Conversation with Barbara Kolson, Director, The FAME Center
Barbara Kolson, fashion industry attorney and director of The FAME Center at Cardozo Law, discusses the legal frameworks needed to operate a fashion business. She focuses on copyright, trademark and patent law, as well as issues related to entrepreneurship, politics and legal access for women and minorities.
Conversation with Fanny Damiette, CMO, The Webster
Fanny Damiette dives into the current thinking and practices related to customer-centric, omni-channel fashion marketing. She discusses the need for a more personalized brand experience, based on integrity.
Fashion Essentials
Offering PPE is a very real business decision that brands are making. Because, if a brand makes and sells PPE in their stores, they can be classified by many local governments as essential retailers.
Conversation with Nichole Simms, CEO, Creative Visual Solutions
Nichole Simms shares her insight on retail store management, with a focus on employee team building, leadership and customer engagement. She stresses the importance of clear communication around strategy, goals and expected outcomes.
Fast Fashion & Fashion Resale
Founder, Joshua Williams, appears on i24 TV to discuss the recent H&M store closings (over 5% of total brick and mortar stores), as well as the growing interest in fashion resale.
Conversation with Seph Skerritt, Founder, Proper Cloth
Seph Skerritt discusses the entrepreneurial and creative process of building a tech fashion company that provides custom men’s shirts. He shares advice on how to scale a new business by creating tools that automate and refine the user experience over time.
Something New from Something Old
It’s no secret that the fashion system thrives on creating and selling new products—constantly. In fact, the fashion industry is very adept at built-in obsolescence, with an especially short lifecycle, wherein the very item that was heralded as the “must have” in September is no longer even desirable or cool in February. So, it’s time to start really asking why we, as customers, continue to support brands that have no real impetus to change, no matter their storied histories. It’s time to start putting our money where our mouth is. If we want change, then things must actually change and that may mean letting go of nostalgia, so that fashion brands will be forced to adapt, or make way for more innovative brands that don’t trade on built-in obsolescence.
Conversation with Joshua Kapelman, EVP, Hilldun Corporation
Joshua Kapelman discusses the intersection of fashion and finance and the shifting landscape of fashion wholesale and retail. He provides tips for young designers and brands seeking to break into the market, with a focus on Direct-to-Consumer and Specialty retail.
Conversation with Luisa Herrera-Garcia, SVP of Production, John Varvatos
Luisa Herrera-Garcia shares the importance of developing fashion collections that are creative, “on brand” and commercially viable and profitable. She discusses the need for a more transparent and ethical supply chain, especially with women’s rights in mind.
Conversation with Andrew Jassin, Founder/Manager, Jassin Consulting Group
Andrew Jassin provides an expansive view of the apparel industry over the past 40 years with a focus on brand development and M&A. He then focuses on current issues, and provides insight on how brands can engage new consumers.
Conversation with Keanan Duffty, Designer & Director, MPS-FM
Keanan Duffty explores the intersection between creativity and commerce, and his own connection to punk music and the DYI movement. He shares insights on the fashion industry, and the need for more independent retailers. He also discusses the MPS-Fashion Management graduate program he founded.
Bonus: Reflection on the Past & Future
In this bonus episode, host Christopher Lacy, speaks with producer Joshua Williams, about the past two seasons of the Retail Revolution podcast. They reflect on the common themes of authenticity, values alignment and the role of technology in retail. They also provide a sneak peek into plans for season three.