The Glossy Podcast

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.