Jesica Elise Wagstaff, author of fashion theory newsletter A Sunday Journal on Substack, joins Street Talk to examine why brand identity has become retail's most underestimated problem.

Drawing on theorists from Bourdieu to Baudrillard, she explains how the viral trend cycle has caused brands to abandon the cultural language consumers rely on — and why the mostinformed shoppers are already filling that vacuum themselves.

She makes the case for Coach as a brand getting it right, reflects on where J.Crew lost the thread, and shares what a year of personal rebuilding taught her: sometimes a vintage sweatshirt, a white tee, and a pair of 505s say more than anything elsein the wardrobe.

Street Talk is where fashion, retail, and technology meet at the C-suite level.

•      00:00 — Introduction

•      01:30 — What does it mean to be a fashion theorist forthe social age?

•      03:15 — Is shopping therapy — and how does it differfrom buyer's remorse?

•      05:45 — How TikTok pushed the trend cycle faster thanconsumers want

•      08:20 — Why brand identity broke: the H&M, Zara,and J.Crew January test

•      12:00 — What do consumers actually expect from anonline shopping experience?

•      15:30 — Coach, Kurt Geiger, and who is getting brandidentity right

•      18:45 — How information — not clothes — became thedemocratized asset in fashion

•      22:00 — The observer in fashion theory: the lens mostbrands are missing

•      25:30 — Rebuilding a wardrobe after a hard year — andwhat simplicity taught her

•      28:00 — What fashion and retail mean to Jesica EliseWagstaff

David Dorf, Global Head of Retail Industry Solutions at Amazon Web Services, joins Arthur Zaczkiewicz to break down what AI actually means for retail right now — and why most companies are thinking about it wrong.David introduces his two-part framework: agentic commerce (the AI-powered front-end experience) and the invisible AI reshaping back-end operations. He explains why retailers need to show up in ChatGPT and Perplexity — not just Google — and how LLMs are actually sourcing product data. Plus: the NRF pricing demo, AI guardrails, getting out of POC purgatory, and the trust problem no one’s solved yet for agentic payments.Street Talk is a Corner of Fifth Studio production.

Subscribe for executive-level intelligence on fashion, retail, and the technology reshaping both.• 00:00 — Introduction• 00:51 — Speed to market and the accelerating pace of retail technology• 02:13 — The returns problem — why fashion’s margin crisis is getting worse• 04:00 — Agentic commerce vs. invisible AI — David’s two-part framework• 04:58 — Answer engine optimisation — why Google alone isn’t enough anymore• 06:20 — The dime store moment — how AI restores the personal retail experience• 08:15 — What is MCP and why Anthropic’s standard matters for retail• 10:01 — Agentic pricing: three agents, one new product, ten minutes• 13:31 — Guardrails, policy-checking, and keeping AI on-brand• 15:38 — Escaping POC purgatory — Agent Core and the path to production• 17:44 — Agentic payments and who owns the trust problem• 21:46 — What does retail mean to you?

Ward Kampf, President of Northwood Retail, has spent more than 30 years building retail environments that don't look like retail environments — and betting on founders before the market caught up.

In this episode, he breaks down how Northwood evaluates acquisitions, why configuration now determines omnichannelsuccess, and what TikTok-born brands are doing to traditional tenant selection.

He also talks Domain Northside — effectively a small city across 38 Austin acres — the South Florida wealth migration, and what autonomous vehicles are already doing to his thinking on layout and logistics.

If you're in retail real estate, or you run a brand and care about where you land, this one is worth your time.

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This week on Street Talk, Arthur Zaczkiewicz sits down with Dora Lau — designer, president, and CEO of Dora L. International — for a conversation that spans Hong Kong opera stages, a debut fashion line that didn't sell a single garment, and the realities of building a global intimates business from scratch.

Dora unpacks what it took to grow a 60-person, multi-continent operation serving specialty retailers across America — covering everything from product development and fit to QA/QC and on-time delivery. She speaks candidly about the chronic under service of the plus-size market, how tariffs actually hit importers not exporting countries, the post-COVID pivot to comfort-first bra design, and the fabric innovations she believes will reshape garment construction entirely.

And she shares the advice she'd give her younger self: don't spend money like water.

Topics covered: Plus-size intimates · Tariffs and sourcing strategy · Post-COVID comfort design · Fabric and bonding innovation · Leadership and 30-year employee loyalty · Lessons from a first-line failure.

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Five-time CEO and founder Terri Eagle has sat at the leadership table of some of the most recognizable names in luxury and beauty — Montblanc, David Yurman, F. Schumacher & Co. Now running her own advisory firm, she works with founder-led and family-owned businesses to build enterprise value, strengthen leadership, and prepare for succession.

In this episode, Terri and Arthur dig into the real dynamics of founder-led companies: when founders need to step back, how to protect brand DNA through leadership transitions, and what "teamship" actually looks like in practice. Plus — her Forbes-published book, The Champagne CEO, and why she thinks the best business relationships are still built in person.

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What does it look like to build a fashion brand entirely on your own terms — and walk away from Saks and Nordstrom when the terms no longer make sense?

In this episode, Arthur sits down with Hadley Pollet, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of the Hadley Pollet brand — a women's accessories and lifestyle label she launched in 2002, inspired by the aftermath of 9/11, and has grown for over two decades without compromising its core values.

Hadley brings a rare perspective: a founder who has sold through the biggest department stores in America, made the deliberate choice to exit them, and built a loyal customer base through community, craftsmanship, and emotional connection instead.

They discuss:

• Why she walked away from major retail partnerships — and why she doesn't regret it
• How she built a brand around empowering female artisans worldwide
• The shift from wholesale to direct-to-consumer and event-based marketing
• What authenticity actually means as a business strategy when private equity is buying everything around you
• The emotional intelligence behind brand-building that no spreadsheet can capture

About the Guest: Hadley Pollet is the Founder, CEO and Creative Director of the Hadley Pollet brand. A RISD-trained designer, she has spent over 20 years building a mission-driven accessories and lifestyle brand that supports female artisans globally and refuses to follow trends for their own sake.

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Guest: Abraham Maslavi, co-CEO of Jovani

Host: Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Director of Content, Corner of Fifth | (ex-WWD)

In this conversation Abraham and Arthur discusses the evolution of the Jovani brand, its diverse collections, and the importance of accessibility in luxury fashion.

He emphasizes the emotional connection with customers, the impact of technology and AI on fashion, and the commitment to sustainability.

Maslavi reflects on the personal nature of modern fashion and the future of Jovani as it continues to adapt and grow.takeaways

• Jovani has evolved from a mother of the bride brand to a diverse evening wear collection.
• The brand aims to make couture accessible to a wider audience.
• Emotional connections with customers are crucial for brand loyalty.
• Sustainability is a key focus, with many collections made from sustainable fabrics.
• AI is transforming the speed and efficiency of fashion design.
• Fashion has become more personal, allowing women to express their individuality.
• Retail partnerships are essential for brand visibility and growth.
• The brand's success is rooted in its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
• Inspiration for designs comes from global trends and cultural influences.
• The future of Jovani looks bright, with a focus on beauty and lifestyle.

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Guest: Bruce Findlay, Managing Director at Landsec | (ex-Diesel, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger)

Host: Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Director of Content, Corner of Fifth | (ex-WWD)

This episode serves as a strategic masterclass for retail leaders navigating the "new normal." The conversation moves beyond the cliché of "retail is dying" and instead focuses on its scientific evolution. Findlay provides high-level insights into how Landsec (one of the UK's largest real estate entities) is repositioning physical spaces.

Key Strengths:

• The "Human" Element: Findlay’s point that "positive shopping experiences are often less memorable than negative ones" is a crucial takeaway for C-Suite leaders focusing on customer retention.

• Actionable Data: The shift from "accidental" retail to a data-driven, scientific approach is highlighted as the primary barrier between legacy brands and future-proof ones.Post-Pandemic Realism: The episode avoids toxic positivity, acknowledging the non-linear shopping journey and the necessary "death" of outdated department store models.

  
  

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Strategy over Survival

Retail leadership is no longer just about managing inventory; it’s about mastering the intersection of technology and human-centric experience.

On today's episode of Street Talk we sat down with Jay Hakami, President & CEO at SKYPAD, to dive deep into what is actually moving the needle for enterprise retail in 2026.

Key takeaways for the C-Suite:

• Operational Agility: Why the "wait and see" approach to digital integration is the greatest risk to your margins.

• Data as a Currency: Moving beyond collection to actionable insights that drive store-level performance.

• The Experience Economy: How top-tier brands are redefining the physical storefront to serve a more demanding, tech-savvy consumer.

As we navigate a complex economic landscape, the question isn't whether to transform, but how fast you can execute.

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Edward Hertzman discusses his journey from the textile industry to founding Athletech, a platform focused on the fitness and wellness industry.

He shares insights on the industry's evolution, the intersection of wellness with hospitality and beauty, and the launch of Hertzman Global Intelligence.

Hertzman emphasizes the need for a new approach in sourcing and retail, highlighting the ongoing disruptions and the importance of adapting to changing consumer expectations.

• Edward Hertzman transitioned from the textile industry to fitness and wellness.
• Athletech aims to fill a gap in the fitness media landscape.
• The fitness industry is multi-billion dollar and rapidly evolving.
• Events like the CEO summit at NASDAQ enhance credibility.
• Wellness is becoming integral to hospitality and travel.
• Beauty brands are increasingly positioning themselves as wellness companies.
• Hertzman Global Intelligence focuses on real-time industry insights.
• The traditional media model is changing in the sourcing sector.
• Sourcing and retail must adapt to ongoing disruptions.
• Future trends will see new players emerging in the market.