Fashion & Founders The Podcast

This week I spoke with Manya and Naama founders of Threads of Tech. Together they are creating a community in the fashion tech community from putting on events during NYFW to their job board and connecting people to their dream jobs. Naama has a background as a software engineer and knitwear designer and Manya as a Data Analyst and Fashion Designer. What started out as a roommate search ended up with them putting on two major events in 5 weeks and becoming co-founders.Manya and Naama are often behind the scenes making sure their events run smoothly, so I am excited to share their story here and help others learn more about the really exciting work they are doing. Maybe you follow data but make it fashion on instagram or have seen a cool new fashion tech startup, if you’ve ever wanted to learn more about fashion tech whether you’re a student or someone looking to use their tech background at a fashion brand this episode is for you because they share a lot of insight. Follow InterwovenInterwoven IG: @interwovenstories.podVictoria TikTok: @vfsmith11Interwoven LinkedIn: Interwoven StoriesVictoria Pickle Closet: @victoriasInterwoven Substack: @interwovenstoriesFollow Threads of Tech:Instagram: @threadsoftechJob BoardLinkedIn: Threads of Tech Substack: Threads of TechFollow Naama:Instagram: @mieuxnaamaLinkedIn: Naama PaulemontFollow Manya:Instagram: @manyaownbusinessLinkedIn: Manya JainListener Story:Instagram: @too.many.jacketsShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have! Get featured and submit your own story here!Thank you for listening!

This week I am joined by Kaley, editorial director at Cascale, formerly known as Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). You may have heard of the Higg Index, a collection of tools that measure the environmental and social impact of products and supply chains in the apparel, footwear, and textile industriesIn 2009, Walmart and Patagonia founded the SAC to convene apparel industry stakeholders on a pre-competitive basis and develop a common approach to measuring sustainability and in 2010 they launched the Higg Index. Each year, over 24,000 users rely on the Higg Index to measure their footprint, improve and take action. Kaley played a founding role as Sustainability Editor at WWD, covering business, spearheading digital properties like the “Sustainability Scene,” and moderating live events. After 5 years at WWD, Kaley now oversees editorial and currently guides Cascale’s distinctive voice across content and live media operations, all key to the organization’s rebrand’s success.  An avid community gardener and activist, she’s contributed to U.N. Women USA NY during the chapter’s reign, and recently served as an advisory committee member for the 2023 U.N. Conscious Fashion Campaign & Lifestyle Network.Listen for some shoutouts for vintage and repair stores in New York too. With such a strong record in sustainable fashion journalism, Kaley is a thought leader in this space and offers great insight in this episode, I’m very excited to share it.Follow Interwoven:Interwoven IG: @interwovenstories.podVictoria TikTok: @vfsmith11Interwoven LinkedIn: Interwoven StoriesVictoria Pickle Closet: @victoriasInterwoven Substack: @interwovenstoriesFollow Cascale:Instagram: @cascale_orgLinkedIn: CascaleWebsite: cascale.orgFollow Kaley:Instagram: @kaleyroshitshLinkedIn: Kaley RoshitshWebsite: kaleyroshitsh.comListener Story:Instagram: @sofia_bergstrom Business: @stchsbysShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have! Get featured and submit your own story here!Thank you for listening!

This week I spoke with Emily Stochl, Vice President of Advocacy and Community Engagement at Remake. Emily has been in the sustainable fashion space for many years now and began at Remake as an ambassador. She also hosts her own podcast, the Pre-Loved Podcast, so check that out as well.Remake is working on systems change in the fashion industry and creating a more ethical fashion industry. In todays epiosde we cover a lot as Remake is involved in so many branches of the sustainable fashion industry, from legislation with the Fabric Act, the Brandy Hellville Documentary, the no new clothes challenge, and of course there preloved fashion show during New York fashion week. If you’re looking for a way to get involved and find a community in the sustainable fashion space, remake’s ambassador program is a great way to get started and you can learn more about all the opportunities they offer throughout the episode. Follow InterwovenInterwoven IG: @interwovenstories.podVictoria TikTok: @vfsmith11Interwoven LinkedIn: Interwoven StoriesVictoria Pickle Closet: @victoriasInterwoven Substack: @interwovenstoriesFollow Remake:Instagram: @remakeourworldLinkedIn: remake.worldWebsite: remake.worldAmbassador Application: apply here!Follow Emily:Instagram: @emilymstochlWebsite: emilystochl.comListener Story:Multiple listener stories in this episode! From Remake’s Preloved Fashion Show at NYFW from Remake Ambassadors, the Circ x Mara Hoffman dress, and many more! Find the full stories on the Interwoven Instagram and SubstackShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have! Get featured and submit your own story here!Thank you for listening!

Welcome back to Interwoven Stories, this week I had interviewed Julia O’Mara, Co-Founder and COO of Pickle. Pickle is a peer to peer fashion rental platform headquartered in New York City and we were able to meet in person amidst New York Fashion Week.In this episode Julia shares some fun stories about the early days of Pickle, advice for entrepreneurs, and really fun renter stories from engagements to revenge dresses. Julia has not always worked in fashion and before joining Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Female Founders List, she studied Materials Science Engineering and Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania and before founding Pickle, served as Senior Product Manager at The Blackstone Group, where she met her co-founder Brian. I can’t recommend Pickle enough, not only because they have the best dresses or that I had so much fun recording this with Julia, but I can honestly say I’ve made hundreds of dollars in just a couple of weeks. You can visit them in person at their store in the West Village or download the app and get $20 off your first rental.If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, fashion tech, or just love the Pickle app, keep listening.Follow InterwovenInterwoven IG: @interwovenstories.podVictoria TikTok: @vfsmith11Interwoven LinkedIn: Interwoven StoriesVictoria Pickle Closet: @victoriasFollow Julia: Julia IG: @julia_omaraJulia TikTok: @julia_omaraJulia LinkedIn: Julia O'MaraFollow Pickle:Pickle IG: @shoponpicklePickle X: @shoponpicklePickle TikTok: @shoponpicklePickle LinkedIn: PickleListener Story:Dani IG: @daniskovDani TikTok: @danigskovShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have! Get featured and submit your own story here!Thank you for listening!

This week I am joined with Jeanine Co-Founder and CEO of World Collective, the first digital transformation hub for the fashion industry. She has an incredible background in fashion with two decades of experience from the Otto Group to being the VP of Supply Chain at Calvin Klein to the Global VP at the Innovation Lab of PVH Corp to founding a nonprofit to support women and children working in the fashion industry to the executive Director of Fashion for Development.Jeanine‘s vision for the future of fashion is so incredibly inspiring. You can feel how much she believes in the work she is doing and the possibilities it can create. everyone to create a more ethical, innovative fashion industry through the business model the world collective supports and has created, whether you’re a student interested in designing your first collection, a small business, or a large corporation or creating your own material collective has something and someone for you to connect with and learn from. World Collective Links!Insta: @worldcollective.officialWebsiteFollow Interwoven!Instagram: @interwovenstories.podListener Story!Insta: @dizzylizzyshoppDepop!Share your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have! Get featured and submit your own story here!Thank you for listening!

This week I was joined with Genia the founder of Been London. Started in 2018, BEEN London is an award-winning accessories brand that was named 'one of the most innovative fashion companies in the world' by British VOGUE.Genia is on a mission to make beautiful things out of waste and help us all reimagine what objects can be. She has a really cool approach to design and sustainability and I found this conversation inspiring and informative on what it’s like to be a founder of sustainable fashion brand revolutionizing a product. BEEN London Links!Insta: @been.londonWebsiteFollow Interwoven!Instagram: @interwovenstories.podListener!Insta: @destinyjoeliviaBy Rotation JacketCode DESTINY15 for 15% a rental!Share your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have! Get featured and submit your own story here!Thank you for listening!

This week on Interwoven Stories,  I spoke with Diana Kakkar the founder and chief executive of MAES London, a luxury garment manufacturing studio located in North London specialising in designer womenswear. I got the opportunity to tour her factory and it was incredible to see firsthand what she has built.Diana is deeply integrated in the UK fashion scene as she is also a mentor at the British Fashion Council, a visiting lecturer at the University of art London, and an ambassador for the uk fashion and textile association. We discuss her entrepreneurial  journey and she shares some great tips as well as her advice for aspiring founders. She is at the forefront of fashion innovation and is on a mission to reconnect designers with the people who make their clothes. Diana shares her knowledge from creating her own business to mentoring and teaching upcoming designers making this episode not one to miss for anyone looking to get involved in fashion from students to designers to founders. Follow MAES London!@maeslondon@dianakakkarFollow Interwoven!@interwovenstories.podListener Story!@sugarsequinvintage@katerina.stylesShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have!Thank you for listening!

This week I spoke with Kelly Drennan, the founder and executive director of Fashion Takes Action (FTA). FTA is Canada's only non-profit organization devoted to advancing sustainability in the entire fashion system through education, awareness, research and collaboration. Kelly shares how she started Fashion Takes Action in 2007 and discovered a real need to education and collaboration in sustainable fashion and how in wake of the Rana Plaza Factory Tragedy she found a way to educate and empower young people. Kelly has become a true leader in the industry and served as Fashion Revolution’s country coordinator for Canada for the first three years. FTA does a lot of work around education so if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by media around climate change, Kelly offerers her insight with years of expertise on how to effectively approach and communicate these difficult topics. Her work around education in for young people to adults, using fashion as a channel to empower people to take action has created a ripple effect of change.  Follow Fashion Takes Action!FTA Instagram: @fashiontakesactionMCMW Instagram: @myclothesmyworldSign up for the newsletter here!Listener Story!DaniellePerryman StudioFollow Interwoven!Instagram: @interwovenstories.podTiktok: @interwovenstoriesShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have!Thank you for listening!

This week I spoke with Natalia, the founder of Bipty a fashion rental platform.She shares how she got started running around her college campus delivering clothes and how she built her business where it is today as they launch an app July 11th as well!Natalia has great advice for people who want to start their own business and get started renting out their clothes and have a great side hustle.She has built such an incredible community and I can’t wait to see what she continues to create. For those interested in entrepreneurship, side hustles, fashion, and more you’ll learn a lot from this episode!Follow Bipty!Ig: @bipty.fashionrentalFollow Interwoven!Instagram: @interwovenstories.podTiktok: @interwovenstoriesShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have!Thank you for listening!

This week I interviewed Georgie Hyatt a London based entrepreneur. She was named Forbes 30 Under 30 and Drapers 30 under 30 in 2022, for her fashion rental business Rotaro. Who What Wear featured her as one of “The Best Wardrobes in Britain." Georgie’s fashion journey began at WGSN, a trend forecasting and analytics company. She then founded Rotaro, a UK based fashion rental company that offered rental as a service for brands. After consolidating Rotaro with another fashion rental company, Georgie moved into consulting and the VC space scouting for climate tech companies. She expressed her passion for building a great produce and business and will be starting her own company soon again and I can’t wait to see what she does.Georgie has such an interesting background and if you are interested in fashion forecasting, consumer insights, entrepreneurship, fashion tech, and vc investing, Georgie has the experience and knowledge to learn from. she shares a a very fully circle story of how Ganni’s legal team sent them a letter at the beginning of their business so keep listing to find out how that ended. Follow Georgie!Ig: @georgiehyattOut of Retirement VintageFollow Interwoven!Instagram: @interwovenstories.podTiktok: @interwovenstoriesShare your own stories about vintage, thrifted, preloved, secondhand, rental, and any meaningful pieces you have!Thank you for listening!