The Fashion Tech Podcast

Listen to this episode for inspiration and practical advice on fundraising, running a beauty tech business and how to prepare for a transition into start-ups.

You'll hear from Pree Walia, the founder of Preemadonna, a beauty tech company that just raised $5.6 million in funding.

Pree began her career in political campaigning, and today she leads a company that combines hardware, software, consumables and community management.

Sophia is looking for a co-host for the Fashion Tech Podcast! Could it be you?

Would you like to interview interesting people with me on The Fashion Tech podcast? Or would you like to share your knowledge of this fascinating sector here?

As an example of the brilliant people you would get to speak to, we have Pree Walia, whose beauty tech company Preemadonna, just announced a $5.6 million seed raise despite the pandemic.

Applications for co-hosts close mid March 2021.

Sophia Matveeva shares four strategies retailers should adapt to work with start-ups effectively. Covid has moved life and shopping online, and retailers are in a hurry to adapt new technologies and work with start-ups.

But, unless you prepare to work with a start-up, the investment could be wasted and the retailer's reputation could take a hit. The good news is, getting it right isn't that hard.

Fashinnovation is THE tech event at New York Fashion Week, where tech innovators, fashion designers, celebrities and retail buyers come together.

Sophia Matveeva spoke to Fashinnovation's co-founder Jordana Guimaraes about how fashion and technology have come together during the pandemic, entrepreneurship and cold emailing celebrities. If you want to get some inspiration and practical tips on how to build a stellar network, this episode is for you.

The New York Fashion Tech Lab has been at the centre of innovation in fashion and retail since 2014. The NYFTL's accelerator program connects startups to venture capitalists and major brands and retailers.

Sophia Matveeva spoke to Jackie Trebilcock, the Managing Director of the NYFTL just before the application deadline for this year's cohort. Applications close on 31 January 2021, so listen to this if you want to apply!

Today, High Snobiety is a luxury streetwear media and e-commerce destination with funding from Felix Capital. But, the company was self funded for over a decade and tried different monetisation strategies before Felix led its Series A.

Listen to this episode to learn why focusing on revenue rather than fundraising is the right first priority for fashion tech startups.

Having strong supply chains, and knowing who makes your clothes, is central to achieving sustainability goals. 

Listen to this episode to learn from Malcolm Guy, founder of the Re-Assurance Network, a sustainability consultancy that counts fashion's biggest names among its clients. From Stella McCartney to ASOS, Malcolm's expertise covers the entire gamut of the fashion industry.

Malcolm also shares an interesting idea for fashion tech innovation: great tips if you want to invest in sustainability.

Whether we are employees, entrepreneurs or venture capitalists, we are all investors. We invest our time, energy and money into companies, and we all have an opportunity cost.

This is why when we are evaluating which job opportunities, partnerships or investments, we need to think of themas an investor would.

Listen to this episode if you want to get a simple framework to evaluate opportunities in fashion tech and consumer industries.

While the pandemic hit retailers hard, the fashion tech sector has flourished. Brands and retailers that were slow to adapt new technologies have had to change course quickly to adapt to new consumer behaviours.

Listen to this episode to learn what problems faced fashion tech before the pandemic and where opportunities lie today. Gimmicky tech is out, but anything that enables effective experiential retail is in.

In this episode, Sophia Matveeva spoke to Professor Carolyn Mair, a Behavioural Psychologist specialising in fashion. Prof Mair says that clothing is our second skin, which affects how we behave and how people behave around us.

Sophia and Prof Mair discussed how new technologies and the latest wave lockdowns are affecting how we shop and what we buy.