The Glossy Podcast

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 e