The Cutting Room Floor

S4 EP16: Behind The Velvet Ropes ft. Lauren Ezersky

Lauren was the host of a show called Behind The Velvet Ropes, interviewing some of the most iconic designers. The episode digresses at point where we talk about my internal crisis (not really anymore though) about having kids, which I...

S4 EP15: Product Development!! ft. Shilo Byrd

How do you make a product?!!!! This episode highlights my FAVORITE part about fashion: DEVELOPING CLOTHES. I love being in factories. I love working with patternmakers. I love seeing designs come to life.  Shilo Byrd is a patternmaker by trade...

S4 EP14: Colors and Materials Designer ft. Sarah Barnwell Smith

What is a "colors and materials" designer? I didn't know exactly either.  Sarah works at Puma and started her career at Reebok and New Balance.  I hate writing copy because I feel like the episode explains it all!  Also, I...

S4 EP13: Upcylcing feat. Nicole McLaughlin

To understand her work, follow Nicole on Instagram before you even press play! There is no music in this episode because I'm in a weird mood. I really like this girl, she's humble and hardworking and one of the few...

S4 EP12: Beauty Photographer, Tom Newton

Tom got his start when Emily Weiss hired him to be the photographer for Into The Gloss. Today we talk about his influences, the best agencies for photographers and and photographers budgets & salaries.  IG: @tomtakesphotoss

S4 EP11: Curves at IMG Models ft. Mina White

Mina White has been a model agent for 20 years. For the last decade, she's fought tooth and nail for the chubby girls while working at IMG Models; the top modeling agency in the world.  She tells the story of...

S4 EP10: Eliou ft. Cristy Mantilla & Duda Teixeira

Here's a story of two women who are best friends, creative partners, business partners and kindred spirits. They built the jewelry brand, Eliou, from their hometown of Miami. It's more proof that these days, you can build the life you...

S4 EP9: A Proper Designer ft. Melissa Battifarano

Melissa has over 20 years of experience in apparel design. Episodes like this are the reason I love this podcast. It's often the people who are *not* consumer facing, who know the most about the business. A self-proclaimed knitwear expert,...

S4 EP8: New Talent Ft. Taylor Dorry

Five years ago, at the age of 29, Taylor Dorry decided to enroll in fashion classes to learn how sew. She started making clothes out of her home in South Florida. I discovered her on Instagram about a year ago...

S4 EP7: Steven Alan

Steven Alan has been in business for 30 years. A New York City native, he launched his first retail space in 1994 and built a retail business, wholesale business, showroom business and collaborated with several fashion brands like Nike, Levi's,...

S4 EP6: Fashion Styling ft. Juliana Salazar

Juliana Salazar is a stylist and brand consultant from Miami. Born to Colombian parents, she studied at George Washington University majoring in Business & French before deciding to pursue the fashion industry. After finding her footing with brief stints at...

S4 EP5: This is Cala ft. Andrew Wyatt

Six years ago, Andrew Wyatt founded a fashion tech company called Cala.  Cala is a SAAS company that manages all of the backend logistics for designers. Essentially, you upload your design to the website and Cala will not only help...

S4 Ep4: Fashion Photography ft. Quil Lemons

Quil Lemons is a young, NYC based photographer.  FULL EPISODE: www.patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor

S4 EP3: The Wholesale Merchant feat. Shawn Pean

Shawn Pean is Brooklyn native who built his career as a wholesale merchant; starting at retailers like JC Penny & Saks Fifth Avenue and making his way to becoming a Vice President at Valentino and President at Balmain. Today we...

S4 EP2: Antidote feat. Lauren Amos & Eugene Rabkin

Antidote is a new luxury retailer located in Atlanta, Georgia and founded by Lauren Amos & Eugene Rabkin   To listen to the full episode: www.patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor

S4 EP1: T.A New York ft. Telsha Anderson

Telsha Anderson is the boutique owner of T.A New York, located in the Meatpacking District of New York City. 

Season 3 Closer

A message of gratitude.  The next episode airs New Years Day.   

S3 EP15: Elevating Culture ft. June Ambrose

Full Episode : www.patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor IG: @JUNEAMBROSE

S3 EP14: StyleZeitgeist ft. Eugene Rabkin

Eugene Rabkin is a writer and the founder of Style Zeitgeist.  patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor

S3 EP13: Fashionista.com Ft. Faran Krentcil

Faran Krentcil founded Fashionista.com & is an underrated woman in fashion media. 

S3 EP12: Mirror Palais ft. Marcelo Gaia

Marcelo Gaia is the designer behind the "instagram brand", Mirror Palais. After working as a stylist or 10 years; (which included working for Lady Gaga's Stylist) he launched his own label. I sit down with Marcelo at his Lower East...

S3 EP11: Black Frame ft. Brian Phillips

Brian Phillips founded the Fashion PR Company Black Frame which operated from 2004 until 2020. We discuss his POV on a what makes a talented publicist, what he's learned along the way and his ideas for the future.  patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor 

S3 EP10: The Tanning of America feat. Leandra Medine

Leandra Medine was the founder of Man Repeller. A blog turned media company that operated from 2010 - 2020. In 2020 she stepped down from her company after she and the company were criticized for their performative solidarity with...

S3 EP9: A Visual Lexicon feat. Christopher John Rogers

Today's episode is playful and relaxed. I talk so my friend Christopher John Rogers about his name sake brand and love for color.  www.patreon.com/thecuttingroomfloor @christopherjohnrogers

S3 EP8: Prince of Rag Trade feat. Mickey Drexler

  Mickey Drexler, the man behind The Gap, JCrew, Old Navy, Madewell has been in the fashion industry otherwise known as "The Rag Trade" for over 40 years. He's now working alongside his son Alex Drexler who founded Alex Mill,...

Quick Cut: Mid-Season's Greetings.

The season isn't over! New episodes early June 2021.  Just stopping by to say Hi & Thank You. 

S3 EP7: Maker to Manager feat. Ibrahem Hasan

Ibrahem Hasan describes his role as a Senior Creative Director at Nike. Today, we dig into the structure of Nike as a huge, global organization or as Ibrahim calls it, "The Matrix." How many categories are there? What are their...

S3 EP6: Ubiquity vs. Exclusivity feat. Shira Carmi

This a great episode for a young designers. I speak to Shira Carmi who is the former president of Mansur Gavriel and has since been named the CEO of Altuzarra. Shira is a business person; the kind that every design...

S3 EP5: An American Atelier feat. Peter Do

Peter Do is greater than the sum of its parts. While his name is on the door, Peter makes clear that this is not a one man show. This is a company built on friendship and craftsmanship. I sit with...

S3 EP4: Girls Up For Grabs feat. James Scully

James Scully is a prominent casting director starting his career in PR & production over 25 years ago. This episode covers a lot. James walks us through Vogue Magazine before Anna Wintour, his time as a buyer at the avant...

S3 EP3: Change or Die feat. Mara Hoffman

In 2020 Mara Hoffman celebrated her 20th year in business, no small feat for any independently owned NYC brand. Today we speak on the many reincarnations of Mara Hoffman, finding sustainability in your existence, and the importance of never being...

S3 EP2: Mailbox Money feat. Allison Zamora

Today we talk about fashion licensing. Allison Zamora is a licensing executive who started her career at Calvin Klein and later went to LVMH. She walks us through the mechanism of licensing and how it's changed over the years.

S3 EP1: The End of Fashion feat. Teri Agins

Teri Agins covered fashion at The Wall Street Journal for 20 years. In 1999, she published her first book, The End of Fashion; How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever. A friend lent me the book and it collected dust...

The Cutting Room Floor: Season Recap

Recap of Season 1 & 2. Peak at Season 3. 

S2 EP10: Tibi: An Evolving Identity Feat. Amy Smilovic

Amy Smilovic, the founder of Tibi, took a lifelong passion and created a burgeoning fashion label. Listen in as she relates why she took the leap into creating fashion, why she later made a major pivot in her brand, and...

S2 EP9: The Afterlife of Clothing Feat. Liz Ricketts

What happens to our clothes once we get rid of them? Sustainability encourages that we ask *how* our clothes are made but few ask where they go at the end of their life cycle. Recorded at the University of Cincinnati,...

S2 EP8: Live at A/D/O feat. Nesli Danisman

Live at the Brooklyn design studio A/D/O we listen in as Nesli Danisman, founder of Angora Group, shares how she became an expert in sourcing materials around the world.  Starting in as an assistant to Ralph Lauren and sourcing for...

S2 EP7: Live at Notre feat. Ava Nope

Live at Notre Chicago, Ava Niuri (@avanope) is head of special projects at Marc Jacobs. We discuss her Australian upbringing, her time at Helmut Lang and what she describes as "catfishing" of the creative brain.   TIME STAMPS      ...

S2 EP6: Intro to Denim ft. Tiia Richardson

A denim specialist with over twenty years of experience tells us why the best studied at the house of Levi's.    TIME STAMPS  (1:14) Adriano Goldschmeid (2:42) Levi Strauss (3:39) Tiia at Levi’s (4:10) Levi’s tabs (5:05) Tiia’s Work...

S2 EP5: Having A Moment Feat. Martine Rose

Live in London at The Hoxton Hotel Martine shares her thoughts on “hype”; working for Demna Gvasalia of Balenciaga and the influences of her youth.

S2 EP4: Orseund Iris feat. Lana Johnson

Founder, Lana Johnson tells us about writing her own playbook. She used influencer marketing to her own advantage; starting with a few small SKUS and growing into a full collection in under 4 years.

S2 EP3: Founder of SHHHOWERCAP Jacquelyn De Jesu

Jacquelyn talks finding the white space in the market & reinventing the category of showercaps. 

S2 EP2: Lynette Nylander - Writer & Consultant

S2 EP1: The Authenticity Deficit feat. A+

Andrea Pagliai describes why the culture of immediacy is compromising true talent development, how the influencer market will eventually implode and the growing need for quality over quantity.

S1 EP14: Glamour's Former Editor in Chief feat. Cindi Leive

Former Editor-in-Chief for 17 years, Cindi Leive speaks about print before the internet age. The conversation covers on feminism, womanhood, and the future of print media.

S1 EP13: SSENSE’s Deputy Editor feat. Durga Chew-Bose

Recorded at SSENSE HQ in Montréal, author, Durga Chew Bose explains her role as the Deputy Editor of SSENSE.com. 

S1 EP12: Alexander Wang’s Chief Strategist feat. Stephanie Horton

Previously at FarFetch & Shopbop, Stephanie Horton explains the fundamentals that go into a fashion business, why there are no shortcuts when it comes to e-commerce and the things she looks for in an employee. 

S1 EP11: A Sit Down with Heron Preston

Heron Preston tells the story of how he and Virgil went from Myspace friends to joining New Guards Group, the company that launched his namesake brand Heron Preston. 

S1 EP10: Outlier's Menswear Designer: Willie Norris

Starting her career at Maria Cornejo and then eventually landing at OUTLIER, Willie tells us about her life hack to entering the industry and why textiles are so important to her current employer.

S1 EP9: Driely Carter: Fighting for Photography

A very candid look at the business of fashion photography. Working in-house for commercial clients like Pharell, Beyonce & Kanye West, Driely Carter explains why magazine editorials make no money, the scam of sponsored content and how the fashion industry...