This episode delves into the significant advancements in fashion tech in 2025, focusing on AI, digital fashion, and virtual try-on technology.

With guest speaker Matt Astarita of Browzwear and host Peter Jeun Ho Tsang, they explore the acquisition of La La Land, the CaaStle fraud case, investor due diligence, the future of virtual try-on technology, and the evolution of digital fashion and product creation. The year 2025 marked a shift towards ecosystem integration and collaboration among fashion tech vendors.

Takeaways

• Fashion tech in 2025 saw significant advancements in AI, digital fashion, and virtual try-on technology.
• The year 2025 marked a shift towards ecosystem integration and collaboration among fashion tech vendors.

Chapters

• 00:00 Fashion Tech Advancements in 2025
• 05:17 Acquisition of La La Land and AI Integration
• 12:31 The Role of AI in Styling and Designing Outfits
• 17:56 Investor Due Diligence in Fashion Tech
• 27:48 Digital Fashion and Product Creation in 2025

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matt-astarita-07aa24a7/

Find out about Browzwear: browzwear.com/

In this final episode of the underrepresented series, hosts Beatrice Newman and Peter Jeun Ho Tsang recap their favourite insights learned from their guest speakers. They delve into the heart of the fashion industry, exploring the challenges and triumphs of underrepresented voices. 

Join us as we uncover personal stories and insights from diverse speakers who are reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship. From leading with empathy to redefining operations, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact.

• Listeners are encouraged to reflect on how they can contribute to building better ecosystems of work.
• The conversation provides actionable insights for those in strategy, operations, and creative roles

Connect with Peter: linkedin.com/in/peterjeunhotsang

Connect with Beatrice: linkedin.com/in/korlekie

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Authentic Representation & Cultural Storytelling in Fashion:
Cultural consultant Arooj Aftab, a Vogue Business 100 Next Gen agitator, explores the fashion industry, emphasising entrepreneurship that prioritises representation and authentic storytelling. She highlights the resilience required to challenge norms and the power of community engagement in fostering inclusion. 

She champions “Culture over Colour,” and the need to move beyond surface-level diversity to truly reflect society in creative industries. Her values and vision have led her to host events at Bicester Village, bringing together like-minded people to strengthen their community bond. 

Challenging the Fashion Status Quo:
• Inclusion before diversity – representation must go deeper than tokenism.
• Storytelling matters – cultural narratives are essential to authentic fashion.
• Community engagement – change happens through collective action.
• Fashion’s responsibility – the industry must reflect the true diversity of society.

Connect with Arooj: linkedin.com/in/arooj-aftab-91865814a

Find out more about Arooj's work: arooj-aftab.com

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Founder of Krippit Paris, a 3D-printed fashion accessories startup, Melissa Chung shares her journey as an underrepresented founder turning a personal problem into a business innovation. She discusses entrepreneurship, the resilience required to thrive as a woman in the finance industry, and the importance of representation for female founders. As a Canadian immigrant in France, she has learned that innovation has no language barrier—great ideas transcend language. Melissa also emphasizes taking the “dis” out of disability, turning what can be seen as a disadvantage into a personal advantage. She highlights how community engagement, mentorship, and advocacy for ADHD and learning differences can empower other underrepresented founders to succeed in innovation-driven businesses.

Breaking Barriers in Fashion & Finance:
  • From finance to fashion – transforming women’s daily struggle in high heels into innovation.
• High heel protectors – tackling a problem women face daily in professional settings.
• ADHD as an advantage – turning challenges into entrepreneurial strengths.
• Advocacy & education – supporting those with ADHD by transforming passions into successful businesses

Connect with Melissa: www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-cs/details/experience/

Visit Krippit: krippit.com

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Founder of Heymers Academy and Moodi Studio, Mersedeh Heydari shares her entrepreneurial journey as an underrepresented founder merging architecture, fashion, and game design to create immersive creative experiences. She discusses the resilience required to navigate cultural and systemic barriers in Iran, and the importance of representation for emerging creative talent. She emphasizes that there is no perfect world, and that thriving under Iran’s strict social and cultural standards has not only tested her perseverance but also ignited her creativity, shaping the bold, boundary-pushing vision that defines her work today.

Building Creativity & Opportunity in Fashion- we learn how: 
 • Turning cultural and governmental barriers into opportunities – how to innovate in a country like Iran. 

 • Fashion meets game design – using interactive storytelling to express identity and culture.

 • Students as collaborators – integrating education and industry to nurture emerging talent.

 • Shaping our identities and businesses in tandem- informing creative decision-making through lived experience 

Connect with Mersedeh on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mersedeh-heydari

Check out Moodi Studio: www.themoodistudio.com

Check out  Heymers Academy: www.heymers.com

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Sehrish Raza, a female fashion founder from Pakistan, shares her journey as an underrepresented founder navigating entrepreneurship in South Asia. She discusses the resilience required to scale her business from 20,000 to 200,000 users. She shares her experience pitching on Shark Tank Pakistan, and having the wherewithal and self-confidence to choose herself over a bad deal. Through BizB, she empowers women entrepreneurs and fosters financial inclusion in the region.

Lessons in Resilience & Growth- What we learned: 

• Fundraising and investment realities – the unique hurdles women face when raising capital.
• Shark Tank insights – navigating high-pressure pitching with confidence.
• Confidence as strategy – believing in your numbers and your vision.
• More than 100% Growth Y-oY – achieving exponential success and knowing your worth.
• Operating as a female founder in a male-dominated nation- Outsourcing funding and getting creative

Connect with Sehrish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sehrish-raza-bizb/

Visit BizB: https://www.bizb.store/en

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

With nearly 15 years in the British fashion industry, Ahmet Emin Hondor shares his journey advocating for entrepreneurship and resilience among emerging designers with the British Fashion Council. He reflects on how representation and cultural identity have shaped his path, while also addressing the mental drain of navigating microaggressions masked as politeness as a Turkish man in London. For Ahmet, community engagement is crucial to driving meaningful inclusion in the British fashion industry. Beyond his work with the British Fashion Council, he organizes London's Gay Pride, championing diversity, mental well-being, and authentic storytelling. Through his efforts, he is helping to shift global narratives, empower LGBTQ+ voices, and build sustainable opportunities for underrepresented founders in the UK.

Redefining Inclusion in Fashion:
  • Beyond tokenism – meaningful inclusion requires empowerment, not just visibility.
 • Culture as creativity – personal identity shapes design, styling, and storytelling.
 • Mental health matters – navigating exclusion and toxic environments with resilience.
 • Pride & responsibility – corporate inclusivity should last beyond seasonal campaigns.
 • Emerging designers – cultural heritage can be a competitive edge in business.

Connect with Ahmed: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ahmeteh

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Founder of Debonair Afrik, Nuel Bans discusses his journey as an underrepresented founder championing African fashion on the global stage. From launching a blog to landing a Vogue cover, Nuel shares the resilience required to transform passion into a multifaceted brand. He highlights the importance of entrepreneurship, the impact of representation in elevating African creatives, and the power of community in fostering collaboration, purpose, and authentic cultural storytelling. Nuel also opens up about the struggle of minority designers, including repeated exclusion from opportunities with LVMH, and how adversity has shaped his vision to expand into Paris and grow his international presence while supporting emerging designers across the diaspora.

Fashion with Purpose & Community- in this episode, we discuss:

• Evolving from blog to brand – How Debonair Afrique’s evolution reflects the potential of passion-led projects.
• How cultural identity fuels creativity – African craftsmanship and storytelling deserve global recognition.
• Shifting narratives – challenging outdated perceptions of Africa to highlight appreciation, value, and innovation.
• Representation at the top – Black designers and founders must be visible in leadership positions.
• Overcoming exclusion – turning missed opportunities into motivation to push boundaries internationally.

Connect with Nuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmanuel-ekuban-b3749a150/

Visit Debonair Afrik: https://debonairafrik.com/

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

Dorcas Payne, a creative business consultant, shares her insights on building successful businesses in niche fashion markets. She emphasizes the critical role of operations and supply chain management in creative entrepreneurship, and the resilience needed to scale. For her, it’s crucial for emerging fashion talent to continuously listen to the feedback loop and use data to grow.  Dorcas is on a mission to make supply chains sexy again, showing how strategic operations, thoughtful execution, and community-driven collaboration are just as exciting and essential as the designs on the runway.

The Backbone of Creative Business- in this episode, we discuss why:
• Operations matter – supply chain and operational strategy are the foundations of growth in the fashion industry.
• Data is king – understanding customer behavior through feedback loops drives better decisions.
• Scale down, execute excellence – resilience comes from doing fewer things at a higher standard.
• Representation in entrepreneurship – systemic challenges for global ethnic majority founders demand allyship and collaboration.

Connect with Dorcas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorcas-payne/

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io

From Tahiti to the global stage, Jessica Vaitiare Chin Foo shares her journey navigating entrepreneurship in the United States. She highlights how her French Polynesian heritage shapes her approach to business, the resilience required to overcome systemic challenges, and the importance of representation for diverse founders in creative industries. Jessica also emphasizes the importance of leading with heart, role of communities and networking in creating opportunities. Her ultimate goal is to empower other underrepresented entrepreneurs.

The Heart of Inclusive Entrepreneurship - in this episode we talk about:
• Cultural identity fueling innovation- helping startups thrive
• Why networks and community matter – building authentic relationships can unlock opportunities and drive growth.
• Why mental wellbeing is essential – sustaining entrepreneurs through rejection, loneliness, and setbacks.

• Navigating Racism in France and Italy- The importance of representation and empowerment to make entrepreneurship inclusive and accessible for underrepresented founders.

Connect with Jessica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicavaitiarechinfoo/

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The show is recorded from Beyond Form, a fashion tech innovation platform. We build, invest, and educate fashion tech entrepreneurs and startups. We’d love to hear your feedback, so let us know if you’d like to hear a certain topic. Email us at [email protected]. If you’re an entrepreneur or fashion tech startup looking for studio support, check out our website: beyondform.io