The Glossy Podcast

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The Folklore's Amira Rasool on building a shopping platform with African and Black-owned brands at the forefront Jun 29, 2022

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After returning from a trip to South Africa, The Folklore’s Amira Rasool was often stopped on the streets of New York and asked where she purchased her clothing, which she scored while abroad.

“I knew that African and Black-owned brands were the future because people were getting bored of the same old [stuff],” said Rasool, founder and CEO of The Folklore, on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “These brands have a cultural and heritage point-of-view that shines through in their products.”

With research, Rasool discovered that most African brands did not have direct-to-consumer e-commerce platforms of their own and were not stocked in retail stores outside of their home country. Rasool launched The Folklore in 2016 as the first B2B wholesale e-commerce platform exclusively focused on Black-owned and African brands.

“Combining my interest and knowledge of Black history and uplifting Black people in our socio-economic condition with my love for styling and telling stories, I created The Folklore,” said Rasool. “We built this product with African and Black-owned brands at the forefront and not as an afterthought."

The company’s designers are based in South Africa and Nigeria, but The Folklore is also developing relationships with brands in Ghana and Morocco. In addition, by September, the company is working to launch Folklore Connect, a B2B wholesale e-commerce platform that empowers global retailers to discover and shop for African and Black-owned fashion and lifestyle brands. The company’s current focus is on apparel, accessories, home and beauty, but will soon expand to new product categories and price points.

“With our curation, we still have the potential [to on-board] thousands of brands to the platform,” said Rasool. “We haven't even scratched the surface.”

Week in Review: Harry Styles x Gucci, Harrods' delayed summer sale, NFT.NYC Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

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 in fashion from the week.

This week, Gucci announced a collection co-designed by Harry Styles and Alessandro Michele called Gucci HA HA HA. Harrods managing director Michael Ward revealed that the British department store was delaying its annual summer sale due to slow shipments of inventory. Finally, NFT.NYC went down in New York, and fashion brands continued their embrace of NFTs even as prices for NFTs are dropping.

Figue CEO Liz Lange on her 'very aggressive' approach to both wholesale and direct sales Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

After launching and selling her namesake maternity wear brand, Liz Lange began to long for her entrepreneurial days.

To that end, she bought New York-based women's luxury label Figue, acquiring the 10-year-old brand in 2021 from founder Stephanie Von Watzdorf. Lange is currently CEO.

"I wanted to be the entrepreneur. I didn't want to be the advisor or the investor," said Lange on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.

Lange learned Figue was available for sale after spending years wearing and admiring the brand's clothes. "I knew [Figue] had 10 years of reputation-building [under its belt], which is very hard to accomplish. So I thought, 'Aha, maybe this is my next meant-to-be moment'," she said.

Along with its direct-to-consumer e-commerce site, the brand now sells in over 50 retail locations, including at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Lange classifies the brand as accessible and affordable luxury — its prices range from $73-$1,572.

"I knew the brand was much more than a summer and vacation brand, and that we could get there by doing more than dresses," said Lange. She said that Figue plans to grow sales by expanding to product categories including swim, shoes and accessories.

Week in Review: LVMH invests in lab-grown diamonds, Christie's embraces sneakers and crypto crashes Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

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, LVMH Ventures invests in lab-grown diamond company Lusix, as its portfolio brands Bulgari and Tiffany & Co. continue to swear off lab-grown stones; Christie's makes its play for sneakers and streetwear sales official with the launch of a dedicated vertical; and the prices of many crypto coins plummet, as more fashion companies including Farfetch announce they're newly accepting crypto payments.

Donni's Alyssa Wasko: 'We built a business on one of the smallest product categories' Jun 15, 2022

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When Alyssa Wasko was in college, she never thought she'd start a fashion brand. Fast-forward 13-years later, and Donni has become well-known for its elevated basics.

In 2009, Wasko began making scarves to cope with the death of her father, Donald, for whom her company is named. Her college friends started placing orders and, eventually, she was selling scarves as a side gig while working at Chanel as a visual merchandiser.

On the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, Wasko said her years at Chanel prepared her well for her current role and that her Chanel co-workers were supportive of her side hustle. She also recalled hat, while getting her company off the ground, she sold scarves on Etsy and hosted trunk shows throughout the year. Now, Donni is sold in over 115 stores worldwide including Saks, Revolve, Holt Renfrew and Free People. Donni also sells direct-to-consumer through its brand website.

Drawing on its core characteristics of comfort and ease, Donni has since expanded from selling neck warmers and sarongs to offering a full fashion line. Along with women's clothing, it includes hair accessories and jewelry. To date, Donni has been entirely self-funded, and organic growth is what has sustained the brand throughout its 13 years, Wasko said. Recently, the brand began to focus more on the personal stories surrounding its products.

"Our team is speaking more on Instagram Lives and in videos for our retailers and e-commerce customers. [We're aiming to] speak to more of the product and [provide] insight into our brand and our processes," said Wasko.

Week in Review: Julie Wainwright leaves The RealReal, Fendi x Marc Jacobs, dispatches from the Glossy Summit Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

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, CEO Julie Wainwright abruptly leaves The RealReal after founding the company a decade ago; Fendi and Marc Jacobs plan to launch a collaboration, according to rumors; and the hosts delve into some of the insights from this week's Glossy Fashion & Luxury Summit, providing details from conversations with execs from Levi's, MyTheresa and Faith Connexion.

Brilliant Earth's Beth Gerstein: 'The diamond industry hasn't evolved' Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

After being unable to find an ethically sourced diamond engagement ring, Beth Gerstein took matters into her own hands and co-founded Brilliant Earth in 2005. In the years to follow, Brilliant Earth disrupted industry practices by selling diamonds from ethically and environmentally responsible sources. “About two-thirds of the diamond industry is [made up of] neighborhood jewelers, so it's an industry that hasn't really evolved,” says Gerstein on the latest Glossy podcast.

Brilliant Earth prides itself on the highly personal experience it provides its customers in-store. The brand has 20 showrooms throughout the U.S. Its latest opened in Edina, Minnesota on June 2. It plans to open up to 15 more locations 2022.

During the pandemic in 2021, Brilliant Earth saw a 51% increase in annual net sales, reaching $380 million. And its first-quarter 2022 earnings report showed $100 million in net sales. Gerstein credits the brand’s success to its nimble supply chain. Beyond selling ethical jewelry, Brilliant Earth partners with social programs like Feeding America and the Rainforest Alliance to further its global advocacy mission.

Week in Review: Missguided's bankruptcy, Kenzo's monthly campaigns and fashion's expansion to home decor Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down the biggest fashion news of the week.

On this week's episode, British fast-fashion company Missguided entered bankruptcy and was bought out by Frasers Group for $22 million, Kenzo's creative director Nigo announced plan to release sequential campaigns every month, and more fashion brands entered the pandemic-hot home goods category.

AKA Brands CEO Jill Ramsey: 'We shop the world for the best of the best' fashion brands Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

With an impressive background in e-commerce roles at Macy's, eBay and Walmart, Jill Ramsey became the CEO of AKA Brands in 2020. Founded in 2018, AKA Brands is a global platform that aids in supporting and scaling brands while enhancing their profitability through an asset-light operating model. AKA Brands currently has five distinct portfolio brands: Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal and Pup, Mnml and Rebdolls.

"We invest in digitally native direct-to-consumer fashion brands and accelerate their growth through the synergies harnessed as a group," Ramsey said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. The company IPO'd in September 2021, raising $110 million, which "was a big opportunity to share our story with the world," she said.

"There's a generation of young brands born on social media and are good at [producing] front-end content. They know how to create inspirational content that resonates with their end customer and spot the right fashion to connect with their audience. On their own, these young brands can struggle to scale, which is where AKA comes in. We support them in scaling and networking with the other brands," said Ramsey.

Glossy spoke to Ramsey about AKA Brands' unique business model, including its strategic acquisitions and digital-focused strategies, and the challenges and changes the company has experienced throughout the pandemic.

Week in Review: Kourtney Kardashian's D&G wedding, Emily Weiss's Glossier departure, Balenciaga's NYSE show May 27, 2022

Show notes

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi breaks down the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, he's joined by Glossy Pop's Sara Spruch-Feiner for a special episode, diving into some of the pop-culture stories you can read on Glossy Pop.

On this week's episode: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Dolce & Gabbana-branded wedding showed the natural next step for the endlessly monetized life of an influencer; Emily Weiss's departure from Glossier spotlighted the evolution of a DTC brand pioneer; and finally, Demna's vision for Balenciaga recently resulted in a run of fascinating collaborations and shows.

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