Fashioncast

Fashioncast®

Episode #37, July 26, 2022

Beth Hitchcock: Battling Fashion’s Delusion of Inclusion for Plus Size Women

Fashioncast listeners, you’re about to fall in love with the beautiful, brilliant, witty, and incredibly talented Beth Hitchcock. Searching for her role in the industry, she’s experienced a variety of fashion positions including a short stint in publishing before emerging as an accomplished stylist, model, and consultant for the ever-growing size-inclusive market. As a stylist, Hitchcock crisscrossed the globe and worked with many notable clients such as Playboy Magazine, Lands’ End, Murad, Banana Republic, and Galore Magazine to name a few. 

This is a fact-filled podcast where Hitchcock details the trials and tribulations she continues to encounter in the so-called “plus-size” fashion sector.  Even with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in place throughout the industry, in the often cryptic world of fashion, discrimination still reigns.However, Hitchcock conquered her foes and critics and truly succeeded as a fashion entrepreneur. 

Hitchcock keeps listeners engaged as the 14-year fashion veteran recounts the early days of size inclusion, its present standing, and its market trajectory. In addition, she defines exactly what constitutes a plus-size customer, explains the challenges facing brick and mortar and online retail, and opines on plus-size myths.

While the cloud of discrimination still lingers over size inclusion, and retailers often relegate plus-size departments to the “third floor,” with two-thirds of US women are classified as plus size, it’s apparent there is opportunity abound.  This is the segment you’ll hear the hunger to succeed in Hitchcock’s voice, but more importantly, you’ll hear her advocacy for size-inclusiveness and her desire to one day take the discussion off the table.  One poignant example, she brilliantly makes the case for plus-size women setting the fashion trends and letting everyone else follow!  Beautiful! And why shouldn’t they?

Lastly, Hitchcock talks candidly about luxury designer Christian Siriano’s longtime support of size-inclusiveness, her “magic wand” fix for all fashion brands (another brilliant observation), and her brief elevator encounter with Anna Wintour.

A fascinating conversation you’re certain to return to more than once!  Enjoy!

Find Beth Hitchcock on Instagram @bethhitchcock

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Fashioncast®

Episode #36, October 14, 2021

Sustainable Fashion Part I, Alex Penades, Jeanologia’s Denim Revolution

Full disclosure--Fashioncast® loves Jeanologia!  In the annals of fashion, few companies have had such a positive impact on the industry and the environment as Jeanologia.  In the first of a four-part sustainable fashion series, Alex Penades, Brand Director North America Jeanologia, a proven leader in the global effort to drive sustainable fashion, joins the podcast to detail the company’s history, process, and extraordinary growth. 

Given Jeanologia’s progress over the past 27 years, it’s little wonder Penades is so passionate about the mission of the company and the direction of the industry.  Incorporating Mission Zero, an initiative to eliminate all hazardous chemicals and water from the life process of jeans,  Jeanologia’s technology now accounts for 1.75 billion jeans produced annually, a third of all jean production.

While Jeanologia has made substantial progress in its “eco-war on denim,” notably in H2O reduction in the manufacturing process (one glass per pair of jeans), its culture serves as a model for the industry as well.  Jeanologia exemplifies growth objectives based on an important global environmental mission, and Alex Penades has been a key part of that success for the past nine years.

However, not everybody in the denim industry has adopted the Jeanologia way…yet.  After all, this is the fashion industry, where change, even for the right reasons, isn’t always embraced.  Nevertheless, in the ever-ubiquitous world of denim manufacturing, where five billion pairs of jeans are produced annually, it’s refreshing to know the drive for change is coming from the inside out. 

It’s fascinating to hear Penades speak about the serious environmental challenges of denim manufacturing, the company’s cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, and plans to gain global industry consensus in the stewardship of the planet.  Indeed, Jeanologia provides much more than answers to sustainable denim manufacturing--it provides leadership.

Lastly, Penades covers a broad array of questions from how some countries obsess over denim and others do not, to how Jeanologia would assist a hypothetical designer launching an organic jean company.  In the sustainable fashion movement, Jeanologia and its apostle, Alex Penades, are just what the planet ordered.  Enjoy!

www.jeanologia.com

@jeanologia

#MISSIONZERO     

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Fashioncast®

Episode #35, July 8, 2021

Dr. Dawnn Karen, A Fashion Therapy Session with the World’s First Fashion Psychologist

In this episode, the highly acclaimed Dr. Dawnn Karen joins Fashioncast® to explain, against all odds, how she single-handedly pioneered and founded the Fashion Psychology Field®. 

Dr. Karen began to inadvertently merge her psychology education with her fashion experience using the two disciplines to cope after a personal tragedy in 2010.  Since then, she has grown her practice, become a professor of Fashion Psychology at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and has written two books.  Dr. Karen’s story is more than one of professional success, it’s a story of personal triumph.

It’s a joy to hear Dr. Karen speak. She’s intelligent, energetic, engaging, passionate, and quick with memorable and relevant stories to share.  Moreover, she so closely aligns with the diverse fields of fashion and psychology, it seems obvious she would discover fashion psychology as a new and legitimate discipline of study and practice.

Listen and learn as Dr. Karen goes in-depth regarding her latest book, Dress Your Best Life.  The psychologist/author explains a myriad of topics including the significant differences between a fashion psychologist and a fashion stylist, how to make conscious fashion decisions utilizing “mood illustration” and “mood enhancement,” why wearing your favorite clothes shouldn’t always be left for special occasions and the importance of managing color in everyday dress.   

The episode further explores how to manage compulsive shopping habits and fast fashion “feel good” purchases, the use of psychology by famous designers, and cultural fashion mores, and the potential use of fashion to ensure conformity.  In addition, we explore the issues related to casual dress and the psychological and business outcomes from “dressing down.”

Lastly, you’ll love Dr. Karen’s single most important fashion psychology suggestion as it’s the perfect response from a consummate health/fashion professional.  Please enjoy the therapy session!

Fashionpsychologysuccess.com

Instagram @ dawnn_karen

Twitter @ dawnn_karen

Amazon.com: Dress Your Best Life: How to Use Fashion Psychology to Take Your Look -- and Your Life -- to the Next Level (9780316530996): Karen, Dawnn: Books

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Fashioncast®

Episode #34, June 3, 2021

Dr. Valerie Steele, From Student Epiphany to Global Fashion Legend

In one of our most fascinating and fun episodes, Dr. Valerie Steele, fashion icon and legendary director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT joins Fashioncast® to talk fashion history.  The author/co-author of over 20 books on a myriad of fashion topics, Dr. Steele is unmatched in her comprehensive knowledge of the past, present, and future of the fashion industry.

So, just how did Dr. Steele find her path to the world of fashion?  It’s an incredible story of sudden epiphany, risk, ability, and commitment over many years.  Dr. Steele began her career at FIT in 1985 and has had a front-row seat to the global fashion industry through the college, museum, and New York City as a fashion destination ever since.  Given her vast experience, fashion intellect, and disarming personality, it’s little wonder Steele is continuously in demand to comment, write, and lecture.

In this episode, it’s enlightening to hear Dr. Steele reflect on the consistent top international rankings for FIT and The Museum at FIT and how such academic stature provides opportunity and impacts the management of the institution.  In addition, Steele discusses the museum’s response to the COVID pandemic and how the success of virtual exhibitions and related technology are likely to play key roles in the future of fashion presentations.

While Dr. Steele continues to build and expand The Museum at FIT, it’s clear, from an outsider’s perspective, Steele is more than simply passionate about the subject of fashion, she’s on a mission.  For example, her fashion acumen shines as she describes the “American style” especially the historical underpinnings that brought about the current eclectic mix and range of apparel available.  She is masterful and entertaining at the same time.

The interview also covers fashion topics beyond history and style that Dr. Steele is well-informed including fast fashion, or as she describes it “junk fashion,” and its direct impact on the environment, working conditions, and the global fashion culture. Fashion technology is briefly discussed such as novel fabrics, smart clothes, and 3D printing and their adaptation and usefulness.

Lastly, Dr. Steele gives her distinguished perspective as a leader in the international fashion industry on what troubles and inspires her most about the state of fashion and her insights on the future of the fashion.

It was truly a great honor to interview Dr. Valerie Steele, a giant in the world of fashion.  Please enjoy!

https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Steele

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Fashioncast®

Episode #33, April 9, 2021

Mark Pilkington,  Part II: A Retail Therapist’s Diagnosis of the Industry’s Maladies

He’s back!  In the last half of a two-part series, Mark Pilkington, author of Retail Therapy--Why the Retail Industry is Broken--And What Can Be Done to Fix it, gets specific as he delves deep into exactly how to “fix” the retail industry.

In Part I (Episode #30), Pilkington retraced how the global retail industry ended up in its unenviable position pre-COVID19, and where it currently stands amid the pandemic. 

In this episode, the author explains a myriad of retail strategies for brick-n-mortar retailers including “Lean Store,” “Brand Theater,” “Becoming the Conversation,” and “Virtuous Reality” among others.  It’s a refreshing departure from Part I in which the industry’s hubris was on display as the central excuse for its unparalleled demise. 

While Pilkington continues to be unapologetic in his criticism of the retail industry, he expresses authentic encouragement by its acceptance to “go with the flow” and speed the pace of change of both e-commerce and in-store experiences.  Take the “Lean Store” model on full display at Bonobos (now owned by Walmart).  It’s a perfect example of the future of brick-n-mortar retail in real-time. Customers use the physical store experience only to test products and make selections.  No stock other than the display is on hand.  Orders are placed in-store and sent to customers.  It’s still a personal experience for the customer, but less costly for both parties.

If you get the impression Pilkington is seriously suggesting retailers get experiential, he’s sounding the alarm for them to build community and find an authentic mission.  The “retail bar” has been raised, mightily high.  Retail is a tough business.  A business in which consumers are informed, competition is continuous, and differentiation is critical.  Pilkington makes a convincing argument, both in the book and on the podcast, that retailers must offer more than products. 

Finally, Pilkington makes strong retorts for a host of other challenges facing the industry including government macro/microeconomic policies, lack of comprehensive retail education in institutions of higher learning, the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, and the transformation of retail entirely into branding.

It’s another fact-packed episode of Fashioncast®!  Please enjoy!  You can buy Mark Pilkington’s book at the link below and see the author on a short retail video produced by The Economist attached. 

Retail Therapy: Why the Retail Industry is Broken – and What ...www.amazon.com › Retail-Therapy-Industry-Broken-...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad-GuV6YIMI

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Fashioncast®

Episode #32, March 24, 2021

Melissa Coulier, An American Photography Phenom

Melissa Coulier is one of those rare individuals who leave an indelible impression wherever she travels. From her hometown of Livingston, Montana, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park and in the heart of Big Sky Country, to the hustle of Hollywood’s celebrity culture, Coulier has found her way and made her mark.

Known as one of America’s most notable children’s fashion photographers, Coulier is brilliant, creative, spunky, extremely positive, and most importantly, confident.  The photography phenom, who began her authentic artistic journey at age 11, has used the past 25 years to hone both her photographic skillset and her artistic expression and it shows.   

It’s particularly inspiring listening to Coulier reflect on the creatives in her family, her small-town upbringing, and the natural surroundings that influenced her aesthetic style.  She is mindful of the effect of nature and nurture on her career and seems genuinely grateful.

In one of the most compelling segments of the interview, Coulier retraces her entry into the world of children’s fashion photography as complete happenstance but one that has defined her career.  It’s a powerful lesson on personal trust, perseverance, and risk-taking that creatives and “fashionpreneurs” must-hear.

In addition to the creative challenges of children’s fashion photography, Coulier details the not-so-obvious legal, professional, and familial obstacles that are often necessary to overcome including work hours for minors, tutoring on set, handling parents, and an unusually energetic group of models!  It’s apparent the work requires abilities beyond the title “photographer,” and Coulier delivers.

Lastly, Fashioncast® listeners will enjoy Coulier’s answers to a flurry of questions about women in fashion photography, how are “forever moments” captured, and the most apparent technological threat the industry faces over the next five years.

Please enjoy what is sure to become a Fashioncast® classic!

Instagram @melissacoulier

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Nicole Giordano is the undisputed business champion for independent fashion designers.  Born and raised in Philadelphia, Giordano entered the fashion profession as a textile designer and soon learned the industry was more bureaucratic and imposing than she liked.  So, she did something about it!  She launched the Startup FASHION blog to discuss business challenges many designers encounter.  The blog eventually grew into a successful membership sponsored company assisting a community of over 500 designers and fashion creatives.

Giordano is a smart, articulate, witty and inordinately passionate about Startup FASHION and the role it plays in the lives of “fashionpreneurs” saying, “our mission is to help entrepreneurs design lives they love by building businesses that succeed.” Giordano seems to relish her role as designer advocate and brings a fresh perspective to the fashion world reminding us all that fashion is business!  In multiple occasions throughout the interview, listeners will literally feel the passion as Giordano makes the case why independent designers must learn and manage the distinction between a fashion business and a fashion career.

At its core, Startup FASHION is providing the fashion business education designers should have cultivated in college. For Giordano, the lack of formal business training is clearly a sore and baffling subject that has been discussed in academia ad nauseum.  However, one still wonders why most fashion design programs across the world fail to incorporate any business education?  The oversight and/or indifference to the business side of the industry has left a white space that Giordano and Startup FASHION are happy to fill. But fashion academia’s apathy towards churning out designers without an ounce of business acumen remains obvious.

Beyond the business of fashion, the interview covers a variety of industry related topics including sustainability, fashion ethics and the impact of COVID-19.  And, of course, Giordano responds and speaks intelligently to each issue.

In the massive international ever-changing fashion industry, it is comforting for independent designers to know there is a serious and experienced support community like Startup FASHION to assist in managing such a challenging environment.  More important, Nicole Giordano is the CEO!  Enjoy!

www.startupfashion.com

Listen to the new podcast Startup FASHION: Do it Your Way on Apple Podcasts 

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If you are wondering how to navigate the ever-changing world of retail, where reports of mergers, closings, and bankruptcies are far too frequent, then you’ll appreciate Fashioncast’s® exclusive interview with Mark Pilkington, author of Retail Therapy--Why the Retail Industry is Broken--And What Can Be Done to Fix it.

In Part I of this two part series, with no holds barred, Pilkington broadly explains exactly how the worldwide retail industry ended up “on the ropes” pre-COVID19, and where it stands now in the midst of the pandemic. 

Although the author lives in England, interviewing Pilkington via Skype from Dubai, a region of the world he worked in as a retail executive for years, was fitting as his book intelligently covers the international scope of the retail industry.  Pilkington has earned his “retail stripes” with experience inside and outside the industry for decades and it shows.

Typical of Fashioncast® interviews, the conversation is wide-ranging but fashion focused.  In particular, the author details the retail industry’s culture, bureaucracy, and indifference to the explosion of online retailing that has forever changed retail and its impact on the world of fashion.  For fashion, the fallout is a montage of lower costs and deeper consumer relationships mixed with startling competition.

While the economic pros and cons of a rapidly changing retail landscape continue to play themselves out, one thing is certain, the human toll is stunning.  Millions of job losses related to e-commerce and the broader technological revolution impacting retail on a global basis are problematic both short-term and long-term.  In addition, COVID19 has sped the pace of retail labor disruption exponentially.

Lastly, when asked how one of the world’s premier retail consultants would launch their own retail company, Pilkington was quick to impart his wisdom.  The company would sell dominantly through the online channel, be mission-driven, deeply connected to its “community” (target market) and more personal in terms of rectifying errors and extending rewards or incentives.  By far, a mission-driven model seemed most important.  Amongst all the competitive e-commerce noise, a company must be able to authentically differentiate itself and touting a mission beyond profits is an attractive value proposition.

Fashioncast® was honored to interview Mark Pilkington, and we eagerly look forward to Part II in the Spring of 2021.  Enjoy!

Retail Therapy: Why the Retail Industry is Broken – and What ...www.amazon.com › Retail-Therapy-Industry-Broken-...

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Elizabeth Semmelhack: The World’s Foremost Shoe Curator

Go ahead, try it, Google the following, “the world’s foremost shoe curator?”  Who appears on your screen?  Elizabeth Semmelhack!  And, it’s no surprise.  The Creative Director and Senior Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada, began her career at the renowned gallery in 2000 with little knowledge in footwear and has become the shoe sage of the world.  Since her tenure, Semmelhack has curated over 20 exhibitions, written more than 30 articles and authored eleven books about historical and contemporary footwear.

Semmelhack’s knowledge of the varied subjects related to footwear including key historical events, generational culture and fashion, manufacturing processes, and even societal class hierarchies is extraordinary.  Her shoe and fashion anecdotes are so mesmerizing, it’s impossible not to be captivated and left yearning for more.  In one segment, Semmelhack provides one of the most enlightening explanations for fashion attire and social class you’ll ever hear. 

Adding depth to shoe knowledge and design on this special episode was guest host Aki Choklat, Fashion Accessories Chair, College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan, and international shoe designer.  Aki provided a robust collegial shoe discussion with Elizabeth as the interview spanned the invention of high heels in the 10th century to the latest collaboration between celebrities and famous sneaker brands.

Semmelhack’s passion in her quest to discover every last relevant detail about the ubiquitous shoe is obvious.  It’s fascinating, and fun, to hear her wax eloquent about human history in such an accurate manner based on footwear.  Indeed, in her latest book, Sneakers x Culture: Collab, released in 2019, Semmelhack brings her 20-year shoe curating knowledge full circle to contemporary dress and culture masterfully explaining the art of sneaker brand and celebrity collaboration.  From concept and design to manufacturing, marketing and sales, the book casts new light on the dominant role sneakers play in fashion and culture.

Finally, Semmelhack ends the interview offering rare honest advice to those entering the pursuit of art history, curating, fashion or design--"it’s hard work!”  Those words should leave little doubt how Elizabeth Semmelhack became the world’s foremost shoe curator! Enjoy!

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Diane Pernet is the definition of fashion royalty. Even in this era of COVID-19 induced social distancing, face masks and Zoom meetings, one is immediately struck by her grandeur. Her worldly intellect, her soft but confident voice, her disarming wit, and her ability to simply relate make Pernet semidivine.

Beyond rank and poise, Pernet’s deliberate and unmistakable appearance, shrouded in black often wearing a mantilla-esque veil, rewards her as one of the most recognized fashion dignitaries in the world.

A consummate creative, the multi-talented Pernet continually works on a plethora of on-going and new projects. Staying current in the rapidly changing world-of-fashion is no small feat. But, Pernet, an accomplished savvy business women, is seemingly everywhere at once while no detail goes unnoticed.

Of all Pernet’s passions, few inspire her more than film. Pernet is considered one of the original pioneers of the fashion film genre. In 2008, her devotion to the craft led her to the creation and launch of the annual fashion film festival titled A Shaded View On Fashion Film (ASVOFF) www.ashadedviewonfashionfilm.com. This year will mark the observance of ASVOFF 12 and the film festival will air for the first time online on the FNL Network https://linktr.ee/fnlnetwork. Additionally, in response to COVID-19, Pernet is the creator behind Lockdown Home Movies. A total of 68 lockdown films were submitted to ASVOFF 12 and can be seen and voted on for the 2020 People’s Choice Awards on the FNL Network https://linktr.ee/fnlnetwork.

Still, Pernet’s creative thirst goes unquenched. Not to have her career overshadowed by the “ordinary” pursuits of fashion design, fashion blogging, fashion film, et al., Pernet decided to launch a line of perfume in 2014, Diane Pernet Paris. The line began with four distinct scents and now has five including To Be Honest, Love Affair, In Pursuit of Magic, Shaded, and Wanted. It’s fascinating to hear Pernet describe her 30-year intrigue with the perfume industry before her eventual impulse to begin the arduous task of researching and building a perfume brand. https://www.averyperfumegallery.com/it/collections/perfume/brand_diane-pernet.

Lastly, it’s both an exciting and challenging time to be part of the fashion industry. But, Pernet, a strong advocate of sustainable fashion, has some parting advice for designers in particular--begin with an ecological mindset. Given the environmental degradation directly sourced to the industry, significant change is long overdue, and sustainable fashion is the future of fashion.

By-the-way, on a whim, Fashioncast facetiously asked Pernet when the world could expect her autobiography? Without missing a beat, Pernet affirmed a documentary film producer had already approached her more than once! It’s clear, there are more accolades to come for the First Lady of Fashion! Please enjoy the magnificent Diane Pernet.

Diane Pernet @asvof; www.ashadedviewonfashion.com

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