The Glossy Podcast

This London Fashion Week brings to mind politics, with the country getting caught up in a buzzy election earlier this year, leading to a victory for the Labour party. Canadian-British designer Edeline Lee, who founded her label in 2014, has become a favorite of political figures including Victoria Starmer, wife of U.K. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who has been spotted wearing Lee’s creations at major public events.

Known for her bold use of color, modernist approach and clean, structured silhouettes, Lee’s designs have gained widespread attention from influential women in the art world and politics alike. This year, Lee is expanding her brand in exciting ways. Alongside her vibrant new runway collection, she is introducing her first-ever footwear line and a childrenswear range, the latter of which will launch exclusively at Harrods. 

Known for her specialist retail approach, Lee places a strong emphasis on exclusivity and craftsmanship, using trunk shows and bespoke retail experiences to connect with her loyal customer base. Her designs have become increasingly popular in the United States, where she has cultivated a strong following through curated events and personal shopping experiences.

In this London Fashion Week episode of the Glossy Podcast, Lee delves into her journey from dressing the art world to showing on the runway, her expansion into new product categories and her secrets to captivating a global audience, particularly in the U.S.

NYC-based luxury womenswear brand Lafayette 148 has earned a loyal, influential customer base in its 28-year history — many members of which turned out for the brand’s spring 2025 collection presentation in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood on Monday. Among recognizable attendees viewing the elegant, art-inspired designs were actresses Beanie Feldstein, Rachel Brosnahan and Karen Pittman, among others.

A designer at the company for 22 years, starting as a design assistant, Emily Smith is now Lafayette 148’s creative director. As such, her work is largely fueling the brand’s fandom.

“It’s women dressing women,” Smith said on the latest Glossy Podcast. “We know the fuss of getting dressed in the morning and what you do and don’t want to deal with. … And we want to dress our customer seven days a week.” 

Also on the podcast, Smith discussed the importance of fashion week in today’s fashion ecosystem, the secrets to navigating the “up and down” luxury market, and the perks of working for a “completely vertical” company. 

After training under the biggest designers in fashion, Christian Juul Nielsen has been building his own brand, Aknvas, since 2019. Now, he’s ready to take it to the next level.   

Juul Nielsen’s resume includes years of design roles under Christian Lacroix, John Galliano and Raf Simmons, and at brands including Dior, Oscar de la Renta and J.Mendel. In 2023, he left his post as creative director of Herve Léger to start Aknvas. The brand has since been picked up by Saks Fifth Avenue and FWRD, among other luxury retailers, and worn by “it” girls including J. Lo and Sabrina Carpenter. 

On Monday, Aknvas will host a runway show featuring its spring 2025 collection. It will serve as a launchpad for its first accessories: a handbag line made up of mini, boxy styles in different pastel shades. 

“We’ve built a platform and knowledge about the brand — it’s the right time to add accessories,” Juul Nielsen said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast, acknowledging the growth opportunity.

He also discussed the difference between running a fashion brand in the U.S. versus Europe, the challenges of heading up both the business and the creative side of his company, and the scenario in which he’d take on an investor. 

Kate Davidson Hudson is among the utmost Fashion Month experts, having experienced the shows from a variety of perspectives — as a fashion editor, a street style star and, now, a retail company founder and CEO. 

In March, Davidson soft-launched Vêtir, which she describes as a “smart shopping app.” It allows users to shop via an AI-powered personalized selection of styles based on their app interactions, a selection of styles populated by a personal stylist or a feed featuring the newest products from Vêtir’s luxury brand partners, among other capabilities. Vêtir recently opened a storefront in NYC’s Hudson Yards where its partner stylists and their clients can meet for IRL styling appointments. 

Before Vêtir, Davidson Hudson co-founded Editorialist, providing personal shopping services to luxury shoppers. And earlier in her career, she spent nearly a decade as an accessories editor at publications including Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. A fashion show regular throughout her career, she has also earned a reputation as a street-style photographer darling.

On the latest Glossy Podcast, Davidson Hudson discusses her Fashion Month experience and the importance of her attendance at fashion shows today. She also discusses how Vêtir is enabling shoppable Fashion Month runways and what inspired the company’s latest event, held on the first night of New York Fashion Week.

Throughout New York Fashion Week, from September 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from editors to designers.

A Central Saint Martins alum and one-time CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, designer Christian Cowan founded his namesake brand in 2017 after Lady Gaga’s support thrust him into the spotlight. Today, the London native who now resides in NYC is well-known for his fun, attention-grabbing designs. They’ve been selling at retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue since Cowan became serious about growing the business.

“You’ve got to grow the business so you can do bigger and bolder creative ideas — it’s about being able to facilitate a bigger creative vision,” Cowan says on the Glossy Podcast. “I love the hustle and strategy behind growing a brand that survives.” 

Also on the podcast, Cowan discusses his New York Fashion Week Spring 2025 collection and stress-free approach to the corresponding show. He also shares his take on why “meteoric rises” of designers no longer happen in fashion. 

Throughout New York Fashion Week, from September 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from editors to designers.

Started in Brazil 22 years ago by creative director Patricia Bonaldi, Patbo expanded to the U.S. in 2017 and has since hit its stride in the states. For example, to answer demand, it opened a store in Miami earlier this year. 

Ahead of the brand’s September 10 runway show at New York Fashion Week, Bonadi joined the Glossy Podcast to discuss Patbo’s growth, as well as the strategies that are working to its advantage. For example, it’s leaned into its customers’ demand for runway pieces, marketing them as such and selling select styles in its stores. And it’s maintained its product focus on handwork and craftsmanship, whether or not the look fits the vibe of the moment. 

“By looking at how others work, you lose yourself,” Bonaldi said. “I care about consistency and evolution, not [industry] trends.”

Bonadi also discussed how Patbo’s business is faring as traveling and going out — two events for which Patbo styles seem made — have held steady as choice pastimes. 

Throughout New York Fashion Week, from September 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from editors to designers.

At a time when DEI initiatives are regressing and investment in BIPOC brands is dropping, Raise Fashion continues to make an impact. As described by Felita Harris, a founding board member and now the CEO of the nonprofit organization, Raise has remained dedicated to advancing the equity of BIPOC talent in the fashion industry since its launch in 2020. 

"Represented individuals have an ecosystem where they can network, receive financial opportunities and distribute their products with a certain level of ease. Underrepresented talent does not have the same opportunities. So we are building a pro bono and operational ecosystem that services the voices of underrepresented, often BIPOC talent,” Harris said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. 

For example, through a Masterclass series, Raise awards and supports 10 BIPOC designers each year. On Wednesday, this year’s Masterclass designers, including Fe Noel, Charles Harbison and K.NGSLEY, will present their spring 2025 collections at a New York Fashion Week event hosted by Raise Fashion and sponsored by Abercrombie & Fitch. 

“For us, it's about creating this environment where [BIPOC] designers can receive the information they need — the networking and resources that are required to scale,” Harris said. “And they're doing it in a community that wants to embrace the change and inclusion that is necessary to evolve the fashion industry.”

Harris also discussed the state of diversity in fashion, the importance of NYFW participation and Raise Fashion’s long-term mission. 

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week.

This week, we talk about Nordstrom's earnings results and what they mean for the struggling luxury retail sector, thirsty Jeremy Allen White's second campaign for Calvin Klein, and Walmart’s move to start selling pre-owned luxury goods.

After 16 years in business, advanced contemporary fashion brand L’Agence is hitting the gas on growth. On top of introducing a Jean Bar retail concept, starting with a new store in L.A., the brand is expanding internationally to Europe and Asia — since early July, it’s opened stores in Paris and Seoul. Category expansion is also a key part of the strategy: In the last three years, L’Agence has launched shoes and swimwear, and it will soon introduce sleepwear, intimate apparel and belts. In addition, building on the success of a recent candle release, the brand will be going deeper into the home category. And a future beauty category, complete with cosmetics and fragrances made in Paris, is in the works.

According to L’Agence founder and chairman Jeff Rudes, customer behavior will determine the timing of the home and beauty category launches.

“She has to be so brand loyal that she’ll pick up the bottle [of perfume] at Saks and say, ‘I’ve got to try this.’ We’re not there yet,” he said. ”We’re very realistic about how to grow the brand. … She has to trust us and vote for what we’re doing. It’s all about timing. We have to get her to love more of what we’re doing, and then we’ll capture her [as a customer in other categories], for sure.” 

Also on the podcast, Rudes and L’Agence fashion director Tara Rudes-Dann spoke about their New York Fashion Week plans, the new standards in customer service, and the road to “lifestyle brand.”