Loose Threads Inside The New Consumer Economy

On the 35th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Brian Berger, a co-founder of Mack Weldon, a company reinventing men's basics with a modern shopping experience and technical fabrics. Although there is a lot of activity in the basics space right now, most of it is incremental. Mack Weldon wanted to rebuild the entire shopping experience, as well as the materials that men rely on every day. Brian and I had a great talk about the founding story, how it’s incentivizing men to buy more from the brand, and how the brand landscape is rapidly shifting. I enjoyed talking with Brian about his time building Mack Weldon and how sometimes building things the hard way is the right way. His pragmatism about the potential of brands like Mack Weldon was also refreshing, and it seems that he’s architected the company to take advantage of that potential while also managing expectations. — Show Notes — Mack Weldon https://www.mackweldon.com/ Edited by

On the 34th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with James Ingram, the CEO of Splashlight, a company at the forefront of ecommerce photography and video. Every time someone goes shopping, they’re looking at dozens of images. Some have models in them, some are just product shots, and others are from people in the wild all over social media. Someone has to produce these images, and given the increasing speed of the industry, companies need more images than ever before. That’s where Splashlight comes in, acting as a near-vertically integrated company that provides the infrastructure, resources and expertise needed to photograph at scale. This is an industry that is invisibly yet highly visible, since people see their work every day but don’t know it. I find companies like Splashlight, which are doing crucial work that most outside the industry don’t know about, incredibly interesting. This is how real businesses get built. the plan to spin

On the 33rd episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Nik Bando, a co-founder of Bogeybox Golf Club, a company that helps golfers modernize their style. For many, golf apparel is one of the sleepiest verticals in the industry, known for the baggiest clothing and the blandest aesthetics. But there is a new crop of golfers coming up that want to maintain their style to seamlessly both on and off the green. This is where Bogeybox comes in, acting as a vertical specific version Stitch Fix. I really enjoyed talking with Nik about everything from the company’s inception up to how virtual reality might fundamentally change the sport. It’s interested to see more companies go after very specific audiences. I won’t use the word niche because tens of millions of people is not a niche, but the focus brands like that can instill is powerful. This was the first episode exploring the intersection of consumer goods and sports, but it won’t be the last. I

On the 32nd episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Nadia Boujarwah, a co-founder of Dia&Co, a company built with an exacting focus on serving the plus size market, which remains one of the largest growth opportunities in apparel today. Nadia founded the company as plus-size shopper herself, as few players were taking the category seriously and delivering the experience that its shoppers wanted and deserved. Dia&Co has made significant progress in the last few years, rebuilding the shopping experience from the ground up, launching labels in house, and working with a new crop of influencers that are highly relevant to the market. As I’m sure you can tell, Dia & Co is a very rare company in that its authenticity is on par with the size of the market. Also, persistence matters. I’m really excited to see where this company goes as it brings a new approach to a market desperately in need of it. — Show Notes — Dia&Co http://di

On the 31st episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Evan Fript, a co-founder of Paul Evans, a brand bringing the best luxury Italian footwear for men to the states at a contemporary price point. Evan founded the company after questioning why luxury footwear was so expensive. This sent him down a rabbit hole as he tried to reverse engineer high quality footwear at a more affordable price. Evan and I had a good talk about the journey of building the brand, the early results from the brand’s first retail store, and where Paul Evans fits into a booming market of direct to consumer brands. I really enjoyed talking with Evan about his time building the brand and all of the ups and downs it took to get it to this point. The discussion about working capital is especially pertinent, as it’s one of the biggest struggles for physical goods brands today, which leads brands to use mechanisms such as pre orders to fuel growth. Even so, it seems that

On the 30th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Lona Alia, the founder of Style Lend, a company pioneering peer to peer fashion rentals. Many people know of Rent The Runway, the industry’s biggest rental company, which allows shoppers to rent clothing instead of buying it. Style Lend is a more decentralized version, where the company holds no inventory and takes advantage of the clothing people have in their closets. Think of it as Airbnb for clothing. On a macro level, the internet is starting to move towards more decentralization and renting, and Style Lend fits right into this evolution. I really enjoyed talking with Lona about her journey and how Style Lend is building out its platform to support its mission. The idea of cost per wear is alluring and it will have important effects for the industry, especially around sustainability. I’m excited to watch the company grow. — Show Notes — Style Lend https://www.stylelend.com/ Edited

On the 29th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Jannett Martinez, the CEO of Loomia, a company building the components and experience to make our clothing smart. Most clothing today is dumb, meaning it’s nothing more than fabric on our bodies. But Loomia is inventing a litany of technologies, conductive inks, and sensors that bring heating, lighting and touch to everyday apparel. There’s a lot of noise in the wearable space right now, but Loomia is building foundational technology that could usher in a new era for clothing that does more than nothing. I really enjoyed talking with Janett about Loomia’s journey and how the company is balancing innovation and ease of installation to bring a product to market that actually makes a difference. Most fashion/tech falls shorts here, and it’s great to see Loomia’s pragmatism, especially around what are the best applications for its technology. — Show Notes — Loomia http://Loomia.co Edited b

On the 28th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Dave Kahng, the founder of Davek, a luxury utility brand focused on making the best umbrellas in the world. Dave had been mesmerized by the mechanics of umbrellas almost a decade before starting Davek, as he designed, built and rebuilt them in every conceivable way. Dave and I had a great talk about the founding story behind Davek, the emergence of luxury utility companies across the consumer goods space, and how Dave pivoted from a business driven by wholesale to driven by ecommerce. I really enjoyed talking with Dave about his journey as an umbrella maker and how he has evolved his business as the fundamental dynamics of the marketplace continue to shift. It’s always fun to talk to people who are obsessed with that they do and Dave definitely fits that description. — Show Notes — Davek https://davekny.com/ Edited by George Drake Jr. — About Loose Threads — http://LooseThreads.com Joi

On the 27th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce, I talk with Carrie Hammer, the founder of her namesake brand and the movement Role Models Not Runway Models. Carrie has been working to create clothes for women in the workplace, while changing the expectations and dynamics of fashion runway shows and women’s beauty more broadly. Carrie and I had a great talk about the founding story behind both her brand and runway movement, how she’s challenging the embedded biases of the fashion and beauty industry, and how her movement has grown globally. It’s a bold task but given the tools available today, one person has never had a better chance at making a massive, global impact. — Show Notes — Carrie Hammer http://rolemodelsnotrunwaymodels.com Edited by George Drake Jr. — About Loose Threads — http://LooseThreads.com Join the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/buLQY9 Twitter: http://twitter.com/loosethreadscom The Loose Threads Podcast explores the intersectio

On the 26th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Alana Branston, a co-founder of Bulletin, a company known as the WeWork for retail that gives brands flexible options for showcasing their products. As legacy retail continues to struggle in the U.S., Bulletin is taking this space and repurposing it. Alana and her team believe that retail is far from dead, but it's fundamentally changing, and everyone from brand to landlords to technology companies need to rethink the experience from the ground up. Alana and I had a great talk about the non linear founding story behind Bulletin, the benefits of going through two different Y Combinator programs, how retail is turning into a marketing, not just a sales game, and where the company is headed after raising its first big round of funding. There are endless opportunities in the offline world for brands of all sizes. People often forget that retail sales still make up over 90% of all commer

On the 25th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Yehua Yang, a co-founder of Pivotte, a brand creating performance apparel that women can wear in everyday life. Yehua started the brand after wanting the benefits of athletic fabrics found in yoga pants but in clothing that was more professional and work-ready. At the same time, brands were dabbling in this space by taking their men's clothes and making them in women's sizes, which created mediocre results. Yehua knew that the only way to make clothing women wanted to buy was to start designing specifically for them, which is why she started Pivotte. It was great talking with Yehua about the founding story behind Pivotte and how she is bootstrapping the brand as it continues to grow. Limited capital is often a blessing, and it sounds like they are making the most of everything they have to grow the brand the right way. This is the second edition of our Spotlight Series, which profil

On the 24th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Olivia Wright, the founder of Rallier, a brand inspired by modern uniform dressing with a social mission that aims to decrease gender inequality in schools. Olivia founded the brand after hearing about how the presence of school uniforms dramatically increased the chances girls would attend school. She went to business school and then launched the brand, starting with the social mission and then working backwards. We had a great talk about the the brand’s launch; how it approach design and manufacturing; how it has explored different distribution channels, especially in person events; the power of word of mouth; and where the brand is headed. I’ve known Olivia since before she started the brand, and it’s been really exciting watch her build it over the last year. She’s taking a very sustainable and methodical approach to growing the company, which is paying dividends as she continue

On the 23rd episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Kevin Lavelle, the founder of Mizzen + Main, a company bringing performance fabrics to the workplace. Kevin founded Mizzen + Main after growing tired of the perils of cotton dress shirts. As he saw performance fabrics take off in the athletic space, he figured they could also take hold in the workplace and launched the company to fill this void. Kevin and I had a great talk about the founding story behind Mizzen + Main, why the company is focusing on all of America, not just the coasts, the benefits of manufacturing domestically, and the company’s growth trajectory going forward. I really enjoyed talking with Kevin, especially around how and where the company is looking to grow. We often pay the most attention to products that are growing in our own communities, which are often on the coasts of the country. But Mizzen + Main is building the company from the middle of America, and ca

On the 22nd episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Josh Udashkin, the founder of Raden, an emerging smart luggage company that marries the best of luggage, hardware and software into the ultimate toolkit for travel. Josh founded the company after he realized that there were few new and dominant entrants into the luggage space in almost 50 years, and bringing a younger and more modern perspective to the entrenched industry might be a crucial differentiator. We had a great talk about the challenges of integrating hardware and software; how Josh architected Raden is a true product company; how he decided on the right distribution strategy and moved far beyond a strictly direct to consumer business model; and how he’s planning to build the company for the long term. Josh was great to talk to because of his pragmatic and non idealistic approach to every part of Raden’s business. This was especially true about the company’s distribution s

On the 21st episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Matt Scanlan, the founder of Naadam, a direct to consumer brand that is reinventing the cashmere supply chain. Matt started Naadam on a chance encounter in Mongolia, which led him down a rabbit hole of launching an NGO, then a cashmere yarn company, and finally the digitally-native business that Naadam is known for today. Naadam is one of the most vertically integrated direct to consumer brands today. We talked about why this integration was necessary for Naadam to exist; how the company is approaching retail and fundraising; and how running multiple businesses under the same roof allows the company’s greater mission to come to fruition. It’s pretty cool to see all that Naadam has accomplished given the company is less than three years old. The company is yet another brand that is looking a different channels with a nuanced perspective, further proof that retail is far from dead. —

On the 20th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Giancarlo Paternoster, the founder of Giancarlo Studio Furniture, a workshop that is pushing wood to the absolute limit. Studio Furniture, like Couture in the fashion world, is the highest possible form of art. Pieces are made in small, if not entirely unique, quantities, and are comprised of the best materials. Giancarlo and I grew up together and he’s ascended to the top of his craft in a rapidly short amount of time. He’s driven to excel past any inherent limits to produce work that few others would dare to see through. This is the first furniture designer I’ve interviewed on the podcast, but there are striking similarities to the fashion and apparel space when it comes to talking about craft, process and form. Giancarlo and I talked about his journey to the top of his field, driven by curiosity and a lack of interest in conventional wisdom. Craftsmen who are pushing the limits a

On the 19th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Rachel Shechtman, the founder of Story, a company that has the point of view of a magazine, that changes like a gallery and sells things like a store. Story is headquartered in a 2000 sqft store in Chelsea, Manhattan, and runs themed installations that change every few months. These installations feature everything from experiences to products to talks and events, acting as a lab that is merging the best of offline retail with the benefits of online media and commerce. Rachel has one of the more forward looking and open-minded perspectives on physical retail that I have encountered, and it was great talking with her about how Story is carving its own path in the dynamic retail landscape. We talked about the evolution of Story over the years and how it's used the limits of a 2000 sq ft space to make a massive, far reaching impact with brands and shoppers alike. Retail is not dead, it

On the 18th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Andrew Lipovsky, the founder of Eponym, a company that designs, manufactures and sells eyewear for a range of fashion and apparel brands. Luxottica is the omnipresent name in the eyewear space, which many know from the now infamous 60 Minutes special on the company’s dominance. But Eponym set out to build a vertical eyewear license focused on brands that the big guy ignored. It’s a really interesting story about new players entering an age-old space, and how the internet has opened up the surface area for competition no matter how big a company’s monopoly seems to be. It was great talking with Andrew about the evolution of Eponym into a vertical licenser, and how such a move made perfect sense for the eyewear market. Focus is one of the most underrated aspects of business. it’s important that the industry has companies like Eponym that are specialized and lend that expertise to bran

On the 17th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Amanda Curtis, a co-founder of Nineteenth Amendment. Her company is leveling the playing field for independent designers by streamlining everything from production to infrastructure. Emerging designers are often at a disadvantage when it comes to funding their business, securing competitive pricing for production, and integrating technology to help scale. Luckily, this is Nineteenth Amendment’s focus and the company has helped hundreds of designers grow. Nineteenth Amendment is focused on the long tail, a concept that explains how smaller brands are able to succeed on the internet because of the ability to find and serve niches that desire specific products. The company’s vertical integration is impressive, as is the persistence that has gotten them to realize their vision and now focus on scaling it. I definitely recommend checking on the designers on Nineteenth Amendment and readi

On the 16th episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, the founder of Fitz, a company that starts by helping people organize their closets. From there, it recommends new products and services and helps people donate and resell old clothing all while learning more and more about its customers. It became clear early on in our discussion that Fitz is one of the most direct to consumer companies ever. The the relationship it has with its customers is incredibly intense and intimate. At the same time, the service is agnostic to shifts in trend and brands, acting as a service layer on top of all of the noise. My head was kind of spinning after this interview because Fitz seems to nail everything that is relevant in the fashion and consumer space today while also having the flexibility to evolve with time. Even though the company only officially launched a few months ago, I would definitely keep an eye on what they’re