🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Kevin Massar, co-founder and CEO of The Field Dream — a design-led soccer culture brand helping clubs build their identity through uniforms, fanwear, and community-first experiences.

From his transition out of global corporate roles into a startup, to the realities of building grit, systems, and authentic growth — Kevin shares what it really takes to build a brand that serves people and the game.

This conversation dives into:• How design shapes club identity and belonging• Why U.S. youth soccer became “pay-to-play” — and what’s missing• What it looks like to build a community hub beyond product• The real startup challenges: resources, logistics, tariffs, and momentum• Growing through events, partnerships, and organic relationships (not just ads)• Where automation and AI can actually help a small brand right now

If you care about club culture, youth sports, brand-building through design, or building a business with real community gravity — this episode is for you.

Guest:👤 Kevin Massar🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmassar/

🔗 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thefielddream/

Brand:🏷️ The Field Dream🌐 Website: https://thefielddream.com/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-field-dream/🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefielddream

✨ Connect with Claire Lys - https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/ to explore how AI and innovation can elevate fashion brands, or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Elma Madzar, Founder of Fashion My Way, to explore how technology-enabled customization is reshaping the fashion industry — from the fitting room experience to on-demand production and data-driven design.

Drawing on over 20 years of retail experience, Elma explains why the future of personalization lies in intentional design, not infinite options. She shares how brands can use modular systems, real-time data, and consumer insights to help women feel seen and confident — while improving conversion, reducing returns and waste, and building smarter supply chains.

This conversation explores:• Why personalization at scale is the next evolution of fashion• The limits of traditional sizing and fitting rooms• How tech-enabled customization reduces waste and inefficiency• Using consumer data to improve design and forecasting• Balancing brand vision with meaningful customer experiences

If you’re interested in fashion innovation, retail strategy, or the future of consumer-centric design, this episode is for you.

Guest:👤 Elma Madzar🌐 www.fashionmyway.com🔗 Instagram: @elmamadzar_🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elmamadzar/

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI and innovation can elevate fashion businesses — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What if most product errors weren’t design problems — but communication failures?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Laura Zwanziger, Founder of Fit For Everybody, to unpack why apparel development breaks down long before production — and how clearer systems can dramatically reduce waste, cost, and confusion.

From tech packs and sizing inconsistencies to factory–designer misalignment, Laura shares how her background as a designer and supply-chain strategist led her to build a platform focused on precision, translation, and fewer sampling rounds.

This conversation explores:

• Why most sampling errors stem from miscommunication, not creativity

• How small structural gaps create compounding waste

• The hidden cost of Excel-based tech packs

• What factories actually need from designers

• How guardrails and clarity free up creative time

• Why better systems outperform more iterations

If you’re building, scaling, or producing apparel — this episode offers a grounded look at how clarity becomes leverage.

Guest:

👤 Laura Zwanziger

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

Company:

🌐 https://www.fitforeverybody.com

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how structured systems and AI can support long-term fashion growth, or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What does it take to build a children’s brand that parents genuinely connect with — beyond trends and mass-market sameness?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Dinah Chapman, Founder of Little Trouble, to unpack how a deeply personal idea turned into a fast-growing kidswear brand rooted in creativity, community, and design integrity.

From navigating early motherhood and corporate burnout to designing alternative boyswear that actually reflects modern parents, Dinah shares the realities of building an e-commerce brand from the ground up — including product development, customer connection, and the invisible work behind growth.

This conversation explores:

• Designing kidswear without default stereotypes

• Translating adult fashion trends into childrenswear

• Building a loyal community through authenticity and access

• The realities of running a founder-led e-commerce brand

• Growth, wholesale expansion, and long-term brand vision

If you’re interested in brand building, creative direction, or what it truly takes to scale a values-driven fashion business, this episode is for you.

Guest:

👤 Dinah Chapman

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

Brand:

🌐 https://www.littletrouble.com

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity.

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What if clothing wasn’t designed around speed — but around connection, care, and longevity?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Megan Krajco, apparel designer and former Design Director at PAKA, to explore what it truly means to design apparel from source to story.

From time spent with Peruvian weaving communities to material-first design decisions, Megan shares how PAKA approaches creation through relationships — not trends — and why slowing down the process is essential to making garments that last.

This conversation dives into:

• Designing in direct relationship with weaving communities in Peru

• Why material choice and construction define longevity• Moving away from trend-driven design toward cultural continuity

• The role of collaboration inside brands and across suppliers• How structure and process protect creative space• Why clothing carries memory, meaning, and soul over time

If you’re interested in thoughtful design, responsible production, and the human systems behind what we wear, this episode offers a grounded perspective on building apparel with integrity.

Guest:

👤 Megan Krajco

🔗 LinkedIn

Brand:

🌐 https://www.pakaapparel.com

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI and intelligent systems can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What does it take to stay relevant in one of the most competitive corners of the apparel industry?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys speaks with Milissa Gibson, Sales Director at Lane Seven Apparel, about building lasting relationships, reading trends ahead of the market, and balancing technology with human connection in sales.

From wholesale blanks and brand positioning to demand planning and AI-assisted workflows, Milissa shares what it really looks like to operate at scale while staying grounded in people-first sales.

This conversation explores:

• How Lane Seven approaches trend forecasting through global markets

• Why relationship-driven sales still matter more than automation

• Translating retail trends into accessible, commercial products

• Using AI as a tool — not a replacement — in sales and planning

• What’s next for Lane Seven as the line expands

If you work in apparel, sales, or brand development, this episode offers a practical and human perspective on where the industry is heading.

Guest:

👤 Milissa Gibson

🔗 LinkedIn

🔗 Instagram

Brand:

🌐 https://lanesevenapparel.com

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI and structured systems can support smarter fashion businesses — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unit

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to design menswear with precision, inclusivity, and intention.

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Tom Speight & Garrett Swann, co-founders of ALPHX, to unpack how they’re redefining men’s underwear by putting comfort, fit, and consciousness first.

Built to fill a clear gap in the market, ALPHX was born from a simple truth: all men are created equal — but their underwear isn’t.

From personalized fit to body positivity and inclusivity, this conversation goes beyond product to explore how thoughtful systems, complementary leadership, and long-term vision shape a brand that starts with the essentials — and gets them right.

This episode explores:

• Why comfort must come before aesthetics

• Designing underwear with precision, consciousness, and real bodies in mind

• How ALPHX fills a gap the menswear market overlooked

• Body positivity and inclusivity as core brand pillars

• Why “better basics” require better systems

• How a creative spirit + analytical mind build stronger brands

• What it really means to redefine the Alpha Male

If you’re interested in menswear innovation, product-led brand building, and designing for real people — this episode is for you.

Guests:

👤 Tom Speight & Garrett Swann

🔗 Instagram

🔗 Linkedin

🔗 YouTube / Facebook / Pinterest / TikTok: BEALPHX

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can elevate fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What if building a fashion brand was less about trends — and more about lived experience, structure, and storytelling?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Nasreen Hussain, Founder and Creative Director of NEISA (formerly known as Humans of High Fashion at the time of recording).

From styling and retail to corporate banking and entrepreneurship, Nasreen shares the non-linear journey that shaped her brand — and how operational discipline, leadership, and creative intuition now coexist at the core of her work.

This conversation explores:

• How early retail and corporate leadership shaped her approach to fashion

• Why storytelling is the backbone of brand identity

• Turning personal experiences and travel into collections with meaning

• Balancing creativity, structure, and mental space as a founder

• Building a brand designed for long-term global presence

If you’re interested in fashion entrepreneurship, brand narrative, or the realities behind building a modern fashion label, this episode offers grounded insight and clarity.

Guest:

👤 Nasreen Hussain

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

Brand:

🌐 NEISA (rebranding from Humans of High Fashion)

🔗 Instagram

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how clarity, structure, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What does it really take to build apparel supply chains that last — for brands, workers, and the industry itself?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Fatima Anwar, Founder & CEO of Ethical & Sustainable Sourcing (ESS), to unpack the realities behind global apparel production — from factory floors to boardroom decisions.

With a background spanning advertising strategy and deep roots in manufacturing, Fatima shares how data, planning, and accountability can transform how brands source, scale, and operate across borders.

This conversation explores:

• How global supply chains actually function behind the scenes

• Why ethics, labor conditions, and environmental practices are interconnected

• The role of data, traceability, and on-the-ground verification

• Balancing speed-to-market with long-term operational integrity

• How regulation, risk, and AI are reshaping sourcing decisions

If you’re navigating production, compliance, or growth in fashion — this episode offers a grounded look at the systems that quietly determine success.

Guest:

👤 Fatima Anwar

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

Company:

🌐 https://es-sourcing.com/

🔗 Instagram

🔗 LinkedIn

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, structure, and systems thinking can elevate fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe

What does it really take to embed sustainability into fashion — not as a promise, but as an operating system?

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Romain Liot, Co-Founder of Adore Me & Advisor at Asterion, to explore how sustainability in fashion actually works when it’s built through systems, data, and long-term decision-making — rather than announcements or surface-level claims.

From scaling a DTC lingerie brand in the U.S. to now working at the intersection of fashion, technology, and sustainability infrastructure, Romain shares what most sustainability conversations overlook: governance, internal measurement, incentives, and execution.

This conversation dives into:

• What real sustainability transformation in fashion looks like

• How systems and governance determine long-term environmental impact

• Why sustainability must be measurable, operational, and accountable

• The role of data, internal indexes, and AI in sustainability decision-making

• Why “green premium” models fail at scale

• How accelerators and first-customer support unlock sustainable innovation

If you’re interested in how fashion evolves through better systems, credible sustainability, and long-term thinking, this episode is for you.

Guest

👤 Romain Liot

🔗 LinkedIn

🔗 Instagram

Company

🌐 Asterion 

🔗 LinkedIn

✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and sustainability can elevate fashion businesses — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator.

🎥 Intro video by Rana Unity

Get full access to The Fashion Translator Edit at clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/subscribe