Fashioncast® Episode #54, February 4, 2025 Isabel De Sousa, Founder Akalia and Business Brand Consultant On this episode, you will meet the energetic and brilliant Isabel De Sousa, Founder of Akalia, and business brand consultant. De Sousa, based in Miami, Florida, has walked the walk in building her brand the old fashion way—with grit and determination. Launched in 2021, Akalia was scaled with amazing speed, and is now found in major retailers including Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Hud...
Feb 21, 2025•30 min•Ep. 54
Fashioncast® Episode #53, November 12, 2024 Alden Wicker, Toxic Textiles (Part 3): Has Toxic Apparel Become Fashion’s Watergate? This episode is Part 3 of a three-part series on toxic textiles and features Alden Wicker, award-winning author, freelance investigative reporter, and environmental blogger. The discussion covers Wicker’s career in the fashion industry since 2011, including her introduction to fashion, the launch of her website EcoCult, and her first book released in 2023, To Dye For: ...
Nov 13, 2024•48 min•Ep. 53
Fashioncast® Episode #52, October 8, 2024 Dr. Alison Matthews David, Toxic Textiles (Part 2): Fashion’s History of Silent Consent This episode is Part 2 of a three-part series on toxic textiles and features Dr. Alison Matthews David, award-winning author, professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, and fashion activist. Dr. Matthew David’s ground-breaking fashion history classic Fashion Victims, will mark its tenth anniversary in 2025 and has become the go to art fashion history text in fashio...
Oct 12, 2024•41 min•Ep. 52
Fashioncast® Episode #51, September 17, 2024 Lydia Dupree, Toxic Textiles (Part 1): A Biochemist Unravels Fashion’s Toxic Secrets Put your thinking caps on fashionistas! On this episode, you’ll meet Lydia Dupree, the brilliant and affable biochemist who is tackling one of fashion’s most opaque topics—toxic textiles. Dupree is a notable cancer researcher and has several research papers already published. And while her entrance into fashion came about unexpectedly, for the industry, Dupree’s intel...
Sep 23, 2024•42 min•Ep. 51
Fashioncast® Episode #50, August 20, 2024 Somy Madani, Haute Couture Makes A Comeback With London’s Next Generation Designer This is the 50th show anniversary of Fashioncast ® , and we couldn’t think of a better guest to share our success with than Somy Madani, the award-winning London-based international designer. Born and raised in Medina, Saudi Arabia, Somy’s fashion journey is a remarkable story of entrepreneurial grit and determination. Brilliant and affable, she’s a woman on a mission. In ...
Aug 30, 2024•40 min•Ep. 50
Fashioncast® Episode #49, July 16, 2024 Stacy Igel, Fashion’s Queen of Collaboration Listen closely fashionistas! On this episode we introduce you to “fashionpreneuer” extraordinaire Stacy Igel, Founder Boy Meets Girl apparel company and best-selling author of Embracing The Calm In The Chaos . As Stacy says, she was interested in fashion while “still in the womb,” and her history since birth reinforces her prenatal yearning to build a career in fashion. What makes this episode so appealing is th...
Jul 25, 2024•45 min•Ep. 49
Fashioncast® Episode #48, May 21, 2024 Rachel Erickson, Riding High in the World of Performance Apparel Hold on fashionistas! On this episode we introduce you to manufacturing performance apparel consultant Rachel Erickson. As Founder and CEO of Unmarked Street, Rachel, and her team specialize in fashion consulting to the sports performance market, especially cycling. Enthusiastic about fashion at an early age, with some maternal nudging, Rachel has made fashion more than a career, it’s her iden...
May 23, 2024•48 min•Ep. 48
Fashioncast® Episode #47, February 15, 2024 Gittemarie Johansen, The Global Guru of Sustainability Takes on Fast Fashion Hey Fashionistas! On this episode we introduce you to sustainability educator, author, speaker, and YouTube sensation, Gittemarie Johansen. Smart, witty, and experienced, Gittemarie has been living and teaching the zero-waste lifestyle for a decade. It’s fascinating to hear how Gittemarie stumbled into her career, found her passion, and has made her livelihood teaching the res...
Feb 15, 2024•45 min•Ep. 47
Episode #46, December 20, 2023 Fern Mallis, A Fashion Legend Imparts Wit And Wisdom On Her Career And Life On this exclusive episode, you will hear from the Godmother of Fashion, Fern Mallis, as she describes the trials and tribulations of her early days to her current role as President of her own consulting company. Listening to Mallis reflect on her hard-earned wisdom about the industry is the equivalent to enjoying a ten-course meal. Few, if any, know the depth and the breadth of the industry...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 46
Fashioncast® Episode #45, October 30, 2023 Jennifer Knoepfle, LilaPants Hey Fashioncast fashionistas, on this episode you’ll learn about the amazing startup LilaPants ( www.lilapants.com ), and the company’s innovative apparel made for the tween market. Born from the innocent question, “What would you like to do when you grow?”, the LilaPants journey is full of the trials and tribulations of a fashion startup. What is uniquely compelling about LilaPants is the fact it’s a family affair. The comp...
Nov 01, 2023•49 min•Ep. 45
Fashioncast® Episode #44, August 29, 2023 Graham Stewart, EVP, FIBRE52 Whoa! Fashioncast listeners, on this episode you’ll learn about the most innovative sustainable product for cotton bleaching and dying since the 12th century! International sustainable textile innovator and FIBRE52 Executive, Graham Stewart, joins the show and shares his vision for the company and the textile industry. Stewart, a veteran of the textile industry since 1976, has held a variety of positions, but perhaps his most...
Aug 31, 2023•38 min•Ep. 44
Fashioncast Episode #43, June 27, 2023 Jamie Koff, Founder & President, Fabric To Finish, Inc. Fashioncast listeners, please meet Jamie Koff, the brilliant and multi-talented fashion entrepreneur from New York City who founded Fabric To Finish, Inc., a fashion incubator, in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. You’ll learn about Jamie’s unconventional journey into the world of fashion and the big-name designers and industry insiders that impacted her career. Koff’s story is a tale beyond fashion and...
Jul 05, 2023•45 min•Ep. 43
Fashioncast Episode #42, June 8, 2023 Kristian Hansen, Founder & CEO, Slo Jean Company Fashioncast community, meet the indelible Kristian Hansen, Founder & CEO, Slo Jean Company, one of the fastest growing jean companies on the planet! Kristian’s story is so compelling and inspirational you may want to listen to it more than once! In an effort to disrupt the women’s jean market by providing a solution for skimpy pockets, Hansen has created a juggernaut. It’s mesmerizing to hear how the C...
Jun 19, 2023•48 min•Ep. 42
Fashioncast Episode #41, May 25, 2023 Leyla Uysal, Founder & CEO, Bajer Fashioncast listeners, you’re going to love meeting the always smiling, upbeat, and positive Leyla Uysal, she’s one of the most inspiring guests we’ve ever interviewed. Leyla’s story is much more than overcoming the typical startup challenges that face every business, it’s about personal courage, risk, persistence, and endurance. Born and raised in the Kurdish region of Turkey, you’ll hear how Leyla, through happenstance...
May 30, 2023•41 min•Ep. 41
Fashioncast® Episode #40, April 11, 2023 Dr. Lucy E. Dunne, The Rise of Wearable Technology and Smart Clothing Fashioncast® listeners, get ready to be schooled as Dr. Lucy Dunne, Professor of Apparel Design and Wearable Technology, University of Minnesota, joins the show for an in-depth discussion about the current state of wearable technology and smart clothing. In the first part of the interview, you’ll hear the articulate and confident Dr. Dunne as she methodically traces the genesis of weara...
May 16, 2023•40 min•Ep. 40
Fashioncast Episode #39, February 14, 2023 Samir Balwani, Founder & CEO, QRY: The Master of D2C Digital Marketing Fashioncast listeners, in this episode, you’ll meet the brilliant, articulate, and veteran digital branding and marketing guru Samir Balwani. Samir has been at the forefront of the digital marketing industry for two decades and has amassed a wealth of knowledge and insight. Now, he imparts his wisdom to the Fashioncast audience. Given hundreds of thousands of brands, and millions...
Feb 18, 2023•42 min•Ep. 39
Fashioncast Episode #38, October 25, 2022 Alison Bruhn and Delia Folk--How A Mother-Daughter Duo Built a NYC Styling Powerhouse It’s all about style Fashioncast listeners, “fashion over comfort” prevails! So, if your style needs a total makeover or you simply need an upgrade, you’ve landed at the right episode. Mother-daughter owners Alison Bruhn and Delia Folk of The Style That Binds Us join the show to explain all things styling and how the professional fashion stylists are making their presen...
Oct 31, 2022•48 min•Ep. 38
Fashioncast® Episode #37, July 26, 2022 Beth Hitchcock : Battling Fashion’s Delusion of Inclusion for Plus Size Women Fashioncast listeners, you’re about to fall in love with the beautiful, brilliant, witty, and incredibly talented Beth Hitchcock. Searching for her role in the industry, she’s experienced a variety of fashion positions including a short stint in publishing before emerging as an accomplished stylist, model, and consultant for the ever-growing size-inclusive market. As a stylist, H...
Aug 02, 2022•44 min•Ep. 37
Fashioncast® Episode #36, October 14, 2021 Sustainable Fashion Part I, Alex Penades, Jeanologia’s Denim Revolution Full disclosure-- Fashioncast® loves Jeanologia! In the annals of fashion, few companies have had such a positive impact on the industry and the environment as Jeanologia. In the first of a four-part sustainable fashion series, Alex Penades, Brand Director North America Jeanologia, a proven leader in the global effort to drive sustainable fashion, joins the podcast to detail the com...
Oct 22, 2021•32 min•Ep. 36
Fashioncast® Episode #35, July 8, 2021 Dr. Dawnn Karen, A Fashion Therapy Session with the World’s First Fashion Psychologist In this episode, the highly acclaimed Dr. Dawnn Karen joins Fashioncast® to explain, against all odds, how she single-handedly pioneered and founded the Fashion Psychology Field®. Dr. Karen began to inadvertently merge her psychology education with her fashion experience using the two disciplines to cope after a personal tragedy in 2010. Since then, she has grown her prac...
Jul 12, 2021•37 min•Ep. 35
Fashioncast® Episode #34, June 3, 2021 Dr. Valerie Steele, From Student Epiphany to Global Fashion Legend In one of our most fascinating and fun episodes, Dr. Valerie Steele, fashion icon and legendary director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT joins Fashioncast® to talk fashion history. The author/co-author of over 20 books on a myriad of fashion topics, Dr. Steele is unmatched in her comprehensive knowledge of the past, present, and future of the fashion industry. So, just how did Dr. Ste...
Jun 08, 2021•34 min•Ep. 34
Fashioncast® Episode #33, April 9, 2021 Mark Pilkington, Part II: A Retail Therapist’s Diagnosis of the Industry’s Maladies He’s back! In the last half of a two-part series, Mark Pilkington, author of Retail Therapy--Why the Retail Industry is Broken--And What Can Be Done to Fix it , gets specific as he delves deep into exactly how to “fix” the retail industry. In Part I (Episode #30), Pilkington retraced how the global retail industry ended up in its unenviable position pre-COVID19, and where i...
Apr 16, 2021•53 min•Ep. 33
Fashioncast® Episode #32, March 24, 2021 Melissa Coulier, An American Photography Phenom Melissa Coulier is one of those rare individuals who leave an indelible impression wherever she travels. From her hometown of Livingston, Montana, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park and in the heart of Big Sky Country, to the hustle of Hollywood’s celebrity culture, Coulier has found her way and made her mark . Known as one of America’s most notable children’s fashion photographers, Coulier is brillian...
Apr 01, 2021•45 min•Ep. 32
Nicole Giordano is the undisputed business champion for independent fashion designers. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Giordano entered the fashion profession as a textile designer and soon learned the industry was more bureaucratic and imposing than she liked. So, she did something about it! She launched the Startup FASHION blog to discuss business challenges many designers encounter. The blog eventually grew into a successful membership sponsored company assisting a community of over 500 desi...
Feb 12, 2021•41 min•Ep. 31
If you are wondering how to navigate the ever-changing world of retail, where reports of mergers, closings, and bankruptcies are far too frequent, then you’ll appreciate Fashioncast’s ® exclusive interview with Mark Pilkington, author of Retail Therapy--Why the Retail Industry is Broken--And What Can Be Done to Fix it. In Part I of this two part series, with no holds barred, Pilkington broadly explains exactly how the worldwide retail industry ended up “on the ropes” pre-COVID19, and where it st...
Jan 12, 2021•40 min•Ep. 30
Elizabeth Semmelhack: The World’s Foremost Shoe Curator Go ahead, try it, Google the following, “the world’s foremost shoe curator?” Who appears on your screen? Elizabeth Semmelhack! And, it’s no surprise. The Creative Director and Senior Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada, began her career at the renowned gallery in 2000 with little knowledge in footwear and has become the shoe sage of the world. Since her tenure, Semmelhack has curated over 20 exhibitions, written more than 30 ...
Oct 07, 2020•49 min•Ep. 29
Diane Pernet is the definition of fashion royalty. Even in this era of COVID-19 induced social distancing, face masks and Zoom meetings, one is immediately struck by her grandeur. Her worldly intellect, her soft but confident voice, her disarming wit, and her ability to simply relate make Pernet semidivine. Beyond rank and poise, Pernet’s deliberate and unmistakable appearance, shrouded in black often wearing a mantilla-esque veil, rewards her as one of the most recognized fashion dignitaries in...
Jul 10, 2020•32 min•Ep. 28
From the outside looking in, Rocco Leo Gaglioti is the epitome of American success. The tall (6’5”) handsome fashion celebrity seems to know everybody who’s anybody in the world-of-fashion. But, Gaglioti’s story is more of intrigue and personal triumph than fashion lore. While Gaglioti describes his 26 years in the fashion industry in a very linear, matter-of-fact way, it’s been anything but an unencumbered ride to the top. In fact, Gaglioti is so humble, the listener may get the impression nobo...
Jul 02, 2020•42 min•Ep. 27
From the western Prairie Province of Alberta, Canada, in the oil boom and bust city of Calgary, Lauryn Vaughn, Founder and CEO of The Upside, joins Fashioncast via Zoom to share her amazing story of online retail success. In 2015, against all odds, the smart and savvy super entrepreneur launched The Upside the old fashioned way--from her basement, and never looked back. Today, the business is the largest luxury online consignment retailer in the nation. Once you meet Lauryn Vaughn, you’ll know w...
May 29, 2020•43 min•Ep. 26
From her 18th century apartment in Paris, France, internationally acclaimed photographer, Iris Brosch, the impassioned articulate intellectual of art imagery, joins Fashioncast via Skype to share her multifaceted photography experience in the world-of-fashion. Brosch, the German-born photographer and filmmaker, specializing in fashion, nudes, art, and performance art, has been shaped by both the German and Italian Renaissance periods. Her portraits are instantly recognizable as they clearly show...
May 22, 2020•51 min•Ep. 25
