's existence, "we had funded eight-times more women than the venture capital industry average, which I'm super proud of," Romanow said. "We've funded founders in all 50 states in America. In comparison, 80% of VC dollars last year went into four states in America: California, New York, Texas and Massachusetts." The company has invested heavily in DTC -- "right now is an incredible time for the DTC world," Romanow said -- but also on SaaS.

People may not be getting dressed and going out like they used to, but for Bombas, sales are up. The sock company is beating the target it set for itself back in January, before the pandemic kept people at home (where socks are a little more optional). "Sales are up," Bombas co-founder and chief brand officer Randy Goldberg said on the Glossy Podcast. "There's that response to comfort and a response to community. And people are looking for these little moments for themselves." Bombas was founded in 2013, starting with an Indiegogo campaign. For every pair sold, the company donates one to the homeless -- "but also people who are at risk and in need," Goldberg said, through a network of more than 3,500 "giving partners." "Those are anything from a small shelter in a small town to big organizations like the VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] and the Special Olympics. We're in all 50 states." Bombas has also recently moved into different categories, including cotton T-shirts. Goldberg talked about how Bombas aims to make the most comfortable socks around, how DTC strategies have changed in recent years and which of the brand's product categories isn't as hot as he thought it would be this year.

After a summer of virtual fashion showcases, Paris is going back to the real thing. Among the labels on the (outdoor) catwalk schedule for the upcoming Paris Fashion Week is Ami, the company founded in 2011 -- but which only got into womenswear in 2018. "I do this job, for nine years now, because of the show. The show is a magical moment. It's a rendezvous which is not replaceable," founder Alexandre Mattiussi said on the Glossy Podcast. The coronavirus hasn't slowed Mattiussi's roll much in general. The company hasn't had to lay anyone off, just opened a new store in South Korea (making for about 10 stores in total) and had strong sales for its latest spring/summer collection. "I don't want to scream it too loud, because I feel very grateful, but the business has been wonderful during this time," Mattiussi said. As a result, the company has had the resources to take on certain responsibilities, like supporting struggling wholesalers by maintaining longstanding partnerships and making its production more sustainable. "We all want [more sustainability]," Mattiussi said. "I just want to look at my face in the mirror every day when I wake up in a few years and say we've been part of it."

Maison de Mode CEO Hassan Pierre knows that if sustainable fashion doesn't look as good as everything else on the market, it's not going to make much of a positive impact on the environment. "I always say that if a shirt saves a thousand lives, but it's ugly, no one's going to buy it," Pierre said on the Glossy Podcast. "So we need, as a retailer, to make people dream and to really make people want to buy things -- not just because they're good, but also because they want to wear them." Maison de Mode launched in 2015 as a two-part business -- it's an online platform selling sustainable fashion from different labels (both off-the-rack and made-to-order) and a consulting firm, too. Maison de Mode makes a cut of every purchase on the marketplace side, and as a whole, the business grew 161% between March and April, Pierre said. Like every online retailer, Maison de Mode keeps an eye on purchasing data. During the pandemic, consumers have turned to many of the categories you'd imagine -- "anything that is really beautiful and cozy and comfortable," Pierre said -- but also an unexpected one: fine jewelry. "We would be out of touch if we were just selling ball gowns and high heels," Pierre said.

Ronny Kobo's self-named fashion line is nearly synonymous with "party dress," and there aren't many occasions for those these days. "Luckily, we have not seen a lot of canceled styles and canceled orders," Kobo said on the Glossy Podcast. But the brand is still pivoting to selling online, including for the swimwear line it will be launching in the spring. "Retail's going to change drastically in the next year. We're all going digital," Kobo said. "Even the local boutiques are going to need to figure out a way to communicate with their customer."

The pandemic has been hard on fashion brands -- but especially for Billy Reid, which hosts an annual arts festival in its hometown of Florence, Alabama that has become part of its identity. "I can't tell you how many texts I get per week from friends, going, 'What's up with Shindig this year?' And you have to let them down easy," Reid said on the Glossy Podcast. The menswear-first company is looking forward to doubling-down on the event next year, and Reid said he's just glad to see it surviving the economic downturn. Personnel cutbacks have leveled off, he said, and all of the company's 14 stores have opened, though traffic is down. "We believe that, eventually, it will come back," Reid said. "We're bullish on it." Womenswear makes up 20-25% of Billy Reid's sales and is only carried in its own stores.

The direct-to-consumer brands that have sprung up in the last decade have promised to deliver quality at a better price by cutting out the middlemen: retailers. Italic wants to do the same, but is taking a different approach by working with multiple manufacturers that supply top brands. Its result is a lineup of quality products, without brand names or premium price tags. The company launched in 2018 with a different membership than the model it recently adopted -- the annual cost is now $100, which can quickly pay for itself in savings, according to founder and CEO Jeremy Cai. The company sells products ranging from leather jackets to handbags to cookware. For each one, Italic's site specifies which companies its manufacturer supplies (like Hugo Boss, Armani and Longchamp, in the case of backpacks). "Italic is actually a very easy math exercise to just do in your head: 'Hey, am I going to make my money back on $100, if I purchase one time?' And over 90% of the time, that is correct," Cai said on the Glossy Podcast. Cost-consciousness might not be the first value someone identifies with, but Cai says it's an evergreen one. "There are millions of Costco shoppers, there are millions of people who really love Spotify instead of purchasing music outright," Cai said. "The shopping mindset of, ‘I want to buy things that’ll be a great deal; I want to be smart about my purchases,’ accelerated our desire to actually go to market" with the new membership pricing.

To forecast the next fashion trends, Soludos founder Nick Brown looked to past crises. Before the 2008 crisis, "it was all about ornaments and stuff being very sexy and over-the-top," Brown said on the Glossy Podcast. "Then in 2010, it shifted toward minimalism and modernism." Brown wagered that fashion will stay on the minimalist side. But either way, shoes are a tough category. "In some of these customer surveys, and certainly in my own life, I'm only buying what I need to, and I'm not going out that much," Brown said. As a result, Soludos is focusing on fewer products and sustainable production. Product delivery has also evolved. Soludos' sales have moved online; 70% of its sales now come through its own website, Brown said. "We've all seen the numbers that, in two months, there's been 10 years' worth of e-commerce penetration," he said.

In fashion, the small businesses have suffered more than the big ones since March. But Commando founder Kerry O'Brien thinks that, for those boutiques that can survive a tortuous shutdown, the other side will be a lot brighter. "I think they're going to have a resurgence if they can make it through these times," she said. "Women are going to want to go to their local shop, and they're going to want to have a conversation with someone they know in a small setting." Boutiques were where Commando, which started off in the underwear category, got its start. It's still carried in more than 1,000 boutiques, as well as at major department stores. O'Brien launched the company in 2003, a few years after having quit her job at public relations giant Edelman the day after 9/11. The company has since grown, playing a role in the surge in popularity of bike shorts, according to O'Brien. Bella Hadid wore a pair by Commando at Paris Fashion Week in 2017. O'Brien thinks women shopping for clothes are now looking for two things: comfort and transparency about where the clothes came from. Commando manufactures its products in the United States and imports most fabrics from Europe. With the pandemic keeping retail foot traffic down, she's been spending most of her time at the company's home base in Burlington, Vermont. For a recent photo shoot, O'Brien said, "We used a local model. We can't bring in a New York City model, because they would have to quarantine."

The ongoing demand for LaQuan Smith's signature sexy designs is both a blessing and a curse, as he put it on the Glossy Podcast. "It was a very humbling experience, because I had to find alternative ways to still be able to produce these orders," Smith said. "Thankful they didn't get dropped, but also, damn, because I'm now in a compromised position: How do I get these done, how do I fulfill all these orders on time?" Smith pulled it off by having his cutters work from home while "packing and shipping from my living room," he said. To him, the fact that his designs are in demand despite a pandemic gives him further confidence in his self-named brand, which he said faced significant doubts when it debuted in 2013. But he said he's recently faced tokenism, whereby his achievements as a designer have been flattened by his grouping with other Black designers. "You can't group me with [someone] who just started designing three months ago on Instagram. That's not fair," Smith said, referring to the lists of Black designers to support, that have recently surfaced across media channels. "They're putting all these Black designers in one box. To me, this is not the way you do that. If you want to really celebrate designers of color, you do it the right way."

After a pandemic-caused delay, influencer Arielle Charnas' clothing company Something Navy finally relaunched last week as a direct-to-consumer brand, after selling exclusively as a Nordstrom collaboration. For her and interim CEO Matt Scanlan, it was worth the wait: Online, Something Navy grossed $1 million in just 30 minutes, according to Charnas and Scanlan. "The velocity and speed of sales totally broke our back end," Scanlan said on the Glossy Podcast. Charnas has a considerable Instagram following of 1.3 million to thank for the marketing push. In fact, Something Navy didn't spend a dollar on traditional marketing, Scanlan said. But a massive following can also come with scrutiny. Back in March, Charnas drew criticism for the way she handled a Covid-19 diagnosis -- withdrawing to a house outside of NYC, rather than staying home. "People wanted me to be more sensitive about what was going on in the world, and I should have been," Charnas said. Scanlan and Charnas talked about the lessons learned, the future of influencer culture and the new KPIs for a clothing company.

Putting on a digital fashion show isn't especially revolutionary. But Anifa Mvuemba, the founder of Hanifa, gave her Instagram Live show a novel twist: there weren't any models, whether digital or real. "This will be a great way to get everyone's attention," Mvuemba recalled thinking, on the Glossy Podcast. Her virtual runway was stalked by Hanifa dresses, moving of their own accord as if draped over moving ghosts. It was a painstaking endeavor of animation and design, but it paid off. Tens of thousands tuned in, according to Fast Company. "The sales, it was immediate -- probably the best month we've had since I started my company," Mvuemba said. The attention was big enough to push Mvuemba into a more significant public relations hire in the Hinton Group. Next, Mvuemba plans on turning heads again with technical feats (even though "we're still coming down from the high from the first one") and launching shapewear for women of color in the coming months.

Speaking for her corner of the fashion industry -- luxury denim -- Warp+Weft founder Sarah Ahmed said that discussions around racial issues should only be beginning. "If everyone was always receptive to this -- to racial equality -- we wouldn't be having these problems," Ahmed said on the Glossy Podcast. "We all need to take a look: maybe the joke that we make, the model choice that we made -- why did we make that?" she said. Warp+Weft is progressive on other fronts. Its manufacturing process consumes a fraction of the water that jeans -- a notoriously resource-intense garment -- typically do, according to Ahmed. And because of the impact of the pandemic, Ahmed hopes to make the family-owned businesses she's a part of (Warp+Weft is one, DL1961 is the other) smarter about human resources. Ahmed said the company saw a spike in e-commerce sales -- yes, even though they're jeans, not sweatpants. But it still had to make layoffs. For the future, Ahmed said, "I talk to people on the team and tell them 'Listen, let's make you and this role irreplaceable -- and so key to the company that you feel needed, and we need you, and you're pandemic-proof.' I think that's how employers need to be looking at their roles."

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Trina Turk's self-named fashion label made 15% of its sales through e-commerce. But with Neiman Marcus' filing for bankruptcy in May and an ongoing lack of foot traffic at mall stores, Turk ideally wants that percentage raised to 50% or more. "If they weren't shopping online prior to this whole thing, they are jumping online now," Turk said about shoppers on the Glossy Podcast. "I don't think we're alone in really examining how we can pivot our business to be much more e-comm-focused. Turk talked about managing her relationship with department stores to minimize the excess inventory brought about by the global retail shutdown, exploring the potential of client meetings done via Zoom and hiring more diversely once the company recovers from its layoffs and hiring freeze.

Womenswear brand Knix has already gone through the painful transition to DTC that other clothing companies are being forced into during the pandemic. "I feel for those brands," Knix CEO Joanna Griffiths said on the Glossy Podcast. "But I also know that it's possible." Griffiths founded the company in 2013 to make and market leakproof underwear. At the time, the business model was entirely about wholesale. "I did trunk shows at every Equinox location in the United States, I think," Griffiths said. But in the 2016, she decided to pull out of more than 700 retail locations across North America and shift to direct-to-consumer, out of a concern for size inclusivity. "A lot of the traditional retailers wouldn’t carry our size assortment," Griffiths has previously told Glossy. On the podcast, she described it as a "really scary decision" to "basically cut our revenue in more than half and start over," she said. That decision is panning out. This past May, sales were up 135% year-over-year, in part thanks to Knix's categories -- wireless bras and loungewear -- being in high demand in an age of social distancing.

Protests continue around the country and world three weeks after George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. This new instance of police violence caught on video has boosted public support for Black Lives Matter while driving policy changes from governments, police departments and companies. Toms is used to building strategies around public good. "We're incredibly proud to have inspired many, many companies to be purpose-driven," Amy Smith, the company's chief giving officer, said on the Glossy Podcast. The original, core initiative behind the company -- to donate a pair of shoes to those in need for every pair purchased -- isn't exactly adjacent to the public challenges facing America today. But the shoe company is among dozens of beauty and fashion brands that have donated to Black Lives Matter, and it plans on contributing another $100,000 in the next three months. Beyond that, Toms is looking at its own practices. "We're taking the time now to do a full assessment of what our business and employment practices are, so we can create a baseline and share with our customers, very transparently: 'What is a plan for change for Toms?'" Toms anticipates it will cross the 100 million pairs donated mark sometime this year, according to Smith, and since 2018 it has also funded grants for socially-inclined nonprofits. The company also now donates a third of its net profits. Last December, Toms agreed to a takeover from its creditors led by Jefferies Financial Group Inc., Nexus Capital Management LP and Brookfield Asset Management Inc., in exchange for restructuring its debt.

Fashion designer Anna Sui thinks the industry is overdue for a reckoning, in terms of diversity. "This is the moment for black designers and companies to step up. The curtains are open. Go for it," Sui said on the Glossy Podcast. Though not equivalent to the black experience, Sui's childhood was filled with dreams to become a designer despite not seeing anyone who looked like her at the forefront of the biggest labels, she said. "I came from the suburbs of Detroit. At the time when I started designing, there really weren't other Chinese designers." Now Sui's main collection is sold in 50 Anna Sui boutiques across eight countries and over 300 retailers globally. "In China, I'm more known for my lipstick and my perfume than I am for my fashion," Sui said, noting the contrast to the U.S. market. And in the states, she said, a fashion shakeup is looming. "We've drifted into this minimal look before -- this almost uniform look. Business usually gets bad during that period. Then, all of a sudden, something more embellished will look good," Sui said. "It's like a pendulum. Whatever is in right now, the opposite is what's going to make people excited and think, 'That's the next big thing.'"

In a three-week period shortly after the pandemic outbreak, Richer Poorer sold three times as many sweatpants than in all of 2019. That was a small part of an overall trend for the basics clothing brand: The first five months of 2020 have greatly boosted online sales, transforming it into an e-commerce business first and foremost. "We essentially had to kind of rebuild and restructure our team overnight to now go, 'OK, we're a DTC brand,'" the company's CEO Iva Pawling said on the Glossy Podcast. Richer Poorer had already been planning to gradually shift to a focus on e-commerce over wholesale. The plan was to grow direct sales to 40% of revenue in 2020 and reach parity next year on the way to a primarily DTC model. Now, Pawling estimates e-commerce is set to make up roughly 75% of the company's bottom line this year. Pawling said that a pivot in branding, already underway before the pandemic struck, has helped the company pitch its products as right for the moment. "We very much had rebranded under this belief that what we're here to do is deliver confidence and comfort -- that your comfortable clothes don't have to be these items that are just stay-at-home because they look sloppy and you don't feel comfortable going outside in them." In a stroke of luck, the company's fall 2020 collection -- planned as far back as last November -- conceptualized around "being the most comfortable at home," Pawling said. And because it's now seeing a much higher return on digital advertising, it's increased spending on that front. "We had suddenly way more eyeballs on us and traffic coming to us, which helps. And then on the other side, a lot of people that we were competing against from an ads perspective, digitally, had completely just turned their ad spend off when this happened. So we really were able to fast forward quite a bit of growth based on those things." As for retail, Pawling said that a previous plan to open a brick-and-mortar store in late 2020 is now completely off the table. The earliest the company will tackle physical retail is 2022, she said. Pawling is pretty used to tumult. She co-founded Richer Poorer in 2010 -- as a purveyor of midrange socks for men, exclusively -- before she and her co-founder Tim Morse sold it to Shoes.com in 2015. But their new owner's business model wasn't as sound as they had expected. "The whole thing just imploded," Pawling said. She and Morse had to convince two board members to buy the business out. Weeks later, Shoes.com filed for bankruptcy. Richer Poorer's ownership has since returned to Pawling and Morse, who have turned it into a clothing line that caters mostly to women. As for the socks? "They make up about 8% of the business at this point," Pawling said.

Brideside co-founder and CEO Nicole Staple predicts there will be a wedding boom as the threat of coronavirus subsides. "We are seeing pretty overwhelming data that suggests women are postponing -- not canceling -- weddings," Staple said on the Glossy Podcast. But she isn't sitting back and waiting for the upswing. Launched in 2012, the company went from selling bridesmaid dresses exclusively to offering wedding dresses, as well, both via e-commerce and showrooms -- that is, until the pandemic hit. Now it's working to bring the physical shopping experience online. "We decided on a Thursday to shut down our showrooms that weekend, and by Tuesday, we had a fully launched virtual appointment platform," Staple said. Brideside has done about 1,000 virtual appointments in a six-week period, according to Staple. She also talked about the need in the market for inclusive sizing, the outsized importance of Instagram and the fact that there may be more "groomzillas" than "bridezillas."

Designer Alejandra Alonso Rojas is taking these uncommon times as permission to question the industry she operates in. “I think I’m going to come out of this as a rebel, because I’ve been really analyzing the business and what I want to do, and there are so many things I want to change in order to survive this and to make the business profitable,” Alonso Rojas said on the Glossy Podcast. The usual fashion industry calendar is one of them. “The calendar makes no sense at all," she said. "The new generations don’t shop six months before they can wear something. And the fact that, by the time you want to wear it, it's already 70-80% off — the impact on the brand was terrible.” Alonso Rojas is currently looking to her own items from seasons past -- via her first “archive sale” -- in order to boost sales for the luxury label. The profits are going toward supporting the company’s staff, and to paying rent for the company's combined office, studio and showroom space in Soho. “We had the inventory, and I think it was the right thing to do,” Alonso Rojas said. “It was a crazy idea, and I’ve shipping boxes like crazy. But at the end of the day, it worked.”

Jens Grede's denim-first fashion line, Frame, was growing fast until the pandemic hit. The company has 10 stores and had planned to double that number in 2020. Instead, the company is looking to 2021. "I'm still very confident about our store strategy right now," Grede said on the Glossy Podcast. Whenever doors do open again, Grede said they'll have a lower customer capacity, masks for visitors and employees, and an emphasis on keeping things clean. "Safety for our employees and our customers is and has to be everyone's top priority right now. Long term? We don't know anything about the long term," Grede said. Still, he has faith in the brick-and-mortar model, even as Frame's e-commerce sales are up "close to 300%" over the last few months, thanks in part to a 25% off sale. "It's really replaced [the sales of] all of our physical stores, and a little bit more than that." Making up for the revenue from wholesale is a bridge too far, however. And if Grede could go back in time in anticipation of the pandemic, he would have geared the company toward direct-to-consumer sales earlier. "And I'm not talking about 2019, I'm talking about 2017 or '16," Grede said. "Times were very good in wholesale. Too good, in fact." In general, Grede thinks the fashion industry should react to the pandemic with an idea also reflected in politics: bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. "Fashion brands have to carry less inventory. For that to be possible, we have to be able to turn inventory faster than we've done in the past. For that to be possible, we have to bring back manufacturing to the United States. That is the long and the short of it," Grede said.

Sweatpants are a best-seller for Mack Weldon in normal times. But unsurprisingly, they're especially popular now, as many Americans have seen their commute to the office replaced by yet another day of getting comfortable at home. "A lot of people are wearing sweatpants, that's for sure," Brian Berger, Mack Weldon CEO and founder, said on the Glossy Podcast. The activewear brand's focus on e-commerce has also well-positioned it to weather the pandemic. The brand has only one brick-and-mortar store, at Hudson Yards, and no significant partnerships with department stores. Berger talked about leveraging e-commerce, establishing redundancy in supply lines and being the "cheerleader-in-chief" to his staff.

Fashion designer Nicole Miller knows her brand is best known for its dresses, and she sees the pandemic as one more reason to diversify her product line. "[We're] trying to become more of a lifestyle brand, giving our customer a broader range of things to choose from," Miller said on the Glossy Podcast. "I'm not just there for your party dress." Miller talked about how direct-to-consumer isn't a silver bullet for challenged businesses, how she doesn't think there will be any fashion shows in September ("or it'll all be online") and how she learned to put more of herself into the brand's social media presence.

For apparel sales, under the pandemic, different items are suffering different fates. Swimwear sales are at a halt, while lingerie and sleepwear are doing much better. Morgan Lane knows this first-hand, specializing in all three of these categories. "Fall orders, for the most part, were being received in February. And for stores that are getting their budgets canceled, because they can't be selling right now, the first thing they're going to cancel is fall. They know it's not in production yet," founder Morgan Curtis said on the Glossy Podcast. "There's going to be a big gap between probably June and October, where there isn't that much newness, at least in the retail world -- from everyone." Curtis talked about which parts of her global supply chain have seen the most slowdown, how to promote products online without leaving home and what a difference it makes to have well-timed product placement in a "Trolls" music video.

If much of the retail industry is feeling squeezed by the coronavirus pandemic, outdoor apparel may be especially hard hit. "It's been kind of a mix," Jeff Johnson, co-founder of outerwear brand The Arrivals, said on the Glossy Podcast. "Sales, even traffic, has been lower." Johnson still manages to find positives. The company's main sales season runs from August to January or February -- this year, that was before the pandemic was declared. And while the average order value has gone down, he said, order numbers are up. In other words, within a smaller group of online visitors, more people are making actual purchases. "For the last two weeks, we've seen a 2x spike in conversion," Johnson said. He talked about how the company is crowd-sourcing the apparel design process, how it's changing its communications and why he's thankful that The Arrivals didn't end up opening a flagship store just before the pandemic.

For Rebecca Minkoff, the coronavirus pandemic is a chance for her namesake business to accelerate pre-existing plans. That starts with reexamining the brand's dependence on its own brick-and-mortar stores versus wholesale. "We always had a plan to have the ratios be more equal, and I think this has forced that to happen," Minkoff said on the Glossy Podcast. "I see a strong desire to return to physical retail when this is all over." The tighter focus also extends to the brand's social media strategy. The content that's been proven to work on shut-in customers, she said, usually features Minkoff herself. "I'm not trying to sound egotistical, but that's what drives the revenue and the clicks and the sales," she said. "So we're saying, 'Enough with any other type of franchise or content pillars; we are going to do what works and what gets the customer excited.'" Minkoff talked about how she's helping to focus attention on smaller, women-owned businesses, what she thinks of TikTok and why she had to take the podcast interview from her bathroom floor.

Ramy Brook Sharp opened a brand flagship store in Manhattan last fall, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down just about every brick-and-mortar store in New York City -- though since, the company's focus has changed to the company's e-commerce site, of course. Direct-to-consumer was a priority even before the crisis. "That's definitely going to be the future of the company," Brook Sharp said on the Glossy Podcast. "We were going in that direction to begin with, but I think with everything happening, you realize how important that is." Until then, the contemporary fashion company has had to furlough all 45 of its employees. "The hope is that everybody comes back," said Brook Sharp, adding that the company is continuing to cover affected employees' health insurance. "We're not allowed to ask anybody to work; we can't expect people to work," she said, but she's found that "a majority" of her team is working despite that, unpaid. "Most of the people want to see the company succeed and understand that this is a unique time."

For Charles Gorra, whose company Rebag has bought and sold luxury handbags since 2014, the competition isn't Hermès or Louis Vuitton. "We like to say we don't compete against this or that company, but we compete against idleness," Gorra said on the Glossy Podcast. His estimate is that nine out of 10 "luxury owners" have never sold those items and that most of his customers (on the selling end) are doing so for the first time. It helps that Rebag buys such pieces upfront, in its nine physical locations in Los Angeles, New York State and Miami. Thirty stores is the "medium-term goal" for the company, said Gorra. Handbag sales, however, are mostly done online, with only 20-30% sold in store. "We're still largely a digital company," Gorra said. Accordingly, Gorra thinks Instagram Checkout -- which is still in beta -- could be "game-changing" for e-commerce in general. And last year Rebag launched Clair, or Comprehensive Luxury Appraisal Index for Resale, a freely-available tool for appraising bags at a distance. "Literally, it's three or five clicks, and we tell you right there: 'This is how much we pay,'" Gorra said. He previously told Glossy that unlike sneakers, designer handbags tend not to have product codes or SKU numbers, which come into play in the authorization process. Clair is Rebag's way of bringing some standardization to the market. Gorra talked about Rebag's typical customer, his stores' experiential fixtures and the item appraisal tool that Rebag launched last year.

Jewelry company Gorjana is growing, self-funded and profitable, but its founders insist that it was a slow and tricky road. "No home runs here," Gorjana Reidel said on the Glossy Podcast. She and her husband, Jason Griffin Reidel, first sold their jewelry in small boutiques before partnering with Nordstrom in 2014. "We were kind of the pioneers of the category that you see so many people getting into now, of gold, delicate, layering jewelry," Griffin Reidel said. Early on, Nordstrom partnered with the brand, launching it in 25 stores at a time (the Reidels got to pick which ones), and Gorjana Jewelry is now available across the chain's approximately 120 outlets. But despite its success with Nordstrom, in recent years Gorjana has made the shift to selling direct-to-consumer via its own stores and e-commerce site. Three years ago, 90% of Gorjana’s sales were coming through wholesale channels and only 10% from DTC. Today, 80% of sales are direct-to-consumer. Gorjana has nearly 200 employees and, by the end of May, the company plans to have 16 stores across California, New York City and Arizona -- the coronavirus pandemic notwithstanding. Gorjana Reidel and Jason Griffin Reidel talked about the benefits of boot-strapping a business, their secret to growing steadily even through the financial crisis of 2008 and their advice for entrepreneurs.

For our final episode of Glossy Trend Watch: Influencer Edition, senior technology reporter Katie Richards sits down with Danielle Bernstein of We Wore What. Danielle is a fashion blogger turned clothing designer, brand founder, author and entrepreneur. When she got started as an influencer, payment schemes were a bit arbitrary. "There weren't any set fees for posting on a blog, taking photos for a brand," Bernstein said. "We sort of went off of what modeling agencies traditionally did for models." Since those uncertain days, Bernstein has developed longer-term collaborations with brands and launched a workflow tool for influencers, and she has a book in the works. Glossy Trend Watch: Influencer Edition features interviews with some of the most prominent fashion influencers on how they’ve used their success and social media followings to launch major brands. Our guests -- including Julia Engel and Moti Ankari -- made the leap from interacting with existing brands online to creating some of their own.

Amanda Uprichard's namesake fashion company has quickly reshaped its supply line to work in a world living with the coronavirus. "Now, we make maybe 90% of our stuff here because of the virus," Uprichard said about her New York operation. Previously, half of the line's manufacturing was based in China. "Anyone that's in manufacturing, you're just affected by the supply chain," she added. "But I do believe China will be completely normal in another month." For Uprichard, making things out of New York was a return to the brand's beginnings. Everything was made out of New York City, "until about a year and a half ago, when we started switching to China because the resources are drying up here," she said. Uprichard talked about the importance of influencers, the reality TV show "The Bachelor" and walking away from Amazon (and, just maybe, going back to it).

Over the next few weeks, we’re bringing you bonus episodes of the Glossy Podcast. Glossy Trend Watch: Influencer Edition features interviews with some of the most prominent fashion influencers on how they’ve used their success and social media followings to launch major brands. Our guests made the leap from interacting with existing brands online to creating some of their own. For our second episode, Glossy senior technology reporter Katie Richards sits down with Moti Ankari, a menswear blogger who co-founded footwear brand Ankari Floruss with fellow blogger Marcel Floruss. "I was actually one of the first wave of male influencers," Ankari said. "Nine years ago, there were like five of us out there." Tellingly, the word "influencer" didn't exist to describe someone making a living off of their social media connections -- the word got its own entry on Dictionary.com in 2016. Ankari talks about learning the ins and outs of designing footwear and how to leverage his social following to drive sales.

Rent the Runway, but for jewelry. That was the animating idea behind Switch, the company that buys and rents out jewelry for $29 a month. "Ultimately, jewelry is a very different product from apparel, for rental," Kadisha Cohn said on the Glossy Podcast. "It's a perfect product for rental. You don't really feel like it's ever been worn before. We sanitize it, we polish it, we kind of bring that shine and make it feel like it's new -- and oftentimes, it is new," Kadisha Cohn said. Switch also authenticates the jewelry in its collection, which includes thousands of styles. ("We have Chanel, Hermès, Dior, real diamonds and gold," Kadisha Cohn said, also listing Sophie Ratner, Mateo and Do Not Disturb.) Some of Switch's items are one of a kind, and none are valued under $100. Their average value is about $700, which is basically the cost of being a Switch member for two years. "In two years, to have an endless rotation of jewelry instead of just purchasing one piece -- that, probably, after two years you'd be sick of -- is a really good value for our customers," Kadisha Cohn said. Switch buys jewelry from the public, for either cash, membership credit or credit to be spent toward purchasing an item outright. "If you fall in love with something, you may want to end up buying that," Kadisha Cohn said. Kadisha Cohn talked about what goes into jewelry authentication, what to make of wear and tear, and why her career leap into gems was unexpected.

Over the next few weeks, we’re bringing you bonus episodes of the Glossy Podcast. Glossy Trend Watch: Influencer Edition features interviews with some of the most prominent fashion influencers on how they’ve used their success and social media followings to launch major brands. Our guests made the leap from interacting with existing brands online to creating some of their own. For our first episode, Glossy senior technology reporter Katie Richards sits down with Julia Engel, who leveraged her fashion and lifestyle blog Gal Meets Glam to build the Gal Meets Glam Collection, a fashion brand focused on timeless, classic pieces including dresses, coats and sweaters. On the first episode of our limited series, Engel talks about transitioning from blogger to brand founder, learning the ins and outs of the apparel industry and finding the right wholesale partners.

Despite sharing a name with a popular music streaming platform, Pandora -- the jewelry company -- never had a problem with name recognition. Charisse Hughes, the company's CMO for the Americas, put the company's name recognition at 90%. "People know Pandora," Hughes said on the Glossy Podcast. However, that hasn't meant that people are buying from the brand. The company lost more than a quarter of its market value in 2017, followed by another 61% in 2018. Hughes attributed the decline to a lack of innovation in the brand's aesthetic and not using consumer data to react to shoppers' wishes. But the company has made changes, bringing on a new CEO last year, striking partnerships with the likes of Millie Bobby Brown to appeal to younger consumers and overhauling its stores with engraving stations and a popular items section. "There's no silver bullet to get us back to where we need to be," Hughes said. Hughes talked about the company's iconic charm bracelet (which is turning 20 this year), Pandora's take on experiential retail and partnering with Disney.

Birdies co-founder Bianca Gates started her company as a side hustle while working at Facebook, but it took a two-month sabbatical to realize she ought to dedicate herself to the shoe company full-time. "We saw the impact of me jumping in and helping out more," Gates said on the Glossy Podcast. "We started to look at different data points. There were sales, editors were talking about us, celebrities wearing us, people wanting to invest, and I thought: 'I guess this is kind of that moment where you just take that leap of faith.'" Birdies launched in 2015 and has since raised $10 million in funding, opened a brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco and expanded its original product line -- slipper-like shoes chic enough for a party host -- to include tougher-soled shoes that can be worn about town. Gates talked about that critical moment mid-sabbatical, her evolving leadership style and the reason the startup rush for unicorn status is like the housing crisis.

In a 35-minute conversation, James Miller brought up the concepts of speed and the need to keep up repeatedly. "If you stand still for too long, then you're just going to fall behind," he said on this week's Glossy Podcast. Miller would know about those things. He's the CEO of the Collected Group and just took on the added role of chief creative officer last week. That puts him in charge of the design as well as the business side of the clothing company's three brands: Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott. Still, the group plays within the industry's established timelines: "We do 12 deliveries a year for each brand, and they're sold in seasons," Miller said. It was late January, and he was fresh from reviewing some of the deliveries that would go out this fall. Where the Collected Group does innovate is in its gender-fluid clothing, its emphasis on email marketing over social media and its sustainable practices that extend even to the clothes' labelling.

This week, we bring you a bonus, New York Fashion Week Edition of the Glossy Podcast, featuring Christine Currence, the president and owner of Badgley Mischka. Glossy Podcast host Jill Manoff sits down with Currence to discuss working with Rent the Runway, collaborating with a game app and making big adjustments this season, as Oscar Sunday overlapped with fashion week.

Sali Christeson has worked in industries from banking to big tech, but one thing has remained consistent about her day-to-day work life: "I've always been frustrated with shopping for workwear," she said on the Glossy Podcast. Christeson found the same pain point among her friends, which was further confirmed by a study she stumbled on in 2015. The study's authors measured "the impact of what someone wears on their bottom line over [their] lifetime," Christeson said, meaning that your look impacts your salary and job level. "It ends up being a 20% to 40% difference on your personal income. That was the catalyst for me. I read that, and I was like, 'OK, see ya, corporate world!'" Argent, the women's workwear company she went on to found, has offices in San Francisco and New York, and sells direct-to-consumer items ranging from blazers and pants to dresses. Since launch, the company has raised more than $4 million in Seed funding (with a Series A coming toward the end of the year, Christeson said), and has been worn by the likes of Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Arianna Huffington, Gloria Steinem, Awkwafina and Amy Poehler. Christeson talked about the benefits of boot-strapping her business, the shifting consumer expectations brought about by Amazon and the joy of pockets.

Whatever the challenges of Mel Peralta's job, he has an honest customer keeping him on track. "Kids don't lie to you," Peralta said on the Glossy Podcast. "They'll let you know if they think your stuff is whack or your stuff is dope." Peralta is head of the new Foot Locker-owned brand incubator known as Greenhouse, which partners with both established labels in the sneaker game -- like Fila and K-Swiss -- and up-and-comers who might create the youth market's next cult product. Accordingly, the retailer changed its mission statement last year, saying it aimed "to inspire and empower youth culture." In Peralta's words, "Project Greenhouse is Foot Locker's incubator to find what's next." The company wants to do that by being involved with designs from square one. "Because we are a product creation hub -- and we're not just launching other people's things -- we have to be involved with every single project at the very beginning," Peralta said. The incubator's products are mostly sold via its own app, but they've also been sold at Foot Locker events, at boutiques and, one time, at a restaurant in Paris. Peralta talked about his longtime love for footwear, the passion of the sneakerhead community and the SpongeBob-branded shoe that's all the rage with kids.

Michael Stars wants to strike a balance between evolution and tradition. "You could call it quote-unquote sustainable, because my stuff doesn't get thrown away," said Suzanne Lerner, the company's co-founder and president, on the Glossy Podcast. "It doesn't end up in the landfill after that season that it was so trendy." As evergreen as its styles are, Michael Stars' revenue model is quickly changing. "Fifty percent of our business is specialty stores," Lerner said. "About 20% is our own e-commerce site, and the balance -- 30% -- is a mix of other [retailers'] e-commerce sites and subscription boxes," she said. Next, the company is looking to rebuild the brick-and-mortar retail network that it "successfully" pulled away from, Lerner said, starting with pop-ups. On the podcast, she talked about how the company has embraced direct-to-consumer model, how she met her husband-slash-business partner and why, when it comes to the company's political engagement, "We've got to be out there speaking."

Luxury brands typically want little to do with the second-hand market, but resale companies like Fashionphile are slowly winning them over. Founded in 1999 by Sarah Davis, the company invites customers to drop-off top-shelf accessories at one of its physical locations, where Fashionphile will buy them upfront. Trained Fashionphile employees verify the authenticity of the item before it's sold online, and the original owner gets a piece of the pie -- often a big one. A 70-30 split is common, with Fashionphile taking the smaller cut, Davis said. "But if the velocity of sale will be quick or if it's a super high-dollar item, or it's very popular, we'll give you much more," Davis said on this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast. Fashionphile limits its inventory to 51 luxury brands, many of which were once worried about resale tainting their brand image -- second-hand isn't exactly synonymous with luxury, after all. What's more, there's been concern from full-price retailers that the resale market will bite into their revenue. In the last few years, Davis said, several luxury companies have come around. "I think the brands have recognized [the resale market] isn't going anywhere. And so, more and more, they're thinking, 'What do we do about this?' It's led to some really amazing conversations we've been able to have with them. They're curious," Davis said. One thing that helped Fashionphile's image: a recent minority stake investment by Neiman Marcus, which now hosts some of Fashionphile's drop-off locations. More than 20 years after opening in Beverly Hills, Davis pointed to "a 50% growth rate year-over-year, consistently." The company's since opened locations elsewhere in California, as well as in New York and Texas. Davis talked about the importance of shipping products in unboxing video-friendly packaging, the trick to selling used shoes and the teenage boys who covet Hermès belts.

Plus-size models have made uncertain gains in advertising in recent years, though for Universal Standard co-founder Alexandra Waldman, the problem is also in how these models are often depicted. "I always looked at ads of these women in pattern-wrapped dresses and high heels and I thought: 'I don't understand where she's going,'" Waldman said on this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast. "'Where is she going with the bows and the things, and why does she have kittens on her T-shirt? She's obviously in her 30s.'" Universal Standard launched in 2015 to offer all of their items -- no kittens, thanks -- in sizes from 00 to 40. And though they've opened five stores all in the last several months, they've also made sure their website caters to women of all sizes, in a way they might not be used to. "That size 8 doesn't look anything like I'm going to look when I put on that dress," Waldman said. "So we thought 'why not photograph everything on every single size and then allow women, if they wanted to, to look at the scope of the range or to click a button and make the entire website just in their size," Waldman said. Waldman talked about the company's insistence on inclusion, the industry's sure but slow progress and how Universal Standard has boosted more than one model's career.

Lately, Naadam co-founder Matt Scanlan has been juggling leading three fashion brands -- on top of being CEO of his 6-year-old cashmere brand, he's the CEO of Thakoon and the interim CEO of Something Navy -- and making regular appearances on QVC. For someone who's easily distracted unless he has a lot of work in front of him, selling stuff on TV is a good outlet. "If you're an instant gratification person like I am, I don't think there's anything better than this," Scanlan said on the Glossy Podcast. It also plays into his strategy of selling Naadam's sustainable cashmere products across as many channels as possible. Beyond TV, "that means online, working with multi-brand retailers and having your own storefront or collaborating with others," Scanlan said. He plans to have eight brick-and-mortar Naadam stores by the end of 2020. Scanlan talked about the marketing value of sustainability, the draw to work with recent Glossy Podcast guest Thakoon Panichgul and the guerrilla marketing campaign that got attention from the police.

Before launching her lingerie brand Fleur du Mal, Jennifer Zuccarini had a stint at Victoria's Secret -- giving her an idea of what to avoid. "I think people just got tired of that one note of what sexy is," said Zuccarini on this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast. Launched in 2012, Fleur du Mal is applying all the strategies of a small brand looking to challenge a more established industry giant that's on the ropes, creating a lot of web content and tapping social media influencers to get consumers interested in the brand. Along the way, it's avoiding Victoria's Secret's pitfall by making and marketing products for customers of all body types.

Aurate sits somewhere between Fifth Avenue's legacy jewelers and the brands that take a cue from Etsy's aesthetic. At least, that's how the company's co-founder (and designer) Sophie Kahn describes it: "There was nothing really in the middle," she said on this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast. The direct-to-consumer company's products start around $50 and go up from there. Many customers have an eye for the higher-end stuff. "Something like the top 40% of our sales are generated by 10% of our customers," Kahn said. "I think that's a testament to [the fact that] once you feel our product, you kind of fall in love with it," she said. "We're going up against the big guys that have way more funding, way more everything. The only thing we have, hopefully, is the hearts of our women." On the Glossy Podcast, Kahn discussed her career path from Marc Jacobs to DTC fine jewelry, the company's use of crowdsourcing to steer product development and its plans for international expansion.

After 16 years at J. Crew, Somsack Sikhounmuong switched to a much smaller company to design clothes for Alex Mill. But he's remaining close to the Drexler family. "I always joke that he's my fairy god agent," said Sikhounmuong about Mickey Drexler, the former CEO of J. Crew Group. During a sabbatical after his work at J. Crew and Madewell, the J. Crew subsidiary that continues to outshine its parent company, Sikhounmuong got a phone call from Mickey Drexler: "I was in line at Whole Foods, because I wasn't working and I could be in line at Whole Foods in the afternoon," he said. Mickey asked him to meet with his son Alex Drexler about designing for Alex's company, Alex Mill, for which Mickey Drexler is both an investor and an advisor. On the Glossy Podcast, Sikhounmuong discussed his work for Alex Mill, which was founded in 2012 out of "a tiny store on Elizabeth Street." Sikhounmuong also talked about the difference between designing clothes for women versus men, the transition from a massive company to a startup, and the experience of interviewing with J. Crew's Jenna Lyons.

When Chris Bossola opened Blues Recycled Clothing in 1996, "all three TV stations came because they couldn't believe that we were selling vintage, used Levi's for $35. They thought it was crazy." Nearly 25 years later, what started with a 200 square foot store in Richmond, Virginia has become Need Supply, a retailer that makes most of its revenue online -- and sells much more than used jeans. On this week's Glossy Podcast, Bossola -- the multi-brand retailer's founder and CEO -- discusses Need Supply's plans for expansion, their acquisition of Totokaelo and why the DTC model is overrated.

With the recession in full swing, 2009 was a tough year to start a luxury brand, as Ledbury CEO and co-founder Paul Trible knows. But Ledbury bet on luxury, at a price range that invited both younger customers to step up their wardrobe, and older ones to save money, compared to what they were buying. "That's anywhere between $125 to $185," Trible said on the Glossy Podcast. "It's still expensive for folks, but what we saw very early on is we were pulling people down from Canali and Zegna and Eton, people who were spending usually $250 or $300 a shirt." Direct-to-consumer makes up 70% of Ledbury's sales, Trible said, with another 20% coming from wholesale. Brick-and-mortar stores -- of which the company has three -- fill in the rest of the revenue pie. On this week's Glossy Podcast, Trible spoke about quality manufacturing, a unique revenue-sharing model Ledbury started with its retailers and fact that the second button is what makes or breaks a shirt, just like Jerry Seinfeld said.

Cinq à Sept founder Jane Siskin prides herself on the fashion brand's ability to quickly respond to the stuff that sells. "We have a great 'fast-track program' where we can quickly build on the good styles," said Siskin. To do that, she and her team lean on sales data -- "We can see by store, we can see by color, we can even see by size if we want to," she said -- though the actual turnaround time depends on a few factors. Fabric is a big one. "If it's a repeat style, exactly as it was before -- a reorder in a fabric that we own -- it could be four to six weeks. If it's something new, there's a material change to it, add another couple weeks to it. And if we don't have the fabric, you're adding a month." On this week's Glossy Podcast, Siskin spoke about fashion, the branding boon that is having a French name (even if you're based in Los Angeles) and the reason why "you have to have your head in the sand if you don't think it's a scary time for retail."

This week's guest on the Glossy Podcast is Ben O’Meara, the head of marketing at Huckberry. Sure, it's a men's retailer, but Huckberry isn't just trying to sell stuff. It also wants to tell stories, including one about a merino T-shirt that can be worn for 72 hours without smelling all that bad by the end of it. "It's anti-microbial, you don't have to wash it, it doesn't stink... you can wear it for multiple days on end," O'Meara said. "So let's call it the 72-Hour Tee [we decided]. But if we're going to put that stamp on this product we better sure as hell make sure that we stand behind it. And if we're going to tell you you can wear it for three days -- [let's make sure] we've actually done that before." Ahead of an international flight, O'Meara threw on a shirt, before later stopping a stranger in Iceland to ask, "Can you smell my shirt?" Huckberry turns its travels and product tests into content for its email newsletter, which goes out to more than 1 million readers three times a week, O'Meara said. Some 20% to 30% of them open it to browse through its journal entries, music recommendations and product promotions, and Huckberry sees a spike in sales as that happens. "It's definitely our most profitable channel," O'Meara said. On this week's Glossy Podcast, O'Meara spoke about Huckberry's origin story, its email and video strategy, and its balance of owned and partner brands.

In 2016, Victoria's Secret dropped out of the swimwear market, a business worth $500 million to the company. That same year, Melanie Travis founded Andie Co., the direct-to-consumer swimwear company allowing consumers order, try on and send back as many swimsuits as they'd like. Regardless of a massive brand bowing out from the sector, Travis said, "There's room for competition. This is not a winner-take-all market." Instead, it's a market worth billions of dollars per year and growing. "Swimwear is bigger than the men's shaving market, and God knows how many razor startups [there are]," Travis said. Travis was on the Glossy Podcast to talk about how the direct-to-consumer model has worked to consumers' advantage, how a new equity model is "quietly" growing among DTC entrepreneurs and how Andie managed to not pay rent for the past two-and-a-half years.

Phillip Lim's business is one of the last of its kind standing. "We're one of the few brands left in New York City with an in-house atelier. All the clothes are made in-house," he said, pointing to 3.1 Phillip Lim's new headquarters in Brookfield Place. Lim encourages interns to appreciate the rarity of seeing clothes go from drawing board to production line, all in one venue. "I'm like 'OK, you guys have the privilege of sitting in the real masterclass here. Really learn from this, because it's disappearing. Now everything is: 'Pop-up, startup. Where did it come from? It doesn't really matter, because we're going to market the shit out of things.' You can't trace it back. But if you come to visit us, you can trace everything back." On this week's Glossy Podcast, Lim talks about waste and sustainability in fashion, and why going fur-free doesn't mean sacrificing luxury.

Don't tell Drake, but bling doesn't always have to be so pricy. BaubleBar has raised millions from investors confident in its business model of delivering stylish earrings, necklaces, and rings at affordable prices. The company sells its products online, and in over 17 countries via 200 retailers -- some of which, like Target, the company teamed up with to create exclusive lines. "We had been doing our research on the market and felt that there was a huge opportunity at a lower price point than where the main BaubleBar brand sat," says Daniella Yacobovsky, the company's co-founder. That's where Target came in. Yacobovsky also talks about the consumer opportunities opened up by affordable accessories, the data goldmine BaubleBar sits on, and what a difference Julia Roberts can make.

Prior to taking the lead at Schutz International, Marina Larroude was vp and fashion director at Barneys New York, a role she took on after holding fashion director roles at Teen Vogue and Style.com. For this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Larroude joins Jill Manoff to talk about her multiple career changes within the world of fashion, the untapped market for good, affordable boots, and the reason brands should consider bucking the usual wholesale purchasing timeline.

In this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Jill Manoff sits down with Tommy Ton to discuss his transition from street style photographer to artistic director of fashion brand Deveaux, the evolution of men's style and the importance of inclusivity on the runway.

Renowned designer Thakoon Panichgul is back to work after a two-year sabbatical from the world of fashion: "I traveled -- went to Cuba, went to Mexico City, went to Bali, went to Thailand, Marrakesh. I needed time to open up the mind and figure out what this fashion world is all about," he said. In this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Jill Manoff sits down with Panichgul to discuss what today's consumers want in a clothing brand and why he's a firm believer in the DTC model. 

Emily Current and Meritt Elliott have been business partners for 20 years, owning and running at least three companies over the timespan, while collaborating with brands including Kate Spade and Pottery Barn and styling celebs on the side. First came denim brand Current Elliott, which they sold and, soon after, launched L.A.-based apparel company The Great. "We didn't set out to get into the denim industry or disrupt the denim industry; we just knew that we couldn't find what we wanted," said Current, referring to Current Elliott introducing boyfriend jeans to the market during the heyday of "fancy" styles. In this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Jill Manoff sits down with Current and Elliott to discuss how the process of building a brand has evolved, why wholesale still matters and who's really providing influence among fashion fans today.

This week, we bring you a bonus, New York Fashion Week Edition of the Glossy Podcast, featuring Misha Nonoo, founder and creative director of her namesake fashion brand. Editor-in-chief Jill Manoff sits down with Nonoo to discuss the evolution of her company's business model, its plans for physical retail and the downfall of the traditional runway show.

When marketing platform Zyper launched two years ago, brands were just starting to work with influencers and micro-influencers had barely begun to emerge. Since, influencers have become a line item in most every brand’s marketing budget, and the space has expanded to include even nano-influencers, or influencers with fewer than 1,000 followers. But influencer marketing’s heyday may have already come and gone. The reason, according to Zyper CEO Amber Atherton: “Influencer content has become inauthentic.” In response, consumers are relying less on influencers to tell them what to buy, instead turning to peer-to-peer referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations from their inner circle. And brands are strategizing accordingly, shifting their focus from influencers to existing customers. “Brands today want to turn their most passionate customers into brand advocates -- not just to create content, but to develop new products, to provide feedback, to be a focus group 2.0,” said Atherton. “Brands are realizing that we're living in an increasingly decentralized world: The consumer has more power with their data, influencers are being democratized, and, really, a brand's customers are their best asset; they’re both the product development department and the marketing department. If a brand can identify and bring these people into the brand, and give them that access, then they're going to remain relevant.” 

When Gregoire Baret joined Aldo Group in 2015, “omnichannel” wasn’t the industry-wide buzzword it is today. But even now, there’s some mystery around his unique, trendy-sounding position of senior director of omnichannel experience design. “Omnichannel experience design is about the consumer journey,” said Baret. “It’s about improving the shopping experience through communication, services, tools -- anything that’s going to help someone discover the right and relevant products.” In addition to the in-store and e-commerce experiences, the focus of his role -- which was new when he joined the company -- encompasses customer touchpoints from pre-purchase to post-purchase, including customer service. “I was brought in to be a kind of neutral agent that would connect people across [Aldo] departments, but also to be a voice for the consumer,” said Baret. 

On this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Hudson Yards CMO Stacey Feder to discuss the planning process that went into building and marketing the new development, the way Hudson Yards works with retailers. and the evolving meaning of 'experiential.' 

Before Aman Advani was the co-founder and CEO of performance-infused businesswear brand Ministry of Supply, he was a consultant. Spending most of his days on a plane, in a boardroom or traveling from one hotel to the next, Advani was exhausted by the upkeep his formal workwear required, including lots of ironing and frequent trips to the dry cleaners. He decided he needed to find a way to make these clothes work for his life. So in 2012, Advani co-founded Ministry of Supply with Gihan Amarasiriwardena. Since, the brand has expanded its offering to include both men and women, opened a total of six stores around the U.S., and launched wholesale partnerships with companies like Stitch Fix and MoMA. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Advani to discuss why Ministry of Supply has such a strong emphasis on education, what makes fashion an emotional industry and what's on the horizon for performance wear.

When Monica Zwirner and Lucy Wallace Eustice joined forces to start their own company in 2000, they were on a mission to create beautiful, functional, luxury bags. After carefully sourcing their materials and manufacturers, the pair chose to launch their brand, MZ Wallace, by opening and operating a store, which in turn gave them direct access to the customers and their feedback. Just a few short years later, in 2004, the brand launched its e-commerce operation, continuing to operate as a direct-to-consumer brand years before the concept became buzzy. Now, almost 20 years later, MZ Wallace is continuing to build on its direct roots. It now gets customer feedback largely from Facebook, versus face-to-face; it still believes in brand transparency; and it's kept physical retail a central component of the business. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Wallace Eustice to discuss how MZ Wallace has evolved since 2000, why the brand won't be sold anytime soon and how technology has impacted the larger fashion industry.

When David Fischer started Highsnobiety in 2005, it was a humble blog for discussing all things fashion and culture. Over the years, the brand grew and flourished into a full-fledged media brand, but remained true to its streetwear roots. Now, in the company's latest expansion, it's taking on e-commerce. Highsnobiety's e-commerce business focuses on carefully curated assortments as well as brand collaborations, released in a drop model and launched with an exclusive relaunch of Prada menswear line Linea Rossa. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Highsnobiety's founder and CEO, David Fischer, to discuss the company's transition to e-commerce, its partnership with Prada, and the future content and commerce.

When Sandra Makarem was working in the buying department at Bloomingdale's, she began to see a discrepancy between shoppers' and retailers' behavior. So she decided to create The Collective Child. The Collective Child's model is similar to that of  other clothing subscription companies: Subscribers share their preferences, they receive a curated selection of items to suit their needs, and then they keep what they want and send back what they don't. What makes The Collective Child unique is that it targets a very specific audience: moms wanting to buy luxury children's clothes. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with The Collective Child's founder and CEO Sandra Makarem to discuss why she wanted to create a product for high-end moms, how important a unique curation is for a subscription business and how she grew a waitlist of 1,500 people without any paid marketing.

Sam Lobban has been working in men's fashion for nearly a decade. His career has taken him from the shop floor of a boutique in the U.K. to his current post, vp of men's fashion at Nordstrom. Throughout his expansive career, Lobban has had a front-row seat to the rapidly changing fashion industry. As he sees it, understanding the evolution of the industry is pretty simple: Things are moving faster, and more people are watching. Since joining the team at Nordstrom in 2018, Lobban has launched a handful of New Concept pop-ups in stores, which offer a carefully curated assortment of products tied to a central theme. Some previous concepts include Concept 001: Out Cold, which was designed to showcase cold-weather performance wear, and Concept 004: Patagonia, which was in collaboration with the popular outdoor brand and hosted a wide variety of sustainably produced, fair-trade products. Now, following his fifth and most recent New Concept launch with Nordstrom, Lobban wants to continue to push the boundaries of wholesale menswear by redefining his relationships with brands and the way he tells the story of their products. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Lobban joins Hilary Milnes in the studio to discuss the changing landscape of men's fashion, the modern retailer-designer relationship and the internet's increasing impact on menswear.

When Rachel Schectman founded Story, she wanted to create a space for experimenting with retail. At a time when many people were skeptical about the future of physical retail, Schectman believed, and proved, that a carefully curated retail experience could be successful. But a few years into a continuous cycle of revamping the store every other month, she wanted to find something bigger. So in spring of 2018, after weighing a few other possibilities, Schectman agreed to an acquisition by Macy's and, at the same time, became the retailer's first brand experience officer. Macy's inaugural Story pop-up, which was color-themed, launched in 36 Macy's doors earlier this year. This week marks the launch of their second concept, Outdoor Story, which includes brand partners such as Dick's Sporting Goods and Miracle-Gro and can be found in select Macy's stores through September. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Schectman discusses why Macy's was the right partner for her, what it's like running a new concept within the company and how she uses her experience in small business to inform how she manages brand partnerships.

When celebrity stylist and author, Micaela Erlanger started her styling business in 2013, the fashion world was a much different place than it is today: Instagram was still in its early days, collections came out according to a strict fashion calendar, and lookbooks were sent through snail mail. Today, Erlanger is working faster and has more access than ever before to new designers and brands. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Erlanger to discuss how the role of the celebrity stylist has evolved, the importance of Instagram and why Fashion Week is still relevant to her.

With the rise of the internet forcing major changes across the fashion industry, the role of the buyer has remained largely the same. The curated assortments for ecommerce and in-store can vary and more brands are moving away from the traditional fashion calendar, but the buyer's focus has gone unchanged. For Alexandra Willinger, buying manager of designer secondary, sportswear, denim and outerwear at Intermix, her role over her 10-year buying career has only evolved in that it's expanded. For the final episode of  Glossy Trend Watch: Buyers Edition, editor-in-chief Jill Manoff sits down with Willinger to discuss the evolution of her role, the importance of exclusive collections and the difference in curating online and offline assortments.

Founded in 1996, Lafayette 148 has steadily grown to become a massive contemporary brand. Recently, co-founder and CEO Deirdre Quinn decided it was time to introduce change to the SoHo-native company. Following a headquarters move to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Quinn spent her time and resources reinvesting in the company. After decades of building out different departments and teams, her focus was shifted to finding a way to bring all parts of the company together, and to use these new efficiencies to begin international retail expansion and experimentation with technology like AI. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Quinn to discuss where the company is going, what she's learned about physical retail and how Lafayette 148 is creating a focused lifestyle brand.

Sneakers are 60% to 65% of Saks Fifth Avenue’s men's business. Come July, the NYC flagship store will combine men's shoes on one floor as the luxury department store attempts to rebalance its formal and casual assortment. Louis DiGiacomo, svp and men’s general merchandising manager, joins Jill Manoff on the buyer edition of Glossy Trend Watch to discuss the biggest shifts in men’s fashion and the renovation of the men’s shoe department in Saks' New York flagship.

On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Sarah Benady, ba&sh's CEO of North America, to discuss the difference between the French and American consumer, using unique offerings to connect with customers and fostering the perfect brand-investor partnership.

Mr. Porter, the online-only retail destination for designer menswear, launched in 2011. As it's evolved over the years, it's expanded its focus beyond luxury products and explored a variety of new ways to integrate more designers and products. As a result, the role of Daniel Todd, its senior buyer, has changed. Todd discusses how he works with Mr. Porter's editorial team and how the retailer is incorporating emerging designers on the platform. 

When Coral Chung went to start her luxury accessories brand, Senreve, she felt pressure to do things the way that they had always been done. But by using a combination of consumer data, smart manufacturing and inventory planning, Chung has been able to side-step a lot of the downfalls of traditional luxury brands, like being forced to destroy excess product or deal with slow production. While she won't say "never'" regarding the possibility of joining a more traditional house of brands, Chung said those conglomerates have a long way to go before they're ready for a brand like Senreve.On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Senreve founder and CEO Coral Chung to discuss the careful balance between being a tech and fashion company, the slow pace of luxury market and the future of Senreve as an independent company.

For modern retailers, a unique product curation has never been more make-or-break. To create a standout shopping experience in the crowded, competitive market, many fashion players are leaning on experienced buyers. Milan-born concept store 10 Corso Como, which opened its doors in 1990, has gained popularity among fashion and art fans for its one-of-a-kind assortment spanning rare photography books, designer home decor, private-label fashion and exclusive accessories collaborations. Prior to launching is first U.S. outpost, in NYC's Seaport District in September, it scooped up Avery Oates, a fashion veteran who's worked as a buyer for more than 20 years. On the first episode of our limited series, Glossy Trend Watch, editor-in-chief Jill Manoff sits down with Oates to discuss the role of the modern retail buyer as shopping moves online, designers' production shifts from a seasonal calendar and consumers' increasingly demand newness.

Adore Me launched as a direct-to-consumer intimates brand in 2012, using a wide range of sizes and competitive prices to take on the brands dominating the market. According to Romain Liot, the COO of Adore Me, the company's marriage of technology and fashion allows it to adapt to what the customer wants more easily than a traditional, established brand. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Liot to discuss how Adore Me measures the success of its products, what complexities exist in the lingerie supply chain and why transparency is the best way to foster customer loyalty.

It is no secret that the fashion industry has seen a lot of change in recent years. Steven Kolb, the president and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), has had a front row seat to it all. With the rise of direct-to-consumer, the impact of Instagram and emerging questions about the relevance of fashion weeks and seasonality, it's clear that fashion is evolving. According to Kolb, designers must be prepared to change, as well. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes welcomes Kolb back on the podcast to discuss how the industry had transitioned over the last few years, what challenges face contemporary designers and what's next for NYFW.

When Janice Sullivan was interviewing to head up Rebecca Taylor, the designer promptly asked her asked her what exactly she planned on doing at the company. That was four years ago, and the beginning of Sullivan's revamp of the contemporary brand. Since joining the team, Sullivan has pushed the company in a direction that resembles a direct-to-consumer brand; put the customer first, and find a way to connect with them everywhere. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with CEO of Rebecca Taylor and Parker, Janice Sullivan, to discuss why she decided to take Rebecca Taylor's personal life out of the brand identity, how their retail business is evolving and why the brand reclaimed their e-commerce business. 

Kerry Cooper knows how to build a brand. From managing global e-commerce at Walmart to scaling the marketing and operations at ModCloth, Cooper has spent a sizable portion of her career working with brands to grow and adapt to the changing retail landscape. In her latest role as the president and COO of 7-year-old footwear brand Rothy's, Cooper has entered into the Wild West of direct-to-consumer brands. The biggest difference, she said, is the sense of accountability. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Cooper discusses her transition into the startup world, the benefits of Rothy's owning the entire supply chain, and the evolving relationship between brands and consumers.

In September, Gap Inc. launched Hill City, a menswear brand meant to provide a perfect balance of performance and comfort, plus a sleek, minimalist look. Now, as the brand moves beyond launch stage, its general manager, Noah Palmer is focused on continuing to develop the identity of Hill City. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes catches up with Palmer to discuss how he's building a new brand in a market full of legacy brands, how the brand's community of wear testers is shaping products and what customers actually want out of an e-commerce site.

Jenny Fleiss has spent most of her recent career building companies that challenge the traditional consumer experience, and remove hurdles she's experienced in her own life. When she co-founded Rent The Runway, the popular service for designer clothing and accessory rentals, Fleiss was in her 20s and looking to solve the age-old problem she and her peers were constantly facing: of a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. Now, in a new stage of her life as a working mother, Fleiss is taking on the world of conversational commerce and the luxury consumer. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Jetblack founder and CEO, Jenny Fleiss, to discuss the new age of e-commerce, Jetblack's grassroots marketing approach and the way the company's services pay off for brand partners.

For Banana Republic CMO Mary Alderete, it's an exciting time to be in brand marketing. Alderete, who first worked at the company as a senior director of marketing in the early 2000s, left and returned a decade later, motivated by the challenge of developing a connection between Banana Republic and newer generations. She is now working with the brand's in-house creative agency to experiment with new storytelling formats and lean into influencer marketing, with NFL star Jared Goff as the newest edition to the current influencer roster. The goal, across the board, is to be part of the conversation. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Alderete to discuss Banana Republic's evolving media strategy, the ways it's marketing invisible technology and the perks of keeping processes in-house.

After a decade of working in the fashion industry, Ganesh Srivats decided he needed something more. The fashion industry wasn't evolving at the pace he wanted, so he made the decision to join a company he felt was: Tesla. But after only three years, an opportunity arose in fashion that he couldn't resist. Now serving as the CEO of Moda Operandi, Srivats is using his passion for technology to make waves in the retail and fashion industries. By using a combination of consumer data–driven algorithms and stylist-curated collections, the fashion e-commerce platform gives consumers a unique selection that includes items directly from the runway. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Srivats to discuss the intersection of tech and fashion, the model of giving consumers direct access to runway collections, and the way to serve as a partner for designers.

Before founding Staple Design, Jeff Staple was studying communication design at Parsons School of Design, sneaking into the silkscreen lab after hours to create small batches of shirts to sell at shops in SoHo. For Staple, this wasn't about designing clothes. Instead, he wanted to find a way to growth-hack his messaging. Now, nearly two decades later, Staple is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of streetwear. His company has produced collaborations with the likes of Cole Haan, Dr. Martens, Coca Cola and even Facebook. In the fifth and final episode of Glossy Trend Watch: Streetwear Edition, fashion reporter Danny Parisi sits down with Staple to discuss the rising popularity of the collaboration model, the difference between collabs from licensing agreements, and the way street culture is infecting society.

When Stadium Goods was co-founded in 2015 by John McPheters and Jed Stiller, sneakers and streetwear were still part of an underground culture. But in recent years, street style has become more mainstream, and high-fashion and luxury brands have begun to embrace it. As a result, the marketplaces for these goods -- both primary and secondary -- have seen a rise of the tide. Stadium Goods, which has received funding from LVMH and others, was acquired by Farfetch in 2018. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, John McPheters, Stadium Goods' co-founder and co-CEO, sits down with Hilary Milnes to discuss how the blending of luxury and streetwear elevated both markets, why it's easier for startups to move internationally and what's on the horizon following the brand's acquisition.

For heritage companies like Fila or Champion -- which have product ranges covering everything from hype sneakers to activewear -- success relies on being able to appeal to a diverse consumer base. According to Louis Colon, Fila's vp of heritage and trend, the company's history in a variety of different categories created an opportunity to authentically stretch the brand and reach a newer, younger customer. On episode four of Glossy Trend Watch: Streetwear Edition, fashion reporter Danny Parisi sits down with Colon to discuss the role of a heritage brand, the categories a brand should enter to feel authentic, and the way a brand built for tennis courts became an essential player in streetwear.

While the rest of the retail industry races to modernize and adapt to the modern consumer, the bridal industry is taking its sweet time. For most brides-to-be, pain points like murky pricing and year-long wait times come standard, especially when it comes to the dress. Shopping for bridal gowns is a long-standing tradition involving the bride, a posse of friends and family, an hour in a showroom, and enough champagne to keep everyone optimistic. But for Jackie Courtney, something about that process didn't feel right. She began reaching out to editors for samples and eventually started scouring peer-to-peer marketplaces like Craigslist and eBay, convincing women from around the country that she had an idea worth investing in. Finally, with a collection of 50 high-end, used bridal gowns, Nearly Newlywed was born. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Nearly Newlywed founder and CEO, Jackie Courtney, to discuss the need for modernization in the bridal industry, the normalization of resale and her expansion into new categories.

Before social media and the global trend of hype sneakers and streetwear, sneakerheads would spend hours digging through eBay or combing through the collections of neighborhood resellers to score a great deal on the perfect pair of shoes. While some may still find this practice to be successful at times, they also likely come across fake products and massively inflated prices. Josh Luber, the founder and CEO of StockX, wants to put a stop to that. StockX, a marketplace for the resale of sneakers and other streetwear accessories, was built to level the playing field. By utilizing the same IPO method as the New York Stock Exchange, also known as a Dutch auction, Luber hopes to create a more accessible marketplace for both buyers and sellers. For the episode three of Glossy Trend Watch: Streetwear Edition, fashion reporter Danny Parisi sits down with Luber to discuss how the resale market grew up and what the current relationship is between the primary and secondary markets.

Influencer marketing is far from a new concept. Online fashion and beauty retailer Revolve has spent nearly a decade building a massive influencer marketing program, eventually creating an in-house team dedicated to influencer strategy. For Raissa Gerona, Revolve's chief brand officer, it's exciting that the rest of the retail world is beginning to catch up. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Gerona live at Shoptalk 2019 to discuss how Revolve built its brand through influencers, why Snapchat isn't for the company and what untapped potential remains in the influencer marketing space.

As any sneakerhead or streetwear fanatic will tell you, the drop model is part of the fabric of the streetwear retail industry. The drop model, which is shorthand for a brand releasing a limited amount of highly sought-after product all at once, developed out of the fact that some retailers simply couldn't afford to produce massive quantities of product. Fans began to scheme to grab the latest and greatest styles before they were no longer on the shelves. The retail strategy has since been introduced to the mainstream consumer, adopted by major brands including Gucci, Nike and Louis Vuitton. But as these drops continue to hit the mainstream market, some retailers are starting to fear that consumers are growing weary of the never-ending chase for ultra-hyped products. Others are making the shift to an online drop model to avoid the hazards that can come with having lines of hundreds of people outside their stores. In episode two of Glossy Trend Watch: Streetwear Edition, Danny Parisi sits down with Wil Whitney, who was one of the original founders of Nom de Guerre and now manages U.S. brand relations for Sneakersnstuff. Whitney discusses how sneaker retail and the drop model has evolved over time and why the hype bubble will inevitably burst.

When Michelle Cordeiro Grant founded Lively in 2015, she wanted to create a lingerie brand that fit into the lifestyle of the modern woman. In combining design aspects of traditional lingerie, swimwear and athleisure, Cordeiro Grant said Lively has created a new category altogether, which her team refers to as 'leisurée'. Since the company's launch, it has built a massive ambassador program, launched a podcast and started experimenting with physical retail. Cordeiro Grant said the company's move into retail is still in its beta phase, and her team is constantly learning and evolving its retail strategy. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Michelle Cordeiro Grant, the founder and CEO of Lively, at Shoptalk 2019. They discuss how to break into a crowded market, how Lively's social media channels have become a major part of its content strategy and where traditional retailers have gone wrong.

Ryan Babenzien, the founder and CEO of Greats, has a long history with sneakers and streetwear. When he was growing up, streetwear was a type of fashion that celebrated the rebellious spirit of 1980s youth; it pulled inspiration from luxury brands and flipped them into styles the majority could afford. Nowadays, streetwear has moved up and onto major runways, and for Babenzien, it has morphed into something that can no longer be defined by the same term. On the first episode of our limited series, Glossy Trend Watch: Streetwear Edition, fashion reporter Danny Parisi sits down with Babenzien to to discuss the evolution of streetwear, including the reason he believes it's now dead.

When Anine Bing decided to turn her successful fashion blog and social media presence into a brand, Annika Meller was there. In the early days of the influencer's fashion brand, Meller helped Bing with everything from stuffing boxes to fulfilling orders, as they worked to build the company from the ground-up. In the years that followed, Anine Bing continued to grow its following and its business. The brand now has 10 stores, with four more on the way, and is experimenting with social and traditional marketing. The hope is that one day, the brand will be everywhere its customers are. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Annika Meller, COO and co-founder of Anine Bing, to discuss what it was like to build a brand on Instagram in 2012, why paid promotions can be dangerous and why investing in more traditional marketing channels like billboards and magazines makes sense.

For most digitally-native brands, a retail concept is nothing more than a pop-up shop in a major city, but for Untuckit's co-founder and CEO Aaron Sanandres, a modern retail strategy demands a permanent physical footprint. Untuckit now boasts 50 retail doors across the United States and Canada. For Sanandres, it is vital to meet the consumers where they are. That's why you can also find an Untuckit shop on Amazon, which operates more like an outlet and is used to sell products that are from seasons past. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Sanandres live at the NRF Big Show to discuss how customer data is being used to improve in-store experiences, what his approach is to selling on Amazon and why retailers need a physical footprint.

When Joanna Griffiths launched her brand in 2013, she wanted to reinvent intimates. Knix, Griffiths’ brand of functional intimates, was built on the premise that women of all shapes and sizes deserve to be catered to. But while selling the brand through wholesale retailers, Griffiths found the industry didn’t quite share her vision. Stores refused to carry the brand’s extended size range, and Griffiths felt that buyers were more interested in filling a hole on their floor than representing the brand. On this week’s episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Knix founder and CEO Joanna Griffiths, live at NRF 2019, to talk about how making the switch to direct-to-consumer empowered Knix to create more products on its own terms, how the change affected the brand’s marketing strategy and how the company is approaching physical retail.

Disrupting an industry as long-standing as fine jewelry is a tall order for any company. Vrai & Oro, a 5-year-old, DTC company promising fine jewelry with a side of transparency and sustainability, is attempting to do just that. In the years since it's launch, Vrai & Oro has been on a mission to modernize fine jewelry through product transparency and sustainably growing its diamonds. The goal, Stofenmacher said, is to de-stigmatize the process of purchasing diamonds and to empower more people to be a part of the conversation. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Stofenmacher to discuss how Vrai & Oro makes the complex subject of diamonds easy for customers to understand, how the company has reimagined manufacturing systems and how Stofenmacher balances data and intuition when making business decisions.

As Marie Kondo has everyone rooting through their closets for the items that spark joy and consumers are becoming more conscious of sustainable buying practices, resellers like ThredUp are hitting their stride. The online secondhand marketplace is based on a model that serves both suppliers and customers: Suppliers are able to send in their items free of cost and get paid for them, while buyers have access to an inventory that is always growing and changing, with products listed for significantly less than traditional retail. "I don't want to make it sound like we're bleeding heart activists, because we have to run a profitable business, too," said Marino. "So we're trying to create the ultimate business, which is one that makes money and does good at the same time." On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with ThredUp president Anthony Marino to talk about what's unique about the online resale market, how the company manages its massive and ever-changing inventory, and why its partnerships with outside retailers are a win for all involved.

When Karla Gallardo co-founded Cuyana back in 2011, she was driven by 2 things: a true love for fashion and a desire to impact the bottom line in a real way. In the years since it's launch, Cuyana appears to be one of the few direct-to-consumer brands that has real staying power. Gallardo credits a lot of this success to the fact that the brand has scaled steadily and remained profitable. Now, with a $30 million round of funding under their belts, Cuyana is on track to ramp up its growth efforts in the US. According to Gallardo, this cash injection means that they get to do more of what they already do really well. This means growing their retail footprint with both permanent and pop-up stores, expanding customer acquisition efforts and continuing to produce high-quality product. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Cuyana co-founder and CEO, Karla Gallardo, to talk about their newest round of funding, building a billion dollar brand and why their north star is profitability. 

In 2013, Sarah Flint launched her luxury footwear brand in high-end retailers like Bloomingdale's, Barneys and Shopbop.com. Over the years, the brand grew steadily and earned influential fans including Meghan Markle, but Flint felt something was missing: She wasn't able to create a meaningful, direct connection with her customers, she was designing close to 200 products a year and the margins were always slim. So at the end of 2017, Flint cancelled all orders from department stores, pulling out of them completely, cut her prices in half and became a direct-to-consumer brand. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with luxury footwear designer, Sarah Flint, to talk about making the shift from wholesale to DTC, establishing relationships with customers and getting set to scale her brand.

In 2007, Katie Warner Johnson was a ballerina–turned Wall Street analyst–turned fitness instructor. It was in her fitness classes that she discovered a very specific type of woman: a hard-working, high-powered woman who takes her appearance seriously, but doesn’t have the time to really concern herself with it — and she fell in love with her. So Warner Johnson and a few of her friends came together and decided to find a way to connect with this woman. From selling bundled classes to creating a Pinterest account dedicated to fitness to launching a competitor for the app Mindbody, they tried a lot of things that didn’t work. Finally they ended up with the first iteration of Carbon38: a content-driven site where they would interview a celebrity or influencer about their wellness routine and what was in their gym bag, and then make those products available to sale. Eventually, Warner Johnson started to notice a pattern in the activewear being sold on the site. The industry was dominated by men, but the women’s sector was taking off, and the available products were a result of a “shrink it and pink it” mentality. So she looked back to her original inspiration — this customer base she had become fascinated with — and set out to build out a marketplace serving these women in a way no one had before. In 2013, Carbon38, in its current form, officially launched. As Carbon38 continues to scale and grow, and the athleisure boom continues, Warner Johnson sees plenty of opportunities to continue serving the core clientele her business was built for, especially now that she has become one of them. On this week’s episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Katie Warner Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Carbon38, to talk about dressing modern women, the company’s recent investment from Foot Locker, and the problem with the word “athleisure.” 

Mark Lynn knows what it takes to build direct-to-consumer brands. After launching two successful DTC brands -- Winc Wines and DSTLD -- Lynn made the decision to stop building brands and start bringing them together. So in 2017, he co-founded Digital Brands Group in an effort to both bring promising brands to the consumer and help growing companies to scale. Currently, there are two brands under the Digital Brands Group umbrella -- DSTLD, best known for denim. and suiting brand Ace Studios. Lynn said a few acquisitions will likely be necessary before the group can really spread its wings. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down Mark Lynn, Digital Media Group's co-founder and chairman, to talk about the complexities of the DTC ecosystem, the choice to take DSTLD public and the next steps for his growing group.

In an industry like footwear, which from the outside appears to be ever-changing, how much has actually changed? During his career as a professional soccer player in New Zealand, Tim Brown began to ask himself this same question. Brown set out on a mission to create the simplicity that he couldn't find in footwear anywhere else. What he found was an industry stuck in its ways, followed by a serious sustainability problem. So he saw the opportunity to develop new materials, and a new approach to creating and selling shoes, to address both an aesthetic and an environmental need with his own brand, Allbirds. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes talks to Allbirds co-founder, Tim Brown, about the growing a DTC brand, the constant need to innovate and why, when it comes to sustainability, we're all in this together. 

When Palmer West first became a father, he wasn't quite ready to give up his love for motorcycling. But when he went looking for the proper protective gear, he was greeted by an entire market of products that weren't necessarily suited for a metropolitan lifestyle like his. It was from this 'aesthetic void' that Aether was born. West felt like consumers shouldn't have to choose between fashion and functionality, so he and his business partner Jonah Smith, set out to find middle ground. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with West, Aether co-founder, to discuss the need for fashionable technical wear, how wholesale failed them and why they're considering going back.

This year on The Glossy Podcast, we covered the biggest trends in fashion business. Voices from across the industry -- from influencers to founders to CEOs -- discussed navigating an industry that is changing more rapidly than ever before. Some major themes of the year included the rise of the direct-to-consumer model, the impact of social media and influencer marketing, and the ripple effect of Amazon. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, we take a look at some of our top episodes of 2018 through clips featuring guests including Madewell's Libby Wadle, Glossier's Henry Davis and influencer Blair Eadie. 

In the early 2010s, John Ballay saw that there was something missing in menswear. At the time he was working in finance in Dubai, and had developed a passion for well-tailored suits. As the retail pivot to DTC was picking up steam, he wanted to find a way to make bespoke clothing more accessible to the average man. So Ballay and Mueller decided to create the first brand that would bring the magic of made-to-order clothing right to their customers' doorsteps. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Knot Standard co-founder and CEO, John Ballay, to discuss the evolution of menswear, creating custom-made products for every consumer, and how a brand with no inventory works with retailers.

In the nearly six years since she joined Kate Spade, Mary Renner Beech, the brand's CMO, has seen a lot of change. From a major acquisition by Tapestry, to the entrance of new creative director Nicola Glass, to the loss of the brand's founder, Kate Spade has been making a lot of headlines in recent years. But, according to Beech, these changes have only strengthened the brand and its promise of optimistic femininity. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes catches up with Mary Renner Beech to discuss how Kate Spade is empowering women across the globe, relying on a combination of data and gut instinct, and continuing to evolve with consumers without straying from the brand's heritage. Below are excerpts from the episode, edited for clarity.

When Ryan Babenzien decided to launch his own sneaker company in 2014, the direct-to-consumer brand boom was in full swing. He saw it as an opportunity to develop a brand that struck a balance between traditional and digitally-native retail. In this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Babenzien to discuss how he's growing a brand that embraces DTC and traditional retail, balances quality and cost, and serves casual and fashion-forward dressers alike. 

In an age where e-commerce is moving faster than ever, Etsy is working hard to keep up the pace. By bringing together entrepreneurs from all over the world, Etsy has amassed an online marketplace of over 50 million artisanal products. This network of small businesses has its challenges, like consistency in shipping and customer experience, but they are all part of what Raina Moskowitz, Etsy's svp of people, strategy and services, believes makes their platform a stand out. On this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Moskowitz discusses Etsy's investment in its sellers, how they're using marketing to drive consumers, and why she believes Etsy is still in early days.

Since former Allure editor in chief Linda Wells landed at Revlon as chief creative officer in February 2017, she has had a busy last 21 months. Not only has she renovated all of the consumer touchpoints, like packaging and the digital and social presences of the heritage company’s portfolio of brands, such as Elizabeth Arden, Almay and Revlon, she also launched Flesh Beauty. In this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Wells discussed how the industry has become “unrecognizable” because of social media, the shift in power in beauty and how incubation is the future for big beauty companies.

At twenty-three years old, Stirling Barrett found himself sitting on the stoop of his newly purchased home, located just outside of the French Quarter of New Orleans. He had earned a degree in fine arts, won a few notable best in show titles, and knew he needed to make an investment into his future. Shortly after, he founded Krewe. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, founder and creative director, Stirling Barrett, talks about how Krewe got its credibility in the market, why mobile retail was key in brick and mortar expansion and why New Orleans really is the best place to build your business.

In our inaugural episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast Kerr discussed how she made the move from a model to a CEO, why she only recently decided to scale Kora Organics internationally, and what it means to have integrity as the beauty and wellness industries become more intertwined.

When she first joined Lilly Pulitzer over a decade ago, Michelle Kelly was a huge fan of the brand and in search of the best way to get to know the fashion industry. Her mentors suggested she get her start in sales, which Kelly said taught her one of the most important lessons of her career. Now, as President and CEP, Kelly never forgets what she learned in those first few years-- the customers are in charge. In this episode of The Glossy Podcast, Kelly discusses what it’s like to have a truly loyal following, how Lilly Pulitzer approaches capsule collections and how influencer marketing is a natural extension of the brand.

We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest podcast, The Glossy Beauty Podcast! Our show where we cover the beauty and wellness trends of today, and what will show up on your feeds tomorrow, with the people who know them best. Tune in to our premiere episode on Thursday, November 8th, with international supermodel and founder and CEO of Kora Organics, Miranda Kerr. Make sure to like and subscribe to The Glossy Beauty Podcast today!

Since Bill Wackermann joined Wilhelmina Models as CEO in early 2016, his mission has been to bring the company into the 21st century, while remaining true to its original philosophy: Flawed beauty is the most beautiful. Today, being a model is about so much more than taking a good picture; it's about being a real, interesting person, Wackermann said. People, and brands, are demanding authenticity. In this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Wackermann discusses why Instagram followers should be more about quality than quantity, how consumer demand is shaping the industry and why his company has turned its focus to Snapchat.

A lot has changed for Reformation since its 2009 Los Angeles launch, but one thing that has remained constant is founder Yael Aflalo's dedication to sustainability. From the fabrics used in products to the employees in the manufacturing plants, Aflalo has set high standards for her brand and is working to ensure they're met. In this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sat down with Aflalo to discuss what investment is needed to be a sustainable brand, why Reformation's retail experience is unique and why she doesn't use data to manipulate customers.

Back in 2010, Eadie was working in the merchandising department at Gap Inc. in San Francisco when she noticed the industry was no longer leaning to runways for inspiration -- instead, it was turning to the streets. That was when she decided to start her daily fashion blog, Atlantic Pacific. She soon realized what she had created could become a viable business, and she never looked back. Now with 1.1 million followers on Instagram and a soon-to-be-released line with Nordstrom's private label Halogen, Eadie is determined to show that the influencers are here to stay. For this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Blair Eadie sat down with Hilary Milnes to discuss her early blogging days, her approach to brand partnerships and her recent collaboration with Nordstrom. Below are excerpts from the talk, edited for clarity.

Just five short years ago, Henry Davis was a venture investor in search of his next e-commerce project. At the time, Amazon was beginning its takeover, DTC brands were on the rise and overhauling the supply chain was the newest trend in retail. But Davis was focused on another forward-thinking idea. Then he met Emily Weiss, the creator of the successful beauty-focused platform Into The Gloss, who was ready to take her digital platform into the retail world. Davis and Weiss joined forces, and just a few months later, Glossier was born. Now, as Glossier's COO and president, Davis has helped the brand become one of the most recognizable millennial-focused beauty brands on the market. For this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Davis joined Glossy at Advertising Week for a live conversation. Below are excepts from the talk, edited for clarity.

Kendra Scott started her jewelry brand with $500 in the middle of a recession, when the world and retail industry were places of great uncertainty. Scott said she managed to turn a seemingly impossible situation into a billion-dollar jewelry business by making sure her brand always remained true to itself. On this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Scott joined us to talk about how she built a brand with heart, why it's important to talk directly to the consumer and why a good retail experience will never go out of style.

For PopSugar CRO Geoff Schiller, the company’s transition from publisher to lifestyle brand has been an exercise in restraint. Schiller joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss what PopSugar has learned about the fashion and beauty retail industries, how the company uses audience data to make decisions and why publishers and retailers need to work together today.

For the accessible luxury brand Vince, creative director Caroline Belhumeur’s background in retail was a boon that saved it from the brink. Glossy interviewed Belhumeur at Vince’s Mercer Street store in Manhattan at the beginning of September during a live recording for Glossy+ members. To be in the room during the next live recording of the Glossy Podcast, become a member at Glossy.co/subscribe, and use the code ‘podcast’ for 20 percent off an annual subscription.

Rebecca Minkoff wants more designers to share their experiments and their outcomes, even when they’re negative. While the fashion industry tries to come to terms with its ongoing existential crisis, she believes transparency is something that would benefit the overall designer community. Minkoff joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss what's behind her brand's current customer approach, why she doesn’t sell her products on Amazon and what’s going to happen when the dust settles.

Frame -- which started as a side project for founders Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson while working full time at the agency they started, Wednesday -- is on track to hit $120 million sales in its sixth year. Grede joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about why he doesn’t worry much about distribution strategies, what's behind his brand’s approach to being a lifestyle business and how it places limitations on itself in terms of growth.

Kristy Caylor’s first fashion brand, Maiyet, is an ethical brand exclusively selling clothing made by self-sustaining artisans from different areas of the world. But, while running the business, she still felt like she wasn’t doing enough to help fashion’s sustainability problem. In May, Caylor launched For Days, a retail company selling T-shirts and other knitwear on a subscription basis. When customers are done with the shirts, they send them back to For Days in exchange for a fresh batch. The company upcycles the used T-shirts to make new ones. Caylor joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss the idea of ownership, For Days’ early days and how sustainability can work in fashion.

Katie Sturino is no stranger to wielding the attention of an Instagram audience. Her own blog, The 12ish Style, has 211,000 followers on the platform. And with her network of Instagram-famous dogs — Toast (who recently passed away), Muppet, Cheese and Pants — her total Instagram platform is nearing 1 million followers. She joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how she broke into blogging by posing style solutions for other plus-size women, what mistakes brands make when working with influencers and where she predicts the industry is headed next.

Direct-to-consumer footwear brand Margaux, co-founded by Alexa Buckley and Sarah Pierson, wants to fix fit for women’s shoes. By designating three width options for every size and offering a made-to-order approach, the brand is going after customers who have struggled to find comfort in standard-sized footwear. Buckley joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how the DTC brand playbook is changing, what was behind her brand’s a-ha moment and what it means to be a modern heritage brand.

Direct-to-consumer footwear brand Margaux, co-founded by Alexa Buckley and Sarah Pierson, wants to fix fit for women’s shoes. By designating three width options for every size – narrow, medium or wide – and offering a made-to-order approach, the brand is going after customers who have struggled to find comfort in standard-sized footwear. Buckley joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how the DTC brand playbook is changing, what was behind her brand’s a-ha moment and what it means to be a modern heritage brand.

11 Honoré founder and CEO Patrick Herning’s biggest priority for the next year: customer acquisition. 11 Honoré is an online multibrand retailer for plus-size designer fashion, which Herning and his business partner Kathryn Retzer founded in 2017 to deliver a luxury e-commerce experience to women sizes 10 to 22. Herning joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss appealing to this customer, giving brands a helping hand and what really holds the industry back from selling plus-size fashion.

To hit its next growth stride, denim and apparel brand Good American has to look beyond the passionate followers of famous co-founder Khloé Kardashian. Grede joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss why mainstream sizing is outdated, why she didn’t want to sell only online and how online brands can thrive in a wholesale setting.

Clare Vivier’s designer handbag brand, Clare V., was direct-to-consumer before anyone was using the term “direct-to-consumer.” Over the past 10 years, Clare V. has expanded its line of handbags and accessories to include apparel. She joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss evolving as a designer-founder over the past 10 years, marketing in a department store versus Instagram, and keeping up with the pace of the industry.

Direct-to-consumer jewelry brand Aurate isn’t online-only, it’s channel agnostic. The brand, launched in 2014 as an e-commerce site, now has four brick-and-mortar stores and plans to open more on the West Coast this year. While online is still the main channel, for Aurate, the important thing is that no matter where it sells, it stays in control of the transaction. Bouchra Ezzahraoui, cofounder of Aurate, joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss bootstrapping her business, reacting quickly to customer responses and accommodating the way people shop for jewelry today.

Bluemercury founder Marla Beck built an anti–department store beauty and skin-care shopping experience 20 years ago. Now, Bluemercury has joined Macy’s to offer its democratizing shopping and spa services to department store customers. Beck joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how beauty has evolved in the Instagram era, who wins when customers are in charge and how product innovation is changing the industry.

J.Crew Group-owned Madewell is often pegged as the namesake brand’s younger, hipper sister (although president Libby Wadle refutes the notion that Madewell is millennial-geared). As J.Crew scrambles to revitalize stalled sales growth, Madewell’s story couldn’t be more different. Wadle joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how a brand in the J.Crew umbrella stays nimble, what the brand identity is, and how customer feedback and data feeds into that process.

The Real Real, an online marketplace for authentic luxury consignment, is growing and retail stores are their big next step. But over the years, they have also been pitted as a competition to luxury brands and had a difficult relationship with them. Rati Levesque, chief merchant, says she's seeing the dynamic shift as they're starting to drive traffic back into luxury stores. Levesque explores their relationship with brands, similarity to departmental stores and more on this podcast.

During her time running the DKNY PR Girl Twitter account, Aliza Licht was only asked to delete one tweet. Licht worked on the PR and communications team at DKNY when the company began putting together initial Facebook and Twitter strategies. Social media marketing strategies have only become more complex since then, but the brand-as-relatable-friend voice has held strong. After leaving DKNY, Licht wrote a book titled “Leave Your Mark,” and she currently serves as the evp of brand marketing at Alice + Olivia. She discusses the evolution of authenticity in social media, branding and storytelling, and Amazon vs. wholesale.

With Caraa, Aaron Luo is looking to prove aesthetic isn't everything. Luo joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss why his brand didn’t raise any VC funding, how he chooses brand partnerships and why he decided to test selling products on Amazon.

When Eileen Fisher started her namesake brand in 1984, it wasn’t the plan from the outset that the label would eventually become synonymous with sustainability in the fashion industry. Her goal was simply to do a better job of making clothing that would outlast everything else in her customers’ closets. The Eileen Fisher approach to sustainability has since evolved to focus on reducing waste through a circular recycling program, a line of “remade” Eileen Fisher items designed from damaged or stained pieces from past collections, and an emphasis on storytelling and education. Now the head of a certified B-Corp organization, Fisher joined the Glossy Podcast to share how the brand’s manufacturing partners, customers and competition have changed.

After working as a makeup artist for 25 years, Kirsten Kjaer Weis was tired of rejecting and moving on from different luxury beauty products because the synthetics in them, she believed, caused allergic reactions. She founded her brand, Kjaer Weis, in 2010 on the premise that an all natural beauty brand could also perform like a luxury beauty brand. Kjaer Weis joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss the evolution of the green beauty industry, balancing organic and luxury, and the definition of natural beauty.

Jackie Wilson isn’t known to customers as one of America’s prominent fashion designers, but retailers know her. Her company, the American Fashion Network, is responsible for designing private-label fashion lines for retailers like Kohl’s, Amazon and American Eagle. And she's often the one pushing behind the scenes, convincing retailers to double down on lingerie-style tops, cutouts and fabric trends. Wilson joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how Zara changed the private-label business, and how Amazon is changing it again. At the core of the shift is speed and, according to her, fashion is only going to keep getting faster.

Net-a-Porter recently relaunched its editorial content to reflect a new approach: Porter, Net-a-Porter’s print magazine, combined with The Edit, Net-a-Porter’s online blog, for a more cohesive content strategy. In total, Net-a-Porter’s editorial team employs 70 people across print and digital. Whereas before, they were working in siloed teams, Net-a-Porter’s global content director and Porter editor-in-chief Lucy Yeomans said there’s now more collaboration across channels, including around new events and series that reach across both. Yeomans joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss why Net-a-Porter considers content and commerce an integral part of both its marketing and merchandising strategies, how fashion media has evolved and why a cohesive brand voice is so important.

After Tamara Mellon left Jimmy Choo, the luxury footwear brand she founded in 1996 while in her 20s, she had to figure out again how to establish her positioning in the industry, this time under her own name. It wasn’t a smooth transition. After the first incarnation of the Tamara Mellon brand went bankrupt, she started over following the direct-to-consumer model that customers today are much more familiar with than they were at the start of the decade. Mellon joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how she started building a brand for the third time, how it sits in the luxury market, and the future of retail business models.

Jessica Lee was on the M&A team at Gap Inc., scouting for potential young brands appealing to a more modern customer that the corporation could snap up, when she decided to set off on her own and found a new mid-priced women’s fashion brand. Modern Citizen, launched online in 2016, with a trendier take on direct-to-consumer fashion than comparable brands like Everlane, more affordable prices than Reformation and a focus on building a community from scratch. Lee joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss differentiating the company in a crowded market, marketing with a non-existent budget and building the brand's first store.

Adam Pritzker, of the Hyatt Hotels family, built Assembled Brands off of the idea that fashion could benefit from the same open-source approach to resources, data and education as the technology industry. Assembled Brands, now six years in, is a holding company for brands including The Line, Khaite, Pop and Suki and more, with the goal of supporting inventory planning, financial modeling, distribution and infrastructure organization for a new retail industry. Pritzker joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how brands need to adjust to keep up with today’s customers, why there's power in numbers and what type of technology will actually change retail.

Lawrence Lenihan is the co-founder and co-CEO of Resonance, a venture operating and holding company for small fashion brands that he started with business partner Joseph Ferrara in 2015. His opinion on fashion feels romanticized, but he hopes to ground it in a viable business model that could change the format through which emerging designers get brands off the ground, and make them profitable. Lenihan joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about how to bring the Zara model down to businesses on the smallest level, how data has interrupted creation and what's to come of the billion-dollar apparel brand.

Olivia Kim joined Nordstrom and moved from New York to Seattle in 2013 as the director of creative projects. Now vp of creative projects, she’s in charge of Nordstrom’s pop-up shops, brand collaborations and exclusives with digitally native brands. Essentially, her role boils down to recruiting new customers to Nordstrom by making it more of a destination for fashion inspiration and brands that can’t be easily found elsewhere. On the Glossy Podcast, Kim discussed how she formed her position and, eventually, department, how fashion collaborations have evolved, and what appeals most to customers.

When Ann Mashburn launched her namesake women’s brand in 2010, she had some concerns about the concept panning out. Mashburn’s first store, which she opened in Atlanta alongside her husband Sid Mashburn’s namesake men’s store, has now been in business for seven years, and the company has since launched e-commerce and opened three more retail stores. Mashburn joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how she made the leap from editor to brand owner, how she grew her team from the ground up and how she built her brand with word-of-mouth marketing.

Under Nancy Green, Athleta has leaned into being a brand associated with both women’s empowerment and sustainability, by carving out a list of related core values and updating its branding around those. On Tuesday, the company announced it was officially a certified B Corp brand, a stamp of officiation for purpose-driven brands that follow environmentally and ethically conscious practices. Green joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about how Athleta differentiates itself within the broader Gap corporation, how to outlast the athleisure bubble, and what threats and opportunities retailers face today.

Since Milly launched in the early 2000s, the rules luxury brands are supposed to follow have changed. Now that department store traffic is falling and boutiques are struggling to master e-commerce at scale, luxury brands that could once rely on wholesale networks for growth now have to allocate time, money and resources to building up direct retail channels, both in brand stores and online. To recapture stalled growth, Milly has started direct-to-consumer operations and brought sales and marketing teams in house, and will launch a capsule collection later this year targeted at millennials, with more affordable prices and more frequently released pieces. Andy Oshrin, the CEO and co-founder of Milly, joined the Glossy Podcast to share more about the brand’s evolution, the challenges that come with rerouting business and the role customer data plays.

Deborah Lippmann's nail polish and treatment brand is credited for being the first luxury line to sell products like base and top coats, cuticle oils, hand creams and polish remover alongside colored polishes. Today, Lippmann sells her polishes and treatments at Sephora, department stores and select luxury salons, as well as her own salons in Arizona and California. She also works with designers like Jason Wu and celebrities like Lady Gaga in backstage primping sessions. Lippmann joined us to discuss the importance of choosing the right retail partners, the competition in the industry and plans for her next investment.

When Stitch Fix CEO Katrina Lake took her company public in 2017, her pitch was a little bit rusty. Stitch Fix’s IPO, which valued it at nearly $2 billion, was the biggest exit for an e-commerce company last year. Now, the company has to prove it can continue to recruit new customers -- on top of the more than 2 million who use Stitch Fix already, according to its S-1 -- if it wants to keep growing. For the first few years of business, Stitch Fix did little paid marketing, relying on word of mouth and organic growth to bring in new users. That’s changing, as the company figures out the best ways to reach potential customers, and it’s top of mind for Lake as she navigates her first year at the head of a public company. Lake joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss Stitch Fix’s category expansions and marketing push, plus the changing customer behavior it’s both leading the way for and adjusting to.

Finery co-founders Brooklyn Decker and Whitney Casey, in an attempt to create the ultimate virtual closet, confronted the issue that caused all the versions that came before them to fail: They removed as much manual work as they could. For inspiration, Decker and Casey looked to similar life-simplifying apps for other industries, like Mint for finances and TripIt for travel itineraries (rather than the idealistic “Clueless” closet other virtual companies have claimed to build). From there, they spent a year and a half building proprietary technology with a team of coders that can pull together every wardrobe-related online purchase a user’s made by combing a linked email inbox for receipts. Decker joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about Finery’s obstacles, goals and future potential. Edited highlights below.

There are only a few aspects of the runway show that Rebecca Taylor misses: the way the clothes move down the catwalk, the post-show euphoria (before any critiques come in) and all the congratulations. But to her, all of that amounts to only 5 percent of a show production. This New York Fashion Week, Taylor has been showing her collections -- the entirety of which are meant to be sold commercially -- in one-on-one appointments with buyers in her showroom. There she can discuss every item in detail, express her inspiration and get direct feedback from a valuable, if selective, audience. Taylor joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss the evolution of her relationship with the runway show, her decision to break away from the in-season model and the role technology has played in her collections.

Ken Downing, the fashion director and svp at Neiman Marcus, will see just under 100 fashion shows this season. That's a light year. It used to be about 120 overall -- and at one point, it was that many shows in New York alone. Things are changing. As designers change the ways they show their collections -- be it on the runway, in private appointments at showrooms or at presentations -- the buyer's job is ultimately unchanged, according to Downing. On an episode of the Glossy Podcast's NYFW series, Downing reflected on the future of the fashion show and how the CFDA's role is shaping the path forward for the industry.

As other designers reconsider the role that runway plays in their businesses, Alice McCall is just getting started at New York Fashion Week. For her debut runway show, which took place Saturday morning, the Australia-based designer said she embraced the exact elements of the production that others find to be distracting. That included planning the music; choosing the hair and makeup, and coordinating accessories; overseeing model castings and even designing punchier products that make for a splash on the runway. It all had to come together fairly quickly, too, as it was only in December when McCall decided to show in New York. For the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast’s NYFW series, she shared what she believes to be the benefits of a traditionally formatted runway show, which includes a “spicier” collection, specially designed shoes and bags, and the runway’s lasting halo effect.

Celine Semaan, the CEO and designer at the sustainable fashion and accessories brand Slow Factory, realizes that running her own fashion brand is, in and of itself, an unsustainable exercise. During New York Fashion Week, Semaan hosted an event about sustainability, technology and human rights in the fashion industry because, as she put it, she wants to do her part to mobilize the industry to taking steps, no matter how small, toward becoming more sustainable. She also planned to watch out for meaningful messages around change during the runway shows, now that being considered an activist brand is considered cool. Semaan spoke to how the customer-brand dynamic is changing, what she expects to see during NYFW and how even fast-fashion companies are making headway.

Vicky Yang, a talent and digital strategy manager at the talent agency The Society Management, has picked up a few new tricks over the last several years. While managing modeling jobs and schedules for the company's roster of talent, Yang now also deals with the daily schedules, PR and brand contracts for the group of influencers (called "creatives" internally) she now represents. Yang joined the special NYFW edition of the Glossy Podcast to discuss how her role has changed in the digital age, how traditional modeling management has kept up and how the front row has evolved.

Designer Audra Noyes has put in hours working at luxury fashion houses Lanvin and Ralph Lauren. But she's always had her sights set on putting on a fashion show of her own. And her brand, Audra, held a spot on the official NYFW runway calendar for nine seasons. But this year, she’s taken business behind closed doors, deciding not to host a show but to instead host private appointments with editors, buyers and influencers. Noyes joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss her departure from the runway, how a wholesale brand can still have a direct and intimate relationship with customers, and what she wishes she had known when she was first starting out.

Taking his company public was a longtime goal for Bonobos CEO Andy Dunn. But a week before he was about to sign a private equity deal to raise more capital for the menswear brand, he got a call from a friend: Preston Bottomy, the vp of fashion group business development at Jet.com and Walmart.com. Now, in addition to being acting CEO of his brand, Dunn is the svp of digital consumer brands at Walmart. Dunn joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss life since the acquisition, his new position, and how he convinced customers and employers alike that he had made the right decision.

Three years ago, designer Mara Hoffman went through what one could call an existential crisis. After running her eponymous label for 15 years when she hit a wall. Feeling like all her brand was doing was adding more “stuff” to the world -- and causing harm to the environment -- she knew she had to completely overhaul her business, or walk away from it all together. Hoffman said the process to make her company fully sustainable is still ongoing, but the challenge has been an exciting one. She joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about why she felt the need, as a creator, to recreate herself, why she left New York Fashion Week and what's to come for open-source sustainability.

At The Fashion Institute of Technology, staff and students are focused on fixing the industry. That’s a big ask. As Michael Ferraro, the executive director of the Infor Design and Technology Lab at FIT, puts it, “industry problems” and how they can be solved were at the center of a recent collaboration that brought together students, faculty, IBM executives, Infor employees and representatives from Tommy Hilfiger that centered around artificial intelligence and where it fits into the design process. Fifteen FIT design students were asked to create pieces of clothing that would be designed using AI: one would incorporate wearable technology, the other wouldn’t. Students from other departments were asked to incorporate AI into manufacturing and production cycles, as well as marketing initiatives. McCarty and Ferraro joined the Glossy Podcast live from the NRF Big Show this week to discuss the need for technology in the design process, the way schools are adapting to the change and the importance of collaboration.

Glossy senior reporter Hilary Milnes discuss Rent the Runway's in-store strategy, data and unlimited subscriptions with Hampton Catlin, senior director of engineering at Rent the Runway.

Chriselle Lim launched her blogger and influencer career on YouTube in 2010, creating videos centered on makeup tutorials and style advice. Since then, her face has been closely tied to her brand as she's built her Instagram following (@ChriselleLim now has 1 million followers) and her lifestyle blog, The Chriselle Factor. As her brand has matured, though, Lim has come to realize that her business can’t always be centered around her likeness. In October, Lim launched Cinc Studios, a production company that takes on brand clients, particularly in the luxury fashion and beauty industries, to help them create digital content that appeals to the Instagram-obsessed generation of young customers. Lim joined us on the Glossy Podcast to discuss the path to longevity for influencers, the thing she wishes brands knew about influencer partnerships and the forthcoming micro-influencer shakeout.

Katie Finnegan is shaping the future of Walmart’s relationship with technology. As the principal of Store No. 8, an incubator that’s owned by Walmart but operates as an individual LLC, Finnegan is playing the long game. Her company acquires businesses that are at the forefront of the next generation of retail technology, mastering capabilities like personalization, virtual reality and robotics in the supply chain. Finnegan said it’s realistic that the technologies won’t be viable for another five, 10 or 15 years — but when they are, the goal is that Walmart will have the leading edge over the competition. She joined us to recap Store No. 8’s first year in business, share her predictions around how the relationship between customers and retailers will evolve, and explain what should be at the forefront of fashion brands’ work with technology.

This year on the Glossy Podcast, we discussed the forces of change, driven by digital technology, that designers, brand founders, and the agencies who work with them were forced to adjust to. We explored topics including how Instagram is changing the way people interact with brands online, the rise (and fall) of see-now-buy-now and designer burnout, what the digitally native brand market looks like now that the space is matured, and the elephant in the retail room: Amazon. Here's our end of year edition to capture the biggest conversations we had this year with guests like Tim Coppens, Hilary Swank and Rachel Zoe.

Rachel Shechtman is the founder of the concept store Story in Chelsea, a neighborhood in New York City. Story changes its inventory and physical layout every few weeks, and each new remodel is based around a theme. The merchandise carried by Story is usually sourced from small businesses who get facetime with both potential customers or other retailers that are looking for new merchandise. According to Shechtman, 15 percent of foot traffic is from B2B companies. Shechtman joined the Glossy Podcast to share more about how Story operates, how new retailers are (or aren’t) reinventing the wheel, and how department stores are faring in the new landscape.

Scott Tannen, the founder and CEO of Boll & Branch, has experience on both the brand side and the investor side of the DTC startup world.

Designer Dan Liu, who owns both his namesake label as well as the fashion brand Tatsuaki, needs fellow designers to pick up the pace. Designers used to have months to design new collections, and that window has been dwindled down to about two weeks. It’s not just designers who are in jeopardy, either — department stores, according to Liu, are at risk of going extinct thanks to the institutions navigating digital advancements in the industry like dinosaurs. Liu joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss how designers are dealing with the new crushing pace of the industry, what changes are coming next year, and why see-now-buy-now isn’t the answer.

Luke Grana, the founder of the apparel startup Grana, joins the Glossy Podcast to discuss the state of digitally native retail, why he decided to launch his business in Hong Kong, and what defines a modern, successful brand.

Nadine McCarthy Kahane, founder of online jewelry marketplace Stone and Strand, joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss her company's experiments offline, its influencer partnerships and how it has tried to compete with Amazon.

Rachel Zoe launched her brand in 2011, as direct-to-consumer businesses were booming online. But even though she already had a following from her time spent working as a celebrity stylist and sending out her then-newsletter, The Zoe Report (now a media company), Zoe targeted traditional retailers first. Zoe didn’t launch her own e-commerce site for the brand until 2016, in fact, but since finally coming around to selling direct online, she and her brand have been much more experimental. She’s also become more entrepreneurial: In addition to her fashion line, she’s in charge of The Zoe Report as well as Box of Style, a subscription box of clothing and other lifestyle products chosen by her and her team. Zoe joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss the perks and downfalls of traditional retail, her take on see-now-buy-now, her plans to open Rachel Zoe stores and how she uses customer data to her advantage.

AYR, the direct-to-consumer brand for women’s apparel, has an origin story that sets it apart from the sea of other digitally native brands selling women’s clothing without the middleman. For its first two years in business, it was incubated by the more mature direct-to-consumer brand Bonobos. When Bonobos decided it needed to focus on its core business in 2016, AYR spun off into an independent brand, raising two rounds of funding and hiring a full team of employees in the business development, fulfillment and finance departments to pad out what Bonobos’s infrastructure had been supporting. More than a year into running her brand independently, Winter joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss the benefits of being bred by Bonobos, the lessons she’s learned so far and the opportunity that still remains for direct-to-consumer brands.

Brooke Taylor Corcia, the founder of online fashion and lifestyle store The Dreslyn, wanted to launch her own company to get a more accurate representation of West Coast fashion into the e-commerce lexicon. Three years after launching The Dreslyn as an online destination for access to the chic side of West Coast style, Corcia spoke to Glossy about the art of restraint in building an online store, the key to building two-sided brand relationships and the importance of data.

Bando, the e-commerce site selling kitschy office supplies and accessories designed for the Instagram generation, has struck a balance between mass and niche. The brand’s strong, mostly pink aesthetic, cult-like customer following and best-selling items — like agendas that say things like “I Am Very Busy” — have become its biggest signifiers, and the brand has grown to around 50 employees after a near-shutter in 2012. Instead of closing, it sold to licensing company Lifeguard Press, and grew a network of wholesale partners that included Anthropologie, Nordstrom and Macy’s. Those mass retail partners sell its agendas and other everyday items like tumblers and notebooks to a wide audience. That pays the bills. Bando’s online store, then, is an opportunity for co-founder and creative director Jen Gotch to experiment with her more wild design side, even if the results don’t sell as much. Gotch joined the Glossy Podcast to share how she grew a side business selling hair accessories into Bando, which has expanded to bags, accessories, art supplies and clothing.

When Elaine Kwon realized just how much fashion and luxury brands don’t understand retail’s new digital world order, she started her own e-commerce management firm, Kwontified, to help them figure it out. Kwon had been working at Amazon, helping luxury fashion brands find success on the platform once they'd signed on. She joined us on the Glossy Podcast this week to talk about focusing on shipping and return structures, online customer service, and -- of course -- whether or not to work with Amazon.

James LaForce started his career hand-delivering printouts of press releases that highlighted the biggest news and best gossip from parties the night before. He would drop them off at the home of the society reporter at Women’s Wear Daily and return to his office by foot. Things have changed. LaForce joined us on the Glossy Podcast to discuss that mindset, the separation of social media and e-commerce, and the one industry that can’t tell a good story on Instagram.

Designer Daniella Kallmeyer got her first internship in the fashion industry when she handed Luca Luca designer Luca Orlandi her resume at age 15. She went on to more internships with brands including Proenza Schouler and Alexander McQueen, but by the time she decided to launch her namesake ready-to-wear brand, the path to getting a new label off the ground had changed. In Kallmeyer’s words, “there is no traditional way to becoming a designer” anymore. Kallmeyer joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss her biggest regret around launching her brand, the power shift from brand to consumers, and her brand's next milestone.

Hal Rubenstein, one of the founding editors of InStyle magazine, joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss retail's "too much stuff" problem, the crime of athleisure and why he's skeptical of all influencers, except maybe Selena Gomez.