The Glossy Podcast

As luxury fashion brand Adeam celebrates its 10th anniversary, CEO and creative director Hanako Maeda reflected on the brand's growth.

The Tokyo-born, NYC-raised designer, who is also vp of Tokyo-based fashion brand Foxey, said one of the most vital factors to Adeam's success has been being OK with growing slowly but steadily. 'The key is to really know your customer and not to expand the brand in a way that feels too fast or too quick," Maeda said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.

For example, though Adeam has been around for a decade, it only recently branched out into releasing collaborations with ambassadors. Its first was in February 2020, with tennis star Naomi Osaka — marking her first fashion collaboration, as well. Adeam launched its latest collaboration with model Carolyn Murphy, in June, using the best practices gained from the partnership with Osaka.

"[Our] collaboration [with Carolyn Murphy] was unique because the collection was 100% sustainable. We used fabrics made from organic cotton or fabrics that are biodegradable and go back into the soil after the clothing has met its cycle and lifetime," Maeda said. "I'd love to continue to have these collaborations [because] they inspire me to create different things for our main collection, as well."

In terms of the next steps for Adeam, Maeda has set her eyes on global expansion. The designer plans to build a flagship store from scratch in New York City and grow the brand in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and Glossy Pop's Sara Spruch-Feiner break down some of the biggest fashion industry news of the week.

On this week's episode: Ciara is the latest celebrity to launch a brand, contributing to the saturation of celebrity beauty and fashion brands that have sprung up in the last year and raising questions about the sustainability of this market. Additionally, Savage x Fenty is getting into loungewear. And Allure announced the end of its print edition to focus on digital media and its brick-and-mortar store in SoHo.

According to co-founders and co-CEOs Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher, Harper Wilde, the intimates brand they launched in 2017, would not be nearly as successful as it is if it weren’t for the community they built early on.

Kerner and Fisher launched the DTC bra brand after previously working together on a completely different brand following business school. Though the two had very little experience in the retail space, they knew there was an opportunity for a millennial intimates brand to launch and disrupt the industry.

Fast forward to 2022, and Harper Wilde has not only managed to foster a thriving community, but it has also differentiated itself in a crowded market — a feat not many brands are able to tout. To date, it’s leveraged through crowdsourcing and has created a high-quality product made of well-researched raw materials — and Harper Wilde has bigger milestones ahead. For example, the company is hoping to expand into new categories later this year. Currently, Harper Wilde’s online site is its primary shopping channel, but it also sells at Nordstrom in a few stores and online.

“Our North Star has always been to be the next market leader in intimates. There’s so much opportunity for us to continue to provide more silhouettes, more products and more sizes,” Kerner said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “[Our customer] is asking us for more than just bras and underwear. … Now that we have her size for the most difficult garments to make, there are a lot of opportunities for us to understand how we can make other garments that fit her incredibly well and are super soft.”

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week.

On this week's episode, Farfetch bought out a controlling stake in Yoox Net-a-Porter from Richemont, Nike topped the list of brands with the most NFT sales at nearly $200 million, and Urban Outfitters made more money than ever but lost profits due to increased costs.

When Andrew Fallshaw created Australian accessories brand Bellroy in 2010, alongside his three co-founders, he hoped that, beyond designing incredible products, the brand would connect like-minded consumers through community.

Now 12-year-old Bellroy has grown to become a $300 million brand — an impressive growth trajectory from a company that was valued at $83 million just three years ago. Currently, Bellroy sells 82 products across several categories, including wallets, bags and accessories, on its website.

One of the biggest credits to Bellroy’s success has been the team’s ability to create clear boundaries for the brand. You won’t see Bellroy coming out with a fragrance or foraying into areas that Fallshaw considers outside of the “carry scope.”

“In 2010, we launched our first product, which was five slim wallets. … We re-engineered the wallet from the ground up … They took off [and] they found incredible resonance. That notion of slim wallets, which hadn’t really been a focus before then for brands, grabbed hold,” Fallshaw shared on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “We had a few years of rocketship growth, but our intention was always to fill into the carry space and help people with how they organize their things and move through the world.”

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 stories of the week.

This week, the hosts discuss the executives that have recently left brands, including leaders at Asos, Eileen Fisher and Lively. They also break down the state of resale and the unique challenges resale platforms face in light of inflation, and the possibility that Outdoor Voices may be acquired or seek a round of investment.

Despite a booming e-commerce market, U.K.-based e-tailer Atterley is managing to differentiate. That's thanks to a powerhouse team that includes co-CEO Kelly Byrne, formerly of Nasty Gal, and chief trends officer Alexandra Shulman, previously editor-in-chief of British Vogue.

Under Byrne and Shulman's leadership, Atterley has grown its reach among shoppers who value its business model of "a marketplace supporting boutiques globally [and] a champion in the ethos of independent shopping," as described by Byrne on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.

This year, the company is hyperfocused on growing its U.S. consumer base. Currently, the U.S. is Atterley's second-largest and fastest-growing market, according to Byrne and Shulman. They're now focused on building brand awareness while spotlighting the company's ability to provide consumers with a unique online shopping experience.

"Where Atterley is really strong are in these lower price points but above the high street, and [with] brands that other countries have never heard of. I'm sure that, in the states, a lot of our offerings are exciting new brands that you aren't going to find anywhere," Shulman said.

On the Glossy Week in Review Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest news in the fashion industry of the week.

This week, BeReal may be an opportunity for brands to show an authentic side, and inflation doesn't seem to be impacting big luxury companies like Ralph Lauren and Capri Holdings. Plus, will the Inflation Reduction Act have a positive impact on the fashion industry?

Meg Strachan launched jewelry brand Dorsey in November 2019 as a side project. Though she knew she eventually wanted to launch her own company, financially, it didn't seem possible.

"My path to founder was not a leap, it was gradual. I call it a parallel path," Strachan said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast.

Strachan had over 15 years of experience as a growth marketer at brands like Anine Bing, Carbon38 and Bandier. But when it came time to fundraise for Dorsey, she faced roadblocks.

"I wasn't able to raise money prior to the brand having traction, which was fascinating for me, because I met with a lot of incredible VCs," Strachan said. "I was told, 'You have the exact resume of a founder we would invest into,' but all of them really told me, 'We don't really know the jewelry market.'"

In September of 2019, Strachan joined sustainable activewear company Girlfriend Collective as the vp of growth across all channels. "I took on the role on a full-time consulting basis. I was [working] 9-to-5 with Girlfriend ... and I started to moonlight Dorsey at night and on weekends, essentially running the company when I wasn't doing my full-time job," Strachan said.

Strachan's growth marketing and e-commerce experience helped Dorsey scale to become a seven-figure business in less than three years. Simultaneously, Girlfriend Collective saw 350% year-over-year growth during her tenure at the company. As Strachan transitioned into running her company full-time, growth and expansion through creative marketing and wholesale have been some of the most exciting areas of focus for her.

"How I'm growing the business is certainly very different than most of the companies that I've worked for before," Strachan said.

On the Glossy Week in Review podcast, Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff and fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska discuss and break down the biggest fashion news of the week.

This week, several designers announced fashion month plans, shedding more light on what's in store for September — which may or may not include an elongated Milan Fashion Week. Also, Estée Lauder confirmed the rumor that it’s exploring a Tom Ford acquisition. And an innovative physical retail experience proved that the metaverse is impacting brands’ approach to stores.