Electric Runway Podcast

During the pandemic, retailers and brands had to transition quickly to digital to continue to do business, and the fashion industry was no exception. A number of brands like Puma and retailers like Selfridges experimented with virtual showrooms—which are defined by Shopify as: 

an innovative solution that lets brands and retail buyers engage and sell products through an online platform. It replaces physical showrooms and trade shows, eliminating the need for a physical location and physical samples to show new collections.

It's important to note that virtual showrooms aren't just about virtual reality, they're also changing the eCommerce and online shopping experience. Here to talk more about it is Olga Dogadkina, she's the founder and CEO of Emperia VR, a company that's bringing the qualities of online gaming to shopping.  In today's episode, we'll talk about what it's like to build online spaces for fashion, and she'll tell us more about her company's recent $10 million raise.

Electric Runway: 

Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/

More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac

Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links: 

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Amanda Cosco Social Links:

Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:

Emperia VR: https://emperiavr.com/

The Electric Runway podcast is taking a break for the summer. We'll be back in the fall with more episodes covering the future of fashion. 

Have an idea for an episode, or know someone who would make a great guest? Email [email protected] and follow us on social media @Electric_Runway.

If you’ve been following fashion innovation for the past year, it seems you can’t open up Instagram or read an article without hearing about The Dematerialised. And probably for good reason.  

The brand is on a mission to create a new reality for fashion through experimentational collaborations and campaigns involving digital lifestyle assets, including digital outfits, accessories and footwear.  

Recently, the company teamed up with contemporary designer Rebecca Minkoff to offer a number of fashion NFTs. They also partnered with Twig, a FinTech platform and Certified B Corporation to allow people to exchange fashion goods for credits that can be used to shop digital assets. 

Our guest in this episode is Adriana Goldenberg, the head of Growth and Metaverse Partnerships for The Dematerialized. Our conversation touches on some of the brand's recent activations that make up the gray space between digital and physical. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium
Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/
 
Electric Runway: 
Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/
More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac
Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329
 
Social Links: 
Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway
Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e
 
Amanda Cosco Social Links:
Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco
 
Guest Links:
The Dematerialised: https://thedematerialised.com/

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, which may explain why a crop of emerging fashion designers who were just starting out at the onset of the pandemic were able to innovate the way they reach their community in a Web 3 environment.

My guest today says that her brand is not about the clothes, but that the clothes are an entry point into the brand, which is all about harnessing the imagination. Other entry points include augmented reality filters, digital wearables, and collectables that share the same aesthetic sensibility. 

Anya Ayoung-Chee is the founder and director of WYLD FLWR, a festival fashion apparel brand inspired by carnival culture and burning man. Anya is also the winner of Project Runway Season 9, as well as a former Miss Universe representing Trinidad and Tobago, so someone who is no stranger to entertainment. 

Our conversation takes you through how she entered the world of NFTs and crypto out of necessity after WYLD FLWR’s launch was overshadowed by COVID-19. Anya also shares how she’s bringing her community together through a shared vision of global women’s empowerment through fashion. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium
Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/

Electric Runway: 
Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/
More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac
Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links: 
Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway
Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e

Amanda Cosco Social Links:
Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:
WYLDFLWR website: https://www.wyldflwr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearewyldflwr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearewyldflwr

Our guest today is Christine Marzano, a fashion-tech entrepreneur who just raised $5.6 million in funding for her startup BODS. She counts celebrities and activists like Karlie Kloss as investors. BODS is on a mission to transform online shopping into a personalized and immersive experience that's inclusive and fun. She shares how her background as a model and working in the film industry in Los Angeles led her to bridge visual effects with image processing to create an eCommerce experience that feels like magic. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium
Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium.

Electric Runway:
Visit Electric Runway
More podcast episodes
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast on Apple Podcasts

Social Links:
Follow Electric Runway on Instagram
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow Electric Runway on Twitter
Sign up for our email newsletter

Amanda Cosco Social Links:
Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn

Guest Links:
BODS website
BODS Instagram
BODS Linkedin
Christine Marzano LinkedIn

There is no shortage of software trying to serve the fashion industry, but few products really understand the industry itself.  A crop of startups throughout the world are all trying to solve the problem of fit when it comes to shopping for apparel. If you’re a regular listener to this podcast, you know the challenge of fit is something we’ve talked about again and again and will likely continue to talk about until one company dominates this category. 

Fit matching tools—that is, tools that help shoppers find their size in apparel items when shopping in-store or online—vary in their approach, but they have one thing in common; they’re all jockeying to become the standard for shopping. 

My guest on the show today is Haniff Brown. He’s the Founder and CEO of FIT:MATCH, a startup that uses machine learning technology to eliminate friction in the shopping experience for hard-to-fit categories like intimates and swimwear. As you’ll hear in our conversation, they’ve caught the attention of business billionaire Rihanna, and the brand has since launched in Savage Fenty stores across the USA and are planning on rolling out the experience online.

Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/

Electric Runway:
Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/
More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac
Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links:
Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway
Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e

Amanda Cosco Social Links:
Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:
Fit:Match Website: https://www.fitmatch.ai/
Fit:Match LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fit-match/
Haniff Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haniff-brown-09802289/

Here’s a question for apparel retailers: how do you close more sales with shoppers and ensure they don’t return the items they purchase from your store? Answer: make sure they’re happy with the experience and the product they ended up with. For a long time, an easy way luxury department stores and some high-end retailers ensured customer satisfaction was by offering free tailoring. But with more people shopping at different locations and even shopping online, how can tailoring be optimized for the modern world?  Enter Hemster, a tailoring business that merges style and science to bring traditional customization to today’s consumers. They work with apparel retailers who sell in-store and online to capture and store a customer’s perfect measurements and ensure that customer is always ordering the right size and receiving an item that’s made to fit them. Our guest today is Allison Lee, the CEO & Founder of Hemster. In today’s episode, you’ll learn how her B2B2C business ends up creating a better experience for the end-user of the apparel product, i.e. customers like me, by providing the last mile of customization-as-a-service. It’s an interesting business model, which makes for an interesting conversation. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium

Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/

Electric Runway: 

Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/

More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac

Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links: 

Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1

Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway

Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e

Amanda Cosco Social Links:

Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:

Hemster website: hemster.co

Hemster LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hemster/

Allison Lee LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonhyeinlee/

The metaverse continues to present narratives of transcendence, where people can be whoever they want to be despite their physical limitations. But as we continue to build the internet of tomorrow, it’s important to pause and ask, who is being afforded these narratives of transcendence, and who isn’t?  And perhaps more importantly when it comes to disability, how can we incorporate disability instead of trying to ascend it? 

My guest today is Natalie Trevonne, a disability advocate and consultant for media and fashion. She shares her story of blindness and blackness, and what the fashion industry needs to know about accessibility. Natalie designed a dress for the upcoming Metaverse Fashion Week, which will take place this week in Decentraland. 

So how exactly does a blind person design a dress? Tune in to find out. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium

Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/

Electric Runway: 

Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/

More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac

Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links: 

Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1

Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway

Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e

Amanda Cosco Social Links:

Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:

Natalie Trevonne IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9661346/
Natalie Trevonne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalietrevonne/?hl=en
Fashionably Tardy Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1149473
Fashionably Tardy Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ftonthescene/?hl=en

Lately, it seems conversations everywhere end up at the metaverse and web 3. And while fashion is definitely playing in this space, we’re starting to see metaverses emerge that are specifically for fashion. 

My guest today is Badrriya Henry,  the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Semblance World. Semblance World is a 3D world built in Unreal Engine. It aims to be the premier destination for fashion runway shows, networking events, and luxury retail. Badrriya makes the case for a fashion-focused metaverse and shares some of the opportunities for how brands can reach consumers in this nascent space. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium

Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/

Electric Runway: 

Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/

More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac

Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links: 

Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1

Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway

Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e

Amanda Cosco Social Links:

Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:

Semblance World: https://semblance.world/semblance/

We've been hearing about 3D in digital fashion, in creating the metaverse, and even in augmented reality. 3D is defined as photorealistic representations of real-world objects that can be used for a variety of purposes, including retailing, merchandising, assisting sales, and of course entering the metaverse. According to Shopify, merchants who add 3D content to their online stores see a 94% conversion lift, on average. 

Our guest today is Lode Groosman, the co-founder of Threedium. Threedium is the fastest and most affordable way to create high-quality 3D assets. We’re going to get into the different use-cases and opportunities in just a moment. But for those of you who have been listening, you may have heard of Threedium because they're our new sponsor for the podcast. 

The Electric Runway Podcast is brought to you by Threedium
Learn more about our sponsor, Threedium: https://unlimited3d.com/

Electric Runway: 

Visit Electric Runway: http://electricrunway.com/

More podcast episodes: https://electricrunway.com/the-podcast/

Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/15F6eMSFReREEp8fVgNA0L?si=62e6b01855c643ac

Subscribe to the Electric Runway podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/electric-runway-podcast/id1064514329

Social Links: 

Follow Electric Runway on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electric_runway/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/electricrunway?sub_confirmation=1

Follow Electric Runway on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Electric_Runway

Sign up for our email newsletter: https://electricrunway.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=c19c412b7bb4d91525f92fa00&id=65332c724e

Amanda Cosco Social Links:

Follow Amanda Cosco on Twitter: https://twitter.com/amanda_cosco

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_cosco/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandacosco

Guest Links:

Threedium's website: https://unlimited3d.com/
Connect with Threedium on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threedium
Connect with Lode Groosman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lodegroosman/