The Glossy Podcast

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.  "

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 wo

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”

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-adjace

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 philant

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

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

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.