The Glossy Podcast

In the early 2010s, John Ballay saw that there was something missing in menswear. At the time he was working in finance in Dubai, and had developed a passion for well-tailored suits. As the retail pivot to DTC was picking up steam, he wanted to find a way to make bespoke clothing more accessible to the average man. So Ballay and Mueller decided to create the first brand that would bring the magic of made-to-order clothing right to their customers' doorsteps. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Knot Standard co-founder and CEO, John Ballay, to discuss the evolution of menswear, creating custom-made products for every consumer, and how a brand with no inventory works with retailers.

In the nearly six years since she joined Kate Spade, Mary Renner Beech, the brand's CMO, has seen a lot of change. From a major acquisition by Tapestry, to the entrance of new creative director Nicola Glass, to the loss of the brand's founder, Kate Spade has been making a lot of headlines in recent years. But, according to Beech, these changes have only strengthened the brand and its promise of optimistic femininity. On this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes catches up with Mary Renner Beech to discuss how Kate Spade is empowering women across the globe, relying on a combination of data and gut instinct, and continuing to evolve with consumers without straying from the brand's heritage. Below are excerpts from the episode, edited for clarity.

When Ryan Babenzien decided to launch his own sneaker company in 2014, the direct-to-consumer brand boom was in full swing. He saw it as an opportunity to develop a brand that struck a balance between traditional and digitally-native retail. In this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Hilary Milnes sits down with Babenzien to discuss how he's growing a brand that embraces DTC and traditional retail, balances quality and cost, and serves casual and fashion-forward dressers alike. 

In an age where e-commerce is moving faster than ever, Etsy is working hard to keep up the pace. By bringing together entrepreneurs from all over the world, Etsy has amassed an online marketplace of over 50 million artisanal products. This network of small businesses has its challenges, like consistency in shipping and customer experience, but they are all part of what Raina Moskowitz, Etsy's svp of people, strategy and services, believes makes their platform a stand out. On this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Moskowitz discusses Etsy's investment in its sellers, how they're using marketing to drive consumers, and why she believes Etsy is still in early days.

Since former Allure editor in chief Linda Wells landed at Revlon as chief creative officer in February 2017, she has had a busy last 21 months. Not only has she renovated all of the consumer touchpoints, like packaging and the digital and social presences of the heritage company’s portfolio of brands, such as Elizabeth Arden, Almay and Revlon, she also launched Flesh Beauty. In this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Wells discussed how the industry has become “unrecognizable” because of social media, the shift in power in beauty and how incubation is the future for big beauty companies.

At twenty-three years old, Stirling Barrett found himself sitting on the stoop of his newly purchased home, located just outside of the French Quarter of New Orleans. He had earned a degree in fine arts, won a few notable best in show titles, and knew he needed to make an investment into his future. Shortly after, he founded Krewe. In this week's episode of The Glossy Podcast, founder and creative director, Stirling Barrett, talks about how Krewe got its credibility in the market, why mobile retail was key in brick and mortar expansion and why New Orleans really is the best place to build your business.

In our inaugural episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast Kerr discussed how she made the move from a model to a CEO, why she only recently decided to scale Kora Organics internationally, and what it means to have integrity as the beauty and wellness industries become more intertwined.

When she first joined Lilly Pulitzer over a decade ago, Michelle Kelly was a huge fan of the brand and in search of the best way to get to know the fashion industry. Her mentors suggested she get her start in sales, which Kelly said taught her one of the most important lessons of her career. Now, as President and CEP, Kelly never forgets what she learned in those first few years-- the customers are in charge. In this episode of The Glossy Podcast, Kelly discusses what it’s like to have a truly loyal following, how Lilly Pulitzer approaches capsule collections and how influencer marketing is a natural extension of the brand.

We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest podcast, The Glossy Beauty Podcast! Our show where we cover the beauty and wellness trends of today, and what will show up on your feeds tomorrow, with the people who know them best. Tune in to our premiere episode on Thursday, November 8th, with international supermodel and founder and CEO of Kora Organics, Miranda Kerr. Make sure to like and subscribe to The Glossy Beauty Podcast today!

Since Bill Wackermann joined Wilhelmina Models as CEO in early 2016, his mission has been to bring the company into the 21st century, while remaining true to its original philosophy: Flawed beauty is the most beautiful. Today, being a model is about so much more than taking a good picture; it's about being a real, interesting person, Wackermann said. People, and brands, are demanding authenticity. In this week's episode of the Glossy Podcast, Wackermann discusses why Instagram followers should be more about quality than quantity, how consumer demand is shaping the industry and why his company has turned its focus to Snapchat.