The Glossy Podcast

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Week in Review: The RealReal's profitability struggles, the impacts of inflation, Jennifer Lopez's honeymoon looks Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

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.

Co-founder Tracy Sun on Poshmark's 'more intense focus' on customers since going public Jul 27, 2022

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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."

Week in Review: UK heatwave, cross-company fashion initiatives, the potential return of Google Glass Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

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.

Men's Wearhouse's George Zimmer on his second act: 'After being fired, I didn't just ride off into the sunset' Jul 20, 2022

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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, withyearly revenue of $5 million.

Week in Review: Sonia Syngal out at Gap, Dior v. Valentino, brands charging for returns Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

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.

Imaginary Ventures co-founder Nick Brown on seeking out 'founders with something to prove' Jul 13, 2022

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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.

Introducing The Return Jul 12, 2022

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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.

Week in Review: Brands leave China, Klarna's valuation dips, fashion goes to the Hamptons Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

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.

Woodley + Lowe's co-founders: ‘We don't want to be another brand created by two moms’ Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

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.

Week in Review: Marc Jacobs, greenwashing and StockX layoffs Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

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.

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